July 2, 2004

[Rev. Doc]

Freedom

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom"
2 Corinthians 3:17

Freedom has never been cheap. It has always come with a price.

Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Their conviction resulted in untold sufferings for themselves and their families. Of the 56 men, five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army. Another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the war. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships sunk by the British navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in poverty. At the battle of Yorktown, the British General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson's home for his headquarters. Nelson quietly ordered General George Washington to open fire on the Nelson home. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and mill were destroyed. For over a year, he lived in forest and caves, returning home only to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion.

Prayer: Thank God for the freedom you enjoy to worship Him and prayer for others around the world who yearn for such freedom.

"Lord Jesus, thou who art the way, the truth, and the life; hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make all free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. It costs too much to be hoarded. Help us see that our liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to please to do what is right." ~Peter Marshall, Before the U.S. Senate.

[true_noir_chloe]

>>liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to please to do what is right."

I remember when I first read this and how it hit my heart and how proud I was to live in America. Not prideful, but more proud in grateful to my God for placing me here.

Thank you again, Rev.Doc. I think when you travel to other countries and listen to other people and how they speak of America in a positive light, you realize we are still that beacon on the hill. We have been graced, by God's soveriegnty with a freedom that has never been known in any other country. And because of this, we have been graced with opportunity to spread His gospel so much more freely. Let's hope we don't forget these freedoms and why God set us apart in the first place. ^___^