In Congress, July 4, 1776
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness ...”
So begins that great document signed by 56 patriots of the thirteen colonies of this great country which precipitated the Revolutionary War with England, ending in the successful separation from that country, and the rise of a free and independent United States of America.
Today, the actions of our forefathers of that generation are being largely ignored together with the most excellent documents they forged at tremendous cost to themselves, their families and their fortunes. It behooves every citizen to be reminded that “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” Prov. 14:34. Now we come to celebrate that courageous and most noble event. Let us thank our heavenly Father for the privilege of living under the best government ever conceived and employed by men, while beseeching Him to help us now in our time of increasing turbulence and trials. On a personal note on the fourth of July: have a safe and happy holiday!
FOR THOUGHT: What do you know about the Constitution of the United States of America?
How long has it been since you read it? Are you depending on the good will of others to keep your
rights
and
liberties
secure?
Think
about
it!
DIVORCE, THE DEVIL’S DOSE FROM QUACKERY CLINIC
Since the creation of the first family, the well-being of the home has been dependent upon God being recognized as its head. Too often this is not the case, and the allurement of sin pulls at the sinful nature of the flesh as a magnet pulls in attachment to iron. On this subject, Jesus said, ”And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” Matthew 19:9.
Nobody likes divorce! Sometimes it comes for correct, restrictive reasons, and at other times it is entered into flippantly and frivolously. In any case, Satan is pleased when a home fails.
He knows the problems incumbent to the destruction of a home makes it so much easier to turn the course of life into the broad way of destruction. Today, statisticians predict that three out of every four marriages will end in divorce. The frustration, hurt, disappointment, and hardship to everyone involved by that action often signals the end of Christian discipleship. It should not, but it often does. Thank God for those who remain faithful to serve Him.
God created three institutions among men: the home, the government, and the church.
All three institutions do well for themselves, and for the honor of God when He is recognized as the final authority. So why do not these institutions honor God and thrive? Comments here are restricted to the home, but it is the backbone of the other two. When the home does well, so do the other two.
Too many times marriages are made in sexual attraction instead of true love. Moreover, forgetting God allows temptations to claim control of life, subjecting one to the allurements of money and marital infidelity. Even the demise of the honeymoon can reveal personalities are not compatible as first thought.
Most usually, the will of God is not sought in family troubles (it takes two) and the ease of legal divorcement is seized. It would be good if divorce were never spoken or entertained in the mind, and instead God’s wil sought out. But the sinful world makes it easy, and the devil says sure, go ahead. It is the devil’s dose from quackery clinic. Couples should honor God, study the Bible and pray. That way, together they could stay! No one escapes the trials of temptation and challenge, but many overcome them. However, victory is not in us, but in Him!
FOR THOUGHT: If you are married, did you think the vow of “For better or worse,” was simply, poetically appropriated for the moment? “Better” is at the marriage alter. “Worse” wil definitely come. If you are single, think long and hard about the lifetime commitment marriage brings, and in Christ, even the “Worse” may be made a cherished blessing. In Him there is staying power!
DOES THE MAYFLOWER LIVE ON?
“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
John 11:26
The Mayflower, as early history students learn, brought some of the first pilgrims to America. It returned to England and was decommissioned in the 1620s. How long it sat before being auctioned off as scrap is not known, but it has been featured in respectable magazines such as National Geographic and others as presently a barn in Jordans, England, outside London.
It was my privilege to visit that place where there is also a cemetery hosting the grave of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. While enjoying tea and crumpets, I could not help but notice the resemblance of a large barn-like structure to an inverted ship. Upon inquiry, I was told that it was the Mayflower. Asking how this could possibly be, I was told that the lack of wood in England made decommissioned ships valuable as building material. So the ship was bought at auction, disassembled, then reassembled upside down as a barn structure. A visit to the inside was fascinating.
In the United States, most anything that is a century old is considered old, but in England hardly anything is considered old unless it exceeds four to five hundred years of existence. I was privileged to stay in a hotel, and dine in a banquet room that dates back to the 1200s. A.D.
The antiquity of the room was apparent, and hosted an aroma of age, but the large timbers were quite structurally sound.
So, perhaps the Mayflower lives on as a useful structure, but not as originally intended. I was reminded that unlike the Mayflower the ship of life has deposited Christians as pilgrims in a Christ-rejecting world. However we will live on in Christ Jesus, not downgraded, but upgraded: mortality swallowed up of immortality. Praises be to the Lord Jesus Christ Who took our dross, and Who made His own righteousness available by faith to all who receive Him! 2 Cor. 5:21
states it this way, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
FOR THOUGHT: Do you realize that unlike the Mayflower, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ continues to sail the seas of life after some 2,000 years? Moreover, it is still true to its purpose, not perverted, except as some have willingly left the faith once delivered to the saints. Have you found that “Ship of Zion?” Are you an active part of it?