Celebrating Independence Day
Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays -- celebrating patriotism, our history and the tremendous courage, faith and sacrifices of our Founding Fathers. As the 241st birthday of America dawns tomorrow, millions will get together with friends and family for backyard barbeques, games and fireworks.
By all means, enjoy the day!
But please take a moment to remind your children and grandchildren about America's exceptionalism and the significance of Independence Day.
Remind them about the sacrifices made to create this nation and preserve our freedoms. Tell them about America's "values statement." It can be found in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence:
"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. . ."
Those were radical ideas in 1776 and they are still radical concepts in many parts of the world today.
This July 4th is one of the most important in our history. We have stopped the left's fundamental transformation of America. We have been given a second chance.
The future of our liberty depends on whether folks like you and me can muster the courage to overcome the left's "resistance" and save the nation our Founding Fathers created, a nation our first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, described as the "last best hope of Earth."
In closing, I would like to offer a brief word of encouragement to our pastors, who are on the front lines of the culture war, now more than ever, given the left's ongoing assault on our First Amendment freedom of religious liberty.
John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg is a lesser-known hero of the War for Independence. He was a pastor and a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.
In 1775, he preached a sermon on Ecclesiastes 3:1 -- "For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven." Pastor Muhlenberg closed his sermon with these words: "In the language of Holy Writ, there is a time for all things. There is a time to preach and a time to fight. And now is the time to fight."
He then removed his clerical robes and revealed to the congregation that he was wearing the uniform of an officer in the Continental Army.
Pastor Muhlenberg's example of a man of God fighting for our God-given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness should give increased fervor and devotion most especially to those who lead us in the fight for faith, family and freedom. And like few times in our nation's history, this is a time to fight for the values we cherish!
God bless you, my friends, and may God bless the United States of America!