On 14 October 1781, when colonial American soldiers captured British redoubt #10 on the Yorktown battlefield, our war for our independence was won. The official surrender came just five days later, ending the conflict that cost the lives of 70,000 men.
Unfortunately, the Yorktown battlefield was not to be our final field of conflict. Indeed, battlefields are quite a never-ending, common theme among humanity – and our own nation. Jesus prophesied that “there will be wars and rumors of wars” before His inevitable return. (Matthew 24:6)
He was right – and will continue to be right until He returns to straighten humanity out.
July 4th is a special day for us who dwell securely in the most wealthy and powerful nation in all of human history – a nation founded on Jesus’ Words. On this day, the USA celebrates 248 years of free independence – remembering that the first five years after 1776 were spent at war ridding ourselves of tyrants, despots, and thieves of freedom and liberty.
Since the rout of the royalist tyrants, we have grown from a modest gathering that began with 13 colonies of 2.5 million people into a vast nation that stretches forth across a continent, touching two oceans with a population of more than 330 million souls. Our economy has blossomed to over $27 trillion. Our infant mortality has been cut from more than 45% at the declaration of our independence to under 1% today, while our citizens live over 35 years longer on average.” (1440.com)
And, you know well from where we gathered such greatness… spent on one battlefield after another, defending the freedoms of our families and our countrymen – with one hand on the plow – and the other on our rifles – ever determined to keep our nation secure along with our freedoms and our rights won with blood, tears and determination to be a people of eternal vigilance. For in our Declaration of Independence we have forever declared to tyrants who ruled over us, and to any who wish to control us in the future, that “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.”
Since 4 July 1776, some 1,354,664 Americans have died either on the battlefield or from related causes. Thus, on this special Independence Day – our day to celebrate our hard-won freedom – we always remember that our freedom was purchased at a staggering cost. And the final bill has not yet been paid.
Freedom is truly not free.
As President Ronald Regan said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance, it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. For those who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.”
As Templars, we continue to fight for the spiritual freedom of all those we meet – for our Lord Master and Captain of the Lord’s Army has promised, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)