As the presidential campaign season unfolds ahead of the 2020 election, candidates and citizens alike, says the American Pastors Network, should consider this question: “What is truth?”
APN President Sam Rohrer, host of the popular daily radio program, “Stand in the Gap Today,” heard on more than 425 stations nationwide, as well as the daily radio feature, “Stand in the Gap Minute,” said some candidates for public office don’t even know the answer to the question, “What is truth?”
For instance, some time ago, Rohrer said, he interviewed a candidate and asked him to define truth. His answer: “I don’t know.”
“So I asked,” Rohrer recalled, “‘How will you make your decisions in office and know you’re right?’ The candidate said, ‘I guess I’ll follow my gut.’ Truth is not open for debate or found in the gut. Rejecting Jesus as truth ensures no moral compass. Rejecting truth results in confusion, moral bankruptcy, bribery and corruption. Rejecting truth guarantees that no person, be they Republican, Democrat or Independent, can lead with integrity, principle and consistency, as each desirable character traits hinges on truth as defined by God’s Word and modeled by Jesus Christ.”
As an example, Rohrer pointed to Isaiah 59:19, which says: “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against them.”
“As political campaigns overwhelm our land, lies and distortions are told, and truth falls in the streets, Isaiah declares that God’s Spirit will raise up a standard against it,” Rohrer said. “This standard, of course, is Jesus Christ—the Way and the Truth. But God often chooses to raise up His prepared Remnant as the salt and light—the truth standard to oppose evil and make clear the truth. Every true Christian is part of God’s empowered standard to stand against the enemies of truth. The real question is: ‘Are we doing our part?”
Additionally, because the culture has become morally sick—having defined good as evil and evil as good—is there a cure?
“When truth is rejected and division results, is there healing?” Rohrer continued. “There can be. To some, the Bible is inspiring—a good book. For others, the Bible is a source of truth. At the American Pastors Network, we lift up the Word of God as the final authority—the only source of truth—never in error and always right. It alone defines good and evil. It alone can point the lost and wandering to eternal life. It alone, if obeyed, can heal the lonely heart and restore the broken family. Obedience to God’s Word alone can restore our nation and return God’s blessing to us. An absolute cure exists, but only if we embrace the truth.”
Likewise, in Matthew 10:36, Rohrer added, Jesus made a startling statement: “I have not come to send peace but a sword.”
“Why would God contrast peace with a sword?” Rohrer asked. “When pastors rightly preach God’s truth, citizens embrace truth, and those in office properly wield the sword of truth, it will instruct, bring clarity from confusion and heal the division caused by the enemies of truth who pit rich against poor, white against black and so on. You see, the sword of truth divides truth from lies, Christ from Satan and freedom from bondage. Accepting Christ as truth brings God’s peace and joy. Rejecting Christ brings judgment and separation from God’s peace. Choosing truth or rejecting truth is a choice that brings healing or judgment, life or death.”
Rohrer also pointed to Joshua 24:15, where Joshua challenged the people by saying, ‘if you’ve got a problem serving the God of heaven, then be honest enough to state who you will serve.”
“Serving God requires purposeful choices with a life that proves it!” he said. “While most Americans say they’re Christians, their lives don’t prove it—and our culture unfortunately reflects it with saltless salt, little light and no morally prevailing influence. It’s our lives, not our words, that matter. The time has come to reject idle speech and hearts that worship other gods. Living holy, having a compelling Christian testimony and embracing truth with no other gods before us is a choice. May we like Joshua declare, ‘but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD’—of Truth!”
Photo by Ronda Darby on Unsplash
Back to School Gives Children and Parents a Chance to Go ‘Back to God’
/4 Comments/in Blog /by News Roomby Sam Rohrer
It’s approaching fast! We’ll soon be sending our kids and grandkids back to school! But where is our emphasis? New classes? School supplies? Clothing? God’s emphasis starts with how we’re preparing our children spiritually. In Deuteronomy 6, God commanded His people to teach His ways to their children. This includes a God focus in the morning, throughout the day and in the evening. Are we approaching God’s mandate strategically and intentionally in our child’s education and life the best we can be?
Consider starting each morning with your kids in prayer, committing to Christ-like decisions and behaviors. Next, encourage this daily. Uplifting lunchbox notes or text messages may be just what’s needed to overcome anxiety or temptation. Finally, end each day thanking God for His protection and wisdom, then close with Scripture and prayer. Character is not formed in a day; it’s formed day by day to train up a godly next generation.
I’m already stepping off Xanax after two months of treatment. Today is the third day after dose reduction. I feel fine, just slight anxiety comes wavy, but I’m doing good overall. I know about Xanax withdrawal but hope to avoid it. My psychiatrist says it’s possible if we don’t hurry and taper off the therapy gradually. Wish me luck!
Likewise, a new school year should motivate us to more intentionally develop our children’s complete God-centered education. Even our Lord Jesus grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man. So, how can we encourage our children as they enter a new school year? Scripture describes God’s design for parents and children as a loving relationship. Joseph and Mary invested in the life of Jesus, providing both His physical and learning needs. Helping our children with an assignment communicates the importance of them and their education. Turning off the television, computers and cell phones to read together increases knowledge as well the relationship with our children. Just talking with your son or daughter about their day as you share a meal can open conversations to encourage learning in ways often overlooked. Other people and resources can help too, but nothing compares to a loving parent committed to the whole education of their child.
This Christian parental involvement is critical, because sadly, according to a 2018 Barna and Impact 360 Institute Research study, 96% of Generation Z have a failed education if we consider that just 4% hold a biblical worldview. But this tragic fact can change if parents live biblically. First, remember that making disciples starts in the home. Second, purposely address the difficult issues of our culture, whether these involve sex, gender or evolution. God’s Word addresses these matters, and so can parents. Third, make worldview development a daily effort. Living obediently, reading your Bible and praying, loving your spouse and faithfully attending church sets a compelling example for children.
When it comes to a biblical worldview, more is “caught” than “taught.” Allowing children to see an obedient walk with God in our lives will confirm that God is real, personal, just and loving. It’s the hope and confidence the next generation needs.
But with cultural challenges evident, can children really spiritually succeed in school? The apostle Paul addressed this challenge to young Timothy when he wrote in 1 Timothy 4:12: “Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” The greatest test of our children’s faith will be to live it out at school. When Paul taught Timothy to set an example through his speech and actions, he knew the young man’s life would impact others.
Whether to a classmate or teacher, the words our children use display their attitudes. Their actions come next. Together, their speech and actions determine their example, and that example can be powerful. Parents and grandparents, our words and choices set a powerful example to the kids we love. So let’s make a renewed effort to set the highest possible standard for our words and actions. In turn, our children will be encouraged to do the same.
Finally, let’s remember the most important things to send with our children to school. How many times have we reminded, “Don’t forget your lunch!” as kids head out the door? And I wonder how many children have heard it over the years. As parents, we work hard to make sure our children have everything they need to succeed in school. This includes their lunch as well as homework, but what do our children need to succeed spiritually? If we’re intentional in living a biblical worldview, making disciples, speaking of God when they get up, through the day and at the end of the day, children will be prepared to make the choices that result in spiritual success.
Training up a child in the way they should go is God’s plan. Praying faithfully for them, as James 5:16 reminds us, is also part of God’s plan and more important than we may ever understand. Prayer is the glue that cements biblical training, a godly example and a biblical worldview into place.
Note: This article was originally published on the Christian Post website HERE.
Photo by Hope House Press – Leather Diary Studio on Unsplash
Seven Prayers-Seven Judgments: A Stand in the Gap Minute Series Based on II Chronicles 6
/1 Comment/in Blog /by News RoomCan We Know if God’s Judgment is on America?
As I crisscross this nation and interface with pastors and Christian leaders, it’s apparent that crippling paralysis and impotence grip most Christians as well as the Church at large in America. When our pulpits should be flaming with the preaching of righteousness, repentance, and God’s anger with personal and national sin, most are silent. Instead of calling attention to God’s judgment, many pastors deny that we can even know if God is judging America. Seeking ‘comfort’ rather than ‘engagement,’ most pastors are inadvertently contributing to the destruction of our nation by infusing their people with lethargy rather than with an urgency for righteous living.
This paralysis exists in part because leading pastors and church leaders are not certain themselves if God’s judgment is on America or if anyone can or should legitimately declare what God is doing or not doing. Some well-known pastors recently declared this position, with one even telling me directly that 2 Chron.
Chronicles 7:14, which speaks to the issue of national judgment, is not for America or any nation today. They’ve actually said that to speak of the certainty of judgment, to offer the requirements for repentance, and to tell of God’s promise to ‘hear our prayer, forgive our sins, and heal our land’ is to offer a fraudulent hope!
I contend that claiming we cannot know if God’s judgment is on our nation is but a feeble attempt to justify the failure of pastors convincingly to preach on the reality of sin, God’s anger with sin, His holiness, and the need for repentance. The cost of not preaching on the reality of God’s judgment is great.
The failure to preach on the need for repentance now will guarantee God’s final judgment on America. I contend that if we can recognize God’s blessing on our nation, we can with as much certainty know when His hand of judgment is on us. In this week’s Stand in the Gap Minutes, I will identify the seven marks of national judgment that precipitated God’s answer to King Solomon in 2 Chron. 7:14. The correlations to America are undeniable.
Please click on the links below:
Study: Majority of Christians Say Their Faith Came from a Family Member
/0 Comments/in Blog, Release /by News RoomAccording to recent research by Barna, a majority of Christians say they came to the faith long before adulthood—usually before the age of 12.
American Pastors Network (APN) says the findings are interesting because they show the link between faith and heritage, but simultaneously, asks APN President Sam Rohrer, what does it mean for the future of the Christian Church in light of the knowledge that more millennials—today’s young parents—are backing away from Christianity.
“What will be the future of the church if we know that 59% of current practicing Christians say their Christian faith was ‘passed down’ to them from a family member?” said Rohrer, who hosts the popular daily radio program, “Stand in the Gap Today,” heard on several hundred stations nationwide. “With more and more millennials leaving the church—in fact, some studies say that, coincidentally, 59% of millennials have already left the faith—we might find a way to reach the younger generations so they can pass the hope of Christ onto their children.”
Rohrer added that a key may be the connection between the older and younger generation, especially among pastors.
“Most older, faithful pastors have a concern for younger pastors but don’t always have ways to connect with them,” he said. “And younger pastors tend to be divided into two categories: those who don’t necessarily see the value with connecting with other generations, or those young biblically faithful pastors who do long for the opportunity and are honored to be in the presence of those who have sustained, perhaps, a 40-year ministry and have remained true. Many from all age groups who truly want to connect just don’t know how.”
Barna also found that more than half of survey respondents say they grew up as a Christian (57%) and were Christian at the time of their birth. This response, Barna says, “is revealing either of their theology or of how extensively Christianity permeated their upbringing.”
“We must better connect pastors of all generations—both to each other and to younger generations,” Rohrer said. “If we don’t, how we can expect them to connect with their own people on the importance of having a biblical worldview they can pass on to future generations?”
Photo by David Beale on Unsplash
Raising Godly Children in Modern-Day America—APN Shares Biblical Tips That Work
/0 Comments/in Blog, Release /by News RoomParents have a multitude of concerns in today’s complicated culture. Is my child happy and healthy? Am I guiding him on the right path? Are we helping her become the best person she can be?
For Christian parents, these questions take on a biblical nature as well—or at least they should, says the American Pastors Network (APN).
APN President Sam Rohrer, host of the popular daily radio program, “Stand in the Gap Today,” heard on several hundred stations nationwide, recently explored the topic of “Raising Godly Children in America Today” over the airwaves.
Especially as Purposeful Parenting Month in July winds down, Rohrer says raising children in a godly way is one of the most important jobs of any Christ-follower.
“There is no substitute for Mom and Dad when it comes to raising children,” Rohrer said during the program. “Why? Because it’s God’s model. God says to mothers and fathers, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go.’ In the Old Testament, God made it very clear. Fathers primarily have the ultimate responsibility to give their children the precepts of God’s instruction—to do what God’s Word says, and to do it regularly. That means when they sit down, when they rise up, when they go to sleep.
“In other words,” Rohrer added, “a continual illustration of God’s Word should be made by Mom and Dad, and particularly by dads, on what it looks like to be a father. Who is the model? God in heaven, the Father. Additionally, government is not a substitute for parents, especially since the U.S. government through the Supreme Court removed the 10 Commandments and prayer from schools. Since then, God and God’s Word have increasingly been cleansed from the public schools, there cannot be any instruction in the way of God, God’s view of morality or God’s view of sexuality.
“We as Christian parents and grandparents must know what God’s Word says about respect and honor,” he continued. “Why? Because government has purged the educational system of all those things. If parents rely on government, they will be raising a government child, not a God-looking child.”
For the program about raising godly children, “Stand in the Gap Today” hosts were joined by Tim Schneider, who serves as APN’s Radio and Social Media Manager. Together, the APN leaders discussed tips to help parents seeking to raise godly children in modern-day America. Listen to the clips below on this topic:
To lisen to the entire program on raising godly children, click here; view the entire transcript from the program here.
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
Listen to Sam Rohrer on iHeart Radio: Immigration and Borders
/0 Comments/in Blog /by News RoomOn July 24th, APN President, Sam Rohrer, was interviewed by Bobby Gunther Walsh on the topic of Immigration and Borders.
To listen to the interview, please click HERE.
Photo by Robert Hickerson on Unsplash
Churchgoers No Longer Seek Advice from Their Pastors—Where Is the Disconnect?
/0 Comments/in Blog, Release /by News RoomAmerican Pastors Network President Sam Rohrer: When Church Attendees Feel Connected to the Pastor, They Are More Likely to Keep Attending and Engage in the Church
PHILADELPHIA—A new AP-NORC poll has discovered a surprising practice among regular churchgoers.
They rarely go to their pastors for advice.
The survey found that a large majority of Americans make important decisions without calling on their religious leaders, with three-quarters saying they rarely or never consult a clergy member or religious leader, while only about a quarter do so at least some of the time.
The American Pastors Network (APN) is looking at this study as perhaps a commentary on the American church.
APNPresident Sam Rohrer, host of the popular daily radio program, “Stand in the Gap Today,” heard on more than 425 stations nationwide, as well as the daily radio feature, “Stand in the Gap Minute,” says the relationship between pastors and people in the pews has changed over several decades.
“Churches are changing—that fact is undeniable,” Rohrer said. “Even as few as five or 10 years ago, most parishioners wouldn’t have thought twice about going to their pastor for counsel. These conversations in the offices of pastors were commonplace. Now, for a host of reasons, these times to talk about the issues that are on the hearts of church attendees aren’t as frequent—and that is unfortunate. One reason is that if church attendees feel connected to the pastor and leadership, they are more likely to not only keep attending on a regular basis, but also to become engaged in the life of the church. Secondly, in an age when technology drives much of what we do, personal connection is paramount. Face-to-face interaction, especially with our pastors, will keep us grounded in our faith and as a contributing member of the Body of Christ.”
One churchgoer interviewed by AP for coverage on the poll said being a part of a larger church and being relatively new attendees were reasons counsel was not sought from the senior pastor. This same lack of personal connection spills into other areas as well. This same churchgoer said, for example, that rather than calling someone to ask for help on a health insurance question, he spent an hour online searching for answers.
As for church attendance in general, the poll found that about a third of Americans say they attend church or other religious services at least twice a month; roughly a quarter never go. As expected, those who attend more often are more likely to consult with a religious leader.
“We hope and pray that pastors are doing everything they can to communicate that their office doors are open to their church attendees,” Rohrer said. “Even as churches grow and we find ways to get advice and answer questions online, there is no replacement for the interaction that God calls the members of His family to have.”
Are God and Allah the Same?
/1 Comment/in Release /by News RoomA major religious question, even in evangelical circles, has been: “Do we all worship the same God?—Are God and Allah the same?”
The American Pastors Network, through its popular weekly television program, recently addressed this question, as APN President Sam Rohrer and Dr. Mark Christian, president and founder of Global Faith Institute, delved into the increasing claim that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.
Mark Christian is a former Muslim from Cairo, Egypt, who served as an Imam from the age of 12. He left Islam at the age of 25 after researching the life of Muhammad and the teachings of the Quran. Christian then became convinced that his Muslim faith was a lie. He wandered spiritually for the next 10 years, ultimately discovering that Jesus Christ was the answer he was seeking.
“The God of the Bible and Allah cannot be the same according to the Bible and the Quran,” Rohrer said. “Jesus is the ‘begotten’ Son of God, while the Quran states that Jesus can NOT be God. The recent claims and comments by some evangelical pastors point to an overall misconception about God and Allah. This increasingly common statement coming from many religious leaders and even some pastors who claim to be evangelicals is that ‘God and Allah are the same,’ that ‘Christians and Muslims worship the same deity’ or ‘Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship the God of Abraham.’ But do the three main faith groups really worship the same god? And does it make a difference? The implications and consequences of not properly understanding this claim are enormous, ranging from national security concerns to eternal consequences relating to God, heaven and hell.
“Dr. Mark Christian has firsthand information into why Allah and God are not the same, and he has seen up close the Islamic strategy to make inroads into the Christian community on this matter of ‘same God,’” Rohrer continued. “The most basic reason why the God of the Bible and Allah cannot be the same is because, according to the Bible, Jesus is the Son of God and, according to Islam, Jesus is but a prophet and not God. The effort to blur this line, even among pastors, is not only damaging but Christian leaders who advance this thought, and believers who agree, are committing heresy.”
Watch the full program with Rohrer, “Stand in the Gap Today” co-host Isaac Crockett and Christian here.
How Does God View the Border Debate?
/5 Comments/in Release /by News RoomIn his speech to declare his re-election bid in 2020, President Donald Trump called the Democrat agenda of open borders “morally reprehensible.”
“It’s the greatest betrayal of the American middle class and, frankly, American life,” Trump said on June 18. “Our country, has a hole, nobody sees anything like it, people are pouring in, but we’ve stopped them, and now, as I said, we have other people helping us, including the country of Mexico.”
Borders and immigration will again be top concerns for the 2020 election, and the American Pastors Network (APN) says Christians must be informed from a biblical and constitutional perspective on these hot-button issues. This is just after the House of Representatives passed a $4.5 billion immigration package that will focus on health standards, nutrition, hygiene and translation services.
The measure, reports The Daily Caller, “comes amid apprehension concerning immigrants that has increased every month since January. There have also been over 100,000 encounters with illegal immigrants at the southern border in both March and April, setting the border crisis on track to be the worst it has been in a decade.”
APN frequently explores the topic of immigration on its popular daily, live, one-hour radio program, “Stand in the Gap Today,” as well as on the daily 60-second radio feature, “Stand in the Gap Minute,” and says answers can be found in the Bible.
“Immigration and border control issues dominate our news and divide our nation, but God is not divided nor is He confused on this or any issue—and we should not be either,” said APN President Sam Rohrer. “In fact, there are clear, biblical principles on why no one should be confused about God’s position on immigration and borders.”
In Acts 17:26, for example, Paul says that God established nations and borders. Daniel 2 says God raises up leaders and nations, and He puts them down.
“Without borders there’s no order, no law, no justice,” Rohrer added. “Without borders, God’s promise to bless the nation whose God is the Lord could never occur. God’s plan of redemption revolves around nations. In time, God will judge all nations who reject Him. Is it any wonder that the coming antichrist and globalists demand open borders?”
If borders or walls are immoral—as even some religious leaders contend—then Nehemiah was wrong. And even more so, God Himself is wrong, because heaven has walls and gates, and Jesus says that whoever circumvents one gate and climbs in another way is a thief and robber.
“Borders are essential to nations,” Rohrer said. “In fact, the definition of nation includes a common language, a common view of God and common borders. God’s blessings and judgment are bestowed on individuals and nations. Therefore, borders and border control are essential to protect a nation’s citizens and should rise to the highest of concerns for those in civil authority.”
The government has a unique duty to God and to the citizen—one might even call it a moral duty. Different from the Church’s duty to care for the sick and reach out to those who don’t yet know the God of heaven, government’s duty according to Romans 13 is to enact justice, enforce the law and protect the citizen.
“This is why God provided civil government with the sword of justice,” Rohrer said. “This is, in part, why we are to pray for those in authority—that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives and because they are accountable to God. God’s Word does hold all the answers about borders, immigration and much more, we just need to read God’s instruction for our lives and our nation, take them to heart and follow them.”
What Is Truth—And Does It Exist in Politics?
/0 Comments/in Blog, Release /by News RoomAs the presidential campaign season unfolds ahead of the 2020 election, candidates and citizens alike, says the American Pastors Network, should consider this question: “What is truth?”
APN President Sam Rohrer, host of the popular daily radio program, “Stand in the Gap Today,” heard on more than 425 stations nationwide, as well as the daily radio feature, “Stand in the Gap Minute,” said some candidates for public office don’t even know the answer to the question, “What is truth?”
For instance, some time ago, Rohrer said, he interviewed a candidate and asked him to define truth. His answer: “I don’t know.”
“So I asked,” Rohrer recalled, “‘How will you make your decisions in office and know you’re right?’ The candidate said, ‘I guess I’ll follow my gut.’ Truth is not open for debate or found in the gut. Rejecting Jesus as truth ensures no moral compass. Rejecting truth results in confusion, moral bankruptcy, bribery and corruption. Rejecting truth guarantees that no person, be they Republican, Democrat or Independent, can lead with integrity, principle and consistency, as each desirable character traits hinges on truth as defined by God’s Word and modeled by Jesus Christ.”
As an example, Rohrer pointed to Isaiah 59:19, which says: “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against them.”
“As political campaigns overwhelm our land, lies and distortions are told, and truth falls in the streets, Isaiah declares that God’s Spirit will raise up a standard against it,” Rohrer said. “This standard, of course, is Jesus Christ—the Way and the Truth. But God often chooses to raise up His prepared Remnant as the salt and light—the truth standard to oppose evil and make clear the truth. Every true Christian is part of God’s empowered standard to stand against the enemies of truth. The real question is: ‘Are we doing our part?”
Additionally, because the culture has become morally sick—having defined good as evil and evil as good—is there a cure?
“When truth is rejected and division results, is there healing?” Rohrer continued. “There can be. To some, the Bible is inspiring—a good book. For others, the Bible is a source of truth. At the American Pastors Network, we lift up the Word of God as the final authority—the only source of truth—never in error and always right. It alone defines good and evil. It alone can point the lost and wandering to eternal life. It alone, if obeyed, can heal the lonely heart and restore the broken family. Obedience to God’s Word alone can restore our nation and return God’s blessing to us. An absolute cure exists, but only if we embrace the truth.”
Likewise, in Matthew 10:36, Rohrer added, Jesus made a startling statement: “I have not come to send peace but a sword.”
“Why would God contrast peace with a sword?” Rohrer asked. “When pastors rightly preach God’s truth, citizens embrace truth, and those in office properly wield the sword of truth, it will instruct, bring clarity from confusion and heal the division caused by the enemies of truth who pit rich against poor, white against black and so on. You see, the sword of truth divides truth from lies, Christ from Satan and freedom from bondage. Accepting Christ as truth brings God’s peace and joy. Rejecting Christ brings judgment and separation from God’s peace. Choosing truth or rejecting truth is a choice that brings healing or judgment, life or death.”
Rohrer also pointed to Joshua 24:15, where Joshua challenged the people by saying, ‘if you’ve got a problem serving the God of heaven, then be honest enough to state who you will serve.”
“Serving God requires purposeful choices with a life that proves it!” he said. “While most Americans say they’re Christians, their lives don’t prove it—and our culture unfortunately reflects it with saltless salt, little light and no morally prevailing influence. It’s our lives, not our words, that matter. The time has come to reject idle speech and hearts that worship other gods. Living holy, having a compelling Christian testimony and embracing truth with no other gods before us is a choice. May we like Joshua declare, ‘but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD’—of Truth!”
Photo by Ronda Darby on Unsplash
God the Creator is the Foundation of Liberty
/0 Comments/in Blog /by News Roomby Hon. Sam Rohrer
This article originally appeared on the Christian Post website HERE.
As we celebrated Independence Day and the courage of our founders, we must ask: Independence from what to what? The signers of the Declaration of Independence knew, but most Americans sadly don’t. It’s time to reexamine the foundation of liberty and the source of rights that made America great. Liberty can’t be understood without the Bible, as civil freedom starts with understanding spiritual freedom.
John 8:32 says, “and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free.” Without experiencing this spiritual freedom from the power of sin that only faith in Christ can bring, no nation can ever experience lasting civil freedom. The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia says it all; from Leviticus 25:10, Proclaim liberty—the liberty that comes from obeying God’s commands—throughout all the land and to all the inhabitants therefore.
Liberty, as identified in our Declaration, hinges on God and understanding Him. We are endowed by our Creator—independence and liberty start with spiritual freedom, which comes from God our Creator and is experienced personally as spiritual freedom in Christ. Recognizing God and God the Creator—the foundation of the Judeo-Christian worldview—is where liberty starts. This God is Supreme, the same Judge of the Universe appealed to in the Declaration of Independence. This God is Truth, Sovereign, pre-existent, greater than all people and governments.
In true civil freedom, God must first be acknowledged as Supreme and Source of all moral truth. Our founders recognized and started with this truth. The fact that we are endowed by our Creator is the core of America’s civil freedom. If we are created by God in His image, then He gave us the faculties to know and obey Him. If created, then we didn’t evolve nor are we mere accidents in time. We are human beings with value, purpose and the ability to enjoy God’s creation. Since created, then we are given the rights to life, liberty and the enjoyment of private property—rights from God to be protected by government, not rights from government to be manipulated and trampled.
By the same token, life results when God creates. The sacredness and sanctity of all life, born and unborn, exists because God is the Creator. It’s this life that government is to protect, and which governments stand in dire judgment from God the Judge when unborn babies are murdered, and life is snuffed out. Liberty is that which comes from experiencing spiritual freedom through Jesus Christ and then extended by just law in civil freedom and then governments which protect and cherish life and liberty.
Our founders recognized this profound reality and wisely chose to bend their desires and thoughts into conformity with God’s plan for society and nations. It’s past time we return to their wisdom. If liberty is to remain in America, we must once again—as did our Founders—appeal to the Great Judge of the Universe to hear our pleas and intercede on our nation’s behalf. It’s clear that no nation can survive that rejects God as Creator, Christ as Redeemer, life as sacred, liberty as a gift of God and private property as a blessing from God.
Recognizing and defending life as sacred, and liberty and rights as coming from God, is a great way this Independence Day to begin the return to the wisdom of our Founders and God’s blessing on our nation.