The first President of the United States, George Washington, made the following proclamation on October 3, 1789. The bold type is mine for emphasis.

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 signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks–for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To  promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

No wonder God blessed America. If George Washington were running for office today, I doubt he would be elected. We have moved so far from the ideological moorings of our forefathers. We have removed the ancient landmarks. And yet, we still have many things for which to be thankful. As Christians, we would do well to follow our first President’s proclamation every day. God has promised to hear and answer this kind of prayer.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” – II Chronicles 7:14

Last week we had the joy of hosting our Fine Arts & Athletic Competition. It is so exciting to see these 7th-12th graders compete in such a wide variety of events. From basketball, to needlepoint, to chess, to website design, to preaching, to music, there is definitely something for everyone. Click here to see scores of pictures from the three-day event. As iron sharpeneth iron, it seems that the competition each year challenges young people to do more next year—to strive for excellence in their preferred areas of competition.

If you would like more information about next year’s Fine Arts & Athletic Competition, please contact Mrs. Leann Manley at lmanley@gsbc.edu.

Is Competition Healthy?

The C Ministry Fall Program ended in a tie for first place in the bus route contest, forcing a one-week contest for first place between Routes 22 and 28. Caleb Cheedie and the workers onRoute 28 prevailed in the head-to-head matchup, making them the 2008 Fall Program winners!

The entire C Ministry is to be commended for the great amount of work that they invested this fall. Over the four weeks of the program, they saw a total of 172 saved and 22 baptized. Praise the Lord for college students who are involved in helping other people come to know the Lord!

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” - Proverbs 14:34

Tomorrow is Election Day all across America, and so it is time once again for Americans to go to the polls and vote. Most Americans can think of improvements needed in  our nation. There have been a wide variety of suggestions about what would, in the opinion of some, make America better. However, there is one standard by which we can judge any candidate for any office, and any proposition or ballot initiative that is being placed before the voters; that is the standard of righteousness. We need to evaluate every one of these choices in the light of God’s Word. Which candidates’ beliefs best reflect the principles of Scripture? Which propositions would encourage people to come closer to the standard of morality found in the Bible? If you are old enough to vote, I challenge you to consider the choices that are placed before you and cast your vote for righteousness.

Whether or not it is election time, the Bible says that righteousness exalts a nation; and righteousness is an individual matter. You and I have a responsibility to choose righteousness in our personal lives. Every time we choose righteousness, we strengthen our nation. God told Abraham that he would have spared Sodom if He could have found only ten righteous people in the city. Our individual righteousness does matter. God’s people were oppressed many times because they had forsaken what they knew to be right. America was founded upon the principles of God’s Word. The framers of our nation were men who had a desire to foster a society where decency and morality would be commonplace. Even though many scoffers and unbelievers have arisen and the moral fiber of our nation is disintegrating before our very eyes, God is still looking for people who will live for Him. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him” (II Chronicles 16:9).