What About July?

July brings many things to mind… Heat, Vacations, harvesting the gardens, Patriotism, Freedom, Christmas! (Yes, haven’t you heard of Christmas in July?), Vacation Bible School, summer camps, but most of all – Jesus!

Yes, July is about Jesus. All of the above are not possible without Jesus. Think about it. Sometimes Jesus “turns up the heat.” When we go astray, or rebel, or turn to the world – Jesus through the Holy Spirit gives us a little “love tap” to let us know that regardless of what is taking place – we need to keep Him first!

Your “get away” is possible because Jesus has set you free! The Freedoms we enjoy in this country can be traced back to our Founding Fathers’ idea about freedom. There is no country in the world like the United States – and that’s due to the vision of those who founded and fought for this country. The foundation of those beliefs in freedom is Judaeo-Christian. Many hard-working people in other countries never get a vacation break. This is especially true of the poor, which makes up more than 75% of the world’s population.

While not all churches have VBS in July, a number do during the middle of the summer. There is no greater evangelistic tool then to have a concentrated effort with our children for fourdays to teach them about Jesus and His love for them. I am thankful for Celinda Jurney’s leadership in this area and for the others who will be working with these children. It is certainly a “love project!”

As it is with all things, there are some who take advantage of the freedoms they have. They don’t understand the pain, suffering, and sacrifice others had to resort to in order to pave the way for freedom and liberty. As I reflect on other countries and the lack of freedom they have to worship God, many worship anyway because it is the most important activity in their lives. Many believers in this country forsake the house of worship during the summer to keep up with all the activities they have planned. As the writer to Hebrews said, “…let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another…” (Hebrews 10:24-25 NAS)

On a positive note. July is for Jesus! You see, there really is Christmas in July. Jesus came for us in every month. Won’t you engage in what God has in store for us this month!

Blessings!

-Cliff Sims