This is the July writing from Cathy Friberg...July
During the month of July the United States of America will be celebrating its Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. Our freedom from the then oppressive rule of our mother country came at a great price. In 1775 we began a battle with Great Britain. This war continued on until 1783 when Britain finally acknowledged our independence. Many lives were given up in order to achieve our freedom as a nation.
The great sacrifice which our forefathers made reminds me of the sacrifice which Jesus made to purchase our liberty. Jesus willingly gave up his life that we might be made free. God Himself underwent such intense suffering that we might escape the punishment of hell and the bondage of sin, bitterness, guilt, and condemnation. Christ's victory on the cross profoundly impacts our self image. To serve a God who would humble himself to that degree for our salvation elevates the worth of the human soul to the ultimate level.
We are all aware that we must continue to preserve our country's freedom. Praying and fasting concerning our laws, leaders, and the spiritual condition of our citizens, educating ourselves about current events, speaking up in truth without fear, and being diligent to vote are all steps we can take to help maintain our liberties. Likewise the Bible admonishes us to preserve our freedom in Christ.
Galatians 5:1 warns us...
“So Christ has really set us free.
Now make sure that you stay free,
and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law.”
(NLT) Galatians 5:13 states...
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.
But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh;
But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh;
rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
(NIV) Hebrews 2:3 reminds us...
“So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore
this great salvation that was first announced
by the Lord Jesus Himself and then delivered to us by
those who heard Him speak?”
“So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore
this great salvation that was first announced
by the Lord Jesus Himself and then delivered to us by
those who heard Him speak?”
As we celebrate our nation's freedom this year may we set aside time to pray for a great revival in the land, for an outpouring of God's Spirit, and a return to the morality and values on which we were founded. May we thank Jesus for His sacrifice on the cross from which all freedoms emanate.
By Cathy Friberg
Let us remember the place that freedom or lacks of freedom plays in the lives of people the world over. The biggest freedom we have in our country is to worship God in the way we desire. There is work to be done here, however. Our country has many rabbit trails that people follow and in doing this are missing the mark. We need to pray for our country..
ReplyDeleteGod bless...