July 4, 08: Light4theDay -
"God Blesses Freedom"
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("How To Receive Christ")
-- John 8:31,32,36 =
31 Jesus said, "If you hold to My Teaching, you are really My disciples. /
32 Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you Free. /
+ 36 So if the Son sets you Free, you will be Free indeed."
-- 2 Corinthians 3:17 =
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, /
there is Freedom.
-- Galatians 5:1 =
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us Free, /
and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
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
The Doorway To Freedom =
/ /
+ You must Receive the Truth of the Scriptures in order
to be Free from the bondage of insecurity and inadequacy.
/ /
+ You have to Receive God's Truth into your inner person. /
Pride in your resources can hinder that reception.
God is a Gentleman; He will not force His ways upon you.
You must open the door of your mind and heart to Him (Revelation 3:20).
/ /
+ You must Believe the Truth of the Scriptures. /
Believing means that you trust God enough to step our
on His promises. You cannot just assent to the Word of God;
you must rely on, lean on, and let Him implement His Word
in your life so that Christ Jesus -- Who is the Truth (John 14:6)
-- can set you Free (John 8:32,36).
/ /
+ You must Act on your Belief. /
Since God tells you in His Word not to worry (Philippians 4:6-7),
you must stop fretting. Since He says you are valuable in
His eyes (John 3:16), you must lay aside your ideas about
a lack of self-worth. when you Receive and Believe God's
Authoritative, Liberating Truth, you have entered
The Doorway of Freedom.
/ /
-- Charles Stanley.
America the Beautiful =
/
O beautiful for spacious skies /
For amber waves of grain, /
For purple mountains majesty /
Above thy fruited plain! /
/
America! America! /
God shed His grace on thee /
And crown thy good with brotherhood /
From sea to shining sea! /
/
O beautiful for pilgrim feet, /
Whose stern, impassioned stress /
A thoroughfare for Freedom beat /
Across the wilderness! /
/
America! America! /
God mend thine every flaw, /
Thy Liberty in law! /
/
O beautiful for heroes proved /
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 every gain divine! /
/
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! /
/
-- Katherine Lee Bates (1893)
Jesus Divine =
(4th of July Poem) /
/
We gather ‘round to celebrate /
On Independence Day /
Pay homage to our country /
As the children run and play. /
/
With barbeques and picnics /
And fireworks in the air /
The flag we own is proudly flown /
To show how much we care. /
/
The stars and stripes spell Freedom /
She waves upon the breeze /
While bursts of colors can be seen /
Above the towering trees. /
/
This is all quite wonderful /
We revel in delight /
But God above in divine love /
Has brought this day to light. /
/
With just a stroke of liberty /
A touch of His divine great hand /
He gave democracy to us /
And helped this country stand. /
/
The stripes upon our stately flag /
Were touched by His sweet grace /
Each star of white that shines so bright /
Reflects His divine loving face. /
/
So as you turn to face the flag /
For battles that were fought /
Be filled with pride for those who died /
And Freedoms that were bought. /
/
But don’t forget to thank the One /
That gives the bright display /
The reason why we paint the sky /
On Independence Day /
/
-- Marilyn Ferguson.
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
-- Luke 4:18 =
"18 The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim Freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." (Isaiah 61:1-2).
-- Ephesians 3:12 =
In Him and through Faith in Him we may approach God /
with Freedom and confidence.
-- James 1:25 =
But the man who looks intently into the Perfect Law that gives Freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it -- he will be blessed in what he does.
-- James 2:12-13 =
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the Law that gives Freedom,
13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
-- 1 Corinthians 8:9 =
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your Freedom /
does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
-- 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.
-- Psalm 118:5 =
In my anguish I cried to the LORD, /
And He answered by setting me Free.
-- Psalms 119:32,45 =
32 I run in the path of Your Commands, /
For You have set my heart Free. /
+ 45 I will walk about in Freedom, /
For I have sought out Your precepts.
++++++++++++++++++
-- 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.
-- 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.