A Bit of Texas History

For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers: (Job 8:8 KJV)

That verse was given to us today by a Texian Christian Writer. Go ahead, spend a few moments looking over their website. Our speaker Tuesday was Jan Payne Pierce, Director.

Jan came to our Second Tuesday group (used to be Senior Saints – but not all are seniors and some of us would be questionably saints as we’re works in progress) to open our minds to God and Texas history. A person whose name was previously unknown to me is in the above photo – Moses Austin.

Austin’s heritage tracks back to Massachusetts when Richard Austin arrived on the ship Bevis in 1638. Moses was born in Connecticut, moved to Virginia then on to Missouri, then part of Spain’s Louisiana. He was there in 1803 when Louisiana was purchased by the United States. A bank panic in 1819 cost him his business and his fortune and he sought new adventure in Spain’s San Antonio de Bexar in Tejas. His first interview failed, but on the street he met a friend – of his and the Spanish governor and an agreement was reached that Austin would bring 300 colonists into the region.

Unfortunately, Moses’ health failed and he died before he could fulfill that agreement, leaving his son the legacy to complete the colony. The rest is well-known Texas history. Except for how many times God’s name is used in the documents setting up the new nation.

Their Declaration of Independence was in response to a military dictatorship that came into existence after Mexico’s independence from Spain’s control. They were supposed to part of a new republic, but the government changed often between 1824 and 1835. Included in their complaints against the dictatorship was lack of education, and lack of religious freedom.

Texas was born partly out of the citizen’s desire to be free to worship God as their conscience required. The United State’s First Amendment was part of Texas’ birth as a nation.

The freedom of (not from, but of) worship may be a very American attribute that goes back to the foundation of this country. Violent battles have been fought to assure this freedom, among many others. I pray they never need to be fought for again.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36 KJV)

That’s the freedom we need to understand. The freedom offered by God through His son, along many other gifts:

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32 KJV)

I am grateful that God gave men the ability to worship Him across the ages, offering freedoms that we appreciate today. Freedoms we can trace back through our history, our heritage and keep as part of our future. Please, do inquire of the former age – search for the faith of our fathers.