Watchman on the Wall

Guest (Male): Welcome to Watchman on the Wall, a daily outreach of Southwest Radio Ministries and swrc.com. God is still on the throne and prayer changes things.

Today, we begin a new series exploring the faith of our founding fathers. As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, there's never been a better time to rediscover the story of our nation's founding. In the book, *America at 250: A Republic If You Can Keep It*, Dr. Douglas Stauffer takes you month by month through the dramatic years of the American Revolution, from the first shots of liberty to the birth of a new nation.

You'll meet the men and women who sacrificed everything for freedom and gain a deeper appreciation for the principles that built America. Get your copy today at swrc.com or call 1-800-652-1144. That's 1-800-652-1144. *America at 250: A Republic If You Can Keep It*. Because understanding our nation's past may be the key to preserving its future.

The Christian faith and biblical worldview were instrumental in the lives of many American founding fathers. Even the Declaration of Independence clearly demonstrates that foundation. But who were the signers of the declaration and what did they believe? Dr. Larry Spargimino and Josh Davis discuss the importance of America's godly heritage on today's program.

Josh Davis: George Washington, in his 1789 inaugural address, said, "The propitious smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which heaven itself has ordained." Joining me today to help us understand the faith of our founding fathers here in the United States of America is our host of Watchman on the Wall, Pastor Larry Spargimino. Pastor Larry, thank you so much for joining me today.

Larry Spargimino: Always a delight to be on with you, Joshua. What I hope will happen as we look at the faith of our founders is that we would all see more clearly the hand of God in American history because I really believe the hand of God is in American history. I would also hope that we would be more honest about our national sins and our personal need for repentance. I think that's very important.

God loves to use clean vessels and confession, repentance, looking at scripture, and seeing where we fall short in trying to bring ourselves up to a God standard by the grace of God, I think that's very important. We should also, I would hope, become more thankful for the liberties that we now enjoy and realize that we have to fight to keep them. There is so much complacency in America, unfortunately, especially with the progressives. They don't even appreciate the liberties we have.

So, I think this is really important. I would hope that we would have a deeper burden to teach the next generation our godly heritage. I think that's really important. I think we've stopped teaching American history in the public schools, and I know Christian schools do teach it. I would hope that we would have a real burden, a real heart's desire to teach the next generation our godly heritage because if we forget our past, we're in bad shape. We don't even know who we are. If I forget who I am, what my name is, and where I come from, that would be terrible. For a nation to forget that is a great tragedy.

Josh Davis: It truly is, Pastor Larry, and thank you for your heart for these things. Every time that we share this kind of information, be it on Watchman on the Wall or other avenues, we always get that feedback from people who say they never really realized that. I love history, especially the founding of our nation and studying those things. I was recently watching something about some of our founding fathers. They talked about the amazing story, the impossibilities that they overcame, and all these wonderful things, but they left out so much of what we're going to discuss.

The faith that motivated that propelled them—they left all of that out of the story. It's so tragic. So, I'm glad that we can bring this rich information to people so that they'll understand the worldview of our founding fathers and many of the founders of the United States of America that shared this biblical worldview. Let's start with the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Can you tell us a little bit about who they were and the kinds of viewpoints that they held?

Larry Spargimino: Yes, thank you. The 56 signers of the declaration had somewhat diverse beliefs that were associated with Christianity: Congregationalist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Baptist, and Roman Catholic. There were also about 100 Jewish patriots who helped with the war effort in one way or the other, and so I include mention of them here.

One was Francis Salvador. He was the first Jewish patriot to die in the war. Another one was Haym Salomon, a Polish-born Jew. He was a successful businessman who was instrumental in financing the work of the Continental Congress and is often credited with securing funds for the American cause. Most of the signers were educated and generally prosperous and had much to lose as enemies of the British Crown. Of course, that's exactly what happened; they all became enemies.

The names of the signers were undisclosed until January the 18th, 1777. Once their names were made public, many of them suffered property damage, and at least 15 homes were destroyed. I believe they were burned. Others were captured by the British and held in crowded prisons that did not have the basic amenities of life. Monarchical governments have little respect for the dictates of decency. We see that with the British Crown, we see that all through history, and we see it today.

Many of the signers had slaves that worked on their plantations. Nevertheless, the declaration provided the written groundwork for their emancipation. "All men are created equal." Sometimes people say, "Well, what theological framework is evident in the declaration?" As far as most commentators are concerned—and I would agree—none whatsoever. There is not a specified theological framework: Calvinism, Socinianism, whatever. We don't see that specificity.

However, the words of the declaration do show a basic Christian worldview. I think that's very important. We're talking about a nation. We can't expect everybody to be a Baptist or everybody to be a Presbyterian, but the underlying worldview is a Christian worldview. And so it must be remembered that the declaration was really not concerned with theological statements and doctrinal refinements. It is basically a complaint against the British Crown that is very evident from the following statements in the declaration, which are direct complaints against the king.

I want to read a couple. First of all, quote: "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states." End quote. Here's another paragraph, one that is forceful and deliberately insulting: "In every stage of these oppressions, we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms. Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."

Just think of the courage that it took to make those statements. So, the signers, I believe, were an amazing group of men. Their main interest was not security and safety. Today we're really concerned about security and safety. They wanted liberty, and they were willing to put it down on paper and to stare in the face of the king. I think that's wonderful because today it's almost like we want to be polite. I'm not saying that we should be nasty or anything of the sort, but there are situations where we need to speak up and need to do something about the situation. We don't want to be cute about it. We don't want to be so careful that people don't know what we're talking about. We have to be very direct. So, I think we can learn a lot from these 56 signers. They were really great, and we are deeply indebted to them.

Josh Davis: Amen. Thank you so much, Pastor Larry. Friends, we are visiting with Pastor Larry Spargimino, the host of Watchman on the Wall, as we are describing some of the faith of our founders and bringing you this information that you need to be equipped with so that you have an accurate understanding of how this nation was formed. As we celebrate the 250th birthday of this nation, all month long, we're featuring special programming here on Watchman on the Wall to equip you, to inform you, and to enlighten you, not just of the past, but also where we are in the present.

We've brought in a lot of Bible prophecy during our programming exploring America's future in God's prophetic plan. As we continue to honor and to remember what God is doing in the United States of America, I want to encourage you to check out the wonderful resources that we have available at swrc.com. We've got some brand new resources available like the book *America at 250* by Pastor Doug Stauffer. Pastor Larry had the opportunity to interview him about that here on Watchman on the Wall that played a few weeks ago, but that book is a great resource.

It's available at swrc.com or give us a call at 1-800-652-1144. Of course, we've got tons of other great patriotic resources from authors like Bill Federer and so many other wonderful resources that you can equip yourself with. Pastor Larry, you were talking about that Declaration of Independence and the purpose of that document, not as a theological statement, but as a statement of complaints. You're so very right about that, but I would like to point out a couple of statements from the declaration that show their dependency upon Almighty God.

They don't always come out and refer to Him as Almighty God. A lot of the times they would use more respectful terms such as "Divine Providence" or other ways of describing and talking about who Almighty God is. In the Declaration of Independence, we read that, "When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitles them."

Nature's God is capitalized. I believe that's a reference to Almighty God. They go on to say, "We hold these truths to be self-evident." So many Americans know this part of our declaration. "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal." They understood biblical creation. They understood that it wasn't just an accident, that we didn't evolve equal, but we were created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator. The Creator is the one who has given us these certain unalienable rights. Among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

They recognized that these rights came from Almighty God, not from the dictates of a certain government or king or ruler, but that these were God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They talk also in the Declaration of Independence about appealing to the supreme judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions and the protection of divine providence. So, they mentioned God all throughout that document showing that they had that firm reliance upon Almighty God. Pastor Larry, I know that you have some other information that you'd like to share with us about some of our other founders, and I just want to turn that back over to you.

Larry Spargimino: Yes, thank you, Josh. I want to speak a little bit about George Washington. He certainly was an amazing man. He was our first president, but he was not a politician. He was a statesman. We have a lot of politicians but few statesmen. A statesman is a leader who is concerned with the long-term good of his country. Washington's focus was not on winning the next election. Politicians often prioritize immediate gains like promising supporters to lower the price of gas or whatever at the gas pump, but politicians are motivated by seeking power.

Statesmen are motivated by noble ideals and the common good. One of the things I think was really amazing about George Washington was his love of scripture. The first scripture I'm going to read is the one that he most frequently quoted, and that is from Micah 4 verse 4. It says that "Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree and no one will make them afraid." Now, the vine produces grapes, and fig trees produce nutritious food. As we notice, the Bible says "his own vine and his own fig tree."

The text speaks of personal property. So, this is not to describe a communal setting. At the end of the verse, we read, "and no one will make him afraid." Of course, people under a sovereign king are afraid. The king may accuse you of something trivial; the king's military will find your home and beat on the door at 2:00 AM. Now, here's another one he loved, and that's Micah 6 verse 8: "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

We can all profit from this as a reminder. We all have a duty to God and a responsibility to those around us. Now, here's another one he loved, and I can understand it: Proverbs 29:2. "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. When the wicked rule, the people groan." A good government produces a fruitful and happy people. Bad governments cause people to groan, and I think our first president was very much aware of that. So, bad governments get little from the people. The only thing that they will get a response is threats and coercion.

Now, there are a couple of other things about Washington's life and practice that I think are really, very significant. Some of the little things in Washington's life are worthy. One of the things, he commended the chaplains in the military who ministered to the troops. Can you imagine that? A president saying, "Great job, man. Keep on proclaiming the word." And so, here's something else: in his personal diary and personal observations, Washington made comments about his church attendance and even made comments about the pastor's sermon.

In August of 1790, Washington wrote to a Jewish synagogue in Rhode Island and welcomed them as quote, "the stock of Abraham." Now, where did Washington get that from? Well, he got it from the Bible. I may be old-fashioned, but when I am on a public conveyance, I believe in the rules of civility, which Washington did. For example, I will stand so that a woman can be seated. Like I say, we need to practice civility, to be committed in our lives to the well-being of all of those around us.

And so, I think our culture, our society needs to learn a lot from George Washington. Even when Washington was general in our war for independence, he forbade his soldiers from certain behavior. No gambling, no alcoholic beverages, and on Sunday, if a soldier was not on the battlefield, guess where Washington wanted him to be? He had to be in church. America owes a lot to George Washington. What a great and a wonderful man.

Josh Davis: He certainly was, and he was one of the most important of our founding fathers, so key, so instrumental in the forming of this nation, and especially leading our troops into battle during the Revolutionary War and the stand that he took as our first president. He could have really grasped that office and became another king, another dictator, but he chose to walk away after two terms, understanding what his role really was. He had a biblical foundation that guided and directed his life, and we're so grateful for that understanding. Friends, we're visiting with Pastor Larry Spargimino exploring some of the faith of our founders.

We encourage you to check out the wonderful resources, the rich library of information that we have available at swrc.com. We have some wonderful resources such as Bill Federer's famous book, *America's God and Country: An Encyclopedia of Quotations* from many of America's founding fathers, presidents, statesmen, scientists, and others. Now, Pastor Larry, who are some other founders that you would like to highlight information about their lives?

Larry Spargimino: Well, one of the things that I'm really amazed with, in fact, this man, this leader, he was a minister. His name was Peter Muhlenberg. He was very public in his stand for independence and generated certain questions. I even face these questions. I'm sure a lot of Christians face these questions. Was it acceptable in the eyes of God for a people to not only pray for their independence from tyranny but also to fight for it? Here's another one: how did a pastor balance his responsibility to God and his civic responsibility to his country and countrymen?

Here's another one: could a pastor justify taking up the sword of war in one hand and the sword of the spirit in the other? Here's another one: was it biblical for a man of God to be a man of war? You know, the Bible provided some answers, and I think it's really interesting what Muhlenberg—he was a Lutheran pastor—what he found. For example, Genesis 14 tells of Abraham's own personal army and his struggle to save Lot and his family from the evil kings who enslaved them.

Moreover, David did say in Psalm 144:1, "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight." Now, in Luke 22:36, Jesus said to his disciples, "But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip. And he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one." Peter Muhlenberg's own brother Frederick, also a Lutheran pastor in New York City, had rebuked Peter, claiming that politics and war were off-limits to a man of the cloth. Peter Muhlenberg's final decision was made when Patrick Henry made his famous speech in which he said, "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death."

I think the way Peter Muhlenberg had to work through these issues—these are issues we face today. Is there a place for Christians to be involved in politics? I believe there really is. In fact, politics is so bad because the Christians have deserted it. We need to be involved. I think Peter Muhlenberg was a great man. He faced some very difficult issues, and I think he came out right. I think he's a great example for us today.

Josh Davis: How was Muhlenberg involved with the Black Robe Regiment? Was he a part of that?

Larry Spargimino: Yes, very definitely. I think he was the one who would open his black robe, and underneath was the uniform of the Continental Army. The people in the church would praise him. I mean, the British actually were more afraid of the Black Robe Regiment than anything else. That's significant, Josh, because when people of the cloth, when pastors, when Christians—even if you're not a pastor, a missionary, or whatever—when we get involved, we make things happen.

Why? Because we know the Lord, we know the importance of liberty, we know the importance of respecting human rights. We love people, we love God. I think this is really a call to all pastors to be involved and not to be pussyfooting around because today we have some terrible things happening, and so many times the church says, "Oh, it's too controversial." Well, if it's controversial, we probably need to look into it and to bring the light of the scripture to this controversial issue and see what saith the Lord.

Josh Davis: Absolutely. Thank you, Pastor Larry. And friends, we encourage you to connect with our ministry at swrc.com. Pastor Larry, we just have a couple minutes left in today's episode. Is there anything else that you would like to highlight, perhaps another founder or just a statement in general as we wrap up today's programming?

Larry Spargimino: Well, I think Islam and other competing systems are very important. John Quincy Adams, our sixth president, and what he thought about other competing systems and our Constitutional Republic. This is really important. He knew what would happen with the influence of politically active Muslims like we have at the present time. Adams was aware of the conflict between Islamic empires and Christian Europe.

He was aware of Islam's growth and political power and irreconcilable hostility towards systems that denied its authority. That would be the American system. Here's what Adams says, and I think it's really important. Quote: "Any system that claims universal divine authority for its own legal code and demands submission above all civil arrangements stands in deep tension with a Constitutional Republic that vests supreme civil authority in we the people under the Constitution."

Now, you know, Islamic jurisprudence envisions Sharia law as governing all of life, and that is what we are seeing today in London, Paris, New York, and Dearborn, Michigan. We have to realize that America is now in a very dangerous and compromised situation. Our unique national purpose and design has been compromised. I love John Quincy Adams. He was right on top of everything. He saw the danger of Sharia law, and he saw the danger of Islam taking over and destroying our country.

Josh Davis: That is something that we very much need to be watching and aware of today, especially with the increase in what we're seeing in the United States of America. It is so alarming to see what's happening in Europe, and we can't kid ourselves here in the US that those kinds of things won't happen here. We understand that in many places in America, currently, they're battling this very debate, and they're seeing the influence come into their very communities. Well, Pastor Larry, I look forward to continuing this conversation with you as we explore more of the faith of our founding fathers on tomorrow's Watchman on the Wall episode. Thank you so much, Pastor Larry.

Larry Spargimino: Always glad to be with you, Josh.

Guest (Male): As America celebrates 250 years of freedom, now is the perfect time to rediscover the faith and principles that shaped our nation. Southwest Radio Ministries invites you to explore four powerful resources. Learn America's Christian heritage with historian Bill Federer in *America's God and Country*. Discover the faith-filled legacy of our first president in Scott Eash's book, *George Washington: A Life Lived for God and Country*.

Trace four centuries of God's providential hand on our nation with Michael Samuel Smith's DVD, *American Destiny: 400 Years*. And finally, examine America's possible role in the last days through Donald Perkins' eye-opening DVD, *America in Bible Prophecy*. These timely resources will deepen your understanding of America's past and help you view its future through a biblical lens.

Order your copy of these wonderful resources today at swrc.com or call 1-800-652-1144. That's swrc.com or 1-800-652-1144. Friends, if you have a prayer need, would you let us pray for you? We consider it an honor to pray with you. Prayer requests come in from all over the country through the mail, on the phone, and now through a special email address: prayer@swrc.com. That's prayer@swrc.com. Or you can always just give us a call: 1-800-652-1144. That's 1-800-652-1144. How did biblical truth influence the founding fathers? Tomorrow, Dr. Larry Spargimino and Josh Davis will answer this question and dig even deeper into the faith of our nation's founders. Watchman on the Wall is a production of Southwest Radio Ministries and is supported by you. To learn more, visit swrc.com.