Gtcotr/ss070217
On
July 4th, 241 years ago 56 men who believed they were being led by
God, pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor as they
officially signed the Declaration of Independence from King George and Great
Britain to form a new nation founded upon the idea that all men are created
equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights among
those life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The
forefathers of this great nation were men of action. They realized there was
strength in unity and that victory could only be won under the guiding hand of
Almighty God. They further understood that success would take hard work on
their part and would be the result of a process which could cost them
everything but would be well worth their investment.
The driving force that motivated our nation’s forefathers was their
belief in a better tomorrow. The future of their children and their children’s
children for generations to come hung in the balance and compelled them to give
their all. They knew what they had and knew what they didn’t have. However,
they also knew that all the complaining in the world was not going to change
anything. So, they decided to focus on what could be and what they could have
if only they could obtain and maintain the blessings of the Lord on their
endeavors.
July
4, 1776 is recognized by the past generations of US citizens and citizens of
the world as America’s Independence Day. Many people imagine that to be the day
America became a free nation and a free people. They imagine correctly. However,
July 4, 1776 was not the day the war for independence ended … O no! – Rather,
it was the day the war began!
The
declaration did set America free. How? People go free
the day they first decide and declare their freedom. The enemies of
America did not initially just give up and agree to let the people go. It took
some to convince their enemies but the citizens of these United States of
America did not need convincing … they had declared their freedom and they were
free!
Our
forefathers immediately set about to write a constitution and empower a
government while waging war against those who opposed their freedom.
Representatives of the original 13 colonies met, assigned responsibilities and
began the process. They decided it would take the agreement of two-thirds of
the new states to ratify the constitution and its amendments.
It
was a long and arduous struggle to insure the liberties and rights of a growing
nation and the generations of Americans yet to come. After endless drafts,
several proposals, many revisions and much debate consensus was achieved. And
on December 15, 1791, 15 years, 5 months and 11 days after the signing of the
Declaration of Independence, the First 10 Amendments to the Constitution of the
United States called the Bill of Rights was ratified and became the law of the
land.
Although
other amendments were proposed at that time I feel it noteworthy to recognize
something many Americans aren’t taught. Indeed, I believe the citizens of the
United States have been led to believe something that is not the best
representation of our founding father’s true intent. The truth is our
forefathers were primarily conscious and rightfully concerned with the
spiritual strength of this great new nation. They understood that to preserve
this union all men must first and foremost be free to worship Almighty God without
governmental interference.
Freedom of religion, not freedom from religion, is guaranteed by the
first words of the Bill of Rights. The government was kicked out of Church
affairs not the Church out of the government’s affairs. However, we have been
subtly and subconsciously programmed and brainwashed by repetition to imagine the
First Amendment to be primarily about freedom of speech, it is not. In fact, in
my research this week into how the First Amendment has been re-titled,
repurposed and referred to during the past 150 years, it alarms me to see the minimization
of the framer’s true intent and first concern. How can we overlook this bold
and revealing truth?
The
1st Amendment is presented to the
American people and to the world in schools, publications, debates, news articles
and on the world wide web as: Freedom of
Speech, Press, Religion and Petition
But
in reality, it should by all rights and reasons read as written and ratified by
the colonies after 15 years, 5 months and 11 days of prayer and debate. Our Founding Fathers knew exactly what they were doing when
they wrote:
Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Peaceful Assembly and Petition
Religious
Freedom is the very first right mentioned. Why? Because that’s the way our
founding fathers believed it and wrote it. After more than 5 years of debate, endless
re-drafting and the ratification process, it was firmly decided that the very
first responsibility of the new government of the United States of America was
to protect the rights of its citizens to worship Almighty God without
hindrance, intrusion or mandate by the government. Separation
of Church and State is a one-way street!
Nowhere
does the constitution suggest, require or imply that the government of the
United States should be free from religion but only that religion should be
outside of the confines, dictates and control of the government. It is rather
implied by its prominent and primary position within the Bill of Rights to be
of the utmost importance and protected as much or more than every other
freedom. And by the way, history clearly records that these men believed in the
Holy Bible, Jehovah God as its Author, and His Son, Jesus, as Savior of the
world. This was the worship and the religion they intended to preserve, protect
and to which they gave their pledge. The First Amendment reads:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Some
people only see:
1.
What We Have
a. And never imagine it
can or will change …
2.
What We Don’t Have
a. And complain about
it …
3.
What We Could Have
a. And do something
about it!
Our
forefathers saw what could be and realized the first step was to acknowledge
God and give Him first place in their lives and first place in their endeavors.
Benjamin Franklin said that if a sparrow cannot fall to
the ground without God’s knowledge, it is doubtful that a nation can rise
without His intervention.
Whether
talking about individuals, families, businesses or nations … the best way to
build starts with putting God first.
That
brings us to our text for today:
Matthew 6 NKJV
25 “Therefore I say to you,
do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor
about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body
more than clothing?
26 “Look at the birds of the
air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 “Which of you by worrying
can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about
clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil
nor spin;
29 “and yet I say to you that
even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 “Now if God so clothes the
grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will
He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry,
saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 “For after all these
things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things.
33 “But seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to
you.
Commentary
and Conclusion
·
A
personal invitation to put and keep God first in everything …
Happy
Birthday America … God bless America and God bless you!
