Thanking God In All Things As We Remember The Thanksgiving Day Miracle of 1623 (2011)
Hebrews 13:15
(Children’s Sheet for Sermon Interaction is at bottom. Notes for young children to answer are throughout sermon)Pastor Kerry Kinchen, Bridgeway Bible Church
Please turn to Hebrews 13:15. Hebrews 13:15 is our main theme text this morning. As you are turning there, I want to share with you that as I consider the past months, I find that I am somewhat startled by the fact that, once again, the festive days of the fall Thanksgiving Holiday season have arrived in America. After all, it was only two months ago in September that our State of Texas was still being hard-hit with blistering heat. We saw day after day of temperatures over 100 degrees. I remember reading a news report that said it was the driest seven months on historic record in Texas. Things had gotten so bad, that a Community Wide Prayer Event was planned for Friday and Saturday, September 16th and 17th over in Comfort. Churches from all over Texas showed up for that event. Amazingly, if you will recall, during the event while prayers were raised up to heaven, God answered by pouring down rain on that very day. The next day (on Sunday the 18th) as a church, we gave thanks to God for answering the prayer with His big yes answer. Now, only a few months later, we are in our nation’s Thanksgiving Holiday time. I want us to think about this. As a cultural time of festivity, people from various religious backgrounds are found coming together on Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving Day is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. This year, it will be on Thursday the 24th. People all over our nation will gather for food, friendship and fun on that day. Many Christians will celebrate the day. But even pagans, atheists, humanists, agnostics, cult members, and others who follow some form of a false religion, will take part in the day’s festivities. In light of this, in the same sense of giving thanks to God for sending rain in the midst of the drought we just experienced, we Christians must be aware that the famous Thanksgiving Day is not something that everyone can celebrate in respect to its true meaning. There is more than one reason for this. One has to do with the name of the Holiday. It is no accident that it is called "Thanksgiving." The term itself expresses that thanks is given, and it is given to someone. Further, the term expresses that thanks is given to someone for a reason. The roots of the name of this holiday find their anchor in the early Christian settlers of Plymouth. Their thanks was given to the one true God of the universe. The reason for the thanks is because God is the one who is glorified as the great provider through His grace. With this in mind, I want to mention another reason that Thanksgiving is not something that everyone can celebrate in respect to its true meaning: The Bible teaches us us that only Christians are the ones who are the truly thankful ones in respect to the One true God of the universe. What I mean is that Scripturally, we who are in Christ as those who are dwelt with the Spirit of God, are identified as the ones who are privileged to be, and designed to be, those who thank the One true God of the universe according to His Spirit for what He has done and is doing. Pagans, atheists, humanists, agnostics, cult members, and others who follow some form of a false religion, do not do this. They may give thanks, but God says their thanks is misdirected. Why? Because according to God’s word, they are spiritually dead and blinded in spiritual darkness. Any thanks they have is not directed to the One true God of the universe. As is our tradition every year, the way we celebrate in thanksgiving to God here at Bridgeway is by honoring God with the telling of the real Thanksgiving Story. It is the history that used to be taught in the early generations of our nation. It is the one that is not taught in the revisionist agenda of the godless humanism of government schools today. As I relate the story once again this morning, I want us to recognize that I am doing more than giving a history lesson. I am doing more than telling an interesting tale. What I am doing is telling a story that reminds us, in a strong and tangible way, of our connection to early Christians of America. It reminds us to give thanks to God for being the provider, Savior, and Lord of the Christian Separatist Pilgrims that landed in America in 1620. But it also reminds us to do much more. It reminds us to pray. And along with prayer, it reminds us to give thanks to God for being the provider, Savior, and Lord of our own lives each day. This is the essence of the Scripture passage I asked you to turn to. Let’s read Hebrews 13:15 together now.
“15 Through [Christ Jesus], let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” Hebrews 13:15
With this Scripture in our hearts, let’s remember the Pilgrim’s thanksgiving story that began years before 1620 when the Separatist Pilgrims arrived on America’s shores. Then, in our remembrance, I will focus on a miraculous event that occurred in 1623. Through the testimony of the Separatist Pilgrims, let’s worship the Lord in offering up the sacrifice of praise from the fruit of our lips that give thanks to His name-- not just for what He has done with them, but in what He also does with us. The theme is,
Thanking God In All Things As We Remember The Thanksgiving Day Miracle of 1623
[prayer]
Looking back at the only surviving history accounts left for us in William Bradford’s diary, Winslow’s journal, and Mourt's Relation, we get a vivid picture of the Pilgrims and the first official thanksgiving from the Pilgrims themselves.
Once upon a time, the history goes, there were Christians who lived in 16th and 17th century England who were called Separatists. They were protestant Christians who followed in the legacy of the Reformation. A lot of people think they were Puritans, but they were not Puritans. They were called Separatists because they refused to remain with the state mandated Church of England, and they refused to align themselves with the Puritans. Puritans were people who wanted to reform the church of England, but Puritans did not want to separate from it directly. Consequently, the Separatists had their own Biblical assemblies that were governed by Pastors who sought to focus upon the word of God. The Separatist movement became the roots of the reformed Baptists of England who eventually constructed the first London Baptist Confession in 1644. The Separatist Pilgrim Edward Winslow referred to himself and the rest of the Separatists Pilgrims as a distinct church group. He said,
"... all thankfulness to our God, which dealt so graciously with us, whose name for these and all other his mercies towards his Church ..." (1)
The Separatist churches were persecuted by the English authorities. They were also persecuted by members of the Church of England. Unfortunately, many Separatists were imprisoned and publicly executed. This is one of the bizarre aspects of church history in general. I call it spiritual insanity. It is spiritual insanity when people claiming to be Christians, murder other Christians simply because they separate from what people considered the official church. The Romanized church started the trend of executing the body of Christ. The demonic trend should have ended with the reformation. Unfortunately, it would take another couple of centuries to see the church reforming away from the hate-filled practice. In light of this, it is important to recognize that many of the Separatists were ex-puritans. But when it came to persecuting the Separatists, the highly venerated Puritans that people are so fascinated with in our day (even to the point of a so-called neo-puritanical movements among modern enthusiasts) were also known to have been ardent persecutors of Separatists. It is a tragic fact that according to the historic record, Puritans not only persecuted the Separatists, but even actively took part in their violent and merciless executions. While William Bradford was living in England, he was warned not to convert to Separatism. Bradford reflected the unwavering heart of a Separatist when he said;
"... I am not only willing to part with everything that is dear to me in this world for this Cause but I am thankful that God hath given me heart so to do; and will accept me so to suffer for Him." (2)
We notice that Bradford was thankful to God. In the thanksgiving remembrance, we can learn form his statement. Bradford thanked God for things that most contemporary Christians in our culture are not typically thanking God for. The Separatists were losing homes and they were losing loved ones. They were sinfully being hung, burned at the stake, and executed in some of the most horrifying ways imaginable. They had the constant fear of imprisonment, or being outcast from society, neighbors and family. They would get that nebulous label slapped on them which seemingly instantly makes someone into an enemy. It is the slur-word that way too many Christians, even in our own generation, call others who exegete Scripture differently than their traditions allow. What I am talking about is that our wonderful brothers and sisters in the Lord were labeled "heretics." Evidently, for many zealous crusaders, once you are labeled a heretic, then you must be hated and murdered. This is how bad the persecution was for the Separatists whose heresy simply consisted of four main points that we take for granted as normal Christian practice today:
First, they believed that membership in the local church is not meant for all citizens simply because of the secular government’s jurisdiction. Instead, membership in Christ’s church is only for people who make a personal profession of faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Second, the ministry that the secular government mandated was false, and in fact, was paramount to being anti-Christian.
Third, The use of the state mandated book of Common Prayer should be abandoned because of the many extra-biblical teachings contained in it.
Fourth, Local church congregations should have autonomy in choosing their own biblically qualified elders who preach.
(cf. the foundations of the primary Separatists, Henry Barrowe, and John Greenwood.)
Do you say amen to those things? If yes, then then you would have been guilty enough to be condemned to execution according to puritans and the so-called church of England.
Because of the persecution that occurred for holding to these beliefs, some Separatists decided to sneak out of England. They decided to go to Holland in 1609 because of the freedom there to practice Christianity. Eventually, they considered the liberal Dutch society to be bad for their community, so they decided to leave Holland for America. Though they did not like Holland, they had a bigger motivation for their travels. Bradford wrote in his diary that the bigger motivation was;
"... a great hope and inward zeal ... of laying some good foundation, or at least to make some way thereunto, for the propagating and advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ ..." (3)
1@ The Separatist Pilgrims great _____________ in going to America was to propagate and advance the _____________ of the kingdom of Christ. (hope, gospel)
The Separatists had evangelism of the nations in their hearts as their hope and zeal. Further, history proves that the foundation that they sought to lay for propagating and advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ, was laid, and had been built upon with a stable structure throughout the generations with some even calling the United States by the misnomer “a Christian nation.”
To get out of the Old World, for the New, the Separatist church group was able to arrange for a voyage to be financed by English investors in exchange for 7 years of labor. Trying to leave England was difficult. Consequently the difficulty led to a very costly decision. The ships ran into problems in trying to set sail. The voyagers were forced to make two separate attempts to get out to sea. The big problem came when the second ship, which was packed full of needed supplies, kept taking in water. This is when the ill-fated decision was made. They decided to leave the second cargo ship behind with about 20 people. The remaining group took the other ship which was called the Mayflower. There were two reasons why this turned out to be a fateful decision:
One was because they were going to desperately need the provisions on the other cargo ship;
The other was that they were going to arrive in America just as a very harsh winter was to begin.
The difficulty of being without the extra supplies would turn out to be magnified by the severe weather. Nevertheless, with winter approaching, on September 6, 1620, the Pilgrims set sail for America. All total, there were 44 Separatists Pilgrims on the ship. They called themselves the "Saints" which in its New Covenant meaning is defined as the set apart ones in Christ. They also referred to themselves as the "congregation" for their identity as a church community. Along with the Separatists, there were 66 other people on the boat, including the ship's crew. The Separatists called the other voyagers, the "Strangers." The journey was harsh; people got sick, and one boy died. The only other person who died on the voyage, was a crew worker who kept threatening to molest, and murder, many of the Separatists. When the man died, the Pilgrims interpreted his death as God's providential hand of deliverance. Even the sea salted crew of the ship was amazed by the antagonist's death. Whether because of superstition, or true piety, the crew believed that God had repaid the man for his wickedness (4). Finally, on November 10th, 1620, they sighted land and ventured onto the shores of America. At this time, the "Mayflower Compact" was written. Originally, its creation was meant to settle disunity between the Separatists and the "strangers" who had boarded in London. The two groups did not get along well on the voyage. It seemed that strife would continue in the developing colony if there was no charter. So a compact was written as a type of constitution. It starts out with 5 glorious and foundational words;
"In the name of God ..."
What an amazing proclamation! But there is more to the beginning of the Mayflower Compact. It states,
"In the name of God ... Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith. ..."
2@ The Mayflower Compact begins, “In the name of God ... Having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the ___________________ faith.” (Christian)
These are the words of the mission statement of our nation's first constitutional charter. They are words that are easy to understand. In unequivocal terms, they make the mission crystal clear. But, modern revisionists would like all of us to forget the mission statement within this foundational document of our nation;
"In the name of God ... Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith."
This mission statement is, in a very real way, the mission statement of our church and multitudes of others across the world. It was at this time, when the compact was written, that the group began calling themselves the "Pilgrims." The Pilgrims decided to settle in an area that Captain John Smith named "Plymouth" in 1614. Once on the wooded shore, they began exploring the wilderness. On two separate expeditions, corn was found buried in mounds. Some of it was gathered and stored away to be used in the Spring. The pilgrims considered finding the seed to be God's providence because Winter was coming quickly and the Pilgrims had no seed to plant the next Spring. It is important to remember that they left the other ship behind with all those needed provisions. So, when the pilgrims found the seed, they were thankful to God. But they were also thankful to whoever had buried the seed in the mounds. "Mourt's Relation" reveals the goodwill of the Separatists in repaying the people for the seed that was found. We read,
"And thus we came ... weary ... and delivered in our corn into the store, to be kept for seed, for we knew not how to come by any, and therefore were very glad, purposing, so soon as we could meet with any inhabitants of that place, to make them large satisfaction [due repayment and more]. This was our first discovery ... And sure it was God's good providence that we found this corn, for else we know not how we should have done, ..." Mourt’s Relation
3@ The Pilgrims believed it was God’s _______________ when they discovered corn on an expedition—not knowing how they would have done without it.” (providence)
This fact is important because ignorant revisionists want to make out the original Separatists to be a band of selfish imperialists who were bent on exploiting the native Americans. Revisionists with a spiteful agenda, try to paint their canard on a canvas in an attempt to cover history with their distorted picture. They want the picture to look like the Pilgrims had no care, conscience, or goodwill strategy concerning what they were doing. But according to real history, which are the non-revised facts, such is not the case at all. After the pilgrims gave God the glory for His providential hand in revealing the grain, and then concerning their second discovery; Mourt's relation continues,
"... But so soon as we can meet conveniently with them [the native Americans], we will give them full satisfaction [reimbursement]. Thus much of our second discovery." (5)
4@ The Pilgrims planned to meet with the native American people and ___________ them ______________ repayment, for the corn they found” (give, full)
The Pilgrims gave glory to God in thanksgiving, and in consistency with true Christian integrity, they were willing to repay for provisions they had discovered in a time of emergency need. Now, the days that follow demonstrate to us, in retrospect, the grave consequences of leaving the other ship behind. Winter came hard, it came heavy, and it came fast. The cold, snow, and sleet was extreme. The first severe cold snap hit in but a matter of weeks. This icy cold front greatly inhibited the necessary construction of the pilgrim's settlement. Tragedy soon followed. Weakened by the seven-week crossing, and compounded by the lack of adequate housing, people started to get really sick--so sick, that they began to die. The sobering reality of the tragedy is that one person would die per day. Over time, two people were dying per day. Sometimes three people would die in one day. On top of this disheartening existence, the pilgrims were continuously concerned that the Native Americans would be hostile. So in the midst of the struggle to survive, the few who were healthy enough, would dig graves in the cold dark cover of night to keep any distant observers from seeing how their numbers were rapidly dwindling. Circumstances were beyond bad. At one point, there were only seven colonists who were strong enough to dig the graves, to collect the wood, to make the needed fires; and on top of that, to feed and care for the sick who were barely hanging on. They were scared. They were weak. They were dying, and they were alone in a strange land. To give you an idea of just how devastating that winter was; by springtime they had lost 46 of the original 102 people who came on the Mayflower which is virtually half the people. On March 16th, four days before the first day of spring, another providential event occurred for the colony. Stunned onlookers witnessed a native American walk out of the woods and right into the middle of the settlement. As everyone watched in amazement, the man astonished the stupefied pilgrims by calling out "Welcome" in perfect English. His name was Samoset. He was Abnaki. And yes, what this means is that the Pilgrims and their settlement, were, in fact, welcomed to America by native Americans. Apparently Samoset had learned some English from fishermen who sailed up and down the coast. Samoset later brought another Indian named "Tisquantum." I think most of us know him by the other name he was called which was "Squanto." Squanto spoke even better English than Samoset. Squanto had learned English in England as a result of being kidnapped and forced to work on Merchant ships for 15 years. Squanto (who was a Patuxet) had returned to America from England 6 months earlier. What Squanto found was that all the rest of the Patuxets had died from a plague. Apparently, Squanto was the last remaining descendant of his people. Providentially, the Pilgrims were living on the exact same location where the Patuxets had once flourished. This is an amazing fact considering that the Patuxets were known for being violent, and were legendary for their bloody fierceness in battle. If the Patuxets had been there when the Pilgrims arrived, it is likely that there would have been an all out war, and the Pilgrims probably would not have survived. But now the fierce Patuxets were gone, except for Squanto. Squanto's importance to the Pilgrim's survival was enormous. We can safely say that the Pilgrims probably would not have survived without Squanto's help. I think most of us are familiar with the story of how Squanto taught the pilgrims how to get maple syrup; which plants were poisonous, and which ones could be used for medicine. He taught them how to plant corn using several seeds buried with a fish, and so forth. Because of Squanto's needed help, the harvest that came in that fall was successful and the Pilgrims found themselves with enough food to store for the winter. When we think about the facts, it is truly amazing how much the pilgrims had gone through over the previous months. Those who survived had come through harsh, daunting hardship, and suffering. With these things in mind, the Pilgrims gave God the glory for His providential care through Squanto. Bradford wrote of befriending Squanto. He described Squanto as a;
"special instrument sent of God ..." (6)
This is not a demeaning description. The Separatists believed that they were special instruments sent of God too. At about this time, the Pilgrims made contact with the Wampanoag people. The pilgrims were committed to be fair and honest with the Wampanoags. In the first treaty agreement between the Plymouth Pilgrims and the Wampanoags (which lasted 50 years), the Pilgrims agreed that if anything had been taken, it must be returned. Additionally, the Pilgrims would help the Wampanoags defend themselves if they were attacked, and the Wampanoags would likewise, help the Pilgrims. Later, William Bradford, who by this time had become governor of the colony, sent word to his friend, Chief Massasoit (the leader of the Wampanoags), to;
"search out those, from whom we took their corn, that we may restore the same to them in full measure." (7)
At the end of that first harvest, the Pilgrims invited Squanto, Massasoit, and other Indians to join them in a big celebration feast. It is the big feast that people learn about in government schools. It is the one you usually see in all the paintings, books, and decorations around the Thanksgiving Holiday. It is the celebration feast where Chief Massasoit, and 90 of his men, came to join in with the pilgrims. The celebration lasted three days. William Bradford, in his journal, described the abundance of the harvest, and the food that led to, and supplied the feast:
"They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercising in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many,
[5@ There were many ______________ at the first feast celebration of the Pilgrim’s and the Wampanoags. (Turkeys)
Yes, there were turkeys at the celebration. Every year there will be multitudes of articles, talk shows, and so forth that will attempt to dispel so-called myths about this celebration. Last week, I took my wife to a doctor appointment. While there, the waiting room had the typical noise maker light box turned on and turned up loudly up in the corner. There was a cooking show on, and guess what the theme was. It was busting food myths. And guess what was asserted. Yes, they asserted with some kind of self-styled authority that there were no turkeys there at that feast. Oddly William Bradford disagreed with the so-called modern revisionists. In fact, he said that there was a “great store of wild turkeys of which they took many,” and Bradford continued,]
besides venison, etc. Besides they had about a peck of meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports. Our corn [ie. wheat] did prove well, and God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, ..." (8)
Edward Winslow also gave the account of the feast in what he called this "special manner of rejoicing together" in a letter dated December 11, 1621:
“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty." (9)
I think it is important that we notice that Winslow said, "we might after a special manner rejoice together;" adding; "by the goodness of God, we are so far from want ..." These are statements that we Christians know as giving glory to God for his provision.
Most Americans recognize, to some degree, that what I have just related is what many call the Thanksgiving story.
{The Miracle of 1623}
But there is more. What I'm talking about is the miracle of 1623. The miracle was recorded by Governor William Bradford who was there and experienced it. It was recorded by Edward Winslow. He was there. He experienced it too. Because of this miracle, the first official Thanksgiving Day was ordained by William Bradford for Plymouth Plantation. It was cause for giving glory, honor, and thanksgiving to God and God alone for His spectacular provision. What happened is that even though God had apparently brought provision in that first harvest, the Pilgrims began to run severely short of food in the following months. Part of the problem was that one month after their celebration, the first ship to come in from England dropped off 35 unexpected people right into the pilgrim's laps. The pilgrims referred to those people as "Adventurers." The problem was that the newcomers did not bring any extra clothing. They did not bring any bedding. They did not even bring tools with them to work with and help out the colony. The worst thing of all was that the adventurers did not bring any food. Now we understand why they were called "Adventurers." True to their faith in Christ, the Separatist Pilgrims made the decision to go to half rations in November so that they could share their food with the newcomers. They hoped and prayed to God that they would all make it to summer. It was hard. They survived on starvation rations that winter; eating small portions, and praying the whole time. Amazingly, not one person was lost to starvation.
Spring finally arrived, but the hardship was not over. What followed was a severe blistering drought that lasted through the summer. We need to understand the seriousness of that drought. The native American people had no recollection of such a drought like it ever happening before. Consider the drought we just went through. There has never been another one like it recorded in Texas history. In the Pilgrim’s experience, week followed after week with absolutely no rain at all. What did come was intense heat. The crops had been planted which was good. The crops had sprouted up in the spring. They had grown to about midway which would also seem good. But, now, in the midst of the searing summer, the plants were just sitting there in the blistering heat. They were browning in the parched dry fields. Further, because of the heat and lack of moisture, most of the crop had died. Now the rest of the crop was dying. Subsistence farmers hear this story and they immediately relate to how drastically severe this emergency was. But for the rest of us, even though we have gone through a record drought this year, it is difficult for most of us to wrap our brains around the seriousness of the events the Pilgrims experienced. But think about the reality of the situation: if you don't produce it, then you starve, which in that context meant, you starve to death. On top of all of this, we must keep in mind that the Pilgrims desperately needed this particular crop. Remember, they were still recuperating from almost being completely wiped out by a plague. And they also had the burden of the thirty five Adventurers. They absolutely could not lose this crop. They needed this food, but they needed something else. They needed a miracle. The situation only got more and more desperate. People’s hopes began to wilt and die just like the wilting crops all around them. People were giving up. All of us can relate to getting to a point where we give up on something. But we also know that we can go to our God and give it all up to Him, right? So in the midst of uncertainty, Governor Bradford decided to give it all up to God in prayer. He ordered the colony to set aside a whole day for nothing but fasting and prayer. The plan was that all of them were to get together corporately, in unity, and converge at what they called the "big House." The plan was to set aside all other activity and pray all day. So that is exactly what everyone did; and that is exactly when it happened--God provided through miraculous provision. I love telling the story of Thanksgiving, but I particularly love telling this part of the story. This is the part that only God's church throughout the ages can understand. Further, it is the detail that only the church can really appreciate. It is like sharing about the Community-Wide Prayer Event last September when it rained. Others can hear the story, and God will even use our testimonies in His own way to be part of the effectual call of an unbeliever, but for us who are God's children in Christ, this story is a story of a part of us. It is a story about our relationship with God in Christ Jesus. It is a story about being part of the church--the body of Christ. So, I want us to think about that day in a personal-spiritual manner: If you and I had been there in Plymouth Plantation, what would we have done with the rest of the saints? We would have gone up to the big house with everyone else to pray, right? Then the details of the following miracle would have been our own experiences too. Now listen to Governor Bradford’s account of the miracle from his own journal;
"I may not here omit how, notwithstand[ing] all their great pains and industry, and the great hopes of a large crop, the Lord seemed to blast, and take away the same, and to threaten further and more sore famine unto them. By a great drought which continued from the third week in May, till about the middle of July, without any rain and with great heat for the most part, insomuch as the corn began to wither away though it was set with fish, the moisture whereof helped it much. Yet at length it began to languish sore, and some of the drier grounds were parched like withered hay, part whereof was never recovered. Upon which they set apart a solemn day of humiliation, to seek the Lord by humble and fervent prayer, in this great distress.
[now here comes the miracle]
And He was pleased to give them a gracious and speedy answer, both to their own and the Indians’ admiration that lived amongst them. For all the morning, and the greatest part of the day, it was clear weather and very hot, and not a cloud or any sign of rain to be seen; yet toward evening it began to overcast, and shortly after to rain with such sweet and gentle showers as gave them cause of rejoicing and blessing God. It came without either wind or thunder or any violence, and by degrees in that abundance as that the earth was thoroughly wet and soaked and therewith. Which did so apparently revive and quicken the decayed corn and other fruits, as was wonderful to see, and made the Indians astonished to behold. And afterwards the Lord sent them such seasonable showers, with interchange of fair warm weather as, through His blessing, caused a fruitful and liberal harvest, to their no small comfort and rejoicing. For which mercy, in time convenient, they also set apart a day of thanksgiving." (10)
Isn't that beatiful? Edward Winslow also experienced the miracle of 1623. This miraculous answer to prayer was confirmed by Winslow in his journal. Listen to his own words as he glorifies God;
"... before this month began to prepare our ground against seed-time. In the midst of April we began to set [the seed], the weather being then seasonable, which much encouraged us, giving us good hopes of after plenty: the setting season is good till the latter end of May. But it pleased God for our further chastisement, to send a great drought, insomuch, as in six weeks after the latter setting there scarce fell any rain, so that the stalk of that was first set began to send forth the ear before it came to half growth, and that which was later, not like to yield any at all, both blade and stalk hanging the head, and changing the color in such manner, as we judged it utterly dead: our Beans also ran not up according to their wonted manner, but stood at a stay, many being parched away, as though they had been scorched before the fire. Now were our hopes overthrown, and we discouraged, our joy being turned into mourning. To add also to this sorrowful estate in which we were, we heard of a supply [ship] that was sent unto us many months since, which having two repulses [been turned away twice] before, was a third time in company of another ship three hundred Leagues at Sea, and now in three months time heard no further of her, only the signs of a wreck were scene on the coast, which could not be judged to be any other then the same [ship]. So that at once God seemed to deprive us of all future hopes. The most courageous were now discouraged, because God which hitherto had been our only Shield and Supporter, now seemed in his anger to arm himself against us; and who can withstand the fierceness of his wrath. These, and the like considerations moved not only every good man privately to enter into examination with his own estate between God and his conscience, and so to humiliation before him: but also more solemnly to humble our selves together before the Lord by fasting and prayer. To that end a day was appointed by public authority, and set apart from all other employments, hoping that the same God which had stirred us up hereunto, would be moved hereby in mercy to look down upon us, and grant the request of our dejected souls, if our continuance there might any way stand with his glory and our good.
[Pay special attention, because here comes the miracle]
But oh the mercy of our God! Who was as ready to hear as we to ask: For though in the morning when we assembled together, the heavens were as clear and the drought as like to continue as ever it was: yet (our exercise [in prayer] continuing some eight or nine hours) before our departure the weather was over-cast, the clouds gathered together on all sides, and on the next morning distilled such soft, sweet, and moderate showers of rain, continuing some fourteen days, and mixed with such seasonable weather, as it was hard to say whether our withered Corn or drooping affections were most quickened or revived. Such was the bounty and goodness of our God. Of this the Indians by means of [a particular man named] Hobomok took notice: who being then in the Town, and this exercise in the midst of the week, said, it was but three days since Sunday, and therefore demanded of a boy what was the reason thereof? Which when he [Hobomok] knew and saw what effects followed thereupon, he and all of them [the Indians with him] admired the goodness of our God towards us, that wrought so great a change in so short a time, ...
6@ At God’s miraculous answer to the prayer for rain by the Pilgrims, the native Americans ________________ the goodness of God. (admired)
So that having these many signs of God's favor and acceptation, we thought it would be great ingratitude, if secretly we should smother up the same, or content our selves with private thanksgiving for that which by private prayer could not be obtained. And therefore another solemn day was set apart and appointed for that end, wherein we returned glory, honor, and praise, with all thankfulness to our God, which dealt so graciously with us, whose name for these and all other his mercies towards his Church and chosen ones, by them be blessed and praised now and evermore, Amen." (11)
What we have just had the privilege of hearing is what we know as a "Christian testimony." It is the Christian testimony of a "yes" answer to prayer in a miracle. It is also worship in giving glory to God in thanksgiving. This is also authentic American history. It has not been revised. It is not Politically Corrupt. It is not Politically Inept. It can not be burned away in a book pile by the ACLU, the NEA, or other hate criminals who want to suppress it. It is history that nobody can make disappear. After 3 months of no rain; intense heat, and dying plants, heaven’s door swings open in concurrence with the prayers and fasting of God's children. The resultant harvest was so abundant that the pilgrims ended up with a surplus of food and seed. There is one more important detail that I must remind us of before we finish up. It is something that we rarely hear in our country anymore, particularly in the government schools and dying media. It used to be taught, but unfortunately it is not typically taught anymore. This July miracle that occurred in 1623, is the sole and only event that Governor Bradford recorded having a special day set aside for a Thanksgiving commemoration. He declared;
"For which [God’s] mercy, in time convenient, they also set apart a day of thanksgiving."
Winslow said that,
" ... a solemn day was set apart and appointed ... wherein we returned glory, honor, and praise, with all thankfulness to our God, which dealt so graciously with us, whose name for these and all other his mercies towards his Church and chosen ones, by them be blessed and praised now and evermore, Amen."
7@ To commemorate the miraculous rain, a day of __________________ was appointed and set aside. (thanksgiving)
This, my dear brothers and sisters, is the original thanksgiving story of previous brothers and sisters. In respect to God, the church, prayer, and thanksgiving, it is our story too. I urge you to keep it in mind during this Thanksgiving season. I urge you to share the story with your family and friends. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, stay focused. Be remembering What Christian thanksgiving is all about. Be remembering our charge by the Spirit,
“15 Through [Christ Jesus], let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” Hebrews 13:15
8@ The Spirit urges us to continually offer praise to God as the fruit of our ________ that give thank to His name. Hebrews 13:15
Amen.
FOOTNOTES:
(1) "Good Newes from New England" (1624) Written by Mayflower passenger Edward Winslow, Good Newes from New England was published in London in 1624.
(2) Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647 by William Bradford, [Ed; Samuel Eliot Morison] p. 25
(3) Secondary source; The Landing of the Pilgrims, James Daugherty, Landmark Books, 1981, pp. 38-39
(4) "Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth" by Edward Winslow and William Bradford (1621) http://members.aol.com/calebj/mourt.html
(5) Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647 by William Bradford, [Ed; Samuel Eliot Morison], p. 81
(6) Ibid. p. 88
(7) Ibid. p. 90
(8) "A Letter Sent From New England to a Friend in These Parts" [Letter From Winslow]; see last section of "Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth" by Edward Winslow and William Bradford (1621) http://members.aol.com/calebj/mourt6.html
(9) Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647 by William Bradford, [Ed; Samuel Eliot Morison] p. 131
(10) "Good Newes from New England" (1624) Written by Mayflower passenger Edward Winslow, Good Newes from New England was published in London in 1624.
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/users/deetz/Plymouth/goodnews1.html
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1@ The Separatist Pilgrims great _____________ in going to America was to propagate and advance the _____________ of the kingdom of Christ. (hope, gospel)
2@ The Mayflower Compact begins, “In the name of God ... Having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the ___________________ faith.” (Christian)
3@ The Pilgrims believed it was God’s _______________ when they discovered corn on an expedition—not knowing how they would have done without it.” (providence)
4@ The Pilgrims planned to meet with the native American people and ___________ them ______________ repayment, for the corn they found” (give, full)
5@ There were many ______________ at the first feast celebration of the Pilgrim’s and the Wampanoags. (Turkeys)
6@ At God’s miraculous answer to the prayer for rain by the Pilgrims, the native Americans ________________ the goodness of God. (admired)
7@ To commemorate the miraculous rain, a day of __________________ was appointed and set aside. (thanksgiving)
8@ The Spirit urges us to continually offer praise to God as the fruit of our ________ that give thank to His name. Hebrews 13:15
