Happy Fourth of July!

 

I hope that we all thank God this time of year for the blessing of freedom.  So many people around the world can only dream about the opportunity and hope that we have as Americans.  While I know that God does not love us more than He does other nations, it is without question that He has graced us with advantages that allow us to do a great work for His Kingdom. 

 

I do want to take this day to caution us.  There are many good things under Heaven that we have been blessed with that we must never confuse for Heaven itself.  What I mean by that is, we can very easily turn God’s blessings into worldly idols.  This would certainly include our comforts and pleasures in life, but it would also include hidden things like our children, our traditions, or even our country.  There is only one thing in our life that is worthy of worship and that is God.  Anytime we try and put the worldly in the place of the divine, bad things are going to happen.  This is part of what Paul is warning us about in Colossians 2:4 and 2:8, and it is also what prophets of old (such as Moses and Samuel) warned the people of their day about.  As we celebrate the glory of our country and our freedom today, may we never compare that in any way to the glory of God.  It is not only sinful to do so, but it also false.  The glory of God is beyond compare

 

It is a blessing to serve with you,

Pastor Lance