Continuing with our theme of emulating God’s ways, we find in Psalms 147 that God not only numbers the stars (no small thing), but He also names them. Do you think He names them randomly? I don’t. Names matter to God. They are not incidental or accidental to Him. If He takes the time to name the stars, there must be some reason for that. I believe the name He chooses reflects some of the purpose of that star, yet to be understood or appreciated.

If you and I are going to name something, we need to discern both the nature of the thing and the purpose it was created for. That requires intentionality, caring and stewardship. When you name it, you own it. When you name it, you give it meaning and purpose. Ask God to show you its full purpose, so you can name it well. Choosing the wrong name can cause it to fall short of its intended glory - to miss out on its potential. There have been many great products misnamed and they were surpassed in the marketplace by products better named, even if they were inferior.

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Want to emulate the ways of God? Consider Psalm 147:2-6. The sixth of seven characteristics of God’s ways described here is: “He calls them all by their names.” We are talking about the stars here and the last count we had was that there were 80 sextillion stars that we know of - so far. That’s ten times the number of grains of sand on all the beaches and deserts on the planet, just to give you some perspective. It’s one thing to know, for example, that you have a herd of cattle numbering 5,000, but to be able to name them, recognize and remember them by name is beyond the scope of reason for us. Yet God not only knows how many stars there are, but has actually given them all names.

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On this 4^th of July, I wanted to treat you to one of the most famous and fiery speeches given during our struggle for freedom in this great country. I have edited it down slightly to give you the highlights. Would that one among us today could speak with the passion, clarity and eloquence that animated Patrick Henry in 1775!

“Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.

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“It was for freedom that Christ has made us free.” Freedom has always been purchased with blood. It is only maintained by vigilance. Christ purchased our freedom from sin and death with His blood, but we only walk in that freedom according to the vigilance with which we embrace the grace of God, shun the cries of the flesh and resist the works of the devil.

Similarly, in this great country we call America; freedom was purchased with the blood of great men who risked life and fortune for freedom. The freedoms they won were unprecedented in other nations and were guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States. Along with its amendments, certain rights were assured that no one could ever put a lien against. They were un-a-lien-able. That is, of course, unless no one complained when the enemies of freedom put a lien (claim) against them.

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Freedom must first of all be a state of mind before it can be anything else. If you don’t grasp the principles of freedom, you will never experience the reality of freedom. “Stand fast therefore in the freedom with which Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Friends, tyranny comes in all forms - perhaps the most dangerous being the tyranny we don’t see - until we resist it… and by then it is usually too late.

The Founding Fathers of this nation understood tyranny when they saw it and they went through a Biblical process of redress with the King of England (their king) to address and hopefully relieve that tyranny, but he would not listen. They felt it their duty, their obligation, to oppose tyranny, resist evil and reclaim what Christ had won for every soul - the gift of freedom from slavery in all its evil forms.

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