It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ~Galatians 5:1
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend out sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free. ~Ronald Reagan
Happy Independence Day, America! It's time for parades, picnics, patriotic music, pageantry, and masterful firework displays all over this great nation of ours. As you plan your activities for this momentous holiday, I hope and pray that you will make special time to celebrate the fact that we were formed as one nation under God by visionary Founding Fathers immersed in the teachings of our deep and lasting Judeo-Christian values.
And unless we teach our children and grandchildren why our Constitution and Declaration of Independence formed a system of government unlike anything this tired, weary world had ever known, how will they be equipped and eager to preserve it for posterity?
I am so heartened by the stance recently taken by Oklahoma's state legislature. It passed a law which requires all public schools to display the Ten Commandments, and to equip classrooms with copies of the Bible. A curriculum is being developed for grades 5 - 12 to instruct them about how both have influenced the rule of law in our judicial system and in our country's exceptional precepts that declare our freedoms are given us by God alone. I'm not so naive as to think there won't be push-back from entrenched secular forces in our government, and from those who despise Western civilization in general, but let us, as Christians, not allow those forces to poison the minds of our children with disingenuous lies.
I do believe, with all my heart, that our loving Father is giving us another chance as a country to surrender to His will and be renewed by His Holy Spirit; the same Spirit who, despite all unimaginable odds, inspired this fledgling nation to overthrow the burdensome yoke of the British Empire that we might live free.
As former President Reagan so succinctly expressed, "Freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction." May God grant us the grace and wisdom to understand and appreciate, to the very depths of our beings, how generously He has blessed us.
And with God's help, let us resolve to maintain His blessing for generation to come.
Amen!
Our nation too seems to have turned its back on God. And God let's us be ...
ReplyDeleteGod bless, Martha. Happy 4 July.
Turning our backs on God is the biggest mistake any nation could make, Victor, as is witnessed countless times in the Old Testament. You would think we could have learned our lesson along the way. I'm praying that our nation would experience a spiritual wakening and revival, and I pray the same for yours.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Dearest Martha Jane,
ReplyDeleteExcellent summing up of our Nation's Highest Good.
President Reagan was a great Leader and I've felt proud for having shared many Birthdays with him. We also immigrated to the U.S.A. under President Reagan.
How far have we drifted away since then.
Indeed, heartwarming such a stance by Oklahoma state legislature!
May many more follow and may we as a nation preserve our precious Freedom and pass it on to the next generation(s).
One Nation under God—Happy Independence Day to you and yours!
Hugs,
Mariette + Kitties
It is such a delight to me to know that you all immigrated legally here under President Reagan, Mariette! Yes, that man was remarkable and a leader for the ages. We were so blessed to have him at the helm for eight years.
DeleteMay you have a fabulous and festive Independence Day, my friend, and let's always remember that freedom isn't free.
Love and blessings!
🇺🇸
DeleteReagan was right. We're surrounded by the impulse to destroy freedom. Required of us: diligence, watchfulness, and the stewardship of freedom.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Glynn! May we never take our precious freedoms for granted, and be ever mindful of how these came to be. I do hope that you and yours have a marvelous Independence Day!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Hope you and your family have a happy 4th of July.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bill!
DeleteLove and blessings!
That news from Oklahoma brought tears to my eyes. That is awesome! I love what you shared from President Reagan also. Amen!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughtful words here, Debby, and I'm so glad that news moved you so. And yes, President Reagan was such an amazing man and president who knew how to lead our great country.
DeleteLove and blessings!
We Christ-followers have observed for decades the decline of our nation since prayer and Bible reading were taken out of our school. It will be interesting to see how these changes made by Oklahoma will affect culture -- if people will pay attention!
ReplyDeleteIf people will pay attention is so right, Barbara. These are not there for religious persuasion of any sort, but to teach American history in the era of our founding. Too many of our own citizens don't understand nor appreciate the sacrifices made at our inceptions by the brilliant Christian minds that molded a Constitution which still works today.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Excellent post. It's good to know that as believers in Jesus Christ our true freedoms come from Him alone. It doesn't matter who or what's going on in the secular Government because they are our servants and not our masters. We have our liberties through Him only.
ReplyDeleteWe will attend the the Rehab ministry tomorrow, then it's back home to stay through this time.
God bless. I hope y'all have a happy and safe 4th. 💙
Thanks so much for your encouragement here, Sparky. Our government today thinks it can give and take away our rights as God doesn't seem to enter their sphere of thought. But they are supposed to work for us and not the other way around.
DeleteWe'll be taking it easy on the holiday, too.
Love and blessings!
How I miss Ronald Reagan's wisdom. I, too, was heartened by Oklahoma's recent legislation and pray other states will grow a spine and do the same. I pray you're right about our Father giving us a second chance. He's watching and waiting!
ReplyDeleteOur Father is slow to anger and is being patient because, as Peter told us, He doesn't want anyone to perish. However, if we haven't confessed our sins and repented of them by the time He calls us home, that won't be a pretty picture, Myra. And, yes, I loved Ronald Reagan so much, and I'm sure he is dismayed by all the divisions in our nation, too.
DeleteLove and blessings!
ReplyDeleteGreat nation, the american nation, indeed!
I'm moved by President Reagan's words on freedom!
Happy Independence Day!
Thanks so much for you kind words here, Duta. This quote from President Reagan still rings true and bold today, for sure.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Each generation NEEDS to learn our history in order to honor and respect those who have defended our nation. I come from a family that had men who served in the military. Our son works for the VA. We have small flags in our front yard and on our old-fashioned water pump in our side yard. Hubby chooses to leave them up throughout the year. He was in the Navy.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful family legacy of service to our great country, Cecelia! Danny's son, Giovanni, is currently in the Air Force and we couldn't be prouder. Both of our fathers also served in the military. May we never forget the sacrifices still being made by so many to maintain our God-given freedoms.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oklahoma too?! I'd heard about Louisiana but not the Sooner State! May more states follow their lead! Even if just the Golden Rule, as taught by Jesus, was encouraged and upheld, how much better off would our schools be? Surely no one could possibly claim that treating others as we'd like to be treated is a harmful teaching!
ReplyDeleteThe Golden Rule by itself would make such a huge difference in our schools and in society at large, Nancy, I agree. And as I stated in the post, these steps are being taken for the sake of teaching our nation's history and why we have the freedoms that we have still today because of their inspiration from God's Word.
DeleteLove and blessings!
You said it so well, Martha! Amen, amen, amen!! God bless America!
ReplyDeleteAmen is right, Terri! May our Father in heaven continue to bless our beautiful nation.
DeleteLove and blessings!
We always celebrate July 4 at my in-laws' home on the lake. I don't know what we'll do whenever they are gone and we hit that first July 4 without them and this annual tradition. Hope you have a wonderful 4th, Martha!
ReplyDeleteIt's so difficult, Lisa, when our traditions one day cease because we've lost loved ones with who we celebrated. I pray that won't happen to you for many years to come!
DeleteLove and blessings!
This is a perfect example of how we can view things through a very different lens and yet love one another as He loves us. We need to love one another as Americans and respect the conscience of others different from yourselves and not try to rule over them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about 99% of what you have shared here, and certainly join you in celebrating the blessing of being American citizens! God blessed America and God bless you my friend
DeleteJoining religion to government is never a good idea in my view. And I think that's how the founders felt too. Having witnessed centuries of religious wars
DeleteThanks so much, Cloudia, for your thoughtful comments here today. The Founding Fathers did not want to establish one church order in the government as Great Britain had with the Anglican Church. That's why we have the freedom OF religion, not FROM religion. Judeo-Christian values can not be underestimated when we are talking about our national history. Unfortunately, so many young people today aren't being taught a factual history of our nation's founding. That's why I applaud the courage shown by Oklahoma's legislature. We cannot afford to lose one generation to lies or we lose the nation.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Thank you for this beautiful article, Martha. I love the Scripture and the quote by Ronald Reagan. He said the most powerful thing about abortion that I always refer to, "Have you ever noticed that those who are for abortion have all ready been born." Something like that. I'm so thankful for our freedom as a nation and for our freedom in Christ-both of which must be maintained in our lives. Especially spiritual freedom and not to go again into a yoke of slavary. Happy 4th and God bless. Karen Friday
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind and thoughtful words here, Karen. I do recall Reagan's statement regarding abortion, too. He stood for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for his entire life, and embodied the American spirit so perfectly. When we know our Savior, as you and I do, we also recognize that our religious freedom to worship Him are an inalienable right that no government should ever infringe upon. Happy Independence Day!
DeleteLove and blessings!
I hope you have a good 4 July your country fought for its freedom from what? Yes I know British rule and all that but if you asked someone much younger then me that question would they know the answer and do they understand how important the date is and what happened on the 4 July 1776, this 61 yr old Aussie knows but would a 20yr old American know, sometimes I wonder.
ReplyDeleteAs for having the ten commandants being displayed in schools I agree there is nothing wrong with that they should also have displayed the Lord's Pray so children can learn about these things in order to understand a bit about faith and God but that's just my thoughts
Not much to be added to your post except...AMEN.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful 4th celebration.
Hugs and Blessings
Praise God for Oklahoma's stand! This is just wonderful news! Our nation's moral and spiritual decline began when they took prayer and Bibles out of schools, and I pray with all my heart that every other state will follow Oklahoma's lead in putting them back. I am sure the more liberal states won't, but any turn toward righteousness will help and is so encouraging. God bless you, sweet friend.
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