The Crawford Stand

Here he comes, AGAIN. And for the last time. Four more and no more. Trump will do everything possible to make his mark, leave his legacy, and do what’s right for America.
Conservatives and Christians are, or should be, gratified, thankful that Trump prevailed over Harris, for there is a far better chance that the real America, the true America, under sabotage in so many ways by the Biden administration, will be once again revived, born again. MAGA will be the lodestar of the Trump administration for he has promised to:
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.
May it be so. Don’t you agree?
We will also get to know JD Vance. In the first Trump administration, Vice President Pence was of little influence or importance. It is perhaps possible that Vance will play a more active role, have more responsibilities, and especially in the last two years of the Trump administration, be more visible as a potential republican candidate for President in 2028.
Many do not like Donald Trump personally, even many who voted for him. He is indeed a polarizing personality. But he was in so many ways the very best candidate for President, and perhaps Americans, and especially conservatives and Christians learned that they and we all vote for a president and a politician, not the personality of a pastor. There is none who take that office who have ever been morally perfect but the real question in terms of morality and character is whether or not as President, that candidate will honor the promises and vows made in seeking election and otherwise be a respectful, forthright and strong president of WE THE PEOPLE. May it be so, don’t you agree?
Many believe that Donald Trump will be more mature in the second four years. Trump they feel will have no reason to make enemies, confront, or criticize. Most believe that his decisions will be more rational, thought out, mature, and made with the advice and consultation of people expert in the field. May it be so.
Trump has promised to do away with the swamp. He has said he never realized how deep, pervasive, and all entwined (murky to the eye) the swamp was, and consequently, did not finish the job. This time around, so he says, he will. May it be so, don’t you agree?
That includes doing away with certain of the agencies which control so much, like the DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DOE). That is a woke, progressive, liberal organization-agency and America will be better without it. Trump also indicated he would move agencies out of Washington. Decentralize much so as to control the unregulated power of so many. He stands openly against woke, DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) and the radical, even anti-American aspects of the Federal Government will be done away with. May it be so.
Trump has vowed he will make things happen, and where necessary, he will issue EXECUTIVE ORDERS which will in fact make things happen. Because of the inaction of congress in so many ways, the orders of the executive have become a political way of life. It remains to be seen how aggressive Trump will be.
He has promised to stabilize the Middle East. Unlike Biden, Trump will be a strong supporter of Israel. Trump will not authorize or enforce the treaty-agreement with Iran. He will stand up to North Korea, and Russia. And most especially, Trump knows the threat of China and he has promised, with tariffs, military action where necessary, as in the Chinese promise to take over Taiwan, curtail the influence and threat of China. May it be so, don’t you agree?
Trump has promised to strengthen the military. That should start with the Navy, with submarines, nuclear warfare capability and protection, a reprioritizing of military purposes and the strengthening of American defenses. May it be so.
And the financial. Trump has promised to deal with inflation, and no new taxes, unlike Biden and the Democrats, to control the interest rates, to work on reducing the American debt, something he did not do in his first term. Now comes the DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY (DOGE) headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. If these two men are allowed to do their job, they will be able to eliminate so much waste in spending and how wonderful that would be for America. May the actions of DOGE be real and for the benefit of our beloved America.
Trump will undoubtedly appoint one or more new justices of the Supreme Court. May he have the wisdom to put the very right people in such a critical position, with so much authority over WE THE PEOPLE. His first appointments were good for America and may it be so, should he have the additional opportunity.
Trump brings hope, hope for change, change back, hope for making America great again. It is our duty as American citizens and Christians to pray for Donald Trump. To pray that with the incredible problems and opportunities which his administration will face, he will be guided by divine wisdom and do what is right for WE THE PEOPLE. We should pray that Trump will reestablish our love and respect for our constitution, and rule of law, which especially includes protecting our borders, dealing with illegal immigration and making certain that American citizens are protected, that our police are respected, and that we may, as the Apostle Paul has admonished us, pray for our President and live peaceful lives. May it be so.
Trump comes January 20. May that coming be the beginning of a new, revived, and born-again America. May it be so.

We live, my fellow Americans, in the greatest nation in the history of mankind. There is not, nor has there ever been, a nation like:
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Never.
It is a nation conceived in freedom. It treasures and fosters democracy. It is a constitutional nation, and it is a nation where, as Dr. Martin Luther King so well said, if in fact its citizens live up to its constitution, treasure it, believe in it, and enforce it, all men and women who are created equal can live a life to the fullest.
AMERICA. What is America to you? Do you understand your country, your nation, its history, its purpose and meaning, the reality of the:
REAL AMERICA?
Do you? Right-thinking men and women thank God every day, EVERYDAY, for the privilege of living in America and being an American. Do you? Are you a grateful citizen, are you proud to be an American, and since this great country can do so much for you, remember the words of President John F. Kennedy, who admonished us to:
ASK NOT WHAT AMERICA CAN DO FOR YOU
ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR AMERICA!
That in my opinion should be the motto of every real American.
THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION. Please read it. Do your best to understand it. Study anything which helps you understand the incredible rights, privileges, and duties which are yours as a citizen and as an American. Think always about the First Amendment to that Constitution, perhaps the finest words, rights, privileges, opportunities, and expressions of freedom ever written in the history of mankind. The First Amendment of America’s Constitution allows you full and unabridged freedom of:
RELIGION
SPEECH
PRESS
ASSEMBLY
PETITION
These precious freedoms are the very best that can be offered to any human being and they are essential, priorities, GUARANTEED to every man and woman by this Constitution and its very precious First Amendment. Read it, know it, treasure it, and thank God for it.
RULE OF LAW. It is watered down, ignored, or even eliminated in this woke and radical, anti-American day and age. Lawlessness in the end times, says the scripture, prevails and runs rampant. That is happening today. Stand up, my fellow Americans, to lawlessness and insist upon the rule of law, insist upon the concept of:
JUSTICE FOR ALL.
There is risk in so doing, but the reward is well worth the risk.
RIGHT AND WRONG. There are those today that think there is no such thing as right and wrong. There is no absolute truth. This is the day and age of:
THE LIE.
We live in an age which many describe as:
POST TRUTH.
That is, we live in a culture where there is no such thing as absolute truth and consequently, the lie, that which is not truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, is the law of the land. WRONG, dead wrong. There is right and wrong, there is truth, and never forget in this great year 2025, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ:
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE!
I AM THE TRUTH!
Believe in Him and you will know the truth indeed.
STAND. Stand tall for America. Protect it. Founding Fathers were willing to die for it. Are you? Am I? Are there enough Americans left who are willing to do whatever is required to protect and defend the greatest land in the history of mankind?
So much of the world despises, even hates America. Perhaps that is because we live hypocritically, we do not stand tall for our ideals, our freedoms, and our way of life, and we are not consistent, constantly compromising, and so often not holding individuals and nations accountable for their actions. We the People need to redefine who we are as a nation, make those ideals, values, and standards clear, and stand for them no matter the cost, now more than ever in the great year 2025.
POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT. We the People need to be far more politically involved. Especially Christian citizens. We need to be active in government. We need to take positions of authority locally and to make certain our neighborhoods, towns, and
cities, are safe, law-abiding, and true to American ideals, its constitution, rule of law, and way of life. WE THE PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP! We need to make certain right-thinking and right-acting men and women are elected to office, who will truly represent us, and even more importantly, our Constitution, rule of law, and all that America should be. WE THE PEOPLE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT HAPPENS! If not, we need to speak out critically so, aggressively, withhold financing, and our vote, and where necessary, exercise the process of recall and do whatever we can to get elected or appointed officials unworthy of citizen trust out of office and authority. WE THE PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!
WOKE, THE PROGRESSIVE, THE ANTI-AMERICAN. They are everywhere, EVERYWHERE! They are determined to effectuate radical change or even in so many cases, the destruction of the American way of life. They would water down or eliminate much of our Constitution, curtail our freedoms, control family and education, and change the way we live, think, and believe. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN MY FELLOW AMERICANS, DON’T LET IT HAPPEN! Time is short. America needs right-thinking Americans in action now more than ever.
PRIDE. Be proud 2025 to be an American. Be proud to be a citizen of the real America, the constitutional America, with its freedoms, and be proud to stand tall as America beckons, asking you now more than ever to be a soldier in the fight for freedom.
Wear the flag, salute the military, proudly sing, and respect the National Anthem:
STAND UP FOR AMERICA.
Pray that God will bless America, convicted of its wrong doings, and once again make it the city on the hill, the shining light among nations, a country safe and protected for us today and for our descendants tomorrow. Let us proudly sing in 2025:
GOD BLESS AMERICA
LAND THAT I LOVE!

"Now comes the time when we resolve. Right-thinking Christians and Americans, determined to live life better, and in the new year 2025, be better soldiers of the cross and better citizens of the greatest nation in the history of mankind."
"So, on to DIFFERENT AND BETTER 2025."
"LIFE. Only one life and that will soon be past. Treasure every moment. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to bring us life more abundantly. Live 2025 in an abundant life. Live as HE said joyfully, live as HE would have you live, that your JOY might be full. Life is good no matter. ENJOY EVERY MOMENT."
"WORRY. Nothing is more negative. Worry is wrong, perhaps rising to the level of sin. Give no thought at all, my fellow Christians, to the TOMORROW. It is a day with its own good and evil and to worry about a day not yet come ruins this day, the day which the Lord has made.
THE FIGHT OF FAITH. Stand up for your faith. Stand tall in the Lord. Never compromise your faith in any way by thought, word, or deed. NEVER!"
"RESIST EVIL. Here comes evil 2025, the devil at work, more aggressive than ever. Resist evil and it will go away, the devil will flee. Resist it with all your Christian might, armor, and strength. Do what is right, and fight back. Never give up. NEVER! In the words of the Apostle Paul:
PRESS ON FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS."
"PRESS ON!"
"SALT AND LIGHT. Let you light, my fellow Christians, so shine before all mankind, that all may see your good works, know what you believe, and glorify not you, but:"
"HIM."
"Whether word or deed, a deed seems to be more lasting and effective than a word in so many ways. Flavor this world with Christian love and forgiveness (salt) and let your light so shine before men. Let it shine brighter than ever."
"EDUCATE. Now comes a radical, woke, progressive agenda seeking to transform, really destroy so much of America, a culture, system, and group of priorities which is thoroughly and completely:
ANTI-AMERICAN."
"It is wrong. Say so and stand up.
YOU. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Care for it, nurture it, preserve it. Live healthy as God would intend and respectfully in the flesh that God has given you.
PRAYER. Pray without ceasing. Be guided by the Holy Spirit. Pray always, everywhere. Live in a prayerful environment, where the Holy Spirit rules and you are in constant communication, prayerful communication with your Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer works wonders, whether it comes from the closet, all alone, even with groanings which are interpreted by the Holy Spirit, or in mass assemblies. God hears and answers HIS
WAY, at His time, and always for your good."
"THANKS. In all things give thanks. ALL THINGS. There is no such thing as luck, but only the will of God at work, whether we are aware of that or not. All things happen as HE would will and no matter what they are, good or bad in our opinion, they are His will at work, and in all such things we should be:
THANKFUL."
"And especially, we should be thankful for His: UNSPEAKABLE GIFT,"
"A gift that cannot be adequately described in words: OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
LOVE. No matter how hateful the world is, no matter how alone you may feel or be, the love of our Lord is with you. Christ, closer than a friend or brother, is with you, by your side, even if no one else is, as our Lord was with the Apostle Paul in his final days, all alone in a dungeon. Christ died for you and there is no greater love than that of a man who lays down his life for a friend:
YOU AND ME.
2025 is the year which the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice therein. Let us resolve to live this great year joyfully, and more productively, and work in his behalf for the night is coming when no man or woman can work.
A very blessed New Year’s greeting from all of us at the Crawford Broadcasting Co. and
may you and yours have a year with the full blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Christians believe they should share biblical solutions to America’s cultural issues.
Rightly so, for our Lord told us as true believers to go into all the world and preach the gospel, PREACH IT! Jesus of Nazareth went even further. He said when you do so:
I WILL GIVE YOU THE WORDS!
When, He said, there is that God-given opportunity to profess your faith, don’t be afraid, don’t be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for that saving gospel is the power of God unto salvation, available to all who call upon the name of the Lord. Be bold, be strong, do not be afraid.
But many of us are afraid. We are easily intimidated, especially when confronted by strong, secular, even anti-Christian personalities. Radical secularists know just what questions to ask, what issues to pose, what statements to make, for in so many ways, they are the same over and again. No matter, when so many of us are confronted, we become insecure, defensive, even ashamed to admit the greatest fact in life, that we have been saved by grace and born again. In those ultimate confrontational moments, we soon forget the promise of the master:
I WILL GIVE YOU THE WORDS!
That is, of course, if you are a believer, a true believer and you have in fact been saved by grace.
So, the question then becomes:
WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU BELIEVE?
Are you a real Christian? A true Christian? A bible-Jesus Christ-believing Christian with a belief from all of your heart, are you? Or are you an intellectual Christian? You know all about Christianity, and Jesus, and you have wrestled intellectually, mentally, with the propositions. You are therefore a Christian who can talk the talk whether or not you walk the walk. Intellectual, philosophic Christianity goes nowhere spiritually, no where at all. Therefore, the words that our Lord would give to that person mean nothing and in fact are not even heard. The intellectual Christian is only concerned with using his own words.
There are those who are social Christians. They go to church, attend Christian functions, socialize with Christian people, and purport to live a Christian life, but with little or nothing inside. They can be called cultural Christians but not born-again Christians. In fact, they really don’t want to be called born-again, saved by grace Christians. They are proud to be called denominational Christians (I am a Baptist). They have Christian trappings, like the Pharisees of old, but inside they are as Jesus said, like whited sepulchers, empty and devoid of the truth. They argue well, but they ignore the words of the Lord. It is really easy to identify those who talk the Christian talk but do not have within them the heart of love which salvation brings.
When it comes to Christian witness, many of us hold back because of the:
FEAR OF REJECTION.
Avowed secularists think nothing of ridiculing us, our testimony, and our faith. When that happens, we withdraw, not wishing to be emotionally hurt and no witness, no stand for the Lord occurs. Far too many of WE THE CHRISTIANS cannot endure ridicule, ridicule of ourselves or our faith.
Nor can we abide rejection. We wish to be accepted, well thought of, a good person, and to keep that image, we cannot be offensive. But that ignores the firm Christian-biblical statement that:
THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS IS AN OFFENSE TO THE NATURAL MAN!
To be a Christian, to witness, in any way by word or deed is to produce word or action which is an OFFENSE to the natural man, the man ready for verbal battle. It seems this poll says that only one out of four of true believers can withstand the verbal assault of the secularist.
But, true believers, remember these words. Our Lord Jesus Christ told us the following:
MAN OR WOMAN WHO WILL CONFESS ME BEFORE MEN, HIM OR
HER WILL I ALSO CONFESS AS MY FOLLOWER, MY TRUE BELIEVER
BEFORE MY FATHER IN HEAVEN. BUT HE OR SHE DENIES ME
BEFORE MEN, HIM OR HER WILL I ALSO DENY BEFORE MY FATHER
WHO IS IN HEAVEN.
So that, the ultimate testimony is that of our Lord before the Father IN OUR BEHALF. That will only happen if we confess our faith, stand for our Lord, and refuse to be intimidated, ridiculed, or rejected by the aggressive anti-Christian.
But it should not be that difficult to confess our faith. What is difficult, in fact virtually impossible, is when we try to be something we are not, communicate what we really do not understand, or think that we have a burden, a duty, to hit the spiritual verbal home run every time we speak about our Lord. Go back, fellow Christian, to that time of conversion, to that time when you really met Jesus Christ. Go back to your commitment, whatever it was, however it occurred, YOUR COMMITMENT, not somebody else’s. That life-changing event which meant so much to you. NO ONE UNDERSTOOD THAT MORE THAN YOU, NO ONE! You had that one and only conversion moment, individual, unique, one of a kind, your very own saving, forgiving, encounter with Jesus Christ, YOURS AND YOURS ALONE! If you really believe, if it was really worthwhile to you, life-changing, an event, occurrence and encounter which had then and still does now life-changing value, that should be easy, EASY to explain in a grateful loving way. There is nothing better than the unique, one and only conversion moment of any one individual. And that, my fellow Christian, is the most powerful Christian witness you could possibly offer. That is the testimony which our Lord will honor. That is real, loving, lasting, and there is no anti-Christian, non-believer anywhere in the world who can offer an argument against that.
And that is all you need to say, nothing more. You can witness to your faith, as it has grown, as it occurs in your everyday life, as it grows in meaning, as it produces the total love of your heart. It is that faith which produces the works, the deeds (by their fruits ye shall know them) which clearly display the love of Jesus Christ which lives within your heart. YOU DON’T NEED TO DO OR SAY ANYTHING ELSE!
In fact, you really shouldn’t because then you are discussing something about which you know little or nothing, someone else’s ideas, perhaps trying to be more intelligent about your faith than you really are, and it waters down your testimony. There is, for example, no greater testimony against abortion than a father or mother in love with Jesus Christ, testifying of their love for their child which God has given them.
The world hungers for real Christianity, REAL! There is so much hypocrisy, irrelevancy, in the church and Christianity today. Far better, far more meaningful, more real than anything are the real words, deeds, experiences of a Christian man or woman in love with Jesus Christ. The Apostle John tells us that we will be known, that is, our testimony will be sure by the love we have for one another. Not only for our family and friends, but all humankind, in all of our life’s experiences, and associations. There is no greater testimony than that of a life of a loving believer who knows that even well beyond faith itself, or the hope which Christianity brings, is the love, the love of God in Jesus Christ. THAT SHOULD BE YOUR TESTIMONY! You do not need to do or say anything more, nothing more. If you never graduated high school, that testimony would be more powerful than any theological treatise.
The only real witness you would ever have, lasting, meaningful, and again, REAL, would be the love and gratitude you profess for Jesus Christ WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES! You don’t need to stand on a street corner and pass out tracts. Our Lord will lead you when it is time to witness. HE will reveal the opportunity, and when He sends you into battle to represent him:
HE WILL GIVE YOU THE WORDS!

We the people so privileged to live in America have so much to be thankful for. God has allowed us to live in the greatest nation in human history, in my opinion. How grateful we should be. Thanks be unto God for His incredible gifts to mankind.
There are so many things to be thankful for. And we should approach this wonderful time of year with gratitude and Thanksgiving Day, and Thanksgiving week, and all year long, we should:
GIVE THANKS
And you are thankful, are you not my fellow Americans, for so much, so much that you have, so many opportunities that you have, and the life which God has given you to lead? You are thankful and grateful, are you not?
Our forefathers, as they established America one-of-a-kind, the pilgrims and others, did exactly that:
THEY GAVE THANKS OVER AND AGAIN
Those who came first to America brought with them a deeply rooted sense of gratitude for all good things. They were grateful to God for everything, the Great Giver of all things. They thanked their God with works and prayers. They sat aside a day in the fall, after harvest, to be especially thankful for all that God’s earth had bestowed. They sat aside Thanksgiving Day to be grateful and to celebrate. The harvest reap assured them of survival and prosperity during the harsh winter to come and they were grateful. The earth gave and they harvested. The earth bestowed the bounty of God and they reaped the harvest, with gratitude and with thanksgiving. Even as they, the first ones here, thanked the God Creator for these unspeakable, incredible gifts, so should we.
So, amidst the fun and fellowship of Thanksgiving Day and week, we should set aside time to be grateful. We should tell others of our gratitude and in a world so often negative and spiteful, let our attitude be positive and think about those things which are good, for there are so many of them.
When households and humans the world over die every day, we should be grateful for life, for living, and for the lifestyle we enjoy. Opportunity for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is everywhere, thanks be to God. We can start by serving HIM, and others. We can work and be productive. We can learn and train. We can earn, and profit, and grow, grow personally and professionally in so many ways. And we can do that every day, EVERY DAY, and especially this day which the Lord hath made. Thanks be to God for opportunity, for the freedom which creates that opportunity.
So we celebrate life and we who are pro–life pray that there may be no abortion. That life, man and woman, and family will be governed by Biblical principles. That the elderly will be loved and live as long as possible. That we will educate, and train up our young in the right ways so that when they are mature, they will take responsibility for our great country, protect the American way, and revive us again with a deep sense of morality. How thankful so many of us would be for such a revival, the revival of love and respect for our Lord and our great country. We should help them learn the lessons of grateful hearts.
And surely, we should be grateful for family and friends, should we not? Those closest to us may be the least appreciated. We should share our love with them and tell them our feelings. We should thank them, and love them for all that they do and all that they are. There are those who do so much, give so much to us without thanks. Like a loving spouse. And our children, spreading their love and joy. And for our friends, ready in our time of need, sharing life with us and making it better. We should not only be thankful for all of them, but tell them so, and share the love we feel for them. So that we honor our Lord at Thanksgiving not only with love for HIM, but for others as well, our neighbors, even as we love ourselves. If you were to see them, be with them perhaps for the last time, what would you say? Thanksgiving gives you the opportunity to say it.
And surely we are thankful for our freedoms, are we not? For our great Constitution, our Bill of Rights, our Declaration of Independence, our Rule of Law at work, and the freedom we enjoy to pursue life, liberty and happiness as we choose. No one, no entity, no government can tell us what to do. We can define our own happiness and pursue it as we wish. We can feel the joy of living as we wish and perhaps as much as anything at this special time, we should be thankful, THANKFUL for this.
And, surely Thanksgiving gives us the opportunity to CELEBRATE, and joyfully so. Most of us can enjoy wonderful food, and the aromas of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. How good it would be if we could make certain that others less fortunate could enjoy what we enjoy as well. We should be grateful Thanksgiving Day, and week and all year long for the food of the harvest we enjoy as our forefathers did. Even as we partake in the fellowship of family and friends, and the fun and good times of the day, and of course for so many the football, as we eat the bread of the day, we should remember the BREAD OF LIFE, the One who came for us and makes life so worth living. Even as we enjoy the fruits of the plains, so we should rejoice even more in the fruits of the Spirit. In all things, giving thanks, THANKS to the God who indeed blesses America.
As a young boy at Thanksgiving, our family traditionally traveled to a local orphanage. There we sang and witnessed to them in word and song, brought them joy and blessings, and provided them with Thanksgiving food. Our family Thanksgiving Day started with that special blessing for them, and even more so for us. Even as we gave, we got more in return. Then, back home where our family tradition included a spirited touch football game on the front lawn, more games, more fun, more fellowship, more
laughter, and more joy. The joy of the Lord was abundant in our household and we were grateful, thankful to God for our father and mother, for our home, for food, and for everything we were given. We were safe and secure, wrapped in the arms of love and joy. How wonderful that was.
And we think of the world at large. Wars and rumors of wars. ISIS kills without reason. Terrorism abounds, and the threat of that even in our own country. There is North Korea with incredible nuclear capability, seemingly ready to strike even our beloved America. And Iran, and Russia, and China, so that the world is at war or gets ready for it. We have been ordained, and privileged to live in these times, perhaps the end times which should cause us to be even more thankful for what we have, never taking for granted or assuming the future but living with thanks for this very day and the opportunities it brings. We who can and will enjoy the spirit of Thanksgiving should do our very best to spread that to a needy world. And the best of that of course is the Bread of Life, the salt and light of Jesus Christ, the first fruits of the spiritual harvest. We should spread that message the world over and give thanks to God for the opportunity. Only that message, that person can solve the world’s problems, and make all humankind loving and grateful.
So often, we sing or recite the words of God Bless America. For it is in fact, OUR HOME SWEET HOME. But God has already blessed America, and all of us. In so many ways, we have had the best of everything. Our lifestyle has been exceptional. America is in fact an exceptional country in so many ways and we should make certain that this, OUR LAND OF PLENTY shares that PLENTY, all that bounty with all of our fellow citizens. Thanksgiving gives us that very special opportunity to share in that way.
And as we continue to pray for our great country, we should ask the God of all blessings to STAND BESIDE HER (America) and guide her, through the night and with the bright light of the Gospel at all times. For the moral light of America has been dimmed and we are no longer the beacon on the hill we once were. We should resolve at Thanksgiving to be a part of a new reformation, a new revival, grateful and thankful hearts returning to the very highest spiritual principles. That is real Thanksgiving at work. We should resolve to turn from our wrongful ways, we should pray for God’s help, we should seek His guidance and wisdom, and above all, as Second Chronicles tells us, we should humble ourselves before our God and when we do all four, we will be heard and changed, fundamental moral and loving change will occur in our great country and in us. Thanksgiving should motivate us to do that.
The blessings of God do in fact exist from the mountains, to the prairies, and to the oceans white with foam. God has blessed America with a uniqueness we should never take for granted. And at this wonderful season, we should be especially thankful for:
OUR HOME SWEET HOME
And for all of those great and brave men and women who have fought and died for our freedoms, and made certain that we, who now enjoy, can live so abundantly in this our Home Sweet Home. We owe them gratitude this day and in fact at all times.
Especially at Thanksgiving time, the words of that great song GOD BLESS AMERICA should ring out with love and gratitude:
GOD BLESS AMERICA
LAND THAT I LOVE
STAND BESIDE HER
AND GUIDE HER
THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH THE LIGHT FROM ABOVE
FROM THE MOUNTAINS
TO THE PRAIRIES
TO THE OCEANS WHITE WITH FOAM
GOD BLESS AMERICA
MY HOME SWEET HOME
I personally am so thankful for the Christian faith, for the love and salvation of Jesus Christ which is mine. I have experienced that spiritual harvest, and I have so personally enjoyed and partaken of the blessings of THE SALT AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Life has, for me, been so much more meaningful and I treasure and am so thankful for such wonderful blessings in my life. And so I personally say, thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift in Jesus Christ and I do hope and pray for the very same for you. May you and all mankind experience that love, and that salvation so that you can say at Thanksgiving time and every day this marvelous prayer:
THANK YOU LORD FOR SAVING MY SOUL
THANK YOU LORD FOR MAKING ME WHOLE
THANK YOU LORD FOR GIVING TO ME
THY GREAT SALVATION SO FULL AND FREE
And as well, gratefully and prayerfully, our grateful hearts should sing these wonderful words:
O BEAUTIFUL FOR SPACIOUS SKIES
FOR AMBER WAVES OF GRAIN
FOR PURPLE MOUNTAIN MAJESTIES
ABOVE THE FRUITED PLAINS
AMERICA, AMERICA
GOD SHED HIS GRACE ON THEE
AND CROWN THY GOOD
WITH BROTHERHOOD
FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
At Thanksgiving time, my fellow Americans, may God bless America and may:
GOD BLESS YOU!

What a privilege it is to be an American citizen, really an unbelievable privilege.
If you study the history of mankind, the rise of nations, the rulership of kings and queens, and dictators, and judges, and you look at the role of common human beings like you and me, in short if you compare America to any other nation in the history of mankind, there is none like her, NONE AT ALL!
We are a nation based on democracy and freedom. We were founded by patriots and forefathers who knew that there was nothing, NOTHING that equaled the fundamental human priority of:
FREEDOM
and the building of a nation to protect, preserve, and defend FREEDOM. Our forefathers, constitutionalists, gave us a nation which they termed a REPUBLIC, a nation with constitutional protections which, no matter who was elected at any level of government, would make certain that every citizen of this great new country would enjoy the rights and freedoms, those inalienable ones divinely determined, no matter who exercised power.
Our forefathers who gave us our beloved constitution and politically structured this great country counted upon the fact that WE THE PEOPLE would be lovers of freedom, even as they were. They believed that anyone who became an American citizen and had the privilege of living in America would have the blood of patriots coursing through their veins, and would do anything and everything, even willing to shed that blood, if necessary, in order to protect this great country and the freedoms which it offered. They believed that we would believe, like Patrick Henry, who said:
“GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!”
Our forefathers counted upon us to be the ultimate checks and balances holding individuals, departments, and all of government accountable, voting them out, convicting them of high crimes where necessary, and never letting any government or governmental official take away any constitutionally guaranteed freedoms including and especially the precious freedoms of the First Amendment of our Constitution. They believed that real Americans would step up and with all their might, protect the freedom of religion, and protect the freedom of speech, especially the freedom of speech, and the freedom of the press, and the right to petition our government and be heard, and to assemble in lawful groups at any time, especially churches, to discuss, worship, or otherwise socialize. Our forefathers codified that belief in our constitution, believing We The People would never take those previous rights and freedoms for granted, never assume that they would always be there whether or not we were actively involved in their protection. Those real patriots would today be shocked, utterly dismayed, broken in mind and spirit should they be able to see how We The People have put our great country in such danger, such risk of loss of the fundamental pillars of our great society.
Not only is there seemingly a lack of concern among so many citizens regardless of belief, but also Christian citizens who wish no involvement in politics. But, says the Billy Graham organization, you cannot separate politics from the Bible. The Old Testament is immersed in politics. It is about God creating nations, ordaining kings and kingdoms and rulers, and with prophets rebuking kings. That is politics.
And our Lord admonishes us to render under Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to make certain, as citizens, that all governments and rulers work for the good of the nation and its people. It is therefore, so very many believe, the DUTY of every Christian to be involved in politics, to make certain they function for the good, for justice for all, for righteousness, for equality, and to know that God himself created all men and women equal without divine preference or prejudice, and we the people should make certain those intentions and priorities of the creator of our universe, of all things, and of us, are carried out. THAT SURELY INCLUDES OUR FULL INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICS!
The Apostle Paul says in I Thessalonians 5:21:
BUT TEST EVERYTHNG; HOLD FAST TO WHAT IS GOOD!
We should remember that apostolic admonition when we vote. And vote we must, for that is the ultimate act of involvement, political decision making, which is not only our right as citizens and Christians, but our duty as well. It is, in my view, the ultimate betrayal of the privileges we enjoy as citizens and Christians, if for any reason we do not vote. Where there is good to be done, it is our duty to do that good. It is our duty to vote for the very best people who will exercise the power of our governments and do the most good.
Often, the choices we have are limited. The people for whom we can vote may not be to our liking or the policies they espouse may be somewhat different, less perfect than we might require. But hear the words of James Dobson and Family Talk:
“I’M NOT VOTING FOR THE PERSON. I’M VOTING FOR THE PLATFORM!”
That, I do believe, is good advice for we are voting not necessarily for the person. We are however voting for a politician, none of whom is perfect by any means, and we are not voting for a pastor. It should matter not about the personality of the person but the platform, the priorities. The vote we cast should not be on the basis of a like or dislike for an individual, but on past performance, the actual works, deeds, words, of the person to whom we would delegate the power to rule. We should examine carefully, past performance, points of view, the platforms and policies offered, and vote for that person who would do the most good for America and its citizens, WE THE PEOPLE! We should vote for leaders who would protect and preserve America, and our Constitution, and our freedoms, for that is POLITICS.
So, in the words of Franklin Graham, we should first and foremost:
PRAY.
Pray that God would give us the right options in potential rulers. Pray that God would give us wisdom to discern and understand how to vote right. Then, from our Lord’s prayer, comes the ultimate result:
THY WILL BE DONE.
And, having done everything that we could do and should do, the will of our Lord will have been accomplished. What a job, what a privilege, what a blessing to be an American citizen and to live in this great country as millions the world over wish to do. So, as we vote, and our nation reforms its political structure we should say in prayer with all our hearts:
GOD BLESS AMERICA!