Fourth of July 2011 - Part 2

by Nicholas A. Catania

August 2011

Go to the previous issue.

In part one of this teaching we began to study the scriptures regarding spiritual memorials. We saw that God instructed Moses to set aside certain days to celebrate in the years to come. These times were to remind the Children of Israel of the goodness and deliverance given from the Lord. Exodus 12:14-28. We also saw that God did the same with Joshua. Joshua 4:5-8.

We then considered the question of why a promise of God may take so long to come to pass. We left off in the gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 26:10-13 ¹⁰When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. ¹¹For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. ¹²For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. ¹³Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

Verse 10 informs us "she hath wrought a good work upon me." Let's now consider this good work. Look at the book of Psalms.

Psalm 111:1-4 ¹Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. ²The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. ³His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. ⁴He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.

If you were to ask the average Christian today what they thought was most important in the scriptures that God wants us to remember you would get a variety of answers. Some would say that they think the topic of God's love is important. Some would no doubt reply His grace or mercy. Some would say His Word or revelation or praying. These are all good answers and are all correct. One can easily document from the Word that God wants us to remember His love, grace, peace etc. According to Psalm 111 God wants His works to be remembered.

Psalm 111:4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.

God not only wants His Word remembered but he wants His works remembered. God has and continues to work in the lives of men and woman today. Throughout history our God has partnered with and worked in mankind to provide His goodness and deliverance to those who will believe.

• God worked in a man called Moses to set free His chosen people. Moses was not only a prophet, he was also the head of the government of Israel.

• God worked in Joshua the next leader both spiritually and nationally.

Follow this all throughout history now. Joshua was not only a spiritual leader he was also a military leader.

• David delivered God's people by an act of war. David became a spiritual leader however, he was also a king.

• Solomon and the rest of the kings listed in the Bible were all head of their countries.

When these leaders listened, God worked in them and they enjoyed the blessings of His providence and direction. When they disobeyed they suffered and so did the country.

Psalm 111:4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.

Psalm 9:1 I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

Psalm 78:1 ¹Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. ²I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: ³Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. ⁴We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. ⁵For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: ⁶That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: ⁷That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

Here the Psalmist writes how we are to show the generations to come the wonderful works of the Lord so they too can have hope.

One of the reasons we remember and celebrate the Fourth of July is because it is one of the works of God.

John Adams who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Vice President for: George Washington (1789-1797), the second President of the United States, Colonial Government: Mass. Legislature (1768-1774), Continental Congress (1774-1777) Diplomat to France; Diplomat to the Netherlands; Diplomat to Great Britain. He was also the first president whose son became president. In a letter he penned to his wife Abigail the day after Congress approved the Declaration wrote regarding the Fourth of July...

"It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty."

John Adams believed that the Fourth of July should have become a religious holiday—a day when we remembered God's hand in deliverance and a day of religious activities when we committed ourselves to Him in "solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty."

It is undisputable that God almighty called and worked in many of the men and woman both black and white to birth this great country.

On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to approve a complete separation from Great Britain. Two days later—July 4th—the early draft of the Declaration of Independence was signed, by only two individuals at that time: John Hancock, President of Congress, and Charles Thompson, Secretary of Congress.

Four days after the 4th, on July 8, members of Congress took that document and read it aloud from the steps of Independence Hall, proclaiming it to the city of Philadelphia, after which the Liberty Bell was rung.

Did you know what the inscription around the top of that bell read?

Leviticus 25:10b Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.

These patriots did not fully realize then what was going on, however, God almighty was about to once again work in mankind to bring to pass His promise of freedom and abundance in Christ to all who believed.

Just as God worked in Moses, David, Mary, and Jesus and many others he now began to work in many of the founding fathers. Unless you recognize this, you will dismiss the Fourth of July to just another secular holiday, just another day to have a picnic and watch fireworks.

Whenever and wherever natural man gets a hold of a spiritual work of God, he will always find a way to disgrace and exploit it.

Carnal man has done this with so many of God's works through out the years.

Now instead of the people being reminded of the wonderful works of God as so many of the scriptures teach us, many of these works / days of observance are separated from their God ordained spiritual significance and dismissed as just another secular evil holiday.

Another holiday fabricated by the mind of man to make money and glorify the flesh and the devil.

To be continued…ÿÿ

Go to the next issue.

Note: All scripture is from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. NIV indicates The New International Version, NLT indicates the New Living Translation, NAS indicates the New American Standard version, NKJV indicates the New King James Version, ASV means the American Standard Version, NJB means the New Jerusalem Bible, BBE means the Bible in Basic English, DBY means the Darby translation,  NAU means the American Standard Version, 1995 Edition, and NAB means the New American Bible translation.  For more information, go to the Works Cited page.