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Review

Fourth of July Truths

Independence Day is a reminder of three realities for Christians.
Somewhere in our family archives lurks one of those pictures that create embarrassment as well as nostalgia years later. When Dad and Mom pastored Franconia (Virginia) Assembly of God from 1964 to 1970, the church would hold a Fourth of July picnic. The picture in question is probably from 1969. Mom dressed my brothers and me in matching red-white-and-blue outfits that coordinated wonderfully with her own.

Then there was the year our family drove into nearby Washington, D.C., for the Fourth of July fireworks. I was about 4, and Dad managed to position us at the base of the Washington Monument. No one considered what the decibel levels of those celestial explosions could do to an impressionable psyche. I’m still in therapy. Ironically, having lived so close to the capital for years, our family barely missed the Bicentennial Fourth of July when we went to Kenya as missionaries in 1976. We landed in Nairobi on July 2 and had to read about the big event in the papers.

Three vignettes speak of three realities I associate with the Fourth of July — this nation’s Christian heritage, the foundational strength of American families, and the unique sense of blessing the rest of the world attributes to the United States. These days, hostility toward and denial of America’s Christian roots are growing. The very definition of “family” is attacked. Anti-Americanism is on the rise.

Can we be hopeful for our future? Absolutely.

The power of the gospel has not changed. God has not redefined the family. For all the negative news on America, there are also countless stories of missionaries, ministries, and compassion outreaches spanning the world from our shores.

What role can you play in the revival our nation needs? You can pray. You can help your local church in its array of ministries. You can, with the help and counsel of the Holy Spirit, live out the gospel in your home, on your job, and around your community.

Celebrate this Fourth of July with thanksgiving in your heart and the gospel on your mind!

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Pentecostal Evangel.

Scott Harrup

Scott Harrup is senior editor at Convoy of Hope. He previously served as managing editor of the Pentecostal Evangel.