Celebrating Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday

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Thursday, February 5, 2009

Celebrating Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday



By Bill Ellis
Special to ASSIST News Service

SCOTT DEPOT, WV (ANS) – Abraham Lincoln was born 200 years ago on February 12, 1809. February is the birth month of three of our greatest presidents.

Our nation’s first President was born February 22, 1732. George Washington was the young general of the Revolutionary Army that sought freedom and independence for a people who were willing to sacrifice and die for it.

Lincoln was the sixteenth president of a nation less than 100 years old which was on the verge of coming apart in self-destruction. He was determined to preserve the unity of the United States at the risk of his own life.

President Lincoln said, “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.”

Without that kind of faith it would have been impossible, just as it is today, to rightly govern this nation. The further our country moves away from Christian principles it is in an exact proportion moving perilously closer to its own imposed destruction. Implosion is a greater threat to our survival than any explosion perpetrated by a foreign enemy.

Ronald Reagan, born February 6, 1911, was the only one of these three presidents I had the privilege of seeing and hearing. Ten or more times I was in meetings addressed by President Reagan. Once I appeared on a program with Nancy Reagan in Decatur, Illinois, when she was campaigning for her beloved Ronnie. The next day Kitty and I talked and walked with her at two other meetings.

Ronald Reagan led our nation out of the Cold War in which we were primarily engaged with the Soviet Union. He looked and talked like a man. He rode tall in the saddle. President Reagan inspired the nation. He was every inch a leader.

These three presidents shared a common conviction about the God of the Bible and His Son, Jesus Christ. They never apologized for their faith.

President Washington, on the day he appointed chaplains to every regiment of the Continental Army, issued a general order to his troops that stated: “The General hopes and trusts that every officer and man, will endeavor so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country.”

President Lincoln was known for his strong faith in the Christ and the church of God. His wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, recalled his last words as they sat in Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865; just five days after the Civil War had ended.

Here are her words about his Christian testimony. “He said he wanted to visit the Holy Land and see those places hallowed by the footprints of the Savior. He was saying there was no city he so much desired to see as Jerusalem. And with the words half spoken on his tongue, the bullet of the assassin entered the brain, and the soul of the great and good President was carried by the angels to the New Jerusalem above.” This story is taken from America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, by historian and scholar, William J. Federer.

These three presidents whom we honor and respect, all born in the month of February, gave strong testimony for the validity of these words from the Bible: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Their faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, enabled them to live as the man described by King David, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way” (Psalm 37:23).

Think of it! We are privileged to join in the 200th birthday celebration of our nation’s beloved sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln.

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Bill Ellis is a syndicated columnist, and convention and conference speaker on every continent. He is the writer of more than 1600 columns and widely known as a motivator utilizing enjoyment of life and just plain fun and laughter while speaking to high school, university and professional sports teams as well as to business and professional groups of all kinds. His keen understanding of human problems make him a favorite speaker for youth, parent, and senior adult meetings. He is accompanied by Kitty, his wife, favorite singer, editor and publisher. For information on becoming a subscriber to the Ellis Column for your newspaper or magazine, you may contact him at: BILL ELLIS, P.O.Box 345, Scott Depot, WV 25560 or by calling: 304-757-6089.

<!–BYLINE:By Bill Ellis
Special to ASSIST News Service–>