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WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY - JULY 5, 2023
President James Monroe, in his second annual message to Congress in 1818, made this statement:
“When we view the blessings with which our country has been favored, those which we now enjoy, and the means which we possess of handing them down unimpaired to our latest posterity, our attention is irresistibly drawn to the source from whence they flow. Let us then, unite in offering our most grateful acknowledgments for these blessings to the Divine Author of All Good.”
Let’s join Monroe’s call as we celebrate our nation’s birth, thanking God for His blessings on our lives and on our nation. As we do, enjoy this abbreviated Intersect News and take the extra time to remember all the good He is doing, despite what today’s headlines may suggest.
In this week's Intersect, read about:
First Newspaper Printing of the Declaration of Independence
“This July 6, 1776 issue of the Pennsylvania Evening Post presented the first newspaper printing of the newly adopted Declaration of Independence. Most Americans read or heard the words of the Declaration of Independence via newspapers and printed broadsides. In Philadelphia, a German language translation appeared in the July 9, 1776 issue of the Pennsylvanischer Staatsbote, a newspaper that served Pennsylvania’s large German-speaking community. By the end of August 1776, the Declaration had been reprinted in at least 29 newspapers and 14 broadsides.” view the paper online at Museum of the American Revolution
THINK.
- On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to approve a complete separation from Great Britain. Did you know, two days later – on July 4th – the early draft of the Declaration of Independence was approved, but not signed until August 2? John Adams wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, after Congress approved the Declaration, giving serious consideration to what had been done. Adams cautiously noted: “This day will be the most memorable epic in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.” He continued, “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 Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
- Independence Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on our history and remember what the heart of our country is really about. The United States of America is remarkable for many reasons, but the cornerstone of our founding—the ideal that our rights are given to us by God and not by man—is the key detail that sets us apart from all other nations.
- When was the last time you read, or listened to, the Declaration of Independence? As you do, consider this insight from President Calvin Coolidge on the 150th anniversary of the Declaration’s signing: “We live in an age of science and of abounding accumulation of material things. These did not create our Declaration. Our Declaration created them. The things of the spirit come first…If we are to maintain the great heritage which has been bequeathed to us, we must be like-minded as the fathers who created it. We must not sink into a pagan materialism. We must cultivate the reverence which they had for the things that are holy. We must follow the spiritual and moral leadership which they showed.”
PRAY.
Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America. How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” Yet we see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence. Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we have done our best to remove Your Word and Your counsel from our courtrooms, classrooms, and culture. It seems, as President Lincoln once said, that we have “forgotten God.” But Lord, You have not forgotten us! You can bless, help, and revive our country again. (Adapted from a prayer by Pastor Greg Laurie)
ACT.
On July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read for the first time from the balcony of the Old State House in Boston and has been read there every year on July 4th since then. As our nation celebrates its independence this week, take a moment to walk around the Old State House with us in this short video to learn why this document is so important and why true independence requires our dependence on God.
My Faith Votes—is a nonpartisan movement that motivates, equips and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth. By partnering with national faith leaders, My Faith Votes provides resources to help Christians Pray, Think, and Act to create an America where God is honored in the public square.
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