4 Reasons for Christians to Celebrate Independence Day

July 4th marks the birthday of the United States. Many commemorate the occasion with fireworks, cookouts, or displaying an American flag. But are there any biblical reasons Christians can find to celebrate Independence Day? Scripture offers at least four clear reasons.

1. Gratitude for Religious Freedom

First, America offers significant religious freedom for Christians (and others) to freely worship. The United States continues to operate as one of the nations offering the most religious freedom worldwide.

Did you know that more than one-fourth of the nations in the world (53) include some form of legal restrictions or prohibition toward Christian activities? In many places across the globe, you can lose your job, be arrested, or even find yourself sentenced to death for following Christ. Yet in our nation, we can attend the church of our choice, openly read the Bible on our own or with others, and openly pray to God.

Despite ongoing legal challenges to certain Christian activities in America, the nation still enjoys great religious freedom. This is certainly something to celebrate.

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:32‭-‬36 NIV

2. Appreciation for Those Who Defend Our Freedom

Second, Christians can thank God for those who serve and have given their lives to defend our freedom.This includes past military veterans, current military personnel, as well as honoring their family members.

We often forget our freedom of religion and other freedoms can only continue if our armed forces protect our nation and national interests. While this does not mean we have to agree with every military decision or conflict, we can be thankful for all those who serve and their families.

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
1 Peter 2:16 NIV

3. Thanksgiving for the Opportunity to Participate in Government

Third, we can thank God for the opportunity to participate in the democratic process of our nation.While politics is often viewed negatively, governing leaders are ordained by God (Romans 13) and are to receive honor from those who follow Christ.

Further, our nation offers the ability to participate through voting, advocating for issues important to our values, and even options to run for political office. Contrast this situation with the tyrannical Emperor Nero who led the Roman Empire during the New Testament period and you’ll quickly appreciate the opportunity to have a voice within the political process.

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 NIV

4. Thankfulness for Peace with Family, Neighbors, and Friends

Fourth, we can express appreciation for a nation at peace. If you lived in Syria today, your home and community would live under the threat of civil war. In many parts of Sudan, you would live in fear of your town being attack by rebels. If you were a Christian living in Iraq, you may be forced to flee for your safety.

Despite significant violence within the United States, the nation remains free of war within its own borders. Most of us take this peace for granted, yet millions worldwide long for a single night of rest without fear of attack in their communities.

We can at least take a moment to thank God for the peace He has provided for our family, our community, and nation. As Jeremiah 29:7 teaches, we can seek the good of the city where we live and work to impact those around us with the love of Christ.

For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
Romans 7:5‭-‬6 NIV

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Living In Breakdown

Living In Breakdown

Hebrews 3:5-11 NIV
5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory. 7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. 10 That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”

Instead of Breakthrough, I live in breakdown when I . . .
I. MISJUDGE MY ENEMY.

Exodus 14:5-8 NIV
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.

The enemy doesn’t waste time ATTACKING those that he is already ATTRACTING.

Instead of Breakthrough, I live in breakdown when I . . .
II. MISUNDERSTAND MY PAST

Exodus 16:1-3 NIV
1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord ’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

We remember the GRATIFICATION and forget about the GUILT.

Instead of Breakthrough, I live in breakdown when I . . .
III. MISHANDLE MY INTIMACY

Instead of Breakthrough, I live in breakdown when I . . .
IV. MISDIRECT MY WORSHIP

IF EVERYTHING IS WORTHY – NOTHING IS WORTHY.

Father’s Day Celebration

Father’s Day Celebration

Exodus 20:12 NKJV
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

Honor – worth that brings respect, fame, or reverence

I Kings 2:1-2 NKJV
1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.

I Corinthians 16:13-14 NKJV
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done with love.

Luke 15:11-14 NKJV
11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. ’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

Most people don’t think of grace as an attribute of strength. To call a man graceful or gracious certainly doesn’t bring a picture of a strong man to our minds.

II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

We can’t be a strong dad without God’s help.

Let’s return to the father in Luke 15 and see what being strong in grace looks like.

The first thing we noticed about this father was that he had the strength to listen to both of his sons. That wasn’t easy because he didn’t like what he heard from either one of them; each son spoke words that brought pain to this father.

This is a strong man full of grace and love. This is a picture of God when we mess up.

Luke 15:31-32 NKJV
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”

To be strong in grace means we listen and look for ways to bring about reconciliation, healing, and understanding.

Grace is also the strength of perseverance. The father kept the door open and kept looking for his son to return.

Ephesians 1:7-8 NIV
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,

Who Is the Holy Spirit?

Who Is the Holy Spirit?

Acts 6:1-2 NKJV
1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.

Acts 6:8-10 NKJV
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

John 14:16-17 NKJV
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

The Greek word translated here, “Helper,” “Counselor,” or even
“Advocate” in the KJV means “one who is called alongside” and has the idea of someone who encourages and exhorts.

1. The Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

John 16:8 NKJV
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 6:44 NKJV
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 3:5 NKJV
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

2. The Spirit guides us into all truth.

3. The Spirit leads us and guides us.

Romans 8:14 NKJV
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

4. The Spirit sanctifies us

II Thessalonians 2:13 NKJV
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,

5. The Spirit empowers us

Acts 1:8 NKJV
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Spirit gives us the power to witness, to live a life of boldness for Christ, and power to walk in victory.
His power is unlimited. His power raised Jesus from the dead.

6. The Spirit teaches us to pray

7. The Spirit bears witness in us that we are children of God

8. The Spirit produces in us the fruit or evidence of His work and presence. He is a fruit producer in our lives.

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

9. The Spirit distributes spiritual gifts and manifestations in our lives.

Hebrews 2:4 NKJV
4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

I Corinthians 12:4 NKJV
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

10. The Spirit anoints us for ministry

Acts 10:38 NKJV
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

11. The Spirit brings unity and oneness with love to the body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:3 NKJV
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

12. The Spirit quickens our mortal bodies

Romans 8:11 NKJV
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

13. The Spirit brings things to our remembrance

John 14:26 NKJV
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

14. The Spirit can be grieved

Ephesians 4:30 NKJV
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Acts 5:3 NKJV
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

Acts 5:4 NKJV
4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

15. The Spirit comforts us

Acts 9:31 NKJV
31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.