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July 1 and 4
Posted by
Bob Fetherlin
,
07 July 2008
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934 views
Esther and I were in Ottawa, Canada on July 1 for the General Assembly of the C&MA in Canada and while there enjoyed the Canada Day festivities. It was a wonderful celebration topped off with a $100,000 fireworks spectacular! We sang or heard sung the Canadian national anthem "O Canada" at least five times while there. It includes, "God keep our land glorious and free! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee."
We spent the first half of July 4 in airplanes heading back to Colorado. The second half of that day, we celebrated America's birthday. During the beautiful, clear evening, we sat on a hillside overlooking Colorado Springs as four different fireworks displays lit up the night sky.
In thinking about the freedom and resources God has entrusted to Canadians and Americans, I was reminded of an important truth. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48b).
Did God in his loving sovereignty provide freedom and resources to be used primarily for ourselves, or did he have in mind for these gifts to be used in expressing his love to the world? Could it be that he desires for all peoples on earth to be blessed through us? And if this is true, how should it impact how we live out our lives?
As we look at redemptive history as expressed in the pages of the Bible, a defining principle comes into focus. When God's people align themselves with his purposes, he blesses them so that they can be a blessing to others. When his people turn their hearts away from him worshipping other gods and living contrary to his purposes, he withdraws his blessing.
May Canada and America be in a blessable position, using our freedom and resources to bless the world! The greatest way to do this is by knowing Christ and making him known.
We spent the first half of July 4 in airplanes heading back to Colorado. The second half of that day, we celebrated America's birthday. During the beautiful, clear evening, we sat on a hillside overlooking Colorado Springs as four different fireworks displays lit up the night sky.
In thinking about the freedom and resources God has entrusted to Canadians and Americans, I was reminded of an important truth. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48b).
Did God in his loving sovereignty provide freedom and resources to be used primarily for ourselves, or did he have in mind for these gifts to be used in expressing his love to the world? Could it be that he desires for all peoples on earth to be blessed through us? And if this is true, how should it impact how we live out our lives?
As we look at redemptive history as expressed in the pages of the Bible, a defining principle comes into focus. When God's people align themselves with his purposes, he blesses them so that they can be a blessing to others. When his people turn their hearts away from him worshipping other gods and living contrary to his purposes, he withdraws his blessing.
May Canada and America be in a blessable position, using our freedom and resources to bless the world! The greatest way to do this is by knowing Christ and making him known.
