Wallbuilders, LLC, which we link to on this site, is a 20-year-old organization founded by David Barton.  According to the “About Us – Overview” at their website, the organization is:

“….. dedicated to presenting America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious, and constitutional foundation on which America was built – a foundation which, in recent years, has been seriously attacked and undermined. In accord with what was so accurately stated by George Washington, we believe that “the propitious [favorable] smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation which disregards the eternal rules of order and right which heaven itself has ordained.”

The “Wallbuilders” name is based on the Old Testament book of Nehemiah.  Nehemiah was living in Susa in the Medo-Persian Empire and working as an assistant to the king of that vast region. Susa is about 500 miles east of Jerusalem in what is now Iraq.

When Jeremiah learned of the anguish of the Israelites who had returned from exile to the City of Jerusalem and the disrepair of the walls designed to protect the City, he immediately prayed for God’s help and for instructions. Then, he knew he needed to go to Jerusalem to help; and, he asked the king for permission.  His journey took nearly three months.  What he found was a group of disorganized people, with no leadership and no safety or security due to the missing walls and gates destroyed by fire.

Each time Nehemiah encountered another challenge or felt threatened, his first reaction was to pray for help and guidance.  Eight times in the book of Nehemiah he prayed before taking any further action. What an amazing example of effective leadership!  Nehemiah shows us  so many examples of Godly leadership. He was devoted to prayer; he cared deeply for his people and his country; he was willing to take responsibility and obey God’s commands; he had a repentant and servant’s heart; he knew where to turn for help; and, he was willing to sacrifice his current lifestyle to help his people.  Please study the book of Nehemiah, especially the first four chapters.  Nehemiah gave glory to God at every opportunity; and, perhaps it’s time for our nation’s people and our leaders to do more of that!

“Then I said to them, ‘You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.’

 ^“I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, ‘Let us arise and build.’ So they put their hands to the good work.”

Nehemiah 2:17-18 (NASB)

Wallbuilders chose this name to symbolize the rallying of everyday citizens to work together to rebuild the foundations of our nation, just as Nehemiah encouraged the people of Jerusalem to rebuild her walls for the safety of those living there.  The wall was rebuilt in record time (52 days) due to his persistence, his many talents and his devotion to prayer.

I first came to know of Mr. Barton a few years ago via a few interviews on television.  At the time I thought he was an articulate spokesman for discussing our nation’s Founding Fathers.  My impression of him went up a number of notches last summer when I watched a 55-minute video of a speech/lecture he gave on July 5 as a guest at Dr. Charles Stanley’s In Touch Ministries.  It is long; but, once I got into it, I was mesmerized.  David Barton has a style that, in my opinion, makes listening to a history lesson interesting and fascinating.  Perhaps it’s because I had some rather poor history teachers during my years in school.  Or, maybe it’s because I wasn’t really interested in history until some years ago when I read a few biographies and some books about specific WWII battles. 

For three or four decades I believe the teaching of U.S. history has often ignored or intentionally omitted having discussions about the “Faith of Our Fathers.”  As the Founders labored over the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation to unify the new nation after the end of the Revolutionary War, and, ultimately, the Constitution, they prayed often and fervently.  Additionally, they knew that a free people needed faith in and obedience to a moral “rule of law.” The Ten Commandments provided a basic guideline, along with considerable studying of the writings of ancient philosophers.

Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) was a French politician and historian who traveled all over the United States  in 1831-33 to study our penitentiaries.  Far more than the report of those studies, he is best known for his two-volume books (1835 and 1840) on “Democracy in America.”

“Moreover, almost all the sects of the United States are comprised within the great unity of Christianity, and Christian morality is everywhere the same. In the United States the sovereign authority is religious, and consequently hypocrisy must be common; but there is no country in the whole world in which the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America, and there can be no greater proof of its utility, and of its conformity to human nature, than that its influence is most powerfully felt over the most enlightened and free nation of the earth.

“The Americans combine the notions of Christianity and of liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive the one without the other; and with them this conviction does not spring from that barren traditionary faith which seems to vegetate in the soul rather than to live.”

This quote has been attributed to de Tocqueville, Patrick Henry and even Horace Greeley. I guess it would take a lot more research to verify which attribution is correct. Nevertheless, I believe it is quite true:

“Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.

It is my belief that much of the prosperity of the United States is due to our Judeo-Christian foundation.  Of course, abundant natural resources contributed much, too.  But, there are so many countries in the world with ample resources and hard-working people; yet, they remain trapped in third- or developing-world status; or, their people have far fewer opportunities than we have.  As a nation, we have been incredibly blessed; and, we need to continue thanking God for those blessings and do as much as possible to restore, protect and preserve our founding principles.

Please do take time to watch and listen to the videos of David Barton’s message last July.  I’m pretty sure you’ll find them educational and valuable.   This is Part 1 of 5:

If you’d prefer to watch the 55-minute speech in it’s entirety, you may do so at Dr. Stanley’s site, using the link below. I recommend you watch it using your “Windows Media” player.

Is America A Christian Nation?

May God Bless our country and all of us.

photo credit: E & H Baxendale Ltd

Question for the Book Giveaway:  From which book in the Bible is the “Wallbuilders” name based?

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I'm a former Minnesotan who moved to southern Nevada in late 2002 after retiring. Although I've been a Christian since I was too young to remember, I’m finding my footing one day at a time in my walk with God. Writing for the LTBC blog gives me an opportunity to share my journey in my faith -- staying in His Word a little more, praying for His covering more, being thankful in all things, and keeping my focus on being His obedient child. "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." Luke 6:38

Linda

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