Independence Day week

I'm so grateful for the fact that my ancestors came to this land and helped to create a country where personal freedoms are valued and cherished!

This is our Independence Day week, here in the United States, and I hope those of you who visit here from South America, the United Kingdom, Greece, Canada, and more will bear with me as I take a short break.

As American Christians, we are sometimes tempted to take our freedoms for granted. We have freedom to speak as we wish; we have freedom to worship how we choose; we have freedom to own and read the Bible. Many of us have more than one Bible -- how many of us treat that casually? In many countries today, Christians must rely on their memory of the verses they love.....they would be persecuted, thrown in jail, or worse for owning a Bible.

In other areas, people are being slaughtered mercilessly if they will not recant their Christian faith and submit to Islam. Christ told us that He suffered, and we will, too. Is there enough evidence in our lives to "convict" us of being His followers?

New Testament Christians were forced to worship and often live underground. They had a code for identifying each other and areas that were deemed safe havens.

Whether in America or elsewhere, can we say these words and truly mean them?

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

I guess we could do a whole series on persecution, but for now, let's consider these verses:

When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:23)

 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12)

We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment. (I Corinthians 5:12-13)

However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (I Peter 4:16)

 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (Matthew 5:44)

I hope that those of you who celebrate here in the US will praise God for the freedoms we have: freedom from sin, freedom to speak, congregate, worship, and more. Thank a veteran. Thank a current service member. And most of all, thank God the Father!

Happy Fourth of July! See y'all next week!