Gtcotr/ss070322
Very early on a Wednesday morning 246 years ago, it was July 3, 1776, John Adams, the guy who would become the first Vice President, and then the second President of the United States, wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail Adams. Here is an excerpt:
"The Second Day of July 1776 will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. . . . It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." (John Adams to his wife Abigail, July 3, 1776)
However on July 2nd and on into the 3rd, there was continued debate on the final wording of the document. Ultimately congress felt the declaration needed to firmly establish their belief that the independence they sought from Great Britain could only be achieved by acknowledging a greater dependence on two others.
1.
Dependence on Almighty God who governs the affairs of men.
2. Dependence on one another without which they would not succeed.
On Thursday, July 4, 1776, congress made some changes to the manuscript, then approved it and entitled the document, “The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen States of America”.
In the last paragraph of the document, dependence on God is mentioned twice, but not forgotten is also the dependence they had on each other.
The original document was signed on the night of July 4th, 1776, only by John Hancock and Charles Thompson. This is the document that was delivered to King George III. The remaining 54 signers were not published until 1777. But make no mistake, this document firmly decrees that the United States of America is a dependent nation.
We Depend on God and We Depend on Each Other
Yesterday morning I felt the Lord impress my waking thought. I heard these words, “Fulfill my joy.” As usual when this happens, I turned those words over and over in my head and considered what they meant before opening my eyes and reaching for my Bible.
When I finally got out of bed, I immediately began my Saturday morning routine of studying for Sunday’s sermon. The rain was pelting the windows and the noise of the wind blowing outside.
I could also hear Brenda and Pastor Sergey talking over coffee in the kitchen and after about an hour I went out to say good morning. Pastor Sergey had been up since about 5am connecting with his family and others in Russia. We are family, and he has no need to be entertained but I didn’t want to be a bad host, he only arrived the evening before after more than 30 hours of travel.
Pastor Sergey was gracious as always and needed nothing so after about 5 minutes I went back to my studies. That phrase, “Fulfill my joy” continued repeating itself in my mind and so I pushed back from my reading and simply said, “Lord, show me what You want me to say tomorrow?” And with that I opened my Bible to the passage in Philippians where those words are confirmed. Let’s read them now.
Philippians 2 NKJV
1 ¶ Therefore if there is
any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the
Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
2 fulfill my joy by being
like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be
done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Paul says, if you have ever benefited or been encouraged or comforted because you are in Christ, allow me to persuade you by the love of Christ and because of the spiritual relationship you have been afforded out of tender bowels of compassion and mercy, do this one thing for me … fulfill my joy. In other words: If you have ever gotten any thing from Jesus, it’s time to give back. How can we make God happy? Paul continues:
Be like minded; have the same love; be in one accord; of one mind.
What father wants his family to be divided? God feels the same way.
Verse
4 says let nothing be done through:
·
Selfish
ambition = Contentious electioneering; partisanship; fractious
·
Conceit
= empty pride or vain opinions
These things don’t make God happy! We should be looking out for others.
The United States of America is a nation birthed by God and used by God to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and look out for others all around the world. The United States of America is a Christian nation. Do not believe what your enemies say. It is in God we trust! We are still a nation dependent on God and one another to continue living in the blessings and the abundance we have enjoyed for the past 246 years.
Together we can keep our nation strong and blessed by God. Be encouraged and be an encourager of others like King Hezekiah said in:
2 Chronicles 32 NKJV
7 “Be strong and courageous;
do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the
multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with
him.
8 “With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
The enemies may sound like a roaring lion, but they have no teeth and no defense against us when we are unified in Christ.
I encourage you to count your blessings instead of your burdens. Refuse to be a part of the divide and do not lose heart.
More there be with us who love God and love the United States of America than be with those who are pursuing their own selfish ambitions. Stir up the Spirit of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit within you and your family, workplace, and community. Watch and see what the Lord will do!
Happy
Birthday to the good ole USA tomorrow! God bless America and God bless you!
