THANK GOD FOR YOUR BIRTH IN THE USA

THANK GOD FOR YOUR BIRTH IN THE USA!

"This is the most important day in the life of The United States of America and in our lives as Americans. This is NOT taking away the importance of “The Resurrection” - “The Christmas Celebration” of the birth of our Lord and Savior or the day we were brought to salvation by the Holy Spirit. This is the celebration of thanksgiving to the Lord that there is a great FREE nation that exists and we were born into it!"........Ed

I am just as grateful for the grace of God being given me for my birth as a citizen of the United States of America as I am grateful for Him choosing me for salvation. I could have come into this world in a godless communist nation as millions did, or perhaps I could have come into this world in a “false-god” Muslim nation and never have a chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ as millions of others have.
This month we celebrate the “birthday” of our nation. July 4th. 1776, was the day the “Declaration of Independence” was signed and we became a nation of “equal in value people” created as such under the leadership of God Almighty Himself. We became a nation of people who declared to the world, for the first time in the history of mankind, that mankind’s rights were “endowed” by no less than God Himself, not kings and parliaments of men. We have lost that precious truth some where along the line. We are being taught that “the government” is to be our “all-in-all” support and supply system. We are hearing more and more of this godless communistic and socialist philosophy being spoken by even the leaders who claim to be “born again Christians.” The Lord God is to be our supply, our shield and our nurture. He does this by using our hard work and best efforts to honor Him and provide for ourselves. He multiplies our efforts with His grace and mercy. We have a Lord God Almighty in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, we do not need a “nanny state” type of government attempting to draw us into idol worship.

WE’VE COME A LONG WAY BABY
We have come a long way in the past 40 years. We’ve created a dysfunctional society where self reliance, pride in one's self and a sense of God’s Word being the supreme standard of right and wrong has been thrown aside.. Instead, God’s Word is no longer studied, esteemed or even valued.
We have allowed our government and media to say to people that you are not at fault for what you do. You are victims, little children who can't look after yourselves. The government has worked it’s way into a “great benefactor” that must be obeyed at the point of a gun. Rather than “rights” and blessings of protection and provision coming from the Great Creator God, all now comes from an omnipotent government.
We have told our minorities that everything that goes wrong is the result of racism. Shift blame for every failure in your life to someone else, you cannot succeed in a racist society. Assume no responsibility for your mistakes.
We have told the dysfunctional that we will look after you no matter how egregiously you act. We have excused crime saying that poverty creates crime, when we all instinctively know that it is the crime that creates poverty.
We have told young women that it okay to have babies without being married and having the father in the home being a responsible adult. There is no stigma attached to bearing illegitimate children - in fact if you have a baby we will shower you with money and benefits so you can move out of your parent's house and have even more babies. Even if this guarantees your babies will be raised in poverty. We have told young men that it is okay to father as many children as you can. The government will assume the father's traditional role and look after the mother and babies.
And most importantly, we have called morals old fashioned and judgmental. What right does society have to say that something is right or wrong? And what have we gotten for this? (not to mention over $1 trillion we have spent on the poor) Citizens who, at the first sign of trouble, stand around bewildered. You see it on the news. Faces screaming, "Helpme!", "Tell me what to do!" God help us, we're reaping what we sowed.
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Psalm 37:23 says "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way." This simply means when you come into the light, (You are born again) when God the Holy Spirit “quickens” you and frees your mind from the bondage of the devil's control, you begin to walk in the knowledge of God, your steps are ordered, established, solidified, straight, upright, and honest because God is in control of your mind. He manifest himself in your thoughts; that leads to a change in your attitudes and that directs your actions and behavior. This is NOT what you do, this is what GOD, through the Holy Spirit is doing in and through you. He is NOT violating your “will” He has made you alive and free from sin and for the very first time you can now, of your own self-will, choose to surrender your will to Him Who has set you free. You were a slave to sin, He paid the price to set you free and you chose to stand against the doorpost, have the hole pierced through your ear and willingly become His slave. My will is no longer free, I have surrendered it to Him Who purchased me. Only those people who have had the righteousness of Jesus imputed to them are entitled to have the Lord delight in them and “direct their steps.”
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PRAYER REQUEST
1) Please be praying for our friends in India. I have not been able to get a response to my emails and letters. The last contact I had with them, pastor Subash was out of jail on bond and had gone back to the village where he had been arrested and was preaching again. He had six people make professions of faith and two ladies insisted on being Baptized, in public, right away. They sent me the pictures and I have not heard from them since.
2) Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. The Bible Institute is continuing to grow (slowly) and the workers are facing difficult times because of the economy. Brother Nestruck, the former President of the National Bible Institute, is now the President of the entire Baptist Union of Ukraine and our friend, pastor Kasprov, who was the senior pastor of the Khmelnitsky region has moved up to Vice-President of the Baptist Union. All in all, our people are making a difference in their nation for the Lord. I was always so very proud of their love for, and devotion to the Lord Jesus. And over there it’s not always easy or convenient to serve the Lord. Please keep them in your prayers.
3) Please be praying for IMPACT MINISTRIES as we are going through a slump in funding. The opportunities to preach always slow down during the summer and that is the main source of income after the gifts of our faithful friends and the IMPACT family. We could not do all that we do without the faithful prayers and monthly support of the churches and individuals who help us. We are helping support a very special young lady, daughter of one of our disciples, who is on mission working at a home for troubled youth down in Trinidad. She should be home sometime around late August or early September. After this she has been accepted for a two year assignment in South Africa. We hope to help raise support for this work as well. Please pray for her safety and well being while she is there and as she travels back to the US later.
4) Pray for Miss Marie and I, as we have moved our church membership to West Highland Baptist Church. We have found a sweet fellowship where we believe we have been lead by the Lord to go to work. Pastor Larry Galbreath has been a close friend and brother for well over twenty years and we look forward to all the work that the Lord has for us to do for Him together. We are still available for discipling classes to develop “equippers” in the local churches, to help make preparation for mission trips, revivals and to do preaching supply. Please remember that we come on a love offering basis. Our health has been pretty much level for some time now. I’m just not as strong as I once was, but as long as I pace myself I don’t hurt too bad as I work. Miss Marie is having some trouble with her knees and the heel of her left foot but other than that we are doing quite well for our mileage! …Ed