Celebrate…Rejoice…Applaud…Commend…Commemorate…Observe…Praise…Acclaim

Whatever word you want to use, this month we have much to cheer about. Our American Independence Day – July 4 th – is a day to celebrate and observe with flashy fireworks, family cookouts, flag salutes, patriotic music, and thankful prayers. Though we have numerous problems and issues in our country, America is still the best place to live on this earth. With open elections, economic opportunities, religious liberty and more, we Americans can truly sing “God Bless America” and “America, the Beautiful” with grateful hearts.

Two landmark decisions by the Supreme Court Of The United States (SCOTUS) have provided Christians, pro-life individuals and Freedom of Religion patriots with much to applaud.

When SCOTUS voted to strike down Roe v Wade, signaling the end of our national disgrace and abomination known as abortion, sending it back to each state to determine the law and scope of abortion for that state, the correct constitutionality of abortion was determined and decided. Millions of unborn children have been murdered through abortion. We applaud SCOTUS on this decision and pray for the men and women who deal with abortion decisions - past, present and future. When the body of another human is involved, it is no longer “my body, my choice,” but whose body is being killed and who has the right to life in our nation. We as IPHC and NHM stand firm in our pro-life stand as Christians.

With the SCOTUS decision that a coach had the right to pray by himself on the football field after a football game, they affirmed Americans’ First Amendment rights of Freedom of Speech and Religious Freedom. Our American Freedom of Religion is not Freedom FROM Religion like many would want, but that the government would not and could not determine a national religion or the practice thereof. We as Christians have the right to pray where we choose, even on a football field. While this religious freedom also extends to all religions, even those with whom we disagree and in whose religion we don’t believe, this extraordinary ruling should be applauded, cheered, acclaimed and celebrated by us all.

July will also give the IPHC and NHM the opportunity to celebrate as we gather together at our IPHC General Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, to worship, vote and pray. Let us pray for God’s will to be done in our leadership elections, our Bylaws decisions and our training times together.

Finally, looking ahead to August, we applaud those who will be in the School of Ministry on August 13 for their first classes of the year preparing individuals for their ministerial credentials and those who will be at the Emerging Leadership Council (ELC) VISTA on August 27 for this important leadership training preparing individuals for conference service. Let us CELEBRATE!