July 7th 2019
To Be Independent, You Must Be Dependent!
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)
One Nation Under God With Liberty And Justice For All! Is this nation still being reserved for God? What percentage of people under the age of 21 really still believe they live in a nation that is under God? Are we seeking a kingdom on this earth, or as Matthew wrote in the selected verse, what Jesus said about children, when He said “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Children are better about receiving a gift than adults are, as they are less suspicious about the intent of the gift giver. An old term comes to mind here, “There is no such thing as a free lunch!”
When we talk about freedom, and we are referring to the freedom we may gain from other humans, we use terms like, “Freedom is not free!” Which kingdom are you striving for in this lifetime? When Mark wrote about the statement Jesus made about the children who were brought to Him to touch and bless, Mark used the term, “kingdom of God.” When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:14-15)
Citizens of the USA we will again be celebrating our freedom on July 4th. The freedom we celebrate is freedom from domination by other human beings being exercised over us. We gained our freedom by defeating our human enemies at that time in history. Many humans died in the defense of our freedom, thus we would rightfully say that freedom is not free! If we the people wish to retain that freedom, there are continual battles that may need to be waged. However, if this country desires to retain its freedom, it will not be possible, if we do not remain a nation under the rule of God!
The freedom God offers is not and cannot be gained by anything we do! Under the “kingdom of God,” or “the kingdom of heaven,” we can only gain it by a faith that Jesus Christ died for our sins. We cannot work harder or be willing to die to gain our freedom from other human beings to take hold of it! We must accept it as a little child would, purely on faith alone! Can you adopt a childlike thought process, and accept your salvation based on only what Jesus did for you? If you can then this eternal freedom is entirely FREE!
If you continue to work for your salvation by doing good things, then you miss out on the free gift that is available to all human beings, BUT they must take it on faith alone! Jesus’ offer of eternal life and a freedom and peace” which transcends all understanding,” must be accepted unconditionally. Can you do that? Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
It is good to take pride in the accomplishments of this great country, as we celebrate our freedom, however, do not forget also to thank God for His provision of allowing us to retain the freedom we have fought for. If we are to retain this freedom, we must continue to include God in our mottos, and most importantly we must maintain the connection to our fellow man through Jesus. True freedom is not manmade it is only available through a connection with God. Jesus told us that we must remain in connection with Him, otherwise we can do nothing. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)
Keep God close, and remain in connection with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit He left behind for those who love Him! The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. (Nahum 1:7, NLT) Do you trust God to offer freedom to those who love Him? If you do, please pray for our country, and that we will continue to have and offer freedom to all who love God, and thus, have faith in His offer to hear our prayers. The power this country has can be directly linked to the faith we have in answered prayer. Jesus told His disciples (us) about the power of prayer. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24)
On July the 4th, and every other day of the year, do not forget to pray to Jesus for His continued protection for all those who love freedom, especially the freedom that will last for all eternity. Also, do not forget to thank those people who have offered their very life in protection of the freedom we still enjoy. If you know someone who is, or did, serve in some military branch of service, please thank them for their service to our country!
May God continue to bless America!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)
One Nation Under God With Liberty And Justice For All! Is this nation still being reserved for God? What percentage of people under the age of 21 really still believe they live in a nation that is under God? Are we seeking a kingdom on this earth, or as Matthew wrote in the selected verse, what Jesus said about children, when He said “the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Children are better about receiving a gift than adults are, as they are less suspicious about the intent of the gift giver. An old term comes to mind here, “There is no such thing as a free lunch!”
When we talk about freedom, and we are referring to the freedom we may gain from other humans, we use terms like, “Freedom is not free!” Which kingdom are you striving for in this lifetime? When Mark wrote about the statement Jesus made about the children who were brought to Him to touch and bless, Mark used the term, “kingdom of God.” When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:14-15)
Citizens of the USA we will again be celebrating our freedom on July 4th. The freedom we celebrate is freedom from domination by other human beings being exercised over us. We gained our freedom by defeating our human enemies at that time in history. Many humans died in the defense of our freedom, thus we would rightfully say that freedom is not free! If we the people wish to retain that freedom, there are continual battles that may need to be waged. However, if this country desires to retain its freedom, it will not be possible, if we do not remain a nation under the rule of God!
The freedom God offers is not and cannot be gained by anything we do! Under the “kingdom of God,” or “the kingdom of heaven,” we can only gain it by a faith that Jesus Christ died for our sins. We cannot work harder or be willing to die to gain our freedom from other human beings to take hold of it! We must accept it as a little child would, purely on faith alone! Can you adopt a childlike thought process, and accept your salvation based on only what Jesus did for you? If you can then this eternal freedom is entirely FREE!
If you continue to work for your salvation by doing good things, then you miss out on the free gift that is available to all human beings, BUT they must take it on faith alone! Jesus’ offer of eternal life and a freedom and peace” which transcends all understanding,” must be accepted unconditionally. Can you do that? Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
It is good to take pride in the accomplishments of this great country, as we celebrate our freedom, however, do not forget also to thank God for His provision of allowing us to retain the freedom we have fought for. If we are to retain this freedom, we must continue to include God in our mottos, and most importantly we must maintain the connection to our fellow man through Jesus. True freedom is not manmade it is only available through a connection with God. Jesus told us that we must remain in connection with Him, otherwise we can do nothing. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)
Keep God close, and remain in connection with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit He left behind for those who love Him! The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. (Nahum 1:7, NLT) Do you trust God to offer freedom to those who love Him? If you do, please pray for our country, and that we will continue to have and offer freedom to all who love God, and thus, have faith in His offer to hear our prayers. The power this country has can be directly linked to the faith we have in answered prayer. Jesus told His disciples (us) about the power of prayer. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24)
On July the 4th, and every other day of the year, do not forget to pray to Jesus for His continued protection for all those who love freedom, especially the freedom that will last for all eternity. Also, do not forget to thank those people who have offered their very life in protection of the freedom we still enjoy. If you know someone who is, or did, serve in some military branch of service, please thank them for their service to our country!
May God continue to bless America!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
|
|
|