Saturday July 3, 2016
Building People of Substance for Works of Power
America is sure beautiful, Friend.
I just finished my annual re-read of the Declaration of Independence and came away with a few thoughts for this 4th of July Weekend:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
1. Our nation is based on the concept of divine creation: Man, in his fallen state, is last and inherently evil. We have a three-part government with a blance of powers because we don’t want any one man or small cadre of men to execise power over the rest of us. They cannot ever be trusted.
2. God created us equal: We are equal before God, and the basic tenet of our government is that we should all be treated equally before the law.
3. Our God has endowed us with unalienable rights. The purpose of our founding documents is to provide an objective standard for what government cannot do. The majority does not rule, the constitution rules.
“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
4. Our nation was and is dependent on Divine Providence for its existence and perseverance. God help us if we deny Him.
5. The price of our liberty is measured in sacrifice of lives, dedication of fortunes, and a commitment to be men and women of honor. My thought this weekend: Do we have the commitment and the character to preserve what we have been given? I hope so.
Somebody Said: They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
Scripture Reading: The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. (Psalms 33:10-12 NKJV)
Have a wonderful holiday. Eat a hot dog, sing the Anthem, enjoy your friends. But somewhere in the merriment, find time to think about what we have, how we got it, and what we must do to retain it. God Bless America, God shed His grace on thee….
Virgil L. Stokes Faith Christian Fellowship
3141 W. Ironwood Hill Dr.
Tucson AZ 85745
www.fcftucson.org
pastorvirgil.com 