JANUARY 1

ON JANUARY 1, 1863 THE Emancipation Proclamation, U. S. President Abraham Lincoln's plan for the abolition of slavery, was enacted. While the executive order's effectiveness and content have been questioned and debated since that time, its intent is far more certain. What Lincoln sought to accomplish was the freedom of over three million slaves in the Confederate States of America. He avoided addressing those individuals subjected to bondage in the Border States, areas whose manpower and resources were important to the success of the Federal war effort. The argument against the Emancipation Proclamation centers upon the fact that the document addressed the slaves in states which President Lincoln deemed as being "in rebellion against the United States." As such, Lincoln arguably had no authority by which he could grant freedom to Southern slaves.

In contrast, Jesus has supreme authority to provide freedom to anyone who will yield to His teachings. In John 14:6 Jesus stated, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me." In doing so, a Christian becomes free from the sins of the past and can begin life anew. Following Galatians 5:13, Christians are to remember, "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."

As the New Year begins, ask yourself what better way to celebrate the onset of a new calendar than to enable yourself to become free to worship God and serve others in God's love. These are principles that are found in the Bible and will make your life more fulfilling. Make it a personal goal to issue your proclamation to follow the teachings of Jesus and regularly study God's word. In doing so, according to the book of John, chapter 8 and verse 32, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

JANUARY 2

JAMES 4:13-16 STATES, "GO TO now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil."

January 2, 1863 served as the end of the multi-day bloodbath at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Also known as the battle of Stone's River, the engagement became the location where over 76,000 soldiers were bidding for control of the area. With the total number of casualties surpassing 24,000, the battle resulted in one of the highest percentages of killed, wounded, and missing among the major conflicts of the American Civil War. The losses of the battle serve as an indication of another truth, the frailty and uncertainty of life.

Unable to gain a foothold on the river, more specifically at a point known as McFadden's Ford, and with the onset of freezing rain, Confederate general Braxton Bragg ordered the retreat of his troops. The best intentions and plans of the two armies had given way to the position of the opposition as well as the forces of nature. Despite the plans of the officers in addition to those enlisted men who lay dead and dying on the rain-soaked and muddy fields of Middle Tennessee, the end of life came at an unexpected time, as it commonly does for each of us.

Just as the warriors who stood on the banks of Stone's River were unable to enact plans to renew the battle, we are urged to avoid living for future goals, as there is no assurance of the ability to pursue them. Something as seemingly minor as weather, or as final as death not only affected the thousands of soldiers gathered at Murfreesboro, the same aspects can also alter our most-organized and well-thought plans.

JANUARY 3

THE TENSIONS THAT LED TO the War Between the States were developed over the decades that preceded the bombardment of Ft. Sumter. The list of incidents and situations is well-documented and each could be elevated to the pinnacle and successfully noted as the primary cause for the onset of military actions. Aside from the institution of slavery, there are additional points that warrant discussion as causes for the American Civil War.

The Missouri Compromise, written forty years before the guns were fired at Sumter, served as one of the earliest events that eventually led to unparalleled levels of death and destruction. In the following years actions such as Nat Turner's revolt and the growth of the Underground Railroad contributed to the level of uneasy coexistence between the states of the North and South. The Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act, Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, and the Dred Scott Case added more strain to the situation. The publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin, which Lincoln reportedly stated to its author, Harriet Beech Stowe, as being a catalyst for the conflict, did nothing to pacify the growing factions. The 1860 election placed Lincoln in the White House and created the exodus of Southern states from the United States.

In turn, many personal conflicts are lengthy in developing. Mark 3:24 tells us that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Does it not make sense that that also applies to the situations our homes, communities, and nation face today? Increasing tensions over items ranging from the inability to pay bills or provide for basic needs to weightier issues debated across our nation are tearing apart our structure as we know it. Romans 16:17 offers a clear solution to this situation in noting, "I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them."

Be mindful of those around you and strive to associate with those whose intentions are positive.

JANUARY 4

AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH the American Civil War, pontoon bridges allowed armies to cross rivers for the purpose of either initiating battle, retreating from the same, or simply moving toward a new base of operation. Simple in design and construction, the bridges provided a means by which rivers that were otherwise difficult to cross were more easily traversed. Failure to do so in a timely manner, as in the case of the Federal soldiers at Fredericksburg, could lead or contribute to defeat.

Boats would be tied to a river bank with planks placed in a parallel manner across the series of vessels. Infantry, cavalry, and artillery units could then use the pontoon bridges to make their way across the otherwise nonnegotiable flowing waters. Dismantling the structures also was reportedly a simple process, with one set of anchoring ropes being severed and allowing the pontoons to float toward the bank upon which the remaining anchors were set. A difficult task such as moving thousands of troops, animals, and a large amount of equipment was made far more manageable with a simple ploy such as the construction of a pontoon bridge.

Such a simple means exists for a person to escape the perils of spending eternity in the tumultuous fires of Hell where pain and anguish surround and engulf those who are doomed to spend the rest of time. By contrast, the cross denotes the way by which someone can enter Heaven and spend eternity in the peace and tranquility of Heaven. A song of worship states,...