The history of our great nation and the history of our faith is much more than an epic 12-hour television event that tells the extraordinary story of our past. How did we get here? 

As David McCullough observed, “History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.”

History gives you truth and explanations. 

As Sir Winston Churchill once remarked, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” 

In an era where statues are being taken down, plaques are being stored away and history is being re-written it is of the utmost importance we have this conversation!

Daniel Webster said, “History is nothing more than God’s providence in human affairs.” 

Charles Kauffman, an early writer of pre-1900’s national history textbooks observed, “Notice that while the oppressors have carried out their plans in history there were other forces silently at work which in time undermined their plans as if a divine hand were directing the counter plan, whoever peruses the story of liberty without recognizing this feature will fail to fully understand the meaning of history!” 

In other words, if you don’t understand what God has been up to, you won’t get the truth of history. 

My friend Dr. Everett Piper in the Washington Times writes this week, “If you watched the recent “No Kings” riots with a lingering sense of deja vu, together with a haunting feeling that the “fox is in the henhouse,” you had good reason. This chaos is not without precedent, and it is far from the grassroots movement it is portrayed to be… For example, in 1793, another “no kings” protest, otherwise known as the French Revolution, took place. This movement led to the removal of Louis XVI and to the removal of his head. 

Some 20,000 others were also killed by the social justice warriors of that day, who, not unlike those now waving Mexican flags in the streets of Los Angeles, were shouting “Liberte, Egalite and Fraternite” as they enforced their version of “democracy” with the razor-sharp precision of a guillotine. 

Also instructive is the Chinese Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which was a “no kings” movement that ultimately paved the way for the rise of Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward and the corresponding executions of more than 70 million people, all under the banner of the Chinese Communist Party’s ideals of a “people’s democracy.” 

Then there’s the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. This, too, was a “no kings” crusade that resulted in the executions of Nicholas and Alexandra Romanov, as well as their five children, who were all shot and/or stabbed to death by the protesters of Red Square. 

The “justice” meted out by these precursors to antifa set the stage for Vladimir Lenin’s and Josef Stalin’s subsequent slaughter of 20 million Russian citizens, all for the greater good of — wait for it, because it’s going to sound familiar — “wealth redistribution and economic fairness.” 

Thank you for the reminder, Dr. Piper! 

America’s story began with a declaration replete with grievances against a king and no overwhelming support of crowning one for themselves. 

In fact, John Trumbull’s painting which adorns the Rotunda in our nation’s Capital depicts the events of Dec. 23, 1783, when George Washington strode into the Maryland State House in Annapolis and surrendered his military commission to Congress—thereby affirming the principle of civilian control of the military. 

When King George III heard that Washington would surrender his commission, he reportedly said that if “He did [this] He would be the greatest man in the world.” 

As president, in a time when there were no term limits and many would have supported a lifetime role, Washington stepped down after the end of his second term—setting an important precedent that lasted until the middle of the 20th century. 

America doesn’t have a king, it never wanted one. 

You see, our founders’ eyes were fixed on a source of safety and strength that sits far above any throne to be found in the earthly realm. 

According to my good friend David Barton, “during the revolution to free ourselves from Great Britain there was a motto. and it was, “No king but King Jesus.” 

It was built actually on what Jefferson and Franklin had proposed as the national motto, which is, “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” 

That’s based on Acts four and five where the Apostles said, ‘Well, do we obey God? Do we obey man? We think we’ll obey God.’ 

And so that motto, “No king but King Jesus” was a big part of the revolution.”

Allow me to close my thoughts with the last verse of our nation’s Star-Spangled Banner, “Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserv’d us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!” And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!” 

Yes, give us King Jesus!

Tim Throckmorton is the president of Lifepointe Ministries.