Hi Newport Church Family,
We trust that you are in good health and spirit and experiencing God’s grace, favor and provision.
Happy 4th July to you all!
We hope that you enjoyed our Friday evening service, which we moved from Sunday so that we could worship together on Friday and gather with family and friends on Sunday morning.
We pray that you have a blessed time together this weekend as we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as one nation under God.
A Declaration of Independence and of Dependence on God
This week, while on vacation with our family, I was able to visit the site of the Battle of Yorktown, with our daughter London, and to stand on the field where the British Army surrendered to the American Revolutionary Army led by George Washington.
The British surrender on October 19th 1781 marked the end of the war, and the beginnings of the negotiation of the terms of surrender, which meant that the thirteen colonies would no longer be subject to the English monarch George III and were now united, free and independent states.
America’s independence which had been declared on July 4th, 1776 had now been secured after four hard fought years of struggle for Independence.
The declaration that the United States would be one nation under God, where all men would be equal could now become a reality with new found Independence from the yoke of British rule.
One Nation Under God
As we stood on the field I thought about the significance of that moment and how at the heart of the Declaration of Independence was not only a struggle for Independence but a desire for a nation to be birthed that would be dependent on God.
Benjamin Franklin spoke these significant words as he reflected on those days, “In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had our daily prayer. . . . Our prayers, sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. . . . I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men. If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? I believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed no better than the builders of Babel. We shall be divided by our partial, local interests; our projects will be confounded. . . . I move that we pray.”
The author was Benjamin Franklin, the chairman of the Constitutional Congress was George Washington, the motion was passed and prayers were said then and at subsequent meetings.
There is no doubt that the secret of the greatness of our nation has been dependence on the sovereignty of God.
May that be our prayer for our nation this Fourth July and for our church and community!
A Spirit of Generosity
One of the hallmarks of the greatness of any nation is a spirit of generosity. A nation under God and dependent on God will always have a spirit of generosity and we are all beneficiaries of living in a nation that has a spirit and culture of generosity.
Generosity is at the heart of the gospel and as those who have received a spirit of generosity our response is to freely give just as we have freely received.
As a church may we continue to exemplify that spirt of generosity as we live in dependence on God and continue to build a hub of hope and faith.
A big thank you to all who have contributed to our recent miracle offering and to those who faithfully give, so that we can make a way for others to know God’s love, grace and provision.
If you would like to give your donation, tithes or offerings now you can do so by clicking here. Thank you!
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8
We look forward to seeing you and to gathering together again next Sunday
We love and appreciate you all greatly,
Pastor Jonathan & Dianne Wilson
Senior Pastors