Independence Day July 4, 2013

Independence Day July, 2013

Dear Father in Heaven:  Thank You for our Salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, and thank You for America.  I love you and I love America, and today I ask You to please, please bless America even though we are not worthy of it as a nation, and Father, thanks for my Salvation through Jesus even though I am not worthy of that either.  But I appreciate it.  Jesus I love You.  And I pray this day in Your name.  Amen.

Good morning, my dear brothers and sisters, and Happy Independence Day.  Today we are truly ONE NATION UNDER GOD, and I love it, and you should also.  Today, America as a nation is 237 years old.

America, One Nation Under God, from its fields of rich earth, filled with lots of good things to eat, from its mountains filled with beautiful trees and lots and lots of wildlife.  Clear, fresh springs feeding into streams, then into creeks and into mighty rivers and then our oceans filled with lots of fish and such to eat.

America, One Nation Under God, where large cities have been built, and small towns still thrive, and where Andy can still be sheriff and Barney be his sidekick after all these years.  From factories that build cars and trucks to hospitals and medical buildings where men and women work to keep us healthy.  To ball parks where men and women can get paid millions of dollars to play games.  Just close your eyes and take it all in.

America, One Nation Under God, where folks of all shapes and sizes and colors have come together to live.  Sort of reminds me of that song I learned way back in Vacation Bible School called, "Jesus loves the little children."  Will you sing a line or two of it with me right now?  "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.  Red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in his sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world."  And even at my age, I am still one of those children.  You can also find God's children from all over the world, calling America home, and yes, as I said, I am one of those kids.

America, One Nation Under God, where our God has blessed us well.  We could all survive on what God has given this country and would not need to bring in anything from other countries if we cared to do that.  We would also have enough left over to help other countries who either don't have things or would sooner fight each other than learn to get along and grow food.  A country with enough jobs for each and every able-bodied America who wants to work to have that job.  A country where people working for God take care of those who are unable to work and even take care of those who for whatever reason refuse to go to work.

America, One Nation Under God, a country that could only be built by God, but also needed men and women to work Under God to keep us free.

America, One Nation Under God, and on this Independence Day, 2013, I would like to say thank you to all those who have served in our military from the beginning.  Brave men and women who fought in battle or supported those who did.  My daddy, who did not go into the military, but gave up his teaching job during World War Two to make tires for airplanes.  Some people say today that our veterans are getting few and far between, and that is NOT SO.  In fact, we have many veterans, some of whom have lost their arms and/or legs, fight in wars we are in right now.  Some of them are just 18 years old!  Some are in their 90's and older.  Thank you, veterans.  I love you.

America, One Nation Under God, and I wish to thank God this day for my personal freedom, for God, who sent His one and only Son (John 3:16) Jesus Christ to die for me and also for you so we could have this personal freedom, and brothers and sisters, NO ONE, I SAID NO ONE, CAN TAKE IT AWAY.  Thank You, Jesus, I love You.

America, One Nation Under God, and today I want to thank all of the fine men and women of today's Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy.  Also I wish to thank the men and women of our reserve units, including the 28th Army and the 193rd Air Force based in this area.

America, One Nation Under God, and today I would like to thank all of those people who work to support those warriors of America.  Let me start with the families of our military and then move on to those who work hard on the military bases, like those in our area.  Thanks to those who work or have worked at the Army War College in Carlisle, PA.  And those who work or have worked at the Army and Navy supply depots in our area, and also those who work and train at Fort Indiantown Gap.  I also want to thank the men and women who work at Military Hospitals all over the country.  I would like to thank my son Glenn and his wife Dian and my grandson Daniel who served in the Navy.  I would like to thank ministry partner Grant Crockett who served in Vietnam, a veteran serving our country in the Army.  Thanks also to Navy veteran Sharon Saylor and Air Force veteran Dolores Lehman who respectfully refer to each other as "Navy and Air Force."  And I would like to give thanks to all of you who have served this nation in our military.  THANK YOU, BROTHERS AND SISTERS.  I love you.

America, One Nation Under God, where a few, just a few of the people who are free because of God and all of our military want to have the name of God removed from our Pledge to our Flag.  Just a few, mind you.  Folks, look back over the list.  If it were not for God there would be no America, if it were not for the men and women of our militaries over the years we might be speaking another language.  MIGHT?  MIGHT NOTHING, we would be.

America, One Nation Under God, where each day hundreds of people are trying to sneak into America to live and work here, and others are trying to sneak in to kill us out of rage for what we have, and have protected, and yes, what we give away to others.  For those sneaking in to work, I love you, but please come in the right way.

America, One Nation Under God, where only in America a young Army Major named David Marous would stop by our home on his way from Carlisle to Fort Indiantown Gap to say thank you to us for helping the needy and to say thank you to me for things he learned in Vacation Bible School where I met this "Major" and while he was here for just a few short minutes picked up heavy bags of salt and filled our water softener.  God Bless you, Major Marous, we love You.

AMERICA, ONE NATION UNDER GOD!  Do you appreciate what we have today?  Look around you today.  Look past the burger or hotdog on the grill or your soda or beer in your hand, look past those sports teams and the NASCAR drivers, look past that golf course, and just look around, and the next time you see a man or lady in the uniform of our military, make an effort to shake their hand and say "THANK YOU" and maybe if you are in an eating place you might buy them lunch, even if you need to pull out our credit card.  Trust me, it is money well spent.

AMERICA, ONE NATION UNDER GOD.  Look around you today, and maybe just right now take time to say, "THANK YOU, GOD, FOR AMERICA, AND THANK YOU, GOD, FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE PROTECTED IT."  And please remember the police and firefighters, like those nineteen who just lost their lives in a fire, who keep us safe on the homefront and those Merchant Marines who transport the goods to our warriors.

AMERICA, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, where you can STILL PRAY OUT LOUD, even when some people want to change it to a silent prayer.  And remember when asking God for something to say "PLEASE AND THANK YOU."  As in, "Please, Father, and Thank You, Father!!!"

AMERICA, ONE NATION UNDER GOD.  Stand up for her, or if you don't like it, I invite you to leave, for no one is holding you back, get out if you don't like America, and I dare you to find a better place to live.  And after you have been to other countries of your choice and find there is none better, I invite you to come back and support this country.  And join us in AMERICA, ONE NATION UNDER GOD.

AMERICA, ONE NATION UNDER GOD.  YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND FOREVER, AS LONG AS WE STAY ONE NATION UNDER GOD.  For when the time comes we trash God too much, no military, not even the best of the best, our United States Military will be able to protect us from the "WRATH OF GOD," and I think we get close to that on some days.  Wise up, America, and come back to God.

AMERICA, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, where we can read this in our Bibles ... 1 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  (NIV)

AMERICA, ONE NATION UNDER GOD ... I LOVE YOU, FATHER IN HEAVEN ... I LOVE YOU, JESUS ... I LOVE YOU, AMERICA, and I love all of you, and yes, you may pass it on!

AMERICA, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, where as wonderful as our country is, you are better off to "get into the Word, and NOT into the World."

Pastor Daniel W. Lehman
Carry The Light Ministries
Independence Day 2013