Thoughts of True Freedom Are On My Mind This 4th of July!

Today is July 4th, a day referred to as Independence Day in the United States of America, where I am blessed to live.

There will be many celebrations of this great day all around our country. It’s our way of commemorating the founding of this great nation. There will be barbecues, picnics, gatherings with family and friends, and firework displays to honor the day that we gained our freedom to exist as the United States of America!

But I wonder, how many will actually give any real thought to the sacrifices made throughout our history? Our freedom has been fought for, since the times of our founding father’s, and the fight will continue throughout the generations to come! This kind of freedom does not come easily or without a price!

How Many Americans Will Have Any Real Concept of What it Means to Live in the Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave? 

How many will take for granted that this nation was fought for and founded upon basic inalienable rights and freedoms? Will it be remembered that it’s people were willing to go to war in order to obtain the freedoms they longed to have?

Will anyone remember that one of the greatest reasons for waging that war for independence consisted of the people’s desire for religious freedom?

It’s true that citizens fought for, and won the right to worship God! They wanted to exercise their faith without the threats of persecution that they were experiencing in their homelands. And even more importantly, they also wanted to secure that same freedom for future generations, which includes you and I! 

I, for one, am grateful for their sacrifices and determination to break free from the bondages that they endured in other countries around the world. They came together, in a new land, and waged the war for independence because they had seen firsthand what it was like to live without those privileges.

They wanted better for themselves, their children, and their children’s children.

The Question Now Becomes, “Do We Want the Same For Ourselves, and Our Future Generations?”

As Americans, we have seen many changes in the freedoms and basic rights that this country was founded upon. It’s sad to see how we have gone from having so many freedoms, to watching as many of them are being taken away, little by little.

This loss of freedoms has not been for the good of our nation, and that’s a fact that is easy to see!  The destructive behaviors and trends are crippling our ability to even discern whether we know the truth or not, in regard to important issues.

Being honorable, and trustworthy was once considered a basic necessity for those in leadership positions. But now, those basic principles and moral values are seemingly gone, and it’s truly puzzling to behold. This lack of truth from our leaders has become our new normal and the mistrust that is building is not by mistake.

There seems to be conflict at every turn, and I for one, truly believe we need to put God back where He belongs! In our classrooms, our government and in our hearts….

As I celebrate the Fourth of July, my thoughts turn, and I ponder the freedoms that Jesus came to this world to make possible. Not just for Americans, but for all who will call upon His name, repent, and be saved. The freedom Jesus offers to each of us is far more important than anything else we can ever choose to celebrate or acknowledge.

It is also important that those of us who believe in Jesus, share this truth with all who will listen!

The Great Commission is Found in Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Please Know That There is Freedom in Accepting Jesus As Your Savior!

My hope this fourth of July, is that if you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, you might make that choice now! This can be the day that you seek a relationship with Him, and I assure you He is waiting on you to do just that! If you have questions about how to accept Jesus as your personal Savior, please read some of my previous columns, where I go into great detail about His unconditional love for you, no matter who you are, where you live, or what you’ve done. He offers freedom from your sins (mistakes) and assures you eternity in Heaven after this life.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life! There is no other way to experience this freedom from sin and the Great News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that He offers this forgiveness freely! There is nothing you or I can do to save ourselves. Jesus paid the price, in full, for our sins. We don’t have to fight for it, we just have to believe it!

This Fourth of July, Let’s Remember the Freedoms Our Founding Fathers Fought For, Which Includes the Freedom to Worship God, and Share Jesus! 

I wish you all a Happy 4th of July and ask you to join me in prayer, for our great nation to experience a revival, a turning back to God, and for candidates in the coming elections that will stand firm in their promises to make this happen! Let’s pray for truthfulness to prevail.

We need God, His Mercy, His Grace, and His Forgiveness if we hope to continue future celebrations of the 4th of July. Without Him, I am afraid to think about where this nation is headed, and I am choosing to do my part to tell the world we need God back in everything! I hope you feel the same!

Together, let’s celebrate this 4th of July with thankfulness for all who came before us to make it possible, and for our faith in Jesus Christ!

Here’s a link to an earlier article about Jesus.