Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.”
This last weekend, America celebrated its Independence Day; the 244th birthday of “the Land of Liberty”. Pastor Herk of the Little Church in the Pines at Bass Lake, California delivered a patriotic message for the nation. A sovereign nation based on the ideals of liberty, justice, responsibility, godliness, and endowed with inalienable rights from our Creator, the freedom to be what God created us to become; a new and revolutionary idea at the time that this nation was formed. The United States of America is “E Pluribus Unum”, Latin for "Out of many, one" is a traditional motto of the United States, appearing on the Great Seal along with Annuit cœptis (Latin for "Providence approves the undertaking) – which principally symbolizes God's omniscience. The United States is many states united into one nation under God. We were never intended to exist under separate loyalties. The annual celebration of July Fourth is of “freedom”. Many nations in the world are not, but America is a “free” nation. Freedom isn’t free and the reason that we have and maintain this gift of “freedom” and enjoy is because of the price that others have paid. Freedom that is, quite literally, taken for granted today.
The last verse of America’s National Anthem is: “O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand between their loved homes and the war's desolation. Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven rescued land. Praise the Power (God) that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.' And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave!” Freedom isn’t free, but is so valuable and important for Americans.
On July 4th each year, we are celebrating independence from tyranny and dependence on God. President John F. Kennedy said: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your county.” We need to remember those words and realize that they still apply today. Ask, what can we do for our country? Giving back to a nation that has given so much to us and for us. Ask God, “what can I do for the kingdom of God?” Where are our individual loyalties? No matter what people out there is our nation are trying to get you to believe, it is not about you or I; it is about the Lord God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth.
On July 4th, 1776, our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence from the tyranny (enslaving our minds, souls and lives) of Great Britain, but just as strongly and passionately signed this nation’s dependence on God. All of our nation’s founding documents make reference to that fact, despite what modern day unbelieving revisionist say. America is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal and endowed by our Creator (God) with certain inalienable Rights. Ending: “With a firm reliance on the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”
Divine Providence means “God providing” (God watching over them and seeing them through in their struggle for freedom) and that word “reliance” means “dependence”. This is a nation that was founded upon the notion that America must be free from tyranny and must be dependent upon God. That founding document was established on reverence and dependence on God. It has not changed from that day to this day. “In God We Trust” is our national motto and inscribed on every piece of coinage and currency, along with the word “Liberty”. One Nation Under God is in our National Pledge of Alliance. If we are not dependent upon our God and our Savior Jesus Christ, there isn’t any freedom, quite frankly.
Psalm 119:45 “I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts.”
On July 8th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to the American public and the “Liberty Bell” was rung. Imprinted on that bell is the Bible passage for which it derives it’s name, Leviticus 25:10 “And you shall … proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. Patriot, Let freedom ring. God bless America! America bless God.
Let’s continue Pastor Herk’s patriotic message on the Land of Liberty in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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