A Moment With Pastor Fred

Happy Birthday America!  What a wonderful history we have as Americans. No one is saying our history is perfect. We must face the sins of our past honestly. We must confess current transgressions humbly. However today is about celebration. We observe our nation’s birthday as our founding father’s envisioned – with picnics, parades, and fireworks. We are humbled by the privileges we have as citizens of this land.

In our service several of our men have been asked to lead in appropriate prayers: prayers of thanksgiving, confession and intercession. While we recognize our holiday, our worship will center on Christ and his kingdom. Patriotic songs have their place at parades, but not in worship. While we love and pray for our nation, may we remember that Jesus said, “my kingdom is not of this world.”

Scripture admonishes us as NT believers to consider ourselves as immigrants – strangers and exiles. The face of evangelicalism is sadly characterized by angry venting – or sinful panicking, rather than prayerful, humble and calm belief in a sovereign God who rules and reigns. Our culture might ridicule us. We may feel little, but the church of Jesus Christ is eternal. Holt Baptist is one of many embassies of Jesus. That is the reality – everything else is shadow.  All that we see will pass away. But for today let us celebrate – thankful for God’s blessings, humbled by our freedoms, grateful for our liberties as US citizens.