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This weekend we celebrate our freedom as Americans. But, many Americans, and many people around the world, who are declared free by their government, are far from free in reality. True freedom is found only through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

When Jesus comes into your life He changes you. Maybe you have a problem with drugs or alcohol. Maybe you struggle with lust, fear, doubt, or self- pity. Maybe you're a slave to public opinion or perfectionism. But, I want to tell you that the Jesus Christ who set me free is the Jesus Christ who will set you free!

However, our freedom in Jesus Christ isn't the privilege to do what we want. Instead, it is the glorious, abundant, supernatural power to do what we ought.

It is saving grace that sets us free. It is sustaining grace that keeps us free. Romans 6:22 says, "that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

Bow before the Lord and thank Him for the freedom you've been given through the great price of Calvary!

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 10.27. Live for God, on purpose, for it is for freedom that Christ has set us free!

What Real Freedom Means

When I was a small boy, I remember a phrase that was often spoken by my friends. When another child would attempt to "boss them around," they would quickly say, "It's a free country – you can't tell me what to do!" Interestingly, that child-like understanding of freedom stays with many of us Americans.

Can you imagine what this nation would be like if everyone lived with a mind-set of "I'm free – I can do whatever I want!" We may be a "free nation," but there are certainly rules and laws that govern us, allowing each of us to live peaceably with one another. You are "free," but you can't decide to drive on the wrong side of the highway without having disastrous consequences.

As Christians, we are free. But, far too many Christians have a poor understanding of just what real freedom means. Galatians 5:1 tells us that "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free." We are free! However, the verse quickly continues with this command – "Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

What does freedom really mean? It means that you have daily choices that you must make. And, if you choose properly, then you truly experience freedom. But, if you choose less than wisely, you will become "burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

This Sunday is Independence Day – that day marking our freedom as Americans. But, what does freedom really mean? That will be the subject of our message this Sunday, the 4th of July, here at WFA. Join us for this timely message!

Is It All About
Keeping Commandments?

A lot of people are "turned off" concerning religion, because they have mistakenly come to the conclusion that it's all about keeping commandments. While it is true that God expects us to keep his commandments, there is more to it than that, it's a matter of "the heart" also.

A famed dog trainer shared this story: One day he met a man whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his dog with him. That morning, he left the animal in a clearing and gave him a command to stay and watch his lunch bucket while he went into the forest. His faithful friend understood, for that's exactly what he did. Then a fire started in the woods, and soon the blaze spread to the spot where the dog had been left. But he didn't move. He stayed right where he was, in perfect obedience to his master's word. With tearful eyes, the dog's owner said, "I always had to be careful what I told him to do, because I knew he would do it."

Think with me for a moment about what is said about keeping commandments. The apostle John writes in 1 John 2:3, "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." (NKJV) A modern translation puts it this way, "And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments." (NLT) So John tells us that keeping his commandments is one way we can be sure we really know God.

Let me tell you why I think that is a problem for some people. You see, most of us were born and raised in a country that emphasizes personal freedoms and personal rights. Many have the concept firmly implanted that "no one has the right to tell us what to do." Of course that exempts some who do have the right to tell us what to do, like the government or (for a time) our parents or school authorities. However when it comes to matters of religion we have been taught from the beginning that we have "freedom of religion," that is, "no one can tell us what to do in our relationship to God".

To a certain extent that is true, but just as with the freedom to live the way we want there are some exceptions to that rule. We must understand that God does have the right and authority to tell us what to do. Jesus speaking in John 14:15 told those there, "If you love me, you will obey what I command."

Let me emphasize that it is a matter of the heart that causes us to obey God, not the force of the command. Oswald Chambers gave some insight into this concept when he wrote these words. "The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what he says. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself."

You most likely are familiar with the conversation that took place in Mark 20:28-30. If not read it again: "One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." (NLT)

The real question when it comes to obeying God's commandments (or living up to His standards), boils down to the question of who do you love more, Him or yourself? Are you willing to do whatever He asks?

Our Real Roots

Did you know that 52 of the 55 signers of The Declaration of Independence were orthodox, deeply committed Christians? The other three all believed in the Bible as the divine truth, the God of scripture, and His personal intervention.

It is the same congress that formed the American Bible Society. Immediately after creating the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase and import 20,000 copies of scripture for the people of this nation.

Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is still remembered for his words, "Give me liberty or give me death." But in current textbooks the context of these words is deleted. Here is what he said: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."

These sentences have been erased from our textbooks.

Was Patrick Henry a Christian? The following year, 1776, he wrote this: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here."

Consider these words that Thomas Jefferson wrote on the front of his well-worn Bible: "I am a Christian, that is to say a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our Creator and, I hope, to the pure doctrine of Jesus, also."

Consider these words from George Washington, the Father of our Nation, in his farewell speech September 19, 1796: "It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

Was George Washington a Christian? Consider these words from his personal prayer book: "Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb and purge my heart by the Holy Spirit. Daily, frame me more and more in the likeness of thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time obtain the resurrection of the justified unto eternal life. Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind and let the world be filled with the knowledge of thy son, Jesus Christ."

Consider these words by John Adams, our second President, who also served as chairman of the American Bible Society.

In an address to military leaders he said, "We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and true religion. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

How about our first Court Justice, John Jay? He stated that when we select our national leaders, if we are to preserve our Nation, we must select Christians. "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian Nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, was the sixth U.S. President. He was also the chairman of the American Bible Society, which he considered his highest and most important role. On July 4, 1821, President Adams said, "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."

Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President of the United States reaffirmed this truth when he wrote, "The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country."

In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: "The congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools."

William Holmes McGuffey is the author of the McGuffey Reader, which was used for over 100 years in our public schools with over 125 million copies sold until it was stopped in 1963. President Lincoln called him the "Schoolmaster of the Nation."

Listen to these words of Mr. McGuffey: "The Christian religion is the religion of our country. From it are derived our notions on character of God, on the great moral Governor of the universe. On its doctrines are founded the peculiarities of our free institutions. From no source has the author drawn more conspicuously than from the sacred Scriptures. From all these extracts from the Bible I make no apology."

Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly Christian, including the first.

Harvard University, chartered in 1636. In the original Harvard Student Handbook rule number 1 was that students seeking entrance must know Latin and Greek so that they could study the scriptures: "Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus Christ as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of him (Proverbs 2:3)."

For over 100 years, more than 50% of all Harvard graduates were pastors!

It is clear from history that the Bible and the Christian faith were foundational in our educational and judicial system. However in 1947, there was a radical change of direction in the Supreme Court.

Here is the prayer that was banished: "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence on Thee. We beg Thy blessings upon us and our parents and our teachers and our country. Amen."

In 1963, the Supreme Court ruled that Bible reading was outlawed as unconstitutional in the public school system. The court offered this justification: "If portions of the New Testament were read without explanation, they could and have been psychologically harmful to children."

Bible reading was now unconstitutional, though the Bible was quoted 94 percent of the time by those who wrote our Constitution and shaped our Nation and its system of education and justice and government.

In 1965, the Courts denied as unconstitutional the rights of a student in the public school cafeteria to bow his head and pray audibly for his food.

In 1980, Stone vs. Graham outlawed the Ten Commandments in our public schools.

The Supreme Court said this: "If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments were to have any effect at all, it would be to induce school children to read them. And if they read them, meditated upon them, and perhaps venerated and observed them, this is not a permissible objective."

Is it not a permissible objective to allow our children to follow the moral principles of the Ten Commandments?

James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution of the United States, said this: "We have staked the whole future of our new nation, not upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments."

Today we are asking God to bless America. But how can He bless a Nation that has departed so far from Him?

Most of what you read in this article has been erased from our textbooks. Revisionists have rewritten history to remove the truth about our country's Christian roots.

as seen at http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/forsakenroots.html

Let Freedom Ring

The Declaration of Independence pronounced the colonies free from British rule on July 4, 1776. What proceeded and followed this declaration were the historic battles still taught in every elementary school. For six years the colonies shook with the Battles of Concord and Lexington, Bunker Hill and Saratoga. The war finally ended at Valley Forge where British General Cornwallis surrendered to what would be the United States‘ first president, George Washington. Two years later the British and the Americans signed a peace treaty in France.

Freedom does not come without a price. Through the Revolutionary War our nation's freedom was paid for by the blood and sacrifice of the men and women who fought for their dream of what would become the United States. The battles were not easy, and the years took their toll on our young nation. In the end, the price was paid and freedom achieved. By 1781, the Fourth of July was named a national holiday and today fireworks, parades and picnics still mark this celebration.

The Gospel message preaches a similar tune. We have been given freedom in Christ. The freedom we have is freedom from death caused by sin. God sent His only Son to die and shed his blood for us. The ultimate price of freedom was paid through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Although the cost was high, Jesus‘ death and resurrection purchased the freedom of anyone who trusts in Him. By faith, we become children of God and co-heirs with Christ. Through Him, we are made pure, holy and blameless – all gifts – God gives to us freely.

Still, with this freedom comes tremendous responsibility. The gift of freedom is not a license to do as you please. Rather, it is a calling to live unselfishly and righteously. Freedom rings when you chose not to indulge all your desires, but chose to live a life honoring to the Lord.

As you enjoy Fourth of July festivities this weekend and celebrate the freedom of our nation, say a prayer of thanks to God for the freedom from sin He has given you and for the life He has given you to live now, and throughout all eternity with Him.

"God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom." (1 Corinthians 1:30)

The Declaration of Dependence

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for people to declare their dependence on Almighty God, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to this decision.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain undeniable gifts, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of the Kingdom of God.

We declare an end to our spiritual autonomy from the God who loves us, and join our voices with that of Mary, who said, "I am the Lord's servant; may it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38)

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred honor.

The Fires of My Fathers

A Tennessee mountaineer refused to leave his cabin when government engineers decided to flood his valley in connection with an electrical power development project during the Great Depression. The man was offered five times what his home was worth but turned down the money, saying his family had lived there for generations. He was not moving. Then the government built a new house and installed modern conveniences, informing him he could have it if he would just move from his old cabin. "Nope," he replied, "won't move."

Mystified, the authorities asked him why the old place was so special to him. The man explained that his grandfather had started a fire on the hearth there many years before and had instructed his son to keep it burning as a sort of sacred family symbol. His father had passed that legacy to him, and he was determined to keep the fire of his forefathers burning. The engineers suggested that they could gather up the fire and place it on the hearth of the new house, thus keeping the fire alive in a new setting. To this, the old man agreed. "All I want," he said, "is to keep alive the fires of my fathers."

Americans are again observing the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Fourth of July, family outings, fried chicken, fireworks – and a glance back to the fire that burned in the hearts of Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton and Washington. From time to time we wonder if that fire is still alive or if perhaps it has become only an ember, a hint of what was once a blaze. Are the values that drove our forebears – belief in a sovereign God and commitment to the liberty of the human personality – still giving light to our society?

The thousands who line the sidewalks outside U.S. embassies in many parts of the world seeking permission to move into our cabin are not troubled by that question. But we who have lived long in this valley mourn the passing of certain traditions and the casual disregard of once deeply held standards. It is a more basic – and more profound – matter than the simple return to "family values" for which some call. The flame of freedom in which this nation was born – like that present in the Spirit of the Lord – is a fundamental loyalty to truth, justice and respect for all persons.

All I want for America is to keep alive the fires of the fathers.

The Last Impression

The July 4th weekend was coming up, and the Sunday School nursery teacher took the opportunity to tell her class about patriotism.

"We live in a great country," she said. "One of the things we should be happy is that, in this country, we are all free."

One little boy came walking up to her from the back of the room. He stood with his hands on his hips and said, "I'm not free. I'm four."

This year our American Independence Day, the Fourth of July, falls on Sunday. What a great way to celebrate our freedom, by gathering together to worship God and thank Him for the freedom we have in Christ! Before you gather together with family and friends for the traditional picnic and a night of watching the fireworks, be sure to take advantage of the freedom we have as Americans to gather together here at WFA and worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!