Declaration of Independence
“It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.” ~ John Adams
Hi Men:
I pray your week was one filled with gratitude. Not only for the freedoms we enjoy, but for the ultimate freedom we have “in” Christ. We were slaves to sin and He set those free that put their trust in Him. Our master used to be the things of the world, now our Master is Jesus Christ…. and He calls us friend. Now that is Good News!
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
A few facts I thought were interesting:
- Only 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence — and many paid dearly for it.
- 5 were captured by the British and brutally tortured as traitors before they died.
- 12 had their homes ransacked and burned.
- 2 lost their sons in the Revolutionary War.
- 1 had two sons captured by the British army.
- 9 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
- Many lost everything they owned.
They were merchants, lawyers, farmers, ministers—yet they sacrificed careers, comfort, and even family for the cause of liberty
The signers risked everything with these closing words:
“We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
- John Adams wrote that Independence Day:
- “Should be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
- He didn’t say “barbecue and beer” 🍺 He said “devotion to God.”
- Most of the Founding Fathers believed the success of the Republic depended on morality — and religion
- Geo. Washington said: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”
- The framework only holds if the people remain grounded in truth.
- This was amazing! 29 of the signers held seminary degrees or were trained in theology and John Witherspoon, who we discussed in a prior Friday Letter was a clergyman, so you can see, God’s Word shaped the worldview that shaped a nation.
- The American experiment was never meant to be freedom from God — but freedom to worship Him.
👉 Liberty without God becomes lawlessness. But liberty under God becomes blessing
A Divine Encounter on Allegiant Airlines
On Wednesday, I took a 6:00 AM flight from Las Vegas to Knoxville. I had been praying that the Lord would put me next to someone with whom I could have a significant conversation.
Because of my broken foot, I had taken an aisle seat. A young man and his pregnant girlfriend sat next to me, but they were quickly engrossed in a downloaded movie starring The Rock – Dwayne Johnson. The girlfriend had to get up several times to use the restroom, and seeing the struggle I had without my crutches, one of the flight attendants suggested I move to the row behind me, which had only one person in the window seat. I thought it was a great idea, was grateful and took her up on it.
As soon as I sat down, the woman looked at me and said, “I’m glad you took this seat—I was getting lonely.” You just can’t make this stuff up.
We started chatting, and quickly discovered we had several friends in common! One of them was a man who worked at the Boy Scout office when I was a young Scout—he had been such an encouragement to me during those years. We both kept saying, “What a small world!”
As God would have it, the conversation deepened—we both shared that we had been raised Catholic. Now the door really opened. I even told her I was going to be a Catholic Priest. She liked that! We ended up talking for nearly two hours. I couldn’t begin to recount everything, but here are a few highlights:
She admitted that like most Catholics she had never been encouraged to read the Bible. That was my cue—I shared my full testimony with her. At one point I said, “You’ve heard the term ‘born again,’ right?” She nodded. I told her, “I used to hate that term—until it happened to me.”
I pulled out everything I had: “The Million Dollar Gospel of John” – “Steps to Peace With God,” – “Are you a Good Person” and all the other tracts and materials—and she wanted every bit of it and gave her extras. I believe the Holy Spirit has deeply convicted her heart. She said she would start reading the Bible regularly and begin with the Gospel of John.
She also shared that The Chosen series has greatly impacted her.
You can even see in this photos where she’s going through “Steps to Peace With God.”
Please pray for Barbara—a 79-year-old widow—whose heart was soft and ready for truth. In fact, she has already texted me about the impact of our conversation.
Men, you might think you wouldn’t get to square one with a 79-year-old woman—but Barbara knew something was missing in her life. Never be reluctant to share the good news—whether with the young or the old.
Blessings to you and your family on this Independence Day
Dan
Does the following describe you?
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—may I think about such things. The things I have learned and received and heard and seen in those who walk with Christ I will practice, and the God of peace will be with me.
(Philippians 4:8–9)
“If you are not careful, the velocity of life can seduce you, resulting in your failure to give proper attention to those responsibilities given you by your King.”
The Perils of Velocity – Red Book Day 188
The purpose of these devotionals is to help you think Biblically
Solomon said, “As a man thinks, so is he”
A dear friend sent these great verses:
Teach me Your way, O Yahweh;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from Sheol below.
O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,
And a band of ruthless men have sought my life,
And they have not set You before them.
But You, O Lord, are a God compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh grant Your strength to Your slave,
And save the son of Your maidservant.
Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O Yahweh, have helped me and comforted me.
(Psalm 86:11-17 LSB)
“Some pain can be endured………”
“Some pain can be endured… but there is a sharp, nauseating pain that pushes into the very core of our being, pouring into the brain and eroding your spirit. For that pain, much grace of God is needed.”
~ Charles Spurgeon
Watch this 54 second message by Joni Eareckson Tada
Let Them Leap To Hell Over Our Bodies
One of the most sacred and most important of our tasks in prayer is to intercede on behalf of the lost. We know that every one of our friends, neighbors, and family members needs to hear the good news of the gospel and repent and believe. We know that God is the Good Shepherd, who makes it his purpose to seek out and save the lost. We know that God hears the prayers of his people. And so of course we can and we should and we must pray that God would save them!
We must pray that God would show them their lostness and show them the way to be found. We must pray that he would generate opportunities for us to share the gospel and that we would be obedient in accepting those opportunities and making the most of them, for it may be God’s good pleasure not only to save them, but to use us as his instruments to do so.
May Spurgeon’s compassion for the lost and his passion for evangelizing them be reflected in all of us.
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
Link to article
INSIGHT FOR LIVING: “A REASON TO GO ON”
God has given us a purpose for our existence, a reason to go on, even though that existence includes tough times. Living through suffering, we become sanctified—in other words, set apart for the glory of God. We gain perspective. We grow deeper. We grow up!
One of brothers that was invaluable in our Scout Troop in the day, sent me this article by a faithful author and pastor of many years – Chuck Swindoll. I think you will like it…..
“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
(Deuteronomy 5:16)
The Fifth Commandment is the only commandment with a promise
Self-fulfilling prophesy from Daniel Moynihan:
“From the wild Irish slums of the 19th century eastern seaboard to the riot-torn suburbs of Los Angeles, there is one unmistakable lesson in American history: a community that allows a large number of young men to grow up in broken families, dominated by women, never acquiring any set of rational expectations about the future — that community asks for and gets chaos. Crime, violence, unrest, disorder — most particularly the furious, unrestrained lashing out at the whole social structure — that is not only to be expected; it is very near to inevitable. And it is richly deserved.”
— Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan – 1965
You all have seen this statement before. But have you taken a hard look at both your calendar and checkbook…… and while you’re at it, take a look at the emails and text messages you have sent —– TEMPORAL or ETERNAL?
