Good Morning All,
I hope and pray everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend as we celebrated our nations Independence. With that thought, true independence is only achieved through dependence on the Lord. Thomas Jefferson said: “The God Who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time.” What a blessed attribute to possess…Freedom. So many others seek freedom and never find it, while some have it and never respect it. We Americans have been taught from childhood about our rights, and we enjoy a glorious freedom and self-rule that we can easily take for granted. We don't have to hold our Bible studies in secret for fear of the government. We don't have to worry about being imprisoned for months or years without facing charges. We accept our freedoms as a normal way of life, easily forgetting that millions of people in other parts of the world do not enjoy the independence that we do. In celebrating Independence Day in America, it is appropriate that we spend some time reflecting on our freedoms.
If we were sincerely granted freedom, there must be a granter… The Bible says: "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36. The freedoms in America we enjoy every day is more than a right and even more than a privilege, but rather it is a gift from Lord Jesus Christ Himself. I, for one, am extremely grateful for being born and raised in our great country.
In America, we are the heirs of great sacrifices made to give us a heritage of freedom. We must guard and protect this inheritance, and not squander it like ungrateful children. To keep our freedoms, we need to appreciate the cost. We need to be willing to understand the sacrifice ourselves, so that we have the same legacy to hand our children…"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." - Thomas Paine.
The Apostle Paul said: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1. America…the last best hope, as Bill Bennett would appropriately sub title his two volume history books. America was truly the final frontier, the final expansion of prophesy to be fulfilled in order to set a blaze the missionary and evangelistic trails across this globe, before God would re-gather His people to Israel…
Why America? Upon the first Great Seal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony stands a half naked Indian pleading these words: “Come over and help us.” He is beckoning Christians remaining in England to brave the peril of crossing the Atlantic to bring him and his people the true Gospel of Christ.
America’s Foundation, Faith and Freedom – was not only for the benefit of its own patrons, but as with any fruit producing tree, she was intended to produce the fruit of the Spirit of God for the benefit of others. America is a shining land, that was ordained from above to be a free nation where Jesus Christ is to be exalted and souls are freely saved. Praise God today for the freedoms we enjoy and thank God today for the men and women who sacrificed life and limb in order to provide, protect and propagate such a glorious gift.
Have a wonderful and blessed day.
Today in History:
1699 – Captain William Kidd, the pirate, is captured in Boston and later sent to England, where he is hanged.
1785 – Congress adopts a currency system with a basic unit called the dollar.
1854 – The first official meeting of the Republican Party takes place in Jackson, Michigan.
1892 – A strike at the Carnegie Steel plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania, erupts in violence, resulting in 18 deaths and dozens more wounded.
1916 – The most famous image of Uncle Sam appears on the cover of Leslie’s Weekly.
1928 – The Lights of New York, the first all-talking feature film, premieres in New York.
1976 – The U.S. Naval Academy admits women for the first time.
Til the Shout,
Dr. B.J. Stagner Jr.
Pastor
New Testament Baptist Church
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