Home  |  Previous  |  Next  |  lftd06                   [Download]

July.04.06: Light for the Day - "May God Bless America --
                                                              One Nation Under God"
                                                                    (V)  (C)  (S)  (F)
-- Psalms 29:11 
   The LORD gives strength to His people; 
   The LORD blesses His people with peace.

-- Numbers 6:24-26 
24 The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you
26 The LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

------------------------
America celebrates Independence Day each year on July 4, 
commemorating the day in 1776 when the colonists declared their freedom 
from British rule. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, 
which was approved and signed by members of the Continental Congress 
of the United States of America. 

------------------------
May God Bless America 

O beautiful for heroes prov'd 
In liberating strife, 
Who more than self their country loved, 
And mercy more than life. 
America! America! 
May God thy gold refine 
Till all success be nobleness, 
And ev'ry gain divine.

O beautiful for pilgrim feet 
Whose stern impassion'd stress 
A thoroughfare for freedom beat 
Across the wilderness. 
America! America! 
God mend thine ev'ry flaw, 
Confirm thy soul in self-control, 
Thy liberty in law. 

O beautiful for patriot dream 
That sees beyond the years 
Thine alabaster cities gleam 
Undimmed by human tears. 
America! America! 
God shed His grace on thee, 
And crown thy good with brotherhood 
From sea to shining sea. 

------------------------
The Pledge of Allegiance 

I pledge Allegiance to the flag 
of the United States of America, 
and to the Republic for which it stands, 
One Nation Under God, indivisible, 
with Liberty and Justice for all. 

-------------------------
ONE NATION UNDER GOD 

When we were kids our teachers would lead us,
standing tall beside each desk, hands over our hearts.
In unison we pledged our allegiance,
sometimes stumbling over words,
not understanding certain parts,
never knowing just how richly we’d been blessed.

Red, white and blue, the United States of America;
One Nation Under God!
Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,
One Nation Under God!

In history, we studied gallant heroes,
valiant patriots, fearless; some nameless, some famed.
In des’prate times, when freedom cried, "Who’ll go?"
Volunteers, courageous, brave,
boldly charged into harm’s way,
then the Stars and Stripes across their caskets draped!

Red, white and blue, the United States of America;
One Nation Under God!
Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,
One Nation Under God!

Praise God our founding fathers knew
Who to trust! 
Praise God the Bill of Rights includes
Freedom to worship as we choose.

-- Ran Birkins 

------------------------
May God bless all those persons serving in our military forces who risk 
their lives in order to preserve and defend the God-given rights of all 
"that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" 
which we may exercise freely as citizens of a truly great nation: 

     + The United States of America +

---------------------------------

-- 2 Chronicles 7:14
   If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, 
   and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, 
   then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

-- Ephesians 3:14-19
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
16 I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power 
     through His Spirit in your inner being,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through Faith. 
     And I pray that you, being rooted and established in Love,
18 may have power, together with all the saints, 
      to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the Love of Christ,
19 and to know this Love that surpasses knowledge --
      that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

-- Psalms 36:5-7
5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; 
   Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains; 
   Your judgments are a great deep; 
   O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! 
   Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

 -- Psalms 19:14
    May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart 
    be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, My Rock and My Redeemer.

------------------------

-- Joshua 24:14-15
14  Now fear the LORD and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away 
      the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, 
      and serve the LORD.
15  But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for 
      yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your 
      forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, 
      in whose land you are living. 
      But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

In these verses of scripture, Joshua is speaking to the whole nation of Israel. 
Today, God speaks to us, America, as a nation: "Whom will you serve?" 

How will we respond to God today as a nation? 
How will you respond to Him as an individual? 
Will you answer His call to serve Him? 

Whom will you serve? 

-- Joshua 24:24
   And the people said to Joshua, 
   "The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!"

May God continue to bless America, 
and may God bless you as you serve Him. 

-- Ephesians 3:20-21
20 Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able 
     to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
21 May He be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever 
     and ever through endless ages. Amen.

-----------------------------

"I Am Still The Same Old Flag" 

Hello, remember me? Some people call me Old Glory, 
others call me Stars and Stripes; 
I have been referred to as the Star Spangled Banner. 
But whatever they call me, 
I am your Flag, or as I proudly state 
....the Flag of the United States of America. 

There is something that has been bothering me, 
so I thought I might talk it over with you.... 
because it's about you and me. 

I remember some time ago, I think it was Memorial Day, 
people were lined up on both sides of the street to watch the parade. 
The town's high school band was behind me, 
and naturally, I was leading the parade. 
When your Daddy saw me coming along, waving in the breeze, 
he immediately removed his hat and placed it against his left shoulder 
so that his right hand was directly over his heart. Remember? 
And you, Yes, I remember you. 
Standing there straight as a soldier. 
You didn't have a hat, but you were giving the correct salute. 
They taught you in school to place your right hand over your heart. 
Remember little sister? Not to be outdone, 
she was saluting the same as you. 
Oh, I was very proud as I came down your street. 

There were some soldiers home on leave 
and they were standing at attention giving their military salute. 
Also, some V.F.W. veterans with their caps at jaunty angles were saluting smartly. 
Ladies as well as men, paid me the reverence I deserve. 
Now, I may sound a little conceited. 
Well, I am. I have a right to be, 
because I represent the finest country in the world.... 
the United States of America. 
More than one aggressive nation has tried to haul me down, 
but they all felt the fury of this freedom loving country. 
Remember...many of you had to go overseas to defend me. 

What has happened? I'm still the same old Flag. 
Oh, I've had a couple more stars added since you were a boy. 
A lot more blood has been shed since that Memorial Day parade long ago. 
Dad is gone now, The home town has a new look. 

The last time I came down your street, 
I saw that some of the old landmarks were gone, 
but in their place, shinning majestically in the sun, 
were a number of new buildings and homes. 
Yes sir, the old home town has changed. 

But now....I don't feel as proud as I used to. 
When I came down your street, you just stand there 
with your hands in your pockets and give me a small glance, 
then look or turn away. 

When I think of all the places I've been... 
Ansio, Guadalcanal, Battle of the Bulge, Korea, Vietnam, and ....
I wonder what's happened? I'm still the same old Flag. 

But now I see children running around and shouting as I pass by. 
They don't seem to know who I am. 
I saw an old man take his hat off, and then look around. 
He didn't see anybody else with theirs off, 
so he quickly put his back on. 
Is it a sin to be an American anymore? 

Have you forgotten what I stand for? 
Have you forgotten all the battlefields where men fought 
and died to keep this nation, your nation, free? 
When you salute me, you are actually saluting them. 

Take a look at the Memorial Honor Rolls sometime. 
Look at the names of those who never came back, 
and are resting 'neath white crosses on a far away shore. 

Some of them were friends or relatives of yours, 
maybe even went to school with you. 
That's who you're saluting....when you revere me. 
Well, it won't be long until I come down your street again. 
So when you see me, stand straight, 
place your hand over your heart, 
and you'll see me waving back. 
My salute to you, I'll show you that I too, remember! 

-- Author Unknown 

--------------------------

Freedom Isn't Free 

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze
A young soldier saluted it, and then
He stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many Pilots' planes shot down?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No Freedom isn't Free

I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen"
When a flag had draped a coffin
of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard at the
bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.....
No -- Freedom isn't Free!!

-- Kelly Strong

-------------------------

Freedom 

Freedom is a breath of air,
Pine-scented, or salty like the sea;
Freedom is a field new-plowed...
Furrows of democracy!

Freedom is a forest,
Trees tall and straight as men.
Freedom is a printing press...
The power of the pen!

Freedom is a country church,
A cathedral's stately spire;
Freedom is a spirit
That can set the soul on fire!

Freedom is man's birthright,
A sacred, living rampart;
The pulsebeat of humanity...
The throb of a nation's heart!

-- Clara Smith Reber 

----------------------------

-- John 8:31-36
31 Jesus said to the people who Believed in Him, 
     "You are Truly My disciples if you keep Obeying My Teachings.
32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you Free."
34 Jesus replied, "I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin.
36 So if the Son sets you Free, you will indeed be Free."

-- 2 Corinthians 3:17 
   Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, 
   there is Freedom.

-- Galatians 5:1
   It is for Freedom that Christ has Set us Free. Stand Firm, then, 
   and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

-- Romans 8:1-2
1 There is therefore now No Condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, 
   who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me Free 
   from the law of sin and death.

-- Psalms 119:32 
   I run in the path of Your Commands, for You have set my heart Free.

--------------------------

-- 2 Thessalonians 3:16 
   Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and 
   in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

-- Romans 15:33 
   The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

-- Philippians 4:23 
   The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.