We Are Free!

by Miss Amanda and Lady Jess

Let's go back to January 16, 1786. Imagine Thomas Jefferson at his desk doing what he does best: writing. Today he is writing the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom for the Virginia General Assembly. This law would provide the inspiration and framework for all the religious freedom clauses that are in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Now go forward 217 years to January 16, 2003, where we find President Bush proclaiming this day as Religious Freedom Day for the United States of America.

We in America are exceedingly blessed to have the freedom of choosing Christianity as our belief! There are so many countries in the world that do not allow this freedom! Actually there are 52 countries in the world where believing in Jesus Christ is illegal. There are 38 restricted nations and 14 hostile areas to those who proclaim Jesus as the Savior.
Here in America we do not have to worry about whether we will be persecuted for believing in Jesus or not! We are free! We need realize how blessed we are for having religious freedom and we need to remember those who are not so!

The Voice of the Martyrs is a wonderful resource to help us know about and remember those in other countries who are persecuted. I have been blessed to be able to know about our persecuted brethren through VOTM and I am sure you will be too! There are many ways you can keep up with the persecuted through VOTM: the newsletters, the website, Prayer Update Emails, Twitter, the Blog and Facebook. Please sign up for their newsletter! There are such amazing stories of believers who stand for Christ even though they are beaten, imprisoned, or even murdered for the name of Christ!

While here in America we are not persecuted harshly, there is becoming those who are hard pressing the Christians. I do not believe in any way that American Christians will be persecuted like those in other countries, but I do think we will see some slight persecution in America in the end days because we follow Christ who was persecuted and as the He said:

John 15:20
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Those who believe in Jesus know that will we suffer for the sake of Christ because Christ himself was persecuted. But do not forsake the call of Christ because even though you may be persecuted for believing in Him you are blessed:

Matthew 5:10
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

On January 16, let's be thankful for the religious freedoms that we in America have and let's also remember in prayer those who are not blessed with this freedom, because this freedom will not last long!

Miss Amanda, GGM Columnist, Assistant Editor, Print Magazine Editor and News Correspondent, is an 19yo homeschool college student, and oldest of 8 children. She is chief errand runner, grocery menu maker and shopper, laundry queen, and organizational gal. She enjoys secretary work, site designing, movies, and blogging. She will remain home until the Lord brings her Man of Steel. Find out more at The Daily Planet

Religious Freedom Day

While Miss Amanda's entry above is very inspirational my thoughts went towards the difficulties we face with our 'freedom' of religion in America. I believe Miss Amanda is right when she said our freedom won't last long. I see in our media how Christians are not allowed to live their faith filled lifestyle that God commands of us. We recently saw what happened in California when faith-ful people wanted to Protect Marriage. When I think of the freedom of religion I feel as though it is not the way it once was. It is evident that we are not living in the real freedom of religion we once had.

We do have many freedoms in this country, one of them is our freedom of religion. We are supposed to have a freedom of religion in this country, but it is slowly going downward. When ever I go soul winning, just in my little town, I see signs that say no religion here, we don't believe in Hell, etc, etc, etc. Then I meet people that get angry at us for being on their doorstep trying to tell them how to go to Heaven. I have heard stories of people being threatened with the police for 'trespassing' when there is no sign stating that we are not permitted.

People bash our name in public and on television. Have you watched Oprah lately? She has a religion that you are your own God and I saw her openly ridicule a Christian lady on her show. What is happening to this country that used to be God-fearing? This country used to worship Him and it was unheard of to not believe in Him. Now freedom of religion must extend to those who openly mock his name and worship other gods. These are the Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 5:6, "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
17 Thou shalt not kill.
18Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
19Neither shalt thou steal.
20Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
21Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's. "

Our freedoms should be wrapped around these laws, not about making 'amendments'. God doesn't see 'amendments' all he sees is his children openly disobeying and mocking him. Although we deal with people who are trying to stop our freedom of religion, there are people who are fighting daily to defend our faith.

Every month I get a newsletter from the CLA , their newsletters tell stories about people who have gained the liberty of religious freedom and prayer requests for people who are under attack. We do have freedom of religion, but I really think that what we need is prayer for this country. This newsletter is for people going through attack in America. I recommend that home school students subscribe to the CLA newsletter. It's very educational. If you could support the CLA or VOM, it will help the Christians around the world.

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter in her church's deaf ministry, sings in the choir, and is the Toys for Tots Assistant in her county.