The Iron Pen #78

God & Country

"It was for the love of the truths of this great and good Book (the Bible) that our fathers abandoned their native shores for the wilderness." Zachary Taylor

Biographical Note: Zachary Taylor was born in 1784. He was elected the twelfth President of the United States in 1849. On July 4, 1850, he enjoyed eating cherries and milk at a ceremony at the Washington Monument. He got sick from the heat and died five days later, the second president to die in office.

Wise Words From John Wesley (1703-1791)

Do all the good you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
At all the times you can
To all the people you can
As long as ever you can

The First Thanksgiving In America
Dr. David L. Brown

What comes to mind when you think of "the First Thanksgiving" in America? Until this summer, I always thought of the New England Thanksgiving celebrated by the Pilgrims! But, on a recent trip I came across a bit of interesting information that changed my mind. I spoke at a conference in Maryland and after the conference was over my wife and I toured some of the historic sites in Virginia. One of the places we visited was Berkeley Plantation in Charles City. This historic site is located on the James River between Williamsburg and Richmond Virginia. The official name is Berkeley Hundred Plantation. This was one of the first great estates in the New World and gained notoriety as the home of the Harrison’s: The family of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, two American Presidents and two Governors.

In 1619, 38 men from Berkeley Castle in Glouscestershire England formed the Berkeley Company and received a grant of 8,000 acres in Virginia. They sailed England on the small ship Margaret. It was an arduous three-month voyage. Finally, on December 4^th, 1619 they arrived at their New World destination. Captain John Woodlief and Anglican missionary George Thorpe led the troop ashore and then, followed the orders they had been given in England. And, what were they to do? Observe a time of Thanksgiving to the Lord. A plaque states, "The first official, annual Thanksgiving in America was observed by Berkeley’s brave adventurers on December 4, 1619." This Thanksgiving was celebrated more than one year before the Pilgrims set foot on New England’s shore.

"O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;" Psalms 107:1-2

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
 --Thomas Edison

Sinners Can Resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51)

Saints Can Grieve the Holy Spirit by sins of commission (Epheisans 4:17-30)

Servants Can Quench the Holy Spirit by sins of omission (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 5:18)