The 4th of July

Well here it is again. Tomorrow is the day we celebrate our independence, the birth of our great nation. Most Americans will be out watching fireworks tomorrow night, but how many watching those fireworks think about what they represent? Countless men and women have given their lives for us to enjoy the freedoms we now have. They fought and died to gain independence from England, and they're still out fighting to this day to defend freedom. Defending freedom against those that despise our way of life, and fighting to give freedom to those who have never known what freedom feels like. We are so use to being able to protest whatever we do not agree with, speak our minds on any issue, we take for granted what we have here. The truth that has almost been forgotten in our present culture is that those that founded this country did so for religious freedom. Not freedom from religion like so many now like to claim. Instead it was to practice the religion they chose, not what the crown told them. In essence the settlers that came here were protestants, and the crown dictated that in England you were to be Catholic. Unbelievers may think these are the same, but they are not. Catholics believe in a system of saved by works, where as Protestants believe you are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Things have not always been the way they are now. People through history have been killed for their religious beliefs, now so many people disregard religion and even fight against anyone practicing it. Even here in this great country of freedom and liberty people have taken the stance that it is not enough that no one is required to attend any church, but they want any mention of religion banned from the public eye. This attack on religion is usually aimed at one group in particular. Who is this group? Radical Islam? Nope. Catholics? Nope. It is aimed at the Protestants that founded our country. What a difference 232 years can make! I just encourage every one as you gaze at those fireworks, remember the founding fathers, what they stood for. Remember all those that laid down their lives that you might have freedom. Ponder the irony that in 232 years we have come from starting a new nation to have religious freedom, to having the freedom and fighting to force religion underground!
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.