On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution that declared that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.” Two days later, on July 4, 1776, the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. We honor this day with barbeque and fireworks because it marked the beginning of our new nation. The Declaration of Independence, however, did not lay out the specifics about how we would be governed. The Articles of Confederation were supposed to do that. They were drafted in 1777 [...]

In Genesis 4, Cain and Abel each bring an offering to God. God accepts Abel’s offering but rejects Cain’s. Why does God accept one and reject the other? Because, with a heart full of faith (Heb. 11:4), Abel brought the best of what he had to the Lord. Abel’s attitude was, “Because God is what’s most important to me, I want to give him the best of what I have.” So he brought the firstborn and the fat portions, and “the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering” [...]