Dear Friends and Intercessors,
As we celebrate the 4th of July, I think about what this represents for our nation; this is the day we celebrate our Nation’s Declaration of Independence. For our Nation, home of many trailblazers, this independence set us apart from the rest of the world. What does this Independence mean – especially in the life of a child of God?
The second sentence in the Declaration of Independence states: “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 Declaration of Independence was signed by some of history’s greatest trailblazers. Another trailblazer, Abraham Lincoln, quoted this sentence in the Gettysburg Address and this line took on a life of its own and has since been quoted by presidents, senators, governors, human right’s advocates and so on. It’s an inarguable declaration on behalf of the people these individuals represent—or at least hope to represent.
I’d like to touch on the phrase: “Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness” in terms of the child of God.
Life: God is the giver of life, as His children we are to preserve the life we’ve been given and honor the One who granted us this life. Our lives are meant to honor our Creator in all that we do. (Is 43:7, 1 Cor 6:20, Col 2:23)
Liberty: This is our freedom—our rights. Consider our effectiveness if we embraced as chief among our rights, the freedom to be a child of God, a trailblazer, and all that that encompasses. (Matt 10:32, 2 Tim 2:12, the Book of Acts)
Pursuit of Happiness: True happiness is a life lived with eternal purpose. This is verified by the fruit of the Spirit as they flow from us. The fruit of the Spirit is not something we can produce; it originates from God and flows through the believer. The greater the impact the Spirit of God in our lives, the more we reveal the Spirit through the fruit that flows from us. (Gal 5:22-23, Eph 5:9)
Our independence is demonstrated by Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. As a child of the Living God, this should set us apart from those around us, we are called to be wholly dependent upon our God. The greater our independence from the world, the stronger our character becomes as it begins to resemble the character of the Lord rather than that of the world. Our steps are to be ordered by Him rather than dictated by temporal successes. Our emotions should be proactive, guided by Him rather than reactive to the events that occur around us. Our faith is to be firmly grounded in Him, rather than our money, our education, or the future we’ve laid up for ourselves. I’ve learned that true independence comes when we are free to demonstrate a life fully dependent upon our Savior, Jesus Christ. This takes courage, as true independence is one who is unafraid of becoming a trailblazer for the Kingdom, because their life is not their own. Consider Paul, Peter, John, these men were trailblazers in the Kingdom, yet wholly dependent upon the Lord in all that they did and said.
My prayer today, the day before we celebrate our nation’s Independence, is that we remember that independence is not intended for the child of God to assimilate with this world. Rather, we were created to be trailblazers in the earth, independent from the ways of world. The only way to accomplish this is to become wholly dependent on our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are to make a difference wherever we go—and we will—when we are guided and empowered by the Spirit of the Living God. We are called to break the unbreakable barriers, move the highest mountains, deliver the hopeless from the depths of despair and oppression, and in the end prove that a life lived wholly dependent upon God, is the only one that brings eternal life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Happy Independence Day!
Blessings & love,
Ricci Johnson-Wilson
Upcoming events:
Just a reminder, the upcoming conference in
Portland will bring with it a powerful impartation into the intercessors as well as the nation. The Gathering of the Eagles is under the covering of “Joel’s Army” and as we learned over the last two week, Joel’s Army is arising! Prepare the way of the Lord!
Prayer Request:
Prayerfully consider supporting our work. I want to thank you for praying over our finances the last several weeks, we are starting to see some breakthroughs (praise the Lord) and would appreciate your continued prayers! We do understand many are feeling a pinch in this season, and we trust that God will richly bless those who bless His work.
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