Happy Dependance day!

I love this great nation of ours. It's a place where we can still worship as we choose. It's a place where people still love to move and visit. Yes, we have our problems, but it's still a great country. Yet I hear people always talking about how we're moving further and further from our Godly roots, and they're right. In order for our Nation to continue to flurish, we must keep our eyes on God.

Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Standing tall and proud above the New York Harbor is America's symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty. She's stood for more than 100 years, with freedom's torch held high, and has welcomed millions of people who were hel back by tyranny and oppression.

Written on the staue's base are the motivating and inspirational words by Emma Lazarus: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

A different monument towers over our history. It's one that offers spiritual freedom to spiritually oppressed people all around the world. It's the Roman cross where Jesus Christ died 2,000 years ago. At first the scene makes our stomach's turn. Then we see the sinless Son of God dying in our place to pay the price for our sins. From the cross came the words "Father, forgive them." (Luke 23:34) and "It is finished!" (John 19:30). As we trust in Christ as our Savior, the thoughts of guilt rolls from our hearts. In the Lord's commands we find peace and strength to move through life. Psalm 119:45 proclaims, "I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts."

True freedom is not found by choosing our own way, but by yielding to God's way. Only then are we forever free!

Our Declaration of Independence says that we have the right to pursue happiness. But are we a happy people? Some of us might think, "I would be happy if I could just be rich and famous and have disposable income." But if that were the case, then why are there miserable wealthy people? One philosopher has observed, "The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness." Greg Laurie of a nerw begining tells us that we need to get back to the God our founding fathers believed in when they established this nation. "Reaping the Whirlwind"

The Ten Commandments have played an integral part in the legal history of Western history. No one denies the religious importance the Commandments hold for many. But does that make them unconstitutional. It would be ironic if this Court were to decide that our constitutional commitment to religious freedoms were abolished.

America, the first nation to begin as "a Christian nation," was started by people wanting to worship God freely, who established schools so everyone could read the Bible, founded universities to train ministers, and wrote laws reflecting Biblical truth.

God should be recognized and trusted as supreme by every person he's made. But the Bible teaches plainly that there will never be a time before Jesus comes back when all people will honor Him as supreme (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10). So how do we express a passion for love of Jesus Christ in a multi-cultural world where most people do not recognize God as an important part of their lives, let alone an important part of government or education or business or industry or art or recreation or entertainment? We do it by proclaiming His Word boldly. We don't back down from the fight. We don't sit around anc complain that our rights as Christians are being trampled on. We stand up and fight for this GREAT nation to return to it's Christian roots again. Let's rename this day of freedom as Dependance day. Dependance on God's sovreignty again. Then we'll return to being a land of plenty and blessings.

Please take the time today to visit the American Family Association at www.afa.net This is a great site that will allow you to email your congressperson to let them know that we support the rights of Christians and Biblical principles. They will email you with action alerts, and have pre-written petitions that will automatically be sent to your congressperson's office. It's time to beat the ACLU at their own game by having our voices heard. Be active in taking our great country back to it's Christian roots. Spread the website to all of your Christian friends and let's get rolling for the Lord.

Praying that we will all work to take this nation over for the Lord
Pastor Mike

The 4th of July Cookout

One year, Johnny's family was having the "extended family" 4th of July cookout at their home. One of the special treats that year was to be the lighting of the fireworks (Roman candles, bottle rockets, missile batteries, etc.).

Just before they were to arrive, a cousin called, saying their neighbor's plans had just fallen through, and could they bring the neighbor along to the picnic.

"Sure, the more the merrier!" replied Johnny's dad.

Upon arrival and meeting of their cousin's neighbor, it was discovered that he was a police officer. The father turned as innocently as he could to Johnny, and whispered to him to grab the paper bag of fireworks sitting in the kitchen and hide them somewhere quickly. Johnny disappeared, and the father changed the topic to food for the day.

The visitors had brought some chicken to grill, so the father told them that the gas grill was all set to use out back and to "just turn on the gas and push the ignition button with the lid still closed."

The company headed out to the backyard, as Johnny came back in through the front door. The father hurried to Johnny and said "Whew, that was close! That man's a police officer, and he almost saw the fireworks. Did you hide them real well?"

"Oh, yes! Nobody will ever think to look in the grill!"