Happy Thanksgiving! The Spirit within the Pilgrims is the same Spirit that drives us today. After a brutal winter, starvation, disease, and 50% of the Pilgrims died. The Pilgrims met Squanto, and by the marvelous sovereignty of God, you see an amazing bond that created the longest-lasting peace treaty of the time.
Squanto, years before, had been enslaved by the English and shipped to London. In London, a Christian man bought him, taught him how to read and his Christian faith. He would then pay Squanto's way back to his family. Unfortunately, Squanto's tribe had died of an illness, leaving the location like a ghost town. The Pilgrims would eventually arrive at this exact location that would prevent their starvation due to baskets of corn that had been abandoned.
When Squanto came, the Pilgrims offered to buy the land and the corn, but he gave it to them to settle on. Squanto's faith and ability to speak English were significant factors that contributed to the Pilgrim's survival.
”According to the diary of Pilgrim Governor William Bradford, Squanto “became a special instrument sent of God for [our] good . . . He showed [us] how to plant [our] corn, where to take fish and to procure other commodities . . . and was also [our] pilot to bring [us] to unknown places for [our] profit, and never left [us] till he died.”
When Squanto lay dying of a fever, Bradford wrote that their Indian friend “desir[ed] the Governor to pray for him, that he might go to the Englishmen’s God in heaven.” Squanto bequeathed his possessions to his English friends “as remembrances of his love.” https://bible.org/illustration/story-squanto
Squanto and the Pilgrims were united by their faith, and the story would begin as a missionary task to bring the gospel to the world of the pagan gods.
“IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers......”
The Mayflower Compact
This compact would influence the American founding fathers to create the U.S. Constitution. A civil compact rooted in the Declaration declares that human rights are endowed by their Creator.
In this season of uncertainty, inflation, disasters, wars, and rumors of wars, we must never forget what and who to be thankful for. Of all the death and uncertainty, the Pilgrims still found time to give thanks to God.
Little did they know what the future would hold, but God was working against evil, against natural calamity, and inspired what was good to fight over and what wasn't. That battle has brought the flourishment of human rights all over the world.
We give thanks for this, and in the same spirit, we look at the more extensive scope of God's sovereignty that through many kings and empires, our sovereign God brought forth the Messiah under the iron weight of Roman oppression.
The gospel would then strive under Roman persecution and, over centuries, would be adopted as the Empire's main religion. The Middle East would be Christianized until Muhammad claimed to have been met by an angel in a cave.
In short, he claimed to be restoring the lost gospel and by Allah's command, could restore this even through the means of jihad. A holy war would spread, and Islam would push Christians out of North Africa and the Middle East. (As to why the Catholic Crusades took place to try and gain back the Holy land).
Ultimately, Christians would settle in Europe. What was once coined as the Dark ages was actually a period of great enlightenment and innovation, thus leading to the Italian Christian Renaissance that emphasized going back to the original sources.
Many Greek manuscripts made their way to western Europe as the historic Greek libraries of the eastern Roman Empire were moved west to be kept safe from the advancing Muslim armies.
All of this would play a role that would lead to the Great Christian Schism and the Reformation. A reformation that sparked Christian sects and English persecution. To escape persecution, the Pilgrims embarked on a mission to live under religious freedom.
I say all this to shed light on God's sovereignty and how He moved to bring billions to salvation. Thank you, God, for everything, and in faith, no matter the scope of uncertainty, I know that all things work together for those who love you. All things will be brought to subjugation as every human will one day bow to the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Squanto, years before, had been enslaved by the English and shipped to London. In London, a Christian man bought him, taught him how to read and his Christian faith. He would then pay Squanto's way back to his family. Unfortunately, Squanto's tribe had died of an illness, leaving the location like a ghost town. The Pilgrims would eventually arrive at this exact location that would prevent their starvation due to baskets of corn that had been abandoned.
When Squanto came, the Pilgrims offered to buy the land and the corn, but he gave it to them to settle on. Squanto's faith and ability to speak English were significant factors that contributed to the Pilgrim's survival.
”According to the diary of Pilgrim Governor William Bradford, Squanto “became a special instrument sent of God for [our] good . . . He showed [us] how to plant [our] corn, where to take fish and to procure other commodities . . . and was also [our] pilot to bring [us] to unknown places for [our] profit, and never left [us] till he died.”
When Squanto lay dying of a fever, Bradford wrote that their Indian friend “desir[ed] the Governor to pray for him, that he might go to the Englishmen’s God in heaven.” Squanto bequeathed his possessions to his English friends “as remembrances of his love.” https://bible.org/illustration/story-squanto
Squanto and the Pilgrims were united by their faith, and the story would begin as a missionary task to bring the gospel to the world of the pagan gods.
“IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers......”
The Mayflower Compact
This compact would influence the American founding fathers to create the U.S. Constitution. A civil compact rooted in the Declaration declares that human rights are endowed by their Creator.
In this season of uncertainty, inflation, disasters, wars, and rumors of wars, we must never forget what and who to be thankful for. Of all the death and uncertainty, the Pilgrims still found time to give thanks to God.
Little did they know what the future would hold, but God was working against evil, against natural calamity, and inspired what was good to fight over and what wasn't. That battle has brought the flourishment of human rights all over the world.
We give thanks for this, and in the same spirit, we look at the more extensive scope of God's sovereignty that through many kings and empires, our sovereign God brought forth the Messiah under the iron weight of Roman oppression.
The gospel would then strive under Roman persecution and, over centuries, would be adopted as the Empire's main religion. The Middle East would be Christianized until Muhammad claimed to have been met by an angel in a cave.
In short, he claimed to be restoring the lost gospel and by Allah's command, could restore this even through the means of jihad. A holy war would spread, and Islam would push Christians out of North Africa and the Middle East. (As to why the Catholic Crusades took place to try and gain back the Holy land).
Ultimately, Christians would settle in Europe. What was once coined as the Dark ages was actually a period of great enlightenment and innovation, thus leading to the Italian Christian Renaissance that emphasized going back to the original sources.
Many Greek manuscripts made their way to western Europe as the historic Greek libraries of the eastern Roman Empire were moved west to be kept safe from the advancing Muslim armies.
All of this would play a role that would lead to the Great Christian Schism and the Reformation. A reformation that sparked Christian sects and English persecution. To escape persecution, the Pilgrims embarked on a mission to live under religious freedom.
I say all this to shed light on God's sovereignty and how He moved to bring billions to salvation. Thank you, God, for everything, and in faith, no matter the scope of uncertainty, I know that all things work together for those who love you. All things will be brought to subjugation as every human will one day bow to the King of kings and Lord of lords.
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) Happy Thanksgiving!!! 
