John AdamsDr. Randy JohnsonEarlier I referred to John Quincy Adams (6th president). In this devotion, I want to refer to his father, John Adams ((1735-1826). John Adams has quite the resume. He was a leader of the American Revolution that achieved independence from Great Britain. He was an attorney and signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was the first vice president and the second presid...  Read More

James MadisonDr. Randy JohnsonJames Madison (1751-1836) served as the fourth president of the United States. He is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He is clearly one of the founding fathers of the United States.President Madison said, “We have staked the whole future of American civilization not upon ...  Read More

Godly RulersDr. Randy JohnsonIn 1776, our nation declared its independence. It was a nation of the original 13 states. In 1796 (just 20 years later), our country was developing and growing. Independence Day was celebrated on July 4th for the first time. Tennessee was admitted as the 16th U.S. state. The U.S. State Department issued the first U.S. passport. President George Washington issued his Fa...  Read More

Noah WebsterDr. Randy JohnsonWhen I think of Noah Webster (1758-1843), I immediately think of the dictionary. Today, it is entitled the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. He also wrote the Blue-backed Speller books that taught five generations of children how to spell and read. Webster has even been called the “Father of American Scholarship and Education.” He did many other things while still being a me...  Read More

Religious EducationDr. Randy Johnson The Bible was important to our founding fathers. In a ten-year study undertaken at the University of Houston, researchers examined 15,000 documents from America’s founders and determined that:• 34% of their quotations came directly from the Bible.• 94% of their quotes were based on the Bible.• 60% used the Bible to arrive at their conclusion.This is how many of...  Read More

Blasphemy is IllegalDr. Randy JohnsonThe ruling in People vs. Ruggles (1811) declared, “Whatever strikes at the root of Christianity tends manifestly to the dissolution of civil government.” The founding fathers understood the importance of Christianity. The government was not to interfere with Christianity, but the government wanted Christianity’s presence. The government protected Christianity’s...  Read More

RedeemerDr. Randy JohnsonI have been starting each of these devotions with a quote from one of our country’s founding fathers. In this devotion, I thought I would represent many of them by quoting the Supreme Court (1892). It said, “Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It’s impossible that it should be otherwise; and to t...  Read More

Christian PresidentsDr. Randy JohnsonAll too often we feel the phrase “Christian President” is an oxymoron. Is it possible for a Christian to be a politician? It is interesting to see how the founding fathers would answer this question.John Jay (1745-1829) was the second governor of New York, director of the United States policy, negotiator and signatory of the Treaty of Paris of 1783, and the fir...  Read More

ImpossibleDr. Randy JohnsonGeorge Washington’s name is inseparable from America, and not only from the nation’s history. It identifies countless streets, buildings, mountains, bridges, monuments, cities, and people. Jesse Washington recorded for the Associated Press, “The 2000 U.S. Census counted 163,036 people with the surname Washington.”George Washington (1732-1799) was an American military gen...  Read More

Pillars of ChristianityDr. Randy JohnsonJedidiah Morse (1761-1826) is known as the father of American geography. He was a Pastor, instructor at a school for young women, and rebutted views against Native American people. He stood up for all people. People may ask why he was willing to stand up for the overlooked. I think it was because of his faith.Morse said, “Whenever the pillars of Christianity...  Read More

Self-Evident TruthsDr. Randy JohnsonJohn Quincy Adams (1767-1848) was the United States Secretary of State for nine years before becoming the sixth president of the United States. I found it interesting that he named his first son George Washington Adams before giving his own name to his second son (John Adams II). That is pretty American. I appreciate a statement he made, “The highest glory of th...  Read More

Founded on the GospelDr. Randy JohnsonPatrick Henry (1736-1799) was an American attorney, mayor of Virginia, and well-known for his declaration, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” As one of the founding fathers, he knew the basis for our country. I am moved by another statement he made, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, bu...  Read More