“Let Freedom Ring!”

 

TMSG Revelation 12:11--They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness. They weren’t in love with themselves; they were willing to die for Christ.

 

Dear Friends;

 

I am always humbled during the month of July. On the 4^th of this month, we celebrate the liberation of our nation from the tyranny forced upon us by England hundreds of years ago! The men who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence literal pledged their fortunes and very lives on the Revolution that began in the hearts and minds of those who were fighting to throw off the chains of English oppression! According to the Articles of Confederation, had the Declaration NOT been accepted and the Constitution not been ratified, these great men would have been positioned to be tried and hung for treason! The Founding Fathers had discovered the priceless truth of ‘foundations’ being crucial to the success of any venture, be that venture building a house or a nation! That is why when they set about to establish the ‘bedrock’ that would define America’s greatness, they went right to the source, declaring that ALL human beings are, “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights! We must never forget that these rights have been bought with the blood of countless patriots throughout the centuries. Some of them famous and others not so much!

 

One such patriot boarded a plane on the morning of September 11, 2001. United Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco was hijacked by terrorists who despised the freedom we celebrate this month and claimed to have a bomb. Having confirmed that other planes had hit the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the passengers understood the hijackers’ intent! Todd Beamer was not a patriot dressed in tails and a white wig. He was not a Special Forces soldier outfitted in camouflage and a rifle. He was a 32 year old businessman who proved be a patriot all the same. He reached down to pick up a seat-back phone and contacted Lisa Jefferson, a GTE supervisor and told her his intention along with other passengers to ‘jump on’ one of the hijackers who was guarding hostages in the rear. They recited the Lord’s Prayer together and he made her promise to contact his wife and two children to tell them how much he loved them! Dropping the still connected phone, Beamer was heard to say, “Jesus help me!” He then recited Psalm 23 and looking at the passengers around him asked, “Are you guys ready? Okay, LET’S ROLL!” Yelling and screaming was then followed by silence. Brave Americans civilians, complete strangers, rose against impossible odds and tried to save the 757-200 aircraft. When United Flight 93 crashed into a large field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 passengers aboard, Todd Beamer and the other Patriots on board made the ultimate patriotic sacrifice. United Flight 93 was the only plane that failed to hit a targeted site because of this sacrifice!

 

We at First Baptist Church of Fort Scott Kansas are thankful for the opportunity to celebrate Independence Day this month. As we celebrate, this church is mandated to build up a body of believers who are willing to reach out to all who are oppressed and bound up by the chains of sin! Jesus Christ is the ‘Bondage Breaker’ who is able to break us free from those chains! As we gain biblical knowledge and spiritual maturity we are able to respond to the needs we encounter in Fort Scott, Kansas and around the world! God has provided us this ministry of restoration and reconciliation and uses us to draw all mankind to Himself through the loving sacrifice of His Son, Jesus for every single person’s sin! As we become more and more aware of the attitude and temperament of Jesus through a personal relationship with Him, His very Being is replicated in us! We are motivated by His great love to do anything reasonably possible so others might feel and be changed by the same love we have been transformed by! If you have never experienced the love of Jesus, or if you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, come join hands and hearts with us! In the words of Patriot Todd Beamer-----

“Are you guys ready? Okay---LET’S ROLL!”

   Pastor Tim