Let Freedom Ring!

The 4th of July is tomorrow!!! Pop Quiz: What is so special about the FOURTH day of July?? If you answered cooking out, eating BBQ, shooting fireworks, and seeing a lot of red, white, and blue then your answer is about 99% wrong. The 4th of July is the day that our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 which meant that we were no longer under England's control and were our own country! This is the day that the United States of America became the free world in which millions of people traveled from many countries to pursue freedom. Freedom from what you may ask. One of the top reasons the United States separated from England was freedom of religion. In England, there was a national religion that people had to follow by. Many Christians weren't fond of this idea, so they came to America. Our founding fathers based the principles of the Declaration of Independence of Christianity. Today, Independence Day has become so corrupted that very few people actually know what it is about. I was watching the news the other day and the reporter was asking random people questions about the 4th of July such as "Why is it so special?" "What year did America become a country?" and other questions that are important to this date. It's quite shameful, and I am pointing at myself, at the number of people who don't know America's history when those who want to become citizens here must know these facts to gain citizenship. Today, it has become a day of getting together with friends and family, cooking out and eating good food, going to the lake, shooting and watching fireworks, hanging up flags, and driving through town and seeing everything covered in red, white, and blue. There are very few people who think about the men in women who have fought and sacrificed their lives in order for us to be living in America and those who are still fighting today. I too fall short on this end and take this holiday for granted. You see, freedom is a word that we as American citizens have taken lightly and put it away in the closet for a day when we really need it.We are so lucky to live in a country where we can choose to go to church or not or what religion we believe in. We are lucky to be able to use technology to it's fullest and surf the web without any government restrictions. We are lucky to be able to vote for our leaders and hold petitions. We are lucky to be able to voice our opinions in various different ways without the government killing us when we do not agree with them. We are lucky to be able to go to school and college and choose our own careers. We are lucky to have as many kids we want without any restrictions. We are lucky to be able to sleep in on days we don't work, take sick days when we need them, go on vacation, and stay up late without causing trouble with the government. I am personally blessed to have a family, food in my stomach, a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, and being able to attend my dream college. I hate that I take each of these things for granted when there are so many people in the world who have no freedom and would do anything to have just one of these that I have mentioned. On top of all of these, the freedom that I hate that I take for granted the most if the freedom that I have in Christ. You see, freedom is almost a misleading word itself because freedom doesn't come free nor is it cheap. For our freedom as American citizens, many men and women have died for our rights to freedom as well as the many who are continually fighting for them today. In the same way, Christ died for our sins so that we can be free from death, sin, bondage, and damnation if we choose to believe in God and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Much like the people in the military that have died that you never met, Jesus did the same thing. He knew perfectly well that He was dying for people hundreds of years in the future. That is what makes freedom in Christ so amazing! God's Son died for people that would never meet Him! He took my sins, as well as yours, and died on the cross when He never sinned! If that doesn't give you goosebumps, I really don't know what will! It's almost like you are walking in downtown New York City where there are millions of people and you don't know any of them. Someone pulls a gun to your head and right before the trigger is pulled, some random guy on the street comes and stands right in front of you to take the bullet. That is what Jesus did. We deserve punishment for all the sins that we have and will continue to make, but Jesus stepped in to take the ultimate punishment so that we could live an eternal life with God and have freedom in Christ. The Bible tells us that the wage of sin is death, but thanks be unto God that Jesus took that wage for us. Yes, we will experience a physical death if the Lord does not return before we die, but our spirit will live forever with Christ as we will get a new, Holy body. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has offered each and every one of us a gift of that eternal life. This can only be given through Jesus. You may be wondering, "What did I do to deserve this?" Well, God made you and me and everyone on Earth. He loves each of us and wants us to bring glory to His name. Because God loves you so much, He sent His only Son down to Earth so that He would experience the temptions that we are faced with. The devil tempted Jesus countless times, but Jesus never broke into what the devil was saying. And God loves you so much that He let His Son suffer and die for you. You don't have to do anything to deserve this. All you have to do is believe in God and that His Son, Jesus, died on the cross for your sins. You must admit to God that you are a sinner and are in need of His neverending love. You must then believe that Jesus is God's Son and that He came into the world to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. Then, tell someone close to you about this new lifechanging experience that you have with God and find a loving church that can help you grow and develop as a young Christian. Once you find the church God is calling you to, you should follow the example that Jesus set for us and be baptized. Before Jesus began to teach and preach to others, he was baptized. To be baptized is an act of obedience to what Jesus has done and shows to others that you are a Christian and are purifying your body to be a servant of God. Now you are ready to live in freedom of Christ!! As you celebrate this Independence Day, I hope you remember those who have died for you rights to freedom. I hope that everyone has a blessed holiday and let freedom ring as Christ has overcome death! Let me leave you with a little song that I hope we as American citizens will sing as we pay tribute to those who help us become the best country in the world:

O! say can you see by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

And the Braves Win!

How exhilarating?? I'm sure you are thinking that I am talking about the Atlanta Braves who pulled off a 2-1 win against Cincinnati, but think again. Dig a little deeper. Tomorrow is Memorial Day. Many kids and adults enjoy the holiday because they have the day off and go to the lake, vacation, and cook out. I, too, have taken this holiday for granted as well. As a child, I always enjoyed the days that my parents were off of work because we would do something fun whether that meant my dad cooking out or going to the park or visiting family. Now, Memorial Day has a whole new meaning. First, let me ask you something: What does Memorial Day mean to you? I hope after reading this, you learn a new meaning of this precious holiday that too many Americans look at lightly. As I am a preachers daughter, I have picked up some of his traits. I will use one now. First Point- FREEDOM. According to dictionary.com, freedom (n.) is the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint. Take note that freedom is a noun which is a person, place, or thing. It is not a verb nor an adjective. Freedom does not describe a person. Freedom is not what a person can do. Freedom is someTHING that a person can have. As Americans, this simple word is taken out of context and used differently. While I have no problem with that at all, I believe it's more powerful meaning is the one it is intended to be. A noun. Just think for a minute. Freedom is something that any American citizen has. That is so powerful that I am even having problems grasping the concept. I have freedom! As the definition says, those who have freedom are in a state of being free. No one can tell them they have to be a certain religion. No one chooses their jobs for them. No one tells them if they go to college. No one tells them where to live. I, as well as the millions of other American citizens, am blessed to have the freedom to wake up everyday and choose what I am going to do instead of being forced by the government. Second Point- FIGHT. I was reading a short article about the difference between Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. I had never really thought about it before and I guess that is what grabbed my attention when I saw the article because I honestly had no idea what the difference was between the two. The answer is fairly easy. All that really has to be done is to look at the titles. Memorial Day is a day in which we are suppose to honor those who have served in the Military in some way and have passed away. This could be in any branch of the Military. Many people think that it is just meant for those who died while serving, but it is also a day to remember those who survived but have died fighting their own battles off the battlefield. This particularly relates to myself as I am talking about my Dad's brother, my Uncle. While he was alive, I wasn't very close to him. To be honest, I was kind of scared of him because I knew he was a member of the Army and was tall and had a deep voice, and that was somewhat intimidating to a child. Nonetheless, he was family and we all loved each other. My Aunt and Uncle never went to church and had not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior during this time. I was in second grade and my Uncle was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was during Christmas time and my Uncle was doing his chemo treatments. As children in my school, we all wrote Santa a letter telling him what we wanted for Christmas and the newspaper would publish them so Santa could see it. That year I really don't remember what all I asked for. I probably asked for some toys that I was wanting and possibly something for my sister who had just turned one 2 months earlier. But one thing I do remember was that the last thing that I wrote was that I wished my Uncle would get better. I never really thought about it being "cute" or "precious" because I was 8 and didn't want my Uncle to die from this bad disease that had been killing many people from what I had learned at that age. My Aunt and Uncle read it in the newspaper and I don't know if it was a seed that planted or just something "cute," but we were visiting with them for a Christmas supper because my Uncle was feeling good, but still wasn't 100% as he was still doing the chemo treatments. When we were about to leave, I heard my Aunt talking to my parents about it and my Uncle gave me a hug and cried. You see, my Uncle had fought for the freedom that we have by serving in the Army. During this time, no one could fight for him as he was fighting for his life. He had smoked his entire life and it finally caught up to him. Sometimes I feel as thought God was helping out Santa that year and my Uncle was cancer-free by the following Christmas. Other times, I feel as though my Uncle started to get to know God and once he accepted Christ into his live along with my Aunt, God healed his body to show him that he really wasn't fighting the battle alone anymore because God was now with him. I'll never forget the Sunday my Aunt and Uncle were baptized. My Grandmother cried and it was one of the few times I had seen my daddy cry. The Lord was good to my Aunt and Uncle for the next few years, and then God decided to call my Uncle home in his second fight with lung cancer. The first round, I know both my Aunt and Uncle were scared, but there was a peace the second time and I knew that my Uncle was not scared of dying anymore because he would get to meet the Man who saved not only his life, but his soul. Memorial Day is a day to remember those who died on the battlefield, but it is a day to remember the loved ones and friends we have that are no longer here as they have fought their own battles, that I hope that they had God with them. Final Point- FAITH. This is one of the hardest concepts to talk about and to grasp, but Faith makes up everything. As a person, we must have faith in ourselves to get up and do things. As Americans, we must have faith in the elected officials that we have and that they will make the best choices for the citizens. As Christians, we must have the faith to step outside our comfort zones and follow God's will, not our own. As it takes the people in the Military to have Faith every day to work long hours in fighting for freedom for people that they do not know, we as American citizens should have Faith in Christ to know that His Will is all we need. This Memorial Day I hope that we pay tribute to those who are no longer with us, but have made so many sacrifices so that we may have FREEDOM. I pray for those who have recently lost loved ones in our most recent battles in Iraq and the Middle East. I hope that we all have the Faith to trust in God and support those who are doing some much for us that they do not know. God Bless all of the troops, the TRUE Braves that are winning!

Good Bye 2010

As 2010 is coming to a close, I have been thinking about this year and all the things I accomplished. It also shows me the things I did not accomplish. So I think to myself, did I really do everything I could to glorify God and bring happiness to Him through me? It is a question all Christian's ponder, and as this time of the year rolls around, it is one I stumble upon myself. Many Christian's do things to make themselves seem "more holy" in the eyes of others but when before God, He prefers a humble heart. I know there are times when I want to give or help others for God's glory, but also for my own selfishness that people will look at me and think I am a great person. I trully admire those who are quiet, but do so much for others. I believe as Christians, that is what we are called to do. Be a humble servant to the Lord and He will glorify you in what He sees is best for you. A lot of times people think they have to travel abroad to share the news of Jesus and to be a witness and hope to others, but I can promise you that there is at least one person down your road, one person in your neighborhood, one person you know that needs help spiritually, physically, or emotionally. Acts 1:8 says, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Many Christians only emphasize the last part of this verse and forgetting the beginning, which is the main purpose and heartbeat of Acts 1:8. You see, God does call many Christians into foreign countries, and PRAISE GOD FOR THAT! It is very hard to pick up your things and travel to a country in which you do no know the people you will be working with and are not familiar with the roads (if they even have them). In some countries, it is illegal to spread the Word, so indivduals and couples must have a job and learn the language of the people to establish a relationship in order to share Christ. It is also a very expensive cost that does not fully get funded for through different programs. Being a Southern Baptist, I know that SB Missionaries get many funds through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon and a few others, but this still does not cover the entire cost. Only God can provide what is needed. No need to beg unto others. That is what you are going to be doing, helping those beggars and sinners. But back to the main point of this conversation of Act 1:8, the verse starts with Jerusalem. Let's turn this into something modern that fits American citizens. Jerusalem would be the city in which I live in which would be both Sand Rock and Birmingham in Alabama as I live in Sand Rock but attend college in Birmingham. My Judea would be Alabama. My Samaria would be the United States of America. Then, I go to the ends of the Earth. How can God expect me to help those in foreign countries when I have not done a thing in my Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria? I pray that I will start in city and work my way out instead of trying to accomplish large tasks in which God does not have waiting for me just yet and that I do it 100% for Him, and not me. I pray that whoever reads this, whether it be 1 or 1000 feels the call of the Lord to have a humble heart for Him. Pride is a characteristic in which God does not like, but God loves those who are humble in heart and spirit. I pray that God be with you and I as we finish out this 2010 year, and that He brings a blessing to each of you as 2011 begins. I pray that we make our resolution to focus completely on Him and His guiding for us. God Bless!!