I believe my country, the United States of America, needs prayer, wisdom, and love; all three in great abundance.

This Wednesday, July 4th, is Independence Day here in the USA. Actually, the Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence from Great Britain two days earlier in 1776.

On July 2, 1776, the Pennsylvania Evening Post published: “This day the Continental Congress declared the United Colonies Free and Independent States.” John Adams, one of our Founding Fathers, wrote in a letter to his wife: “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.”

Even though we celebrate this momentous occasion on the 4th, his sentiments about the most meaningful holiday in this nation’s history are still ringing true 242 years later.

While some are working hard to rewrite our history, one cannot but stand in awe of the courage of our Founding Fathers. They put all they had on the line; their property, their own lives, and the lives of their families, by speaking out against Great Britain. It was literally an act of treason. They risked all so the new nation could be free from a dominating monarchy.

Their vision was not mob rule ignited by emotional hysteria, but rather, core principles laid out in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The basis of our entire republic is presented in this radical document with 56 signatures that continues to guide the way our country is governed today.

In the troubled times we face today, may those who are Christians see and respond to the need for fervent prayer for our nation. May we continue to petition the God of all wisdom to guide those in positions of leadership and responsibility. And, may we look past all the smoke screens, generated by emotional hysteria, and love one another.

Below are some “patriotic” quotes, followed by our Bill of Rights. May God bless you and your family, wherever you may live, and, for those of us here in the USA, may God continue to bless the United States of America!

“No People can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the Affairs of men more than the People of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.” George Washington First Inaugural Address, Thursday, April 30, 1789

“Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present Generation to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it.” John Adams

“It is a common observation here that our cause is the cause of all mankind, and that we are fighting for their liberty in defending our own.” Benjamin Franklin

And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord. Abraham Lincoln

“I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land. We need God’s help to guide our nation through stormy seas. But we can’t expect Him to protect America in a crisis if we just leave Him over on the shelf in our day-to-day living.” Ronald Reagan

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty; it ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” John Adams

BILL OF RIGHTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III
No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment VII
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.