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THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS EVER “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” (Psa. 75:6-7) There are some December 25th events that we can just as well ignore. You probably don’t need to sit around the fireplace drinking boiled custard and celebrating the birthday of Sol the Roman sun god (est. 274 A.D.), the crowning of Charlemagne by Pope Leo III (800 A.D.), Cab Calloway’s birthday (1907), or the birthday of Barbara Mandrell (1948). Then there are some December 25th events that you might at least keep in the back of your mind. John Phillip Sousa completed his Stars and Stripes Forever on December 25th (1896). It is also the birthday of Sir Isaac Newton (1642), a Christian who discovered the law of gravitation, and it’s the birthday of Clara Barton (1821), the famous Civil War nurse who founded the American Red Cross. Another one to remember is the Christmas Truce of 1914, when, during World War I, German troops ceased firing to sing Christmas carols. At points along the Eastern and Western fronts, French, British, and Russian soldiers would stop fighting and join in the singing. That’s worth telling to someone. But if you can’t remember any of that, please remember the story that you're about to read. This did happen on December 25th, and you owe this one to your children and grandchildren. Would you not agree that up until now no nation has done more good for the world than the United States of America? This world is in a mess these days, but just imagine the mess it would be in if God had not raised up the USA over two centuries ago. I don’t have the space to give multiple history lessons here, but can we agree that it was important for the world, not only for America, that we win the Revolutionary War? Of course it was. Well, we were NOT winning on December 25, 1776. Things were looking bad. We had lost some major battles in recent months (Long Island, August 27; Chatterton Hill, October 28; Fort Lee, Nov 24), and Washington’s beaten-down army had been pushed back to the West bank of the Delaware. The whole thing actually should have been over on August 27th, but a strange fog showed up just in the nick of time and hid Washington’s troops as they escaped Brooklyn over to Manhatten (Kips Bay). Why, one might even think that GOD was on our side. Well, anyway, here’s the father of our country on Christmas Day, 1776, with his beaten-down army on the West side of the Delaware. The British were so confident that the whole war was nearly over that some of their officers had begun shipping their luggage home. It didn’t look like we stood a chance of winning, but what if we COULD win? The greatest history-making events occur when two things happen: man does his part and God does His part. That’s a pretty simple formula. The hard part is that God usually says, “YOU go first.”Many of the men in the Continental Army weren’t ready to go anywhere but home. Many had quit and many more were finishing up their terms of service, not going to re-enlist. Looking back, you might find fault with them, but just put yourself in their shoes. On second thought, that would be tough to do since many of them had no shoes. Some actually left bloody footprints behind as they walked through the snow. I’ll not criticize them for wanting to quit because I’ve quit a lot easier things than that. But I’m sure glad they DIDN’T quit. So, how did we win? Well, the British had the most powerful military in the world, but we had George Washington, a man who had already gone down in history as one of the greatest and bravest military commanders ever. Here are a few words from page 59 of M.L. Williamson’s Life and Anecdotes of George Washington regarding the fierce battle at the Monongahela River where General Braddock was killed: “Throughout the deadly fray Washington displayed the greatest courage and presence of mind. The other aides had been wounded early in the action and he alone was left to carry the orders to the General (Braddock). Two horses were shot under him and four bullets passed through his coat. The Indians singled him out for death, but in vain. He rode on as protected by enchantment . . .” That’s the man we had leading our army on December 25th, 1776. Here’s what happened. British General William Howe, after winning a series of victories against Washington, went to his winter quarters leaving about 1,400 men (Hessian mercenaries) at Trenton, NJ, under the command of a Hessian Colonel named Johann Rall (sometimes spelled Raul or Rahl). Possibly thinking that the Hessians would be drinking and partying through the night and be sleepy-headed and hung over the next morning, Washington decided to cross the Delaware River on Christmas night under cover of darkness and then march nine miles south and attack at Trenton early the next morning. It was a long shot, but if they could pull it off, the Americans just might still have a chance at winning the war. They began crossing at 9:00 on Christmas night. Nearly seven hours later some 2,500 men had crossed the Delaware without alarming the enemy. Now, watch God have some fun. A Loyalist farmer spotted the men crossing the Delaware and ran to tell Colonel Rall, who was partying and playing cards at the home of a man named Abraham Hunt. Rall refused to take time to see the man, so the man scribbled the warning message on a piece of paper to be given to Rall. Hunt walked in, handed the note to Rall; then Rall STUCK THE NOTE IN HIS VEST POCKET WITHOUT READING IT! The next day, as he lay dying on an operating table, the bloody note was discovered and Rall said, “If I had read this at Mr. Hunt’s, I would not be here.” Washington and his men killed 23 enemies, took about 1,000 prisoners, loads of ammo, guns, and cannons, and had only 4 men wounded. None were killed. That was just one victory, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. The morale and momentum of the war did a 180 degree turn. Men chose to reenlist and new recruits signed up in the spring. We went on to win the war and become the greatest nation in world history. Never forget it, friend. On December 25-26, 1776, God gave America a great Christmas present. He gave hope to the Continental Army, and that hope grew into the very freedom that you and I enjoy today. That was, by far, the greatest Christmas ever. Maybe you should tell somebody about it.