Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Daily Light - July 4, 2010

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad IN IT."
Psalm 118:24

What great irony it is that this day is the Lord's Day (Sunday) and the day that we celebrate our independence as a nation! IN this day we truly have so much to rejoice and be glad about. Today we will hear often about the signers of the Declaration of Independence. These 55 men literally risked everything to place their names on that parchment. They believed IN what they were signing. It was no mere document; it was to them the fulfillment of the plan of Almighty God. They believed that the heart of God had freedom at its core. They knew that blood would be shed because of this document. They knew that lives would have to be given in order to make the declaration stand. However, they also knew that freedom was worth the sacrifice. Over 230 years later we are still reaping the benefits of that decision. We will gather together in places of worship with no fear of government intrusion today. We will not be told where to worship or who to worship. We will speak the Word of God in all of its truth, and we will do it openly and boldly. Thank God for our freedoms and the country IN which we live.
However, the Declaration of Independence would mean nothing if it were not for Christ. Those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms would not matter at all if Jesus Christ had not given His life on the cross of Calvary. Our founding fathers were not the first to believe in freedom. Jesus Christ came so that we might truly be free. Every man is a captive to sin. He is born with that condition. His heart yearns to be free from the chains of sin's tyranny, but within himself he can find no escape. However, if he looks to the cross of Calvary and learns that there Christ bore His sin, then and only then will he find true freedom. Jesus came and gave all for us so that we might be free. 2,000 years later we are still reaping the benefits of that decision.
Some think that independence means that we are completely free to do as we please. I noticed one thing that I would just like to share with you. Notice the word: independence. Did you catch it? Look at it this way: INdependence. We are IN dependence of Christ our Savior. We are each completely dependent on Him. I am free from sin and dependent on Jesus for the strength to live His way and for His glory. I owe Him my life. He is my everything.
Join brothers and sisters in Christ today to celebrate what we are as a nation and what we are in Jesus Christ. Don't miss the opportunity at any time to freely worship with God's people.
May you know what it means to truly be INdependent today!

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