4th of July Exercise

Happy 4th of July! I know that I have been preaching about the terrible direction that this country is headed, yet I have been talking about society and the culture, not our Republic. Though Christians are beginning to be persecuted for teaching (and practicing) holiness, we still live in a republic where we have the freedom to worship as we choose. Many men have given their lives to allow us this freedom, I need to remember to be thankful for that sacrifice.
A couple of weeks ago our family sat down and watched a DVD on the history of the church. The DVD was titled "A Lamp in the Dark". It was a good reminder that, as believers, we haven't always enjoyed the freedoms that we have today. Many Christians were martyred in their attempts to not only worship freely but to pass on the written word of God to others. Today we have so many copies of the Bible that we begin to take it for granted.

This evening we will be celebrating together at the home of one of our church members. I am looking forward to enjoying the freedom to fellowship and worship with our church body. We will celebrate without fear. We are not concerned about government interference, we are not concerned about other religious zealots, and we don't have to fear interruption from the civil authorities. God has been good to us but it is a good reminder not to take it for granted. As we celebrate tonight, we must remember that their are hundreds of missionaries around the world, that though they are U.S. citizens, they don't have the freedom in the countries they are ministering in to worship our Creator freely.
This thought also leads me beg each of you to continue exercising the freedoms that we have. Through constant exercise we may continue to enjoy these freedoms into the next generation. When the church doors are open, exercise your freedom to attend. When your family is together in the evening, exercise your freedom to study the Bible together. When you are in the workplace, exercise your freedom to witness! When you go out to dinner, exercise your freedom to pray. As parents, exercise your freedom to educate your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord!

One of my favorite verses...

I Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Yes, exercise holiness this week. We enjoy no greater freedom!!!