Freedom!

For Saturday, July 06, 2024:

Galatians 5:1 NLT: “Freedom is what we have—Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again.”

Earlier this week in the US, we celebrated Independence Day, when the colonies declared themselves separated from the edicts of King George. Our leaders met and decided that we should no longer be slaves. We deserve “free will,” the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom is worth fighting for, and fight we did, victorious at the conclusion. The Holy Spirit had moved the minds of our founding fathers to endorse a new, unique system of government! Playing games with semantics, you can call us a Republic or a Democracy or a Democratic Republic. But it all boils down to “Freedom!”

250 years ago, most countries had kings, monarchs, or dictators. This new United States was the exception, espousing freedom. People live all over the world, but we are the ones blessed by being set down in a nation of freedom. God chose us to be here. Comparing the US with living in other countries, our freedom is clearly a gift from above. Therefore it is our duty to uphold that freedom and support the living God who so blessed us.

Have you ever asked a first-order question, like, “Why am I here?” We exist to live as God intended, to write God’s principles of freedom into forever-textbooks. After the US was established, many other countries used the United States’ model to author their own constitutions. Freedom is catching on, albeit slowly.

God wants to spread freedom much faster than dictators want to give it up!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Endowed by their Creator...

July 01, 2013 Monday Message:

“Endowed by their Creator…” (from the Declaration of Independence)

Planning the USA, our founding fathers relied on several truths or axioms. These fundamental principles, these concepts we all agree to accept and believe, define our system of government. Therefore our laws and their enforcement need to “fit” within our country’s “value system.”

The signers of our Declaration of Independence were people of faith. They all believed in God-the-creator, but held to small denominational differences, mostly in worship style and traditions. So they wisely set aside their differences, and based our country on what they had in common: a Creator-God who had a purpose in mind for His creation, and a plan for how things should go.

The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are more than man-made rules; we are endowed with these gifts by our Creator. The Declaration describes these as “unalienable rights,” rights that cannot be taken away, rights given to us by God – and these principles form the DNA of our nation.

Our government’s entire operating system - our leaders, lawmakers and judges – need to rigorously examine each decision through the lens of our country’s axioms: “Does this law leave everyone’s God-given rights intact? Is this policy in line with the Creator’s plan for His people?”

By the way, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is not an inclusive list; rather, it’s a starting point for what God has in mind for his creation.

May God's blessings go with each of you this week as we celebrate the birth of our nation!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets every Sunday at 10:30am in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This Sunday, July 07, I’ll be shining the light of Jesus, Luke 11:29-36. Prepare to sing the song! See you at church!

NL