God's Independence Day

This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I hope you will as well.

We are on the "home stretch" of our two week vacation, and we have had a blast. I am so thankful for the great family time that we are having. God is good!

We have seen a lot of neat things on this trip, but yesterday was my favorite! We went to Presidents Park in Williamsburg. When I was a teenager, one of my hobbies was reading autobiographies (or biographies, whatever the case may have been for that individual President) and I learned to greatly appreciate the office of President of the United States of America. One of my favorites is George Washington. In the picture above, I am standing in front of a "bust" or sculpture of the first President of the USA. The park has a monument of every president, with information about his presidency. It was awesome.

As I walked through the park, I was so thankful for our great country and the freedom that we have. I had to pause several times to give God thanks for the great USA.

This morning I read a devotion by Beth Patch, on CBN.com, that I wanted to share with you. I believe it will minister to you!

I don’t know an American who hasn’t celebrated Independence Day in their lifetime. The smell of burgers and hot dogs sizzling on the grill outside and the bursting of fireworks in the sky become familiar on July 4th. We eat, maybe the Star Spangled Banner is played and then everyone watches fireworks and goes home. It’s a national holiday, so most people take the day off and go back to work the next day. I’ve rarely ever been in the midst of a July 4th party where much seriousness was given to the reason for the festivity.

I do know of an Independence Day celebration that’s coming up that will impress the whole world. I can’t tell you the date, and you shouldn’t believe anyone who tells you they can. But, no one on earth or in heaven will miss its importance, and it will mark a day of freedom from the greatest oppressor ever.

It is the day of the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! It is the beginning of real freedom, like no one has ever had before (except Adam and Eve before they sinned). Those who have believed in Christ’s atoning blood for their sins and have trusted and believed in Him, might have what an old preacher of mine used to call ‘a Hallelujah breakdown!’

This Independence Day will release Christians from the many sins that keep them entangled. Imagine, no more sickness, no more addictions, no more gossip, no more unkindness, no more anything that does not reflect the positive attributes of the love of our Father God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Currently, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us, to strengthen us, to comfort us, and to give us power through Christ’s death and resurrection. But, many Christians are still bound by one sin or another. When Jesus comes, all our negative baggage goes away. I can’t think of a better freedom than that.

Actually, the whole scene of Jesus’ return sounds so incredible that I don’t know if there are words that describe the immense emotional, spiritual, and physical response that people will have.

The Bible tells us that Jesus will return to earth just like He left, through the clouds (Acts 1: 11b), with his angels (Matt 16: 27), with the trumpet call of God and a loud command (1 Thess 4: 16). Scripture says we will be changed in a twinkling of an eye and Jesus will destroy all dominion, authority and power (1 Cor 15: 52).

Our earthly minds are limited in their comprehension of this miraculous time. It’s a God thing, and try as we may, we can’t peg down the details on how God will accomplish the return of Jesus Christ and the destruction of evil.

Picture in your mind the sky filled with God’s mighty angels, the sound of God’s trumpet, which has to be the most beautiful and loudest sounding instrument, and our Lord Jesus shining radiantly as He leads His mighty angelic troop in the earth’s sky.

Personally, I picture myself laid out flat on my face crying tears of joy and relief with my hands raised in praise because the promised day has finally come.

Picture Jesus shouting with a sound that our souls will recognize as the call of our Master as He draws us to Himself in the sky. Anticipate the warm feeling of peace and acceptance overcoming us as the presence of the Lord is before us, and we go to be with the Lord for eternity.
Envision getting to see the victory as Christ and his angels capture Satan and his demons and justice is completed. It will be more graphic and stirring than any riveting movie that Hollywood could ever think of producing.

They’ve been trying to depict the story of good versus evil for mankind and one fabulous day, God will show us the real thing on this Independence Day.

What do you picture? Are you excited about this day? How do you see yourself reacting?
Many theologians have studied the return of Christ and not all have agreed about the order of when things happen or exactly how they happen. These varied opinions on the return of Christ and the disappearance of believers from the earth have created divisions among believers who desperately want to cling to one decided order of the end times.

My response to such division is that it won’t matter how we interpret end times scriptures when God’s day of Independence comes. We won’t be divided on that day – we will all celebrate!
There may be those who are reading this who are stirred in excitement thinking about this holy Independence Day. There also may be those who aren’t sure they believe they will be part of the group that Jesus Christ will call to join Him.

My heart hurts for those of the latter group. I want you to know that you can know for sure whether you will be spending eternity with God. The Bible says we can know for sure.
1 John 5: 13 reads, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (NIV)

Believing goes beyond an intellectual acceptance of the historical facts and beyond just looking to Christ in times of tragedy or need. Believing involves a heartfelt acceptance that you are a sinner, and that Christ truly was sinless and gave His life in place of yours as payment for your sins. He rose from death after the third day, and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God until the day of His return.

It is the beginning of a love so deep that you want to know more and more about Christ and the Bible. It places a desire in your heart to change from a person seeking to please yourself to a person seeking to please God.

The down side of God’s Independence Day is that those who have not believed in Christ’s sacrifice for our lives, and have not chosen to devote their lives to loving Him will not be joining the celebration. They will be fearful and hopeless. The Bible says that condemnation and separation from God forever awaits those who refused the Messiah, Jesus Christ (John 3:18).

May we all be mindful that God promised this day will come, and it will be a day of division and completion. Pray for those who do not know our Savior and tell everyone you can about the salvation and love that comes from Christ.

The Independence Day of our God will come when we least expect it and we are instructed to be ready as if it were the next moment. So, in case it happens to be today, Happy Independence Day!


Blessings!


Pastor Rusty