Tidbits of Truth

[Gary Cendroski]

Hey all you wonderful people.Today, 7/2/08, is the anniversary of the vote of the Second Continental Congress to pass Virginia's resolution "...that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states, that they are absolved of all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved...." It was the day in history that we Americans made history. The day the decision was made to be our own country. It was the first time any colony of a nation broke from the parent stem and declared its independence and freedom.This statement was incorporated into the Declaration of Independence, which was passed on July 4, 1776, and signed by John Hancock, the president of Congress, and Charles Thomson, the secretary, on behalf of the Congress. The prepared embossed copy was signed by most of the fifty six signers in August of that year and the last signer put his name on it probably in 1781.Their declaration of freedom was a done deal. Their claiming of that freedom took a fight.Our Lord Jesus Christ told us "...the truth shall make you free" and "...thy [God's] word is truth." Worldly bondage is nothing compared to spiritual bondage.God did not send and give the life of His only begotten Son for an organization. He did it for you and me. The Body of Christ is not an organization, it's an organism - a living body with Christ as the head and us as the members. One of the Devil's slickest methods to turn people away from God is to use religion as a diversion. If you have a bad taste in your mouth about spiritual things because of what men have done, consider instead what God has done.God declared our spiritual freedom for us in Christ. It's a done deal. But if you want to claim that freedom in life it will take a fight. Our Lord said "If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." If you've ever tried to continue in the Word, you know the Devil doesn't make it easy. Don't let him, the world, or the flesh get you down. The Body of Christ needs you and the world needs you to be salt and light.William Penn stated "Those who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants." Similarly, Benjamin Franklin stated "We'll be ruled by God or by God we'll be ruled."Those who have gone before us have won for us our freedom. It's up to us now to keep it. The best way we can do that is to shine as the lights God made us to be and continue to be the salt that preserves. We owe it to our family, our spiritual household and our country.