July 4th, 2020 Freedom, Liberty
July 04,
2020
Independence Day, also referred to as the Fourth of July or July
Fourth, is our federal holiday in the United States celebrating the adoption of
the Declaration of Independence 244 years ago on July 4, 1776, a
Declaration of Independence of the United States. The Continental Congress
declared the Colonies were no longer subject to King George III; now a free
Country.
1
Peter 2:15-16
For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish
people. (16) Live like free people, and
do not use your freedom as an excuse for doing evil.
Instead, be God's servants.
Our nation became free, the Freedom from the British Empire rule.
My family tradition each year, when I was growing up, we would get together
(my uncles and their families) and go out to Horseshoe Lake, have a big time
picnic. swim and cook out. Do sparklers
and watch fireworks that night. Do you
have any traditions you would like to share.
The Continental Congress declared that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new
nation, the United States of America, and were no longer part of the British Empire.
What do we do on
the 4th, but fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and
ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating
our history, government, and traditions of the United States. Notice, we do not hear much about church.
We know independence means freedom. There is a right kind of freedom and a wrong
kind of freedom. We still in our country
enjoy a lot of freedom. We are free to go to church and worship, we are free to
choose what we want to be when we grow up, we are free to choose where we want
to live, we are free to choose most of the things that affect our daily
lives. There are some restrictions,
work, money, health and etc. We have
good and bad decisions in our life.
2
Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the
Lord's Spirit is, there is freedom.
We, in our group, know that freedom isn't
free? Someone had to pay the price for us to have the freedom that we enjoy.
There are some of us who have helped to pay that price and served in the arm
forces for our country, example, the Marines or Air Force and all of the Arm
Forces. We have family members who have fought in past wars and some may have
been wounded and or paid the ultimate price, died for our freedom and our
nation.
Galatians
5:1 Jesus has set us free so
that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom.
So keep on standing firm in it, and stop putting yourselves under the yoke of
slavery again.
My father, Cleo Simoneau, was the last GI
killed in battle with General Patton command at the end of WW2. His Story is on the webpage.
Yes, we have a lot of freedom here in the
United States, but the greatest freedom that we have is the freedom that we
have in Jesus. The Bible teaches that the penalty for sin is death, but you and
I have been set free from this penalty of death. We have been set free because
Jesus died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins. Our freedom from the second death wasn’t
free, Jesus paid the price.
As we celebrate Independence Day this week,
let us remember to stop and thank God for those who have paid the price for our
freedom. But even more important, let us remember to thank God for Jesus, who
has set us free from the penalty for sin and by His blood made us as white as
snow, because he was willing to pay the price.
Have you looked at the flag of the
United States of America lately? As you know, our flag is
red, white, and blue. Have you ever stopped to think what those colors
mean?
Red: Red stands for
courage. Many men and women have had the
courage to stand up and fight for our country. They have defended our
country against our enemies and many have died in the service of our country.
White: White stands for
purity. Purity means to do what is
right. We hope and pray that our country will always stand for what is
right.
Blue: Blue stands for
justice. When we pledge allegiance to the
flag, we end with the words: “under God” and “With liberty and justice for
all." That means that in our country, everyone should be treated
fairly and with respect.
The colors red, white, and blue remind me of
our country, but those colors also remind me of Jesus.
Red reminds me of
Jesus' blood that was shed when he died on the cross for
my sin. That is very important, because the Bible says, "Without the
shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the law almost all things
are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
White reminds me that when I repented of my sins and Jesus washes me and I become as "white as snow."
Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD,
"Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They
shall be as wool.
The Bible says, "You were washed, you
were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were
justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus and by the
Spirit of our God.
Blue reminds me
of God's faithfulness. The Bible tells me that
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and make us clean." God is faithful to keep His promises.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Red, white, and blue. Yes, I am
reminded of our great country, but more importantly, I am reminded of our Creator
Savior, Jesus.
We know that where there is freedom to obey,
there is also freedom to disobey. God
has given “names” or certain “truths” to certain things, example, sin is sin;
obedience is obedience, truth is truth from His Word. If we try to alter these
things in His Word, we move into a world of illusion and lose touch with
reality. This is where many people are
living today and do not believe what Jesus says in His Word, the Bible. (Blinded)
If we choose to
change things of certain truths, then we will be living in the world of
illusion and substitutes.
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may
know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come
and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are
in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life.
Christian freedom is not license to sin or do
what we want; but the liberty to do what we are supposed to do.
1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are
lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me,
but I will not be brought under the power of any.
We had some very important warnings from our founding Fathers.
How many times have we heard from the elites, our founding Fathers were
not Christians. Fake news.
We know that we have the freedom to choose
our own destiny. The framers of the American Constitution reflect a profound
understanding of this: “We hold these
truths to be self-evident.”
Two of the biggest problems in America: number one is ignorance and number two are
apathy. People don't know and they don't care. And we have people on both coasts
of United States today who think, ''Well you're not supposed to be patriotic or
Christian. Somehow everything's just supposed to be one world. Somehow these
individuals are anti patriotic, anti-flag and against people who are of
Christian faith.
May I ask, were
America’s Origins Truly Christian? What
did our founding Fathers say or wrote about
Christianity and our nation?
Patrick Henry wrote:
It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was
founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!
John Quincy Adams:
The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: that it
connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of
Christianity.
George Washington from his Farewell Address to the Nation: Do not let anyone claim the
tribute of American patriotism if they ever attempt to remove religion
from politics.
First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States January 1, 1802 in an
address to the Danbury Baptists: The First Amendment has erected a wall of separation between church and state, but that wall is a one
directional wall; it keeps the government from
running the church, but it makes sure that Christian
principles will always stay in government.
George Washington:
Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality
can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
Thomas Jefferson:
The reason that Christianity is the best friend of government is because Christianity is the only religion in the world that deals
with the heart.
John Adams:
We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human
passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was
made only for a moral and religious people...it is
wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
Then on January 6, 1941, Franklin
Roosevelt gave his famous speech on the “four freedoms”: Freedom of speech,
Freedom
of religion, Freedom from want, Freedom from fear.
Or Why Ethan Allen
demanded the surrender of the British at Fort Ticonderoga “in the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress.”
Why John Adams said
American independence had as much to do with
religion as with “taxation without
representation.”
Why Thomas Jefferson
and Benjamin Franklin wanted a scene out of
the book of Exodus as the national seal.
What do the Scriptures say about our freedom
or liberty?
Isaiah
61:1
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he
has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed and to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives,
and release from darkness for the prisoners;
Romans 8:21 that the creation itself would also be set
free from corrupting bondage in order to share the glorious freedom of God's children.
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the
Lord's Spirit is, there is freedom.
Galatians 2:4 However, false brothers were secretly
brought in. They slipped in to spy on the
freedom we have in the Messiah Jesus so that they might enslave us.
Galatians 5:1 The Messiah has set us free so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. So keep on standing firm in it, and stop
putting yourselves under the yoke of slavery again.
Galatians 5:13 For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your
flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another.
1 Peter 2:16 Live like free people, and do not use your freedom as an excuse for doing evil. Instead, be God's servants.
2 Peter 2:19 Promising
them freedom, they themselves
are slaves to depravity, for a person is a slave to whatever conquers him.
James
1:25
But the one who looks at the perfect law of freedom and remains committed to it--thereby demonstrating
that he is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of what that law requires--will be
blessed in what he does.
One of the most important things is The Freedom of Forgiveness
When we forgive someone who did something against
us or our family, we are given the power to forgive them; forgiveness is not for them, but
for us. This is how the root of
bitterness starts, small and will grow if we do not ask forgiveness.
Matthew 6:14-15 Because if you forgive people their
offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (15)
But if you do not forgive people their offenses, your Father will not
forgive your offenses."
We have freedom in Jesus, it depends on how we use
it.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 "Look, today I have set before you life and what is
good, along with death and what is evil. (16) That's why I'm
commanding you today to love the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by observing his
commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live long, increase, and so
that the LORD your God may bless you in the land that you are about to enter to
possess.
(17)
"But if you turn your heart away, and do not obey, but instead if
you stray away to worship and serve other gods,
(18) I'm declaring to you today that you will
surely be destroyed. You won't live long in the land that you are crossing the
Jordan River to enter and possess. (19)
"I call heaven and earth to testify against you today! I've set life and death before you
today: both blessings and curses. Choose life, that it
may be well with you—you and your children.
(20)
Love the LORD your God, obey his voice, and cling to him, because he is
your life—even your long life—so that you may live in the land that the LORD
promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
God is telling us “I've set life and death
before you today, Choose life”
It is our choice, how we chose, Jesus is
encouraging us to
Choose life and have the Freedom and Liberty
in Him.
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