Happy Presidents’ Day!

As you may know today is Presidents’ Day.

How Presidents’ Day came about:

Back in the day, February was an important month — not just because it included the eagerly-anticipated Valentine’s Day, but because even though it was the shortest month of the year, it contained two holidays for which schools were closed: Lincoln’s Birthday (February 12) and Washington’s Birthday (February 22).

Two school-free days for the kids, two days off for working parents, and terrific bargains on bedding, linen, and towels at department store white sales. What wasn’t to like about February?

Nowadays, though, many of us — whether we be employees or students — don’t get any weekdays off at all in February, or we’re offered a single holiday that falls on the third Monday in February and is neither Lincoln’s nor Washington’s Birthday but some hybrid known as “Presidents’ Day.”

Abraham Lincoln and His Faith in Jesus Christ

The late D. James Kennedy once preached a message that gripped me emotionally. Dr. Kennedy demonstrated how Abraham Lincoln entered the Presidency as a man intellectually acquainted with the Christian faith, but void of a personal relationship with Christ. In 1863 President Lincoln endured the pain of losing his own young son to death and felt the pressure of catostophic casualties among Union soldiers. While walking the killing fields of Gettysburg, the President himself was born from above. To begin this week of Christmas, I offer the excellent message of Dr. Kennedy regarding Abraham Lincoln and the President’s transforming faith in Jesus Christ. Notice the little known but prescient words of the President to his wife at the moment of his assassination. Merry Christmas to all my friends who love the name of Jesus Christ.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

Was Abraham Lincoln a born-again Christian?

When Lincoln’s child died he was almost bereft of his senses. That was before Lincoln came to accept Christ.

Was George Washing a born-again Christian?

One thing we know: he was not afraid to die. Shortly after being elected to the Presidency, he was taken very seriously ill for six weeks. He thought that perhaps he would not recover and asked his doctor to tell him straightly what his chances were. He said not to flatter him with vain hopes, that he was not afraid to die and therefore could bear the worst.

To his other virtues he added the virtue of his respect for the Sabbath. He would give the day to the Lord. It was for him the Lord’s day. Even while President of the United States he not only attended church on Sunday, but refrained from all official business on that day. He would not even allow visitors into the Presidential mansion on the Lord’s day. The only exception was a Mr. Trumbull, who was one of the most pious and godly men in America at that time, with whom he was wont to have discussions in the evening before retiring.

He retired every night at the same time in his fantastically disciplined life. He would take his candle and, promptly at nine o’clock, retire to his study. Many did not know what he did, but a nephew who lived with him for twenty years followed him one day and shortly after his uncle had entered the study, he quietly opened the door and found Washington kneeling before a chair with the candle, and there in the chair the open Bible. From nine until ten o’clock every night, with perfect punctuality, he would spend that time in prayer and the reading of the Word, even as he did every morning and night when he was fighting the Revolutionary War. And he called all of his soldiers together each morning for prayer. He would arise at four o’clock in the morning and return to the same study, the same candle, to the same Bible and to the same prayer. Thus he began each day.

So if you did/are going to read more about these guys to see if they were really saved. Let me ask you, are you perfect? Have you ever not messed up? Yes, when the world views you and sees you mess up, they will probably say: “and I thought you were suppose to be a “Christian”?”

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:6

In Honor of my mother: Christine Beck – Today was her birthday 2/16. She was born-again and now is face to face with Jesus.