We are blessed to live in a nation that is free and where we
can worship as we want. This is the time
when we stop to wish our country a very happy birthday. Here are some thoughts from previous posts
that remind me of the greatness of America:
We are free to worship!
"Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof." 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Our founding fathers were committed Christians!
"It cannot be emphasized
too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by
religionists, but by Christians; not on religious, but on the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded
freedom of worship here." Patrick Henry 1776
Learning to honor God today is as important as it was 230 years ago!
"We have staked the whole future of our new nation, not
upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our
political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern
ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments." James Madison
As we look around our nation and the institutions working today,
it is obvious that we have migrated from a very strong place to one that is
weak and struggling. What we focus on
will become what we honor and what we serve!
But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his
approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.
Often Christians think that God has walked away from us, and we
are on our own. Nothing could be further from the truth. God is still for us. He is still with us. God is still ready to bless us personally and
as a nation when we focus on and follow Him
God doesn't keep anything from us. Look at the Bible once
again. His way is clear. Winning happens when God is in His rightful
place. He opens our minds and hearts to
see and understand what life is about and how we can be blessed by God or how
we can walk away and be cursed by the same God. What am I going to focus
on?
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment
of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
One of the facts of being a follower of Christ is that we will
have high character!
"I think vital
religion has always suffered when orthodoxy is more regarded than virtue. The
scriptures assure me that at the last day we shall not be examined on what we
thought but what we did." Benjamin Franklin in a letter to his father,
1738
If we are conformed to anything, it ought to be God who is
transforming our lives. Yet our founding fathers may look at us and say
we have conformed in so many ways. We’ve been warned to stay close to
God, to not step away and to teach our children what faith is all about.
I pray we step toward God and allow Him to transform our lives.
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God
transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will
learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with
their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless
idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the
nations around them, disobeying the Lord's command not to imitate them.
Seek God. Let his forgiveness change us!
"It behooves us then to humble
ourselves before the offended Power to confess our national sins and to pray
for clemency and forgiveness..." Abraham Lincoln
I challenge us to imitate God and honor God as we honor our
nation's birthday. We are a blessed people! We will be more blessed
as we follow God.
… They followed the example of the nations around them,
disobeying the Lord's command not to imitate them.
"Without a humble
imitation of the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion,
we can never hope to be a happy nation." George Washington
Turn to God, America, and each of us.
and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and
pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from
heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
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