Truly Free

When we look at or listen to the news we find that the present human condition affirms that the world at large is not "free indeed." Human history records an unbroken trail of bondage. Secular wisdom cannot unshackle the heart no matter how hard a person tries, no matter how educated a person may be. The changing of or improvement of living conditions, or equal rights will never set a person free with any lasting results. Only the Creator of humanity can do that. God alone has provided the emancipation of human suffering and captivity through Jesus Christ His Son, our great Savior and Liberator. Jesus said, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36) The Apostle Paul tells us, "It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed]." (Galatians 5:1 AMP)  

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, born of a virgin by means of a miraculous conception through the power of the Holy Spirit, became like one of us to completely set humanity free from sin and the tyrannical power of Satan. Luke records the ministry of Jesus to the world, which was foretold by the prophet Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19) The gospel of John also records the many claims that Jesus made regarding himself and his relationship to all of mankind. Those claims are extraordinary, absolutely amazing! One of the things He said of Himself was, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6) What He was proclaiming was that He alone was mankind's great Liberator, that He could and would set man free. 

The gospel is the Good News about Jesus Christ and the freedom that He gives. It is the Holy Spirit inspired presentation of that Good News that sets man free. Although the true gospel of Christ can be distorted or perverted, Jesus and his apostles preached a lifesaving, mind and heart freeing message from God. Numerous times and in different ways Jesus said, "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak." (John 12:49) The Apostle Paul tells us of his ministry in the gospel, "For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." (Romans 15:18-19)

It is the cross, that is, the cross of Christ the presents the Good News. The cross of Christ focuses on God's answer to man's need: life and freedom. The death of Jesus, the Son of God, is revealed in that historical event at Calvary. He died, according to God's Word, as a sin offering for man. This is the one and only way that mankind can be set free. It is an act of God's grace alone with absolutely nothing to do with mans efforts. Although freedom is by grace through faith, many believers have created doctrine and legalism, as an attempt to earn one's salvation by works rather than relying upon God's grace through Christ to save. The Apostle Paul tells us, "But if it is by grace [God’s unmerited favor], it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace [it would not be a gift but a reward for works]." (Romans 11:6)  Paul dealt with this very thing with the church at Galatia. (See Galatians 3) 

Although there are numerous barriers to freedom that rob people, even believers, from God's gracious and abundant provision of life that we have in Christ, (John 10:10), I believe that these three stand out, ignorance, pride and fear. Ignorance of the will, nature, character, purpose and plan of God through Jesus can keep one in darkness. The very darkness that Jesus came to set us free from is what keeps us from God's freedom and love. Jesus is the wisdom from God that dispels ignorance. He is the truth that sets men free. "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6) 

Pride can keep us enslaved to our selfish egos and erroneous ideologies. Pride can cause people to presume that they have need of nothing outside themselves. This is the very issue that was the fall of  Lucifer, "For you (Lucifer) have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:13-14) God's Word tells us several time, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Pride is a self-righteous attitude that  robs one of their freedom in Christ because it is void of grace. Ignorance and pride are two deadly foes of the freedom that God's grace brings to those who would follow Jesus Christ. The final foe of freedom that I want to mention is fear. 

Fear is the root of anxiety and worry. According to the Apostle John, "fear involves torment."  (1 John 4:18) Fear can keep one in bondage, robbing them of the life that Jesus brought to humanity. Fear is not from God, it is and evil spirit. The Apostle Paul tells us, "God has not given us a spirit of fear." (2 Timothy 1:7) These three, ignorance, pride and fear are thieves that cheat us out of the joy of God's freedom through Jesus Christ.  

Freedom is a gift we possess only when we receive Christ as Lord and Savior and walk in it. A free person is not afraid to make up his own mind to settle for himself the basic issue of life. A person who desires reality must fearlessly pursue truth and be responsible for making decisions regarding that truth, that is, God's Word. Long ago, Joshua, a great man of courage and faith said, "Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15) 

When one submits to the truth of the gospel and obediently trusts in God's abundant grace to save, then, that person will know what it means to be "free indeed." They will be free from ignorance; free from pride; and free from fear. The saving grace of a loving God as realized in Christ Jesus is the most liberating power known to man. However, a prisoner is not a free man if he refuses to leave his cell after the door is opened. God, through Christ has opened the prison door for all. So, as Joshua said, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" let us make the same declaration, believing and receiving the complete freedom that was freely given through the Lord Jesus Christ. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

His Grace Is Freedom

The Fourth of July in the United States is known as Independence Day. Independence Day has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of celebrating Independence Day goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-1783). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies accessed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, Independence Day has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. Although the United States celebrates Independence Day as a day of freedom from Great Britain's oppression of those days, one is not truly free until they confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him as Savior.

Today in the United Stated we often forget that, in declaring independence from an earthly power, our forefathers made a forthright declaration of dependence upon Almighty God. The closing words of the Declaration of Independence solemnly declares, "With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." The fifty six courageous men who signed that document understood that this was not just high sounding rhetoric. They knew that if they succeeded, the best they could expect would be years of hardship in a struggling new nation. If they lost, they would face a hangman's noose as traitors. But notice, their dependence was not upon their abilities, but upon Divine Providence. They knew that without divine intervention, their desire for freedom would never happen. History reveals that all the signers of the Declaration of Independence had a Christian/religious background; 32 Episcopalian/Anglican; 13 Congregationalist; 12 Presbyterian; 2 Quaker; 2 Unitarian or Universalist; 1 Catholic.  

Of the fifty six, few were long to survive. Five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes, ransacked, looted, occupied by the enemy, or burned. Two lost their sons in the army. One had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six died in the war, from its hardships or from its bullets. Whatever ideas you have of the men who met that hot summer in Philadelphia, it is important that we remember certain facts about the men who made this pledge. They were not poor men, or wild-eyed pirates. They were men of means, prosperous men, wealthy landowners, substantially secure in their prosperity and respected in their communities. But they considered liberty much more important than the security they enjoyed. They pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. They fulfilled their pledge. They paid the price. And freedom was won.

Someone once said, "To be born free is a privilege. To live free is an awesome responsibility." Yet freedom is never free. It is always purchased at great price. Take a moment and ponder the greatest price ever paid for freedom. The price that was paid at Calvary nearly two thousand years ago by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to purchase man's freedom. In a similar way, the forefather's of this country were also ready to pay a great price for freedom not only for themselves, but for all who would come to the United States to become citizens of this "One nation under God." Little did John Adams know how significant his words would be when he spoke to his wife, Abigail, on the passing of the Declaration of Independence, "I am well aware of the toil, and blood, and treasure, that it will cost to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states; yet, through all the gloom I can see the rays of light and glory. I can see that the end is worth more than all the means."

To those who sacrificed for our freedom, the end was worth the painful means. Where would we, who are citizens of the United States of America, be today if there had not been those who counted the cost of freedom and willingly paid for it? Where will we be tomorrow if men and women of integrity do not come forward today and once again pay the price to reclaim a dying America? The only way this can be accomplished is for the church in the United States to do two things. First, we must humble ouselves and do the very thing that the LORD spoke to Solomon, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14) Secondly, what Jesus spoke to the apostles (and for all believers) before departing His earthly ministry as the Son Of Man to return to the Father, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 19-20)

We may look at the American revolution and think that it was a struggle against natural forces, but the reality is, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood." I believe the forefather's recognized this. I pray that the church in the United States would also recognize this and respond to God's call, 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Matthew 28:19-20. 

I believe that a great awakening is coming that will fulfill the prophecy of Habakkuk, "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk 2:14) I also believe God is calling every believer to change, because He wants to take us into another dimension or level of glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18) There are dimension of glory that exist that we do not know of or have entered into. Areas of creative miracles where we will see body parts grow where there were none; Birth defects instantly healed; Dominion over the forces of nature; People raised from the dead; and more salvation's than the world has ever experienced. I believe a time is coming where we will enter into these dimensions of glory and they will be the norm. I say these things because like me, I want to stir you up to seek God and His glory. 

But change is an individual choice. We must ask the Holy Spirit to give us the grace, that is, the desire and ability to do God’s will, to help us change, but we also must work at bring change. It may take some time, it may even be painful or difficult process for some, but it is worth the effort, because with God all things are possible. Food for thought: Change is not really change until it is genuine and lasting. So, let us do like the forefather's of this country who were willing to give up all and trust that God would bring freedom. Let us no longer be conformed to the world, remain stagnant and frustrated with life trying to please man? But, let us let God’s Word transform us into the image of Christ from glory to glory to please God. As we choose the latter, not only will we understand true freedom, but God will also use us to set the captives free... 

Christ Has Set Us Free

Today marks the one hundred and fifty sixth Memorial Day in the USA. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. It is a day of remembrance, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally established in 1868 and known as Decoration Day, it became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Memorial Day also marks the unofficial beginning of summer. Although many have mixed feeling concerning Memorial Day, let us never forget the reason why we remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. They fought and died to secure the freedoms that our fore-father's also fought and died for. Without doubt, the United States of America was established as "One Nation Under God" so let us never forget those who lost their lives defending this nation.

History also shows us the greatest struggle for freedom had taken place. This was a war that was not fought against flesh and blood, but a spiritual battle fought against the one who has brought nothing but destruction upon the entire history of humanity. This foe had stolen freedom from every person born on the earth and has held them in such bondage that murder, pestilence, disease and death seems to be a way of life in which no one can escape. This foe is known by many names, which are a reflection of his nature. His name is Satan. He is the worst, cruelest and most destructive tyrannical power ever set against humanity.

Not one person from the creation of man had ever been able to fight against Satan and rise the victor. All humanity was helpless and hopeless in this world, until the greatest warrior that ever walked on this planet emerged. His name, Jesus, the Son of God. Unfortunately, there are billions of people that  have not recognized the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus paid to set humanity free. Many of them have heard the story of Jesus, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16), but "the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them." (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Before Jesus gave His life to set humanity free, He sat with His disciples and in a sense, set up a Memorial Day for all who would call upon His Name to be set free. "When the hour had come, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22:14-20)

The Apostle Paul tells us, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes." (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) As we can see, believers are to participate in "Holy Communion" as a deep, intimate connection with the One, Jesus Christ, who has given humanity more freedom than any nation(s) or army(s) could possible provide.  

Paul instructs us, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes." Believers are encouraged to celebrate our Memorial Day every day in remembrance of Jesus Christ and the tremendous freedom that He gave His life for. Although, Jesus had become a fallen warrior in the battle for freedom, He rose victoriously from the dead, completely liberating humanity, never to fall again. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." (John 11:25-26) So, let us take time every day and give the highest honor to Jesus Christ, the One who has given all humanity the greatest of all freedoms, abundant life! PTL...

Freedom For All

One of the highlights of summer in the USA is the celebration of Independence Day. From 1776 until the present day, Independence Day has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. Although the United States celebrates Independence Day as a day of freedom from Great Britain's governmental, tyrannical oppression, there is a freedom that is far superior, far greater than any freedom that man can provide. In his first recorded preaching of the gospel, the Apostle Peter said, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38) This is how one is born again. This is where and how true freedom comes.

It has been said, "To be born free is a privilege; to die free is an awesome responsibility," yet freedom is never free, is it? It always and only comes at great price. The greatest price ever paid for freedom, was paid at Calvary nearly two thousand years ago by the LORD Jesus Christ, the Son of God. So, let's take a moment and look at some of the events that took place to purchase mans true freedom. We begin in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is arrested and taken to the hall of Caiaphas the High Priest. He is then blindfolded and spit upon, His beard pulled out, insulted and struck in the presence of the very High Priest of God. Then we witness the long, cold, weary hours until He is taken before Pilate and then eventually to Herod to be mocked and jeered again. We then witness Him clothed with a mock garment of kingly authority, a mock crown of thorns pressed into His skull, a mock badge of kingly authority placed within His hand, and then the long weary march back to Pilate, where He faces the trial proceedings with bitterness and jealousy aimed at Him. 

We then find Jesus standing calm and quiet with no part in this unnatural scene, except that of the innocent victim of jealousy and hatred. We see Him scourged, His back laid open by the awful Roman lictor. Blood flows, and flesh is torn as the cruel blows fall mercilessly upon His bare back from His neck to His heals. Then His clothes are thrown roughly about Him, and He is started out for Golgotha, staggering beneath the patibulum that He was forced to carry. We see Him fall under its weight, and Simon of Cyrene is compelled to bear it. Then we see Him staggering up the mountain side, surrounded by soldiers. He is stripped naked, laid roughly down upon the stipes where the Roman soldiers with cruel hatred drive the spikes into His hands and feet. With the patibulum and stipes forming a cross, He is then lifted and the cross is dropped into the socket in the rock. Jesus of Nazareth is crucified!

We watch the mob as it surges backward and forward about the cross. We hear the High Priest hurling his bitter taunts at Jesus, as He suffers unmercifully nailed to the cross suspended between heaven and earth. We hear the mob in their bitter denunciation, led on by their religious leaders, the very priesthood that was looking for their Messiah. It was a hideous and horrific thing that was taking place. The Son of God hanging on the cross was not a sight for angels, nor for men, but for demons only.

However, the vision I want you to have is not of the physical suffering of Jesus, not what man has done, as that is only a means to an end, but come behind the scenes and see the agony of the Son of God, and see Him smitten by God, His Father. The Apostle Peter tells us on the day of Pentecost that He was delivered up by the determinate counsel and the foreknowledge of God. (Acts 2:23) It is here that we see Father God taking our sin nature, sickness, disease, the curse of the law and spiritual death, and placing it all upon Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:21, Isaiah 53:4-6, 10; Galatians 3:13; Colossians 1:18) Jesus has taken man's place, and the whole human race is now represented in Him, as He hangs there under judgment on the accursed tree. God takes your sin and mine, yes, the sin of the whole world, as well as sickness, disease, the curse of the law and spiritual death, and lets it fall upon His Son and as God turns His back to Him, He cries out, "My God, Mu God why have you forsaken Me." (Matthew 27:46) Not only did Jesus go to the cross to acquire mans freedom, but also descend into hell itself to pay the penalty of Man's high treason. (Psalm 16:10; Psalm 88; Acts 2:27) He took upon Himself the awful guilt to pay man's penalty, because God could not, nor would not pardon man until an adequate sacrifice had been made. (Romans 3:21-26)

He died as Jesus our Substitute, the Lamb of God who bore the sin of the world. But Peter tells us, (quoting David, Psalm 16:10) "For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." (Acts 2:27) After three days and nights in hell, Jesus arose as Lord, as Master of death, of hell and of the grave. He speaks to the Apostle John, "I was dead and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Hades and of Death." (Revelation 1:18) The matchless, mighty Christ had gone into the strong mans house and plundered his house and his goods. (Matthew 12:29; Luke 11:21-22) He had conquered Satan completely in honorable combat. He had taken from him his authority, his dominion; He brings it back and offers it to fallen man through His matchless name and grace.

What does this mean to us? It means that every person who repents, confesses with the mouth and believes in the heart, Jesus Christ as Lord and takes Him as his Savior, stands legally acquitted in the presence of God. It means Satan is defeated, and man can be free. This is independence, this is freedom and there is no other freedom from the foundations of the world that has or will ever surpass the freedom that our Heavenly Father has provided for all mankind through the LORD Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17) PTL. This is true Freedom for all!

Free Indeed

Today, is the fifth Monday of the month of May 2023 and in the United States it is a national holiday entitled, Memorial Day. It is a day in which Americans remember the service men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives so that others may have freedom. They did not give their lives for the United States alone, but as they fought and died in the numerous conflicts throughout the world, they did it to bring an end to demonized dictators. They fought and died to turn back these satanic ruled people whose only objective was or is to steal, kill, destroy and or hold in bondage to slavery their fellow man in efforts to promote their tyrannical reign. Let us never forget those in the armed forces who have gone before and those today who are ready to do what it takes to defend and protect the citizens of the United States of America.

In a similar way, Christians also have a Memorial Day. However, our Memorial Day is not only a day of remembrance, but a day of celebration. We celebrate the day that we "confessed with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and were saved." (Romans 10:9) We celebrate the fact the Jesus Christ also paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving His life to save (redeem, heal, deliver, make whole) all humanity from Satan, the most evil, murderous tyrant known to man. The Bible reveals to us, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:38) and "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)

When we consider what Jesus did for mankind the mind can hardly comprehend it. The apostle Paul reveals to us through the Holy Spirit, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned  (Romans 5:12) and speaking of the state of all men since the fall, “…having no hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12) This means that not one person in all of mankind had the ability to provide redemption. God Himself must provide man’s redemption. God must redeem man from the dominion of Satan. Death must be destroyed and man’s authority over the Satan must also be restored. We also must keep in mind that God is just, "…God is abundant in justice…” (Job 37:23) and therefore mankind could only be redeemed on absolute legal grounds. Even though God's love for man is unfathomable and the fact that He is also sovereign, He could not redeem man outside the realm of justice.

God would have to provide a substitute who would not have man’s satanic fallen nature. He could not be mortal or immortal, but a perfect man as Adam was before the fall. He must fulfill the entire Mosaic Law, withstand the onslaught of all the devils attacks without sin, meet the demands of justice, (meaning that He would have to pay the penalty for man’s crimes against God) and suffer in man's place by becoming sin, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us..." (2 Corinthians 5:21) Being make sin the Redeemer would be separated from the presence of God by going to hell, (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:31) which is the ultimate penalty for sin, until mankind had been fully and legally acquitted for their crime. In other words, Deity must suffer for humanity.

As Adam die both spiritually and physically ("a death you shall die," or, "dying you shall die." Genesis 2:17  Hebrew) and "and they made His grave with the wicked, but with the rich at His death..."(Isaiah 53:9 deaths in the Hebrew) Jesus too would have to experience both spiritual and physical death as Adam, did to reverse Adam's transgression. If Jesus' physical death was all that was required to redeem humanity, then sin is nothing more than a physical condition. If physical death deals with the sin issue, then every person that physically dies pays the penalty of his/her own sin. If sin is only a physical condition and can be dealt with through physical death, then we must conclude that no person will ever be separated from God in hell because the physical death of every person would be sufficient to satisfy justice and give them a pass to eternal life.

However, we know that this is not true. Jesus must suffer in both realms, physically and spiritually. Physically because that is the only way that spiritually dead humanity could eliminate the Son of God; spiritually, because it’s the only way that God could legally redeem man taking away Satan’s claim to humanity. It also stops man from accusing God of being unjust when they reject His way of redemption. Jesus indeed went to hell and suffered as a substitute for all mankind.  His physical death was infinitesimal to what He suffered in the spiritual realm. If humanity could have been redeemed apart from Christ, then Jesus becoming a substitute for humanity and being sent to hell would have become the most heinous crime ever committed in all of creation.

But thanks be to God who was willing to take upon Himself man's liability by suffering an incomprehensible death in two realms as man's substitute. So let us never forget what the Father did through Jesus to give humanity complete freedom from Satan's power. Let us never forget and rejoice continually on our Memorial Day. The day you and I were born again.  

Free Indeed

One of the highlights of summer in the USA is the celebration of Independence Day. From 1776 until the present day, Independence Day has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. Although the United States celebrates Independence Day as a day of freedom from Great Britain's oppression, there is a freedom that is far superior, far greater than any freedom that man can provide. This freedom only comes as one confesses with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him as Savior.

It has been said, "To be born free is a privilege; to die free is an awesome responsibility," yet freedom is never free. It always and only comes at great price. The greatest price ever paid for freedom, was paid at Calvary nearly two thousand years ago by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. So, let's take a moment and look at some of the events that took place to purchase mans true freedom. We begin in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is arrested and taken down to the hall of Caiaphas the High Priest. He is then blindfolded and spit upon, insulted and struck in the presence of the very High Priest of God, and then you witness the long, cold, weary hours until He is taken before Pilate and then eventually to Herod to be mocked and jeered, to be clothed with the mock garment of kingly authority, a mock crown of thorns placed upon His brow, the mock badge of kingly authority placed within His hand, and then the long weary march back to Pilate, where He faces the trial, proceeding with bitterness and jealousy.

We then find Jesus standing calm and quiet with no part in this unnatural scene, except that of the innocent victim of jealousy and hate. We see Him scourged, His back laid open by the awful Roman lictor. Blood flows, and flesh is torn as the cruel blows fall mercilessly upon His bare back. Then His clothes are thrown roughly about Him, and He is started out for Golgotha, staggering beneath His cross. We see Him fall under its weight, and Simon of Cyrene is compelled to bear it. Then we see Him staggering up the mountain side, surrounded by soldiers. He is laid roughly down upon the cross on His back, and the Roman soldiers with cruel hate drive the spikes into His hands and feet; then He is lifted up naked, and the cross is dropped into the socket in the rock. Jesus of Nazareth is crucified!

We watch the mob as it surges backward and forward about the cross. We hear the High Priest hurling his bitter taunts at Jesus, as He suffers unmercifully nailed to the cross suspended between heaven and earth. We hear the mob in their bitter denunciation, led on by their religious leaders, the very priesthood that was looking for their Messiah. It was a hideous and horrific thing that was taking place. The Son of God hanging on the cross was not a sight for angels, nor for men, but for demons only.

However, the vision I want you to have is not of the physical suffering of Jesus, not what man has done as that is only a means to an end, but come behind the scenes and see the agony of the Son of God, and see Him smitten by God, His Father. The Apostle Peter tells us on the day of Pentecost that He was delivered up by the determinate counsel and the foreknowledge of God. (Acts 2:23) It is here that we see Father God taking our sin nature and spiritual death, and placing it all upon Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus has taken man's place, and the whole human race is now represented in Him, as He hangs there under judgment on the accursed tree. God takes your sin and mine, yes, the sin of the whole world and lets it fall upon His Son and as God turns His back to Him, He cries out, "My God, Mu God why have you forsaken Me." (Matthew 27:46) Not only did Jesus go to the cross to acquire mans freedom, but also descend into hell itself to pay the penalty of Man's high treason. He took upon Himself the awful guilt to pay man's penalty, because God could not, nor would not pardon man until an adequate sacrifice had been made. (Romans 3:21-26)

He died as Jesus our Substitute, the Lamb of God who bore the sin of the world. But Peter tells us, (quoting David) "For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." (Acts 2:27) After three days and nights in hell, Jesus arose as Lord, as Master of death, of hell and of the grave. He speaks to the Apostle John, "I was dead and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Hades and of Death." (Revelation 1:18) The matchless, mighty Christ had gone into the strong mans house and plundered his house and his goods. (Matthew 12:29; Luke 11:21-22) He had conquered Satan completely in honorable combat; He had taken from him his authority, his dominion; He brings it back and offers it to fallen man through His matchless name and grace.

What does this mean to us? It means that every person who confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and takes Him as his Savior, stands legally acquitted in the presence of God. It means Satan is defeated, and man can be free. This is independence, this is freedom and there is no other freedom from the foundations of the world that has or will ever surpass the freedom the our Heavenly Father has provided for all men through Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17) PTL...

Every Day is Memorial Day

Today, is the fourth Monday of the month of May and in the United States it is a national holiday entitled, Memorial Day. It is a day in which Americans remember the service men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives so that others may have freedom. They did not give their lives for the United States alone, but as they fought and died in the numerous conflicts throughout the world, they did it to bring an end to demonized dictators who enjoy(ed) killing, like Satan their father, have only one desire, to have power. They fought and died to turn back these satanic ruled people whose only objective was to steal, kill, destroy and or hold in bondage to slavery their fellow man in efforts to promote their tyrannical reign. Let us never forget those in the armed forces who have gone before and those today who are ready to do what it takes to defend and protect the citizens of the United States of America.

In a similar way, Christians also have a Memorial Day. However, our Memorial Day is not only a day of remembrance, but a day of celebration. We celebrate the day that we "confessed with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believed in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and were saved." (Romans 10:9) We celebrate the fact the Jesus Christ also paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving His life to save (redeem, heal, deliver, make whole) all humanity from Satan, the most evil, murderous tyrant known to man. The Bible reveals to us, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:38) and "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)

When we consider what Jesus did for mankind the mind can hardly comprehend it. The apostle Paul reveals to us through the Holy Spirit, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned  (Romans 5:12) and speaking of the state of all men since the fall, “…having no hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12) This means that not one person in all of mankind had the ability to provide redemption. God Himself must provide man’s redemption. God must redeem man from the dominion of Satan. Death must be destroyed and man’s authority over the Satan must also be restored. We also must keep in mind that God is just, "…God is abundant in justice…” (Job 37:23) and therefore mankind could only be redeemed on absolute legal grounds. Even though God's love for man is unfathomable and the fact that He is also sovereign, He could not redeem man outside the realm of justice.

God would have to provide a substitute who would not have man’s satanic fallen nature but would be like Adam. He could not be mortal or immortal, but a perfect man as Adam was before the fall. He must fulfill the entire Mosaic Law, withstand the onslaught of all the devils attacks without sin, meet the demands of justice, (meaning that He would have to pay the penalty for man’s crimes against God) by suffering in man's place by becoming sin, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us..." (2 Corinthians 5:21) Being make sin the Redeemer would be separated from the presence of God by going to hell, which is the ultimate penalty for sin, until mankind had been fully and legally acquitted for their crime. In other words, Deity must suffer for humanity.

As Adam die both spiritually and physically ("a death you shall die," or, "dying you shall die." Genesis 2:17  Hebrew) and "and they made His grave with the wicked, but with the rich at His death..."(Isaiah 53:3 deaths in the Hebrew) Jesus too would have to experience both to reverse Adam's transgression. If Jesus' physical death was all that was required to redeem humanity, then sin is nothing more than a physical condition. If physical death deals with the sin issue, then every person that physically dies pays the penalty of his/her own sin. If sin is only a physical condition and can be dealt with through physical death, then we must conclude that God has no right to send someone to hell because the physical death of every person would be sufficient to satisfy justice and give them a pass to eternal life.

However, we know that this is not true. Jesus must suffer in both realms, physically and spiritually. Physically because that is the only way that spiritually dead humanity could eliminate the Son of God; spiritually, because it’s the only way that God could legally redeem man taking away Satan’s claim to humanity. It also stops man from accusing God of being unjust when they reject His way of redemption. Jesus indeed went to hell and suffered as a substitute for all mankind.  His physical death was infinitesimal to what He suffered in the spiritual realm. If humanity could have been redeemed apart from Christ, then Jesus becoming a substitute for humanity and being sent to hell would have become the most heinous crime ever committed in all of creation.

But thanks be to God who was willing to take upon Himself man's liability by suffering an incomprehensible death in two realms as man's substitute. So let us never forget what the Father did through Jesus to give humanity complete freedom from Satan's power. Let us never forget and rejoice continually on our Memorial Day. The day you and I were born again. 

Freedom In Christ

The most destructive force on the earth throughout the history of man is sin. Sin has never changed. It has only become more destructive. The Bible reveals sin as, Transgression; "Whosoever commits sin transgresses the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4). Unrighteousness; "All unrighteousness is sin..." (1 John 5:17. Unbelief;  "...for whatever is not from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23). Iniquity; "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 24:12). Trespass; "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man..." (Romans 5:17). Lawlessness; "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14). Evil doing; "Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:23)

Sin can be defined as missing the mark; the act of disobedience against divine law; outwardly violating divine law; to cross over a line or boundary; to fall away; and or the ignorance of what should have been known. Simply put, sin is rooted in lust, pride and self-will, all motivated by selfishness which simply focuses on, me, myself and I. When comparing these things with what we see in society we can clearly see the destructive nature of sin at work in every level of human life. Sin is not a respecter of persons. There is no amount of money, education or society class that can prevent sin from its destruction. There is not even one person that can boast that they are a good person, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

Although the destructive affects of sin are virtually endless, it will always lead to the same end, "For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23) This does not refer to physical death although sin works at taking physical life away. This refers to spiritual death, that is, separation from God for eternity with its end in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone. Unfortunately, much of the church today does not even want to mention the word sin, because it is said that the word sin come across as offensive, but that is exactly what it is. It is an offense to God and should be seen in the same manner to man. Sin destroys individuals, marriages and families. It promotes moral depravity, sickness and all manner of addictions. Sin destroys and leads into bondage and eventually death.

However, according to the Bible, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) No matter how destruction sin is, God has provided away to be set people free. "The Word became flesh..." (John 1:14) Deity and humanity came together in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us, "For sin shall not have dominion over you..." (Romans 6:14) In other words, if you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then sin no longer has power over you (unless you give it permission).

The Apostle John tells us, "Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God." (1 John 3:7-9) What a wonderful truth from God. If you are struggling with any sin in your life, speak this passage of scripture aloud to yourself continuously. The Bible tells us, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) Speaking God's Word aloud will build your faith and eventually your faith in God's Word will be greater than the sin you are dealing with. Eventually the sin will be whisked away by the power of God and you will walk in forgiveness and complete freedom from sins reign. 

"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.   And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32) "Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:34-36) If you are in Christ, YOU ARE FREE!

A New Year, A New Chapter

There is much history concerning celebrating "New Years," In brief, New Year's Day is observed on January 1, which is the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar was used by the Roman Empire around 45 BC and is accepted today by most countries as the calendar most used. The Romans originally dedicated New Year's Day to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings for whom the first month of the year (January) is named. New Year's Day is probably the world's most celebrated public holiday, often observed with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts in each time zone. By Roman definition, beginnings, we can see why so many people make resolutions, that is, taking a course of action one determines or decides to do as a new beginning. Looking into New Years resolutions you would discover that on the average ninety percent of all New Years resolutions fail. Why is that? Generally speaking, Most people try to make several resolutions instead of focusing on one; People tend to set unrealistic goals; After a resolution is made, most people have no one to encourage them to see it through; Failure to adopt new behavior and thought patterns.

You may think of more reasons, but these four points are to bring us to the place to understand that the flesh is weak. One example of a New Years resolution which is probably the most popular, is weight loss. Usually, beginning in November, television, news papers, magazines, internet and other forms of media focus their advertisements on weight loss. However, every time I see an advertisement promoting weight loss, I find it interesting that they never reveal the failure rate. If you do some research, you will find that only about five percent of the people who make a resolution to loss a certain amount of weight make their goal and keep the weight off for five years or more.  Although I am using weight loss as an example, there is certainly nothing wrong with trying to loss weight if you have a weight problem. Actually, it's a good thing.

For the believer however, a so called resolution should not be a first day of the New Year thing. Believers should be determined to be a reflection of Christ in and through their life every day, but we must remember and act upon some sound advise. "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." (Colossians 3:23) "For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.' (Romans 14:8) Everything in the believers life should not be to gratify ourselves or to please men per se, but to please the Lord. Solomon tells us the conclusion of all of mans vain self efforts, "...Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all." (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Next, we must not try to do things through our talents and strength, but, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6). The apostle Paul reveals several things along these lines. But one of the greatest revelations that he received was through his pray to the Lord asking Him to deal with the messenger of Satan that was stirring up persecution and opposing the work that the Lord called him to. The Lord said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." The revelation Paul received was, "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) It is of the utmost importance that believers rely upon the Lord, His strength and abilities to accomplish any task or conquer any trial that may be encounter in this life. This is why Paul was able say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." )Philippians 4:13)

Another area to consider is understanding who believers are in Christ. When believers come to a full knowledge of no longer being identified with who they were before they were born again and know who they are in Christ, then they will understand what it means when Jesus said, "nothing is impossible to those who believe." (Mark 9:23) Knowing who one truly is in Christ sets believers free from shame, condemnation, guilt and inferiority. They will walk in a freedom that will cause them to not make resolution but find the grace and power to overcome and live victorious. For instance, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18) The old nature, the old way of doing things, the old person that you were prior to your salvation is gone. You have been made completely new in Christ and have right standing with God.

Finally, you must have and use your own faith. What does this mean? All believers one day must come to the place where their own faith has grown and has brought them to know without doubt, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15) This is actually a realm of Christianity that few believers come to. Not because they do not desire to have this level of faith. It is mostly due to a lack of studying and meditating on God's Word as well as faithless church leaders leading people down a path that causes then to believe man's doctrines over God's Word. These things will prevent believers from having their own faith but will cause them to rely on another believers faith hoping to live a victorious Christian life.

All of these things if applied in the believers life will change their behavior and thought patterns. These things are not self imposed, by Holy Spirit inspired. The apostle Paul tells us to, "...Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16) So you see we do not have to make New Year resolutions to only have them fail. We can live in the power and ability of God everyday through faith in Jesus Christ to overcome every obstacle of life and do the impossible where others fail. So this New Years, do not make a New Years resolution but, "...lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of you." (Philippians 3:12) And as the apostle John said, "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers" (3 John 2) is also my prayer for you. Therefore, have a happy, healthy and prosperous new year and may the grace and peace of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ be multiplied to you...

True Freedom

The Fourth of July in the United States it is also known as Independence Day. Independence Day has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of celebrating Independence Day goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-1783). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies accessed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, Independence Day has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. Although the United States celebrates Independence Day as a day of freedom from Great Britain's oppression, one is not truly free until they confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him as Savior.

Today in the United Stated we often forget that, in declaring independence from an earthly power, our forefathers made a forthright declaration of dependence upon Almighty God. The closing words of the Declaration of Independence solemnly declares, "With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." The fifty six courageous men who signed that document understood that this was not just high sounding rhetoric. They knew that if they succeeded, the best they could expect would be years of hardship in a struggling new nation. If they lost, they would face a hangman's noose as traitors. But notice, their dependence was not upon their abilities, but upon Divine Providence. They knew that without divine intervention, their desire for freedom would never happen. History reveals that all the signers of the Declaration of Independence had a Christian background; 32 Episcopalian/Anglican; 13 Congregationalist; 12 Presbyterian; 2 Quaker; 2 Unitarian or Universalist; 1 Catholic.

Of the fifty six, few were long to survive. Five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes, sacked, looted, occupied by the enemy, or burned. Two lost their sons in the army. One had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six died in the war, from its hardships or from its bullets. Whatever ideas you have of the men who met that hot summer in Philadelphia, it is important that we remember certain facts about the men who made this pledge. They were not poor men, or wild-eyed pirates. They were men of means, prosperous men, wealthy landowners, substantially secure in their prosperity and respected in their communities. But they considered liberty much more important than the security they enjoyed. They pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. They fulfilled their pledge. They paid the price. And freedom was won.

Someone once said, "To be born free is a privilege. To die free is an awesome responsibility." Yet freedom is never free. It is always purchased at great price. Take a moment and ponder the greatest price ever paid for freedom. The price that was paid at Calvary nearly two thousand years ago by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to purchase man's freedom. In a similar way, the forefather's of this country were also ready to pay a great price for freedom not only for themselves, but for all who would come to the United States to become citizens of "One nation under God." Little did John Adams know how significant his words would be when he spoke to his wife, Abigail, on the passing of the Declaration of Independence, "I am well aware of the toil, and blood, and treasure, that it will cost to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states; yet, through all the gloom I can see the rays of light and glory. I can see that the end is worth more than all the means."

To those who sacrificed for our freedom, the end was worth the painful means. Where would we, who are citizens of the United States of America, be today if there had not been those who counted the cost of freedom and willingly paid for it? Where will we be tomorrow if men and women of integrity do not come forward today and once again pay the price to reclaim a dying America? The only way this can be accomplished is for the church in the United States to what the Lord spoke to Solomon, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)  We may look at the American revolution and think that it was a struggle against natural forces, but the reality is, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood." I believe the forefather's recognized this. I pray that the church in the United States would also recognize this and respond to God's call, 2 Chronicles 7:14.

I believe that a great awakening is coming that will fulfill the prophecy of Habakkuk, "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk 2:14) I also believe God is calling every believer to change because He wants to take us into another dimension or level of glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18) There are dimension of glory that exist that we do not of or have entered into. Areas of creative miracles where we will see body parts grow where there were none; Birth defects instantly healed; Dominion over the forces of nature; People raised from the dead; and more salvation's than the world has ever experienced. I believe a time is coming where we will enter into these dimensions of glory and they will be the norm. I say these things because like me, I want to stir you up to seek God and His glory.

But change is an individual choice. We must ask the Holy Spirit to give us the grace, that is, the desire and ability to do God’s will, to help us change. It may take some time, it may even be painful or difficult process for some, but it is worth the effort, because with God all things are possible. Food for thought: Change is not really change until it is genuine and lasting. So, let us do like the forefather's of this country who were willing to give up all and trust that God would bring freedom. Let us no longer be conformed to the world, remain stagnant and frustrated with life trying to please man? But, let us let God’s Word transform us into the image of Christ from glory to glory to please God? As we choose the latter, not only will we understand true freedom, but God will also use us to set the captives fre

A Blessed Freedom

Freedom is defined in many ways, but I like to define it from the position of what Jesus announced as His mission on earth to those in the synagogue in Nazareth, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19) In other words, to be free is to be released or rescued from being confined, enslaved, captured, or imprisoned either physically, emotionally or spiritually. Many believers talk about their freedom in Christ without having a true biblical understanding of it. Many seem to think that freedom in Christ is to cast off all restraint and do whatever they "feel" like doing once they have made a profession of faith. This means only obeying the scripture that they "feel" they should and or that they can continue in their sin because after all "I am free." Freedom is not based on our feelings or what scriptures "I" decide to obey. Freedom finds its anchor through faith in Jesus Christ.

In Luke 17:1-4 Jesus teaches the apostle about offenses. He says, "It is impossible that no offenses should come..." The apostles response should not only be a learning experience for every believer, but also something that should be applied daily due to what Jesus said. Their response was, "Increase our faith." (Luke 17:5) This is the only place in the New Testament where the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith. They were not asking for more faith to heal the sick, cast out demons or preach, but the faith to not offend as well as the faith to deal with offenses when they come. Remember, Jesus said that offenses would come and then He them the power of faith, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you." (Luke 17:6)

Next, Jesus continues to speak to the apostles by asking them three questions, "which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, come at once and sit down to eat? But will he not rather say to him, prepare something for my supper and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterwards you will eat and drink? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?" (Luke 17:7-9) What does this have to do with dealing with offenses? Much, if you understand that "the Spirit of God dwells in you." (1 Corinthians 3:16), that "you are not your own...you were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), that "you are a new creation; old things have passed away..." (2 Corinthians 5:17), that "you are a  new creation created according to God in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:24) (for the lack of space I will not site the numerous verses of scripture that reveal who the believer is in Christ)

Finally, Jesus concludes this matter, "I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which are commanded, say, we are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty." (Luke 17:10) What does Jesus mean, "We have done what was our duty?" When it comes to dealing with offenses, what is the believers duty? If we know who we are in Christ, we won't offend others nor will we become offended by others, even if the offense comes from another believer. Look what the Holy Spirit speaks through Peter, "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, (and sisters) be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:8-9) 

This is the believers duty when it comes to dealing with offenses. First, we should never offend another person, period! Our duty is to have compassion for one another; love as brothers, (and sisters) be tenderhearted, be courteous. If we do our duty as shown here, we will never offend another person whether a believer or unbeliever. Next, if you are offended by anyone, your duty is not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this.  Believers are not to claim, receive or hold on to an offense. If they do, and unfortunately many do, they will fail doing their duty and unfortunately, open the door of their heart for the devil to hold them captive which prevents God from blessing them.

In Matthew 18 Jesus tells us what believers are to do when someone brings an offense. No matter how small or large the offense is, believers are to forgive, period. (Matthew 18:21-27) As Peter said, believers are to bless (forgive) not curse (hold unforgiveness). Jesus also tells us what happens when a believer holds on to unforgiveness. The believer is tormented because he/she has given place to the devil (torturers). (Matthew 18:28-34) The sad thing is Jesus' conclusion to this matter to believers who have unforgiveness, "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." (Matthew 18:35)

If you have been offended and are dealing with unforgiveness, you can be totally free from the hurt, torment and or ill feelings that you have towards another person right now. First, let the offense out by speaking what the offense was and who it was that offended you. Secondly, you must completely forgive them no matter how difficult it may seem. (Colossians 3:13) Next, purpose not to think (2 Corinthians 10:5) or speak (Ephesians 4:29) anything concerning this matter ever again. In doing so, you will not "give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27) Also, ask the Lord to forgive you for holding on to unforgiveness (1 John 1:9) Finally, let 1 Peter 3:8-9 have place in your heart and speak blessings over the one(s) who have offended you. In doing these things, you not only release the one that you have held captive in your heart through unforgiveness, but you also will free yourself from being tormented due to unforgiveness. Although Jesus said, "offenses will come" by applying these simple principles by faith you will walk in freedom overcoming all offenses. With that said, I have one final thought. Time does not heal wounds, only forgiveness from the heart does. So let it all go and become the blessing that you are called to be to others, so that you may inherit a blessing.  

Liberty For All

One of the highlights of summer in the USA is the celebration of Independence Day. From 1776 until the present day, Independence Day has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. Although the United States celebrates Independence Day as a day of freedom from Great Britain's oppression, there is a freedom that is far superior, far greater than any freedom that man can provide. In his first recorded preaching of the gospel, the Apostle Peter said, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38) This is how one is born again. This is where and how true freedom comes.

It has been said, "To be born free is a privilege; to die free is an awesome responsibility," yet freedom is never free. It always and only comes at great price. The greatest price ever paid for freedom, was paid at Calvary nearly two thousand years ago by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. So, let's take a moment and look at some of the events that took place to purchase mans true freedom. We begin in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is arrested and taken down to the hall of Caiaphas the High Priest. He is then blindfolded and spit upon, insulted and struck in the presence of the very High Priest of God, and then you witness the long, cold, weary hours until He is taken before Pilate and then eventually to Herod to be mocked and jeered, to be clothed with the mock garment of kingly authority, a mock crown of thorns placed upon His brow, the mock badge of kingly authority placed within His hand, and then the long weary march back to Pilate, where He faces the trial proceeding, with bitterness and jealousy.

We then find Jesus standing calm and quiet with no part in this unnatural scene, except that of the innocent victim of jealousy and hate. We see Him scourged, His back laid open by the awful Roman lictor. Blood flows, and flesh is torn as the cruel blows fall mercilessly upon His bare back. Then His clothes are thrown roughly about Him, and He is started out for Golgotha, staggering beneath His cross. We see Him fall under its weight, and Simon of Cyrene is compelled to bear it. Then we see Him staggering up the mountain side, surrounded by soldiers. He is laid roughly down upon the cross on His back, and the Roman soldiers with cruel hate drive the spikes into His hands and feet; then He is lifted up naked, and the cross is dropped into the socket in the rock. Jesus of Nazareth is crucified!

We watch the mob as it surges backward and forward about the cross. We hear the High Priest hurling his bitter taunts at Jesus, as He suffers unmercifully nailed to the cross suspended between heaven and earth. We hear the mob in their bitter denunciation, led on by their religious leaders, the very priesthood that was looking for their Messiah. It was a hideous and horrific thing that was taking place. The Son of God hanging on the cross was not a sight for angels, nor for men, but for demons only.

However, the vision I want you to have is not of the physical suffering of Jesus, not what man has done, as that is only a means to an end, but come behind the scenes and see the agony of the Son of God, and see Him smitten by God, His Father. The Apostle Peter tells us on the day of Pentecost that He was delivered up by the determinate counsel and the foreknowledge of God. (Acts 2:23) It is here that we see Father God taking our sin nature and spiritual death, and placing it all upon Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus has taken man's place, and the whole human race is now represented in Him, as He hangs there under judgment on the accursed tree. God takes your sin and mine, yes, the sin of the whole world and lets it fall upon His Son and as God turns His back to Him, He cries out, "My God, Mu God why have you forsaken Me." (Matthew 27:46) Not only did Jesus go to the cross to acquire mans freedom, but also descend into hell itself to pay the penalty of Man's high treason. He took upon Himself the awful guilt to pay man's penalty, because God could not, nor would not pardon man until an adequate sacrifice had been made. (Romans 3:21-26)

He died as Jesus our Substitute, the Lamb of God who bore the sin of the world. But Peter tells us, (quoting David, Psalm 16:10) "For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." (Acts 2:27) After three days and nights in hell, Jesus arose as Lord, as Master of death, of hell and of the grave. He speaks to the Apostle John, "I was dead and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Hades and of Death." (Revelation 1:18) The matchless, mighty Christ had gone into the strong mans house and plundered his house and his goods. (Matthew 12:29; Luke 11:21-22) He had conquered Satan completely in honorable combat; He had taken from him his authority, his dominion; He brings it back and offers it to fallen man through His matchless name and grace.

What does this mean to us? It means that every person who repents, confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and takes Him as his Savior, stands legally acquitted in the presence of God. It means Satan is defeated, and man can be free. This is independence, this is freedom and there is no other freedom from the foundations of the world that has or will ever surpass the freedom the our Heavenly Father has provided for all mankind through Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17) PTL. This is true liberty for all!

Complete Freedom

Today, is the fourth Monday of the month of May and in the United States it is a national holiday entitled, Memorial Day. It is a day in which Americans remember the service men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives so that others may have freedom. They did not give their lives for the United States alone, but as they fought and died in the numerous conflicts throughout the world, they did it to bring an end to demonized dictators who enjoy(ed) killing, like Satan their father, have only one desire, to have power. They fought and died to turn back these satanic ruled people whose only objective was to steal, kill, destroy and or hold in bondage to slavery their fellow man in efforts to promote their tyrannical reign. Let us never forget those in the armed forces who have gone before and those today who are ready to do what it takes to defend and protect the citizens of the United States of America.

In a similar way, believers celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ also paid the ultimate sacrifice by giving His life to save (redeem, heal, deliver, make whole) all humanity from Satan, the most evil, murderous tyrant known to man. The Bible reveals to us, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:38) and "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)

When we consider what Jesus did for mankind the mind can hardly comprehend it. The apostle Paul reveals to us through the Holy Spirit, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned."  (Romans 5:12) and speaking of the state of all men since the fall, “…having no hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12) This means that not one person in all of mankind had the ability to provide redemption. God Himself must provide man’s redemption. God must redeem man from the dominion of Satan. Death must be destroyed and man’s authority over the Satan must also be restored. We also must keep in mind that God is just, "…God is abundant in justice…” (Job 37:23) and therefore mankind could only be redeemed on absolute legal grounds. Even though God's love for man is unfathomable and the fact that He is also sovereign, He could not redeem man outside the realm of justice.

God would have to provide a substitute who would not have man’s satanic fallen nature but would be like Adam. He could not be mortal or immortal, but a perfect man as Adam was before the fall. He must fulfill the entire Mosaic Law, withstand the onslaught of all the devils attacks without sin, meet the demands of justice, (meaning that He would have to pay the penalty for man’s crimes against God) by suffering in man's place by becoming sin, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us..." (2 Corinthians 5:21) Being make sin the Redeemer would be separated from the presence of God by going to hell, which is the ultimate penalty for sin, until mankind had been fully and legally acquitted for their crime. In other words, Deity must suffer for humanity.

As Adam die both spiritually and physically ("a death you shall die," or, "dying you shall die." Genesis 2:17  Hebrew) and "and they made His grave with the wicked, but with the rich at His death..."(Isaiah 53:3 deaths, plural, in the Hebrew) Jesus too would have to experience both to reverse Adam's transgression. If Jesus' physical death was all that was required to redeem humanity, then sin is nothing more than a physical condition. If physical death deals with the sin issue, then every person that physically dies pays the penalty of his/her own sin. If sin is only a physical condition and can be dealt with through physical death, then we must conclude that God has no right to send someone to hell (although He really doesn't, it is an individuals choice to receive or reject Jesus) because the physical death of every person would be sufficient to satisfy justice and give them a pass to eternal life.

However, we know that this is not true. Jesus must suffer in both realms, physically and spiritually. Physically because that is the only way that spiritually dead humanity could eliminate the Son of God; spiritually, because it’s the only way that God could legally redeem man taking away Satan’s claim to humanity. It also stops man from accusing God of being unjust when they reject His way of redemption. Jesus indeed went to hell and suffered as a substitute for all mankind.  His physical death was infinitesimal to what He suffered in the spiritual realm. If humanity could have been redeemed apart from Christ, then Jesus becoming a substitute for humanity and being sent to hell would have become the most heinous crime ever committed in all of creation.

But thanks be to God who was willing to take upon Himself man's liability by suffering an incomprehensible death in two realms as man's substitute. So, let us never forget what the Father did through Jesus to give humanity complete freedom from Satan's power. Let us never forget and rejoice continually on our Memorial Day, the day you and I were born again. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you...

Right Standing

Scripture reveals that forty days after His resurrection from the dead that Jesus ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God indicating humanities redemption was now eternal, complete and available to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:9; Hebrews 1:3; Romans 10:9-10) This also indicates that Jesus, after being made sin, sick and a curse as man's Substitute left the dark regions of hell completely righteous, or He would not have been able to enter God's presence in heaven. Therefore, if Jesus was made righteous after being made sin and satisfying the claims of justice that was against man, then every person who confesses Jesus as Lord and accepts Him as Savior, receives eternal life and is instantly made righteous. How can this be? I have been taught in the church my entire life that I am no more than and will always be a sinner saved by grace. Well if this is true, then let us weigh that thinking with following scriptures. 

"It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that God Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has [true] faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:26 AMP) "Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,  and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24) "For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]." (Ephesians 4:10 AMP)

As God became the righteousness of Jesus, so He becomes the righteousness of every believer. As He became the life of Jesus, He becomes the life of every believer. Now consider this, "And (God) raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6) "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) If believes are not made as righteous as Jesus is righteous, then there is no way that we can be seated together in the heavenly places in Christ, nor would it be possible to come boldly into the presence of God! These truths will revolutionize the church if we take hold of them. However, these truths only become reality by faith. 

Another tremendous key to unlocking these truths has been spoken to us by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul, "For sin (Satan) shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:14) Two thing that we can take away from this one verse. The first part, "For sin (Satan) shall not have dominion over you..." Why? "...for you are not under law but under grace." It is God's superior favor in Christ, that is, grace, through faith that gives us the freedom to live in the fullness and abundant life of Christ. This means we have been given the mastery over all the works of Satan; It means that we are expected to continue the works that Jesus began during His earthly ministry; It means the end of defeat and failure; It means it is time that we appreciated what God has done for us in Christ; It means it is time that we appreciated being a member of the body of Christ; It means it is time that we appreciate our position in which the Father has placed us and the authority He has given us in the Name of Jesus; It means we are now the righteous victors over sin and Satan; It means Satan cannot lord it over us any longer; It means disease is under our feet because we are new creation sons and daughters!

So, let us rejoice and thank Him and enjoy the fullness of this marvelous redemption. Let us take hold of the reality of the two-fold oneness that we have with Christ. First, His oneness with our sin on the cross; Second, our oneness with Him in His glory on the throne. He became one with us in death, that we might be one with Him in life. He became as we were, so that we might become as He is. The reality of the wonderful work of redemption that the Father worked in Christ shows us, Jesus became weak to make us strong; He suffered shame to give us glory; He was made sin to make us righteous;
He was made sick in order that healing might be ours; He was made a curse to make us blessed; He was condemned in order to justify us; He died so that we could live; He was cast out from the presence of God in order to make us welcome there; He went to hell in order to take us to heaven; His triumph over Satan, death and hell, is ours to celebrate; His resurrection from the dead gives us newness of life; His seating at the right hand of the Father is our position in Him; He has given us His name in which every knee will bow; His authority is ours over all the works of Satan; He has given us abundance of grace to carry out His will and purpose; He has given us His Word that is as powerful today as it was when He first spoke it; He has given us the Holy Spirit to go forth in His anointing and power!

So, never again confess that you are no more than and will always be a sinner saved by grace. Say goodbye to guilt, unworthiness, shame, condemnation, inferiority and failure and confess the truths that are revealed above. "...If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)

The Battles Won

Today, Monday, May 28, 2018, the USA observes Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the USA on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Originally it was known as Decoration Day and was established after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. Eventually, Memorial Day became a day to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. Although we remember the fallen from wars fought in the natural realm, the reality is, all wars begins in the spiritual realm and manifest in the natural realm. Warring in the spiritual realm, began before the creation of man where Lucifer, rebelled against God in an attempt to be equal with God. (Isaiah 14:12-15) Unfortunately, this war did not stop there. Lucifer, now Satan, in his hatred towards God and towards man, created in the image and likeness of God, wages war on earth pitting man against man through his lies and deceptions.

In short, the war against humanity started in the Garden of Eden where Adam chose to surrender to Satan, transforming him from a child of God to a child of Satan. For thousands of years countless human lives have been lost through the lies and deceptions of the one whose sole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10) Satan is known as destroyer, murderer, liar, deceiver, accuser, and especially the enemy of the human soul. He is the epitome of all that is evil and there is no good or truth in him. (John 8:44) He also is the one behind all sickness, disease, poverty, pestilence, death and every evil action known to man. Although, we see the evil and destructive nature of war in the natural realm, the Apostle Paul tells us the reality of war, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12)

History reveals the greatest war that was ever fought. This war was also fought in the natural and spiritual realms. This was the greatest war ever fought because not one person from the creation of man had ever been able to fight against Satan and rise the victor. All humanity was helpless and hopeless in this world, until the greatest warrior that ever walked on this planet emerged. His name, Jesus, the Son of God. Unfortunately, there are billions of people that  have not recognized the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus paid to set humanity free. Many of them may have heard the story of Jesus, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16), but, "the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them." (2 Corinthians 4:4)

The night before Jesus would face this most horrendous battle, which meant it would cost Him His life, He sat with His disciples and in a sense, set up a Memorial Day for all generations to come to all who would call upon His Name to be saved. "When the hour had come, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them,  with fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, this is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22:14-20)

The Apostle Paul tells us, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me. In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." (1 Corinthians 11:23-25) As we can see, believers are to participate in "Holy Communion" as a deep, intimate connection with the One, Jesus Christ, who has given humanity more freedom than any nation(s) or army(s) could possible provide.

Through faith in Jesus Christ people no longer have to live under the tyrannical rule of Satan because Jesus Christ took the punishment for every sin of every man, woman and child in His own body on the cross. Satan and sin, which are synonymous, has been defeated and humanity can now be free.
When we consider what Jesus did for us and all mankind, the mind can hardly comprehend it. The apostle Paul tells us, "Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:18-19)

This means that not one person in all of humanity had the ability to provide redemption. God Himself became a man and provided man’s redemption. (John 1:14) It was God who redeemed man from the dominion of Satan. (1 John 3:8) It was God who destroyed death. (Hebrews 2:14) It was God who restored man’s authority over the Satan (Luke 10:19) It was God who adopted and made us His children (Romans 8:15-16) It is God who gives us all things that pertain to life and godliness. (2 Peter 2:3) It is God who gives us exceedingly great and precious promises. (2 Peter 1:4) It is God who gives us the victory at all times (1 Corinthians 15:57) and it is God who gave us eternal life (1 John 2:25) all through Jesus Christ.

Finally, Paul instructs us, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes." (1 Corinthians 11:26) Believers are encouraged to celebrate our Memorial Day every day in remembrance of Jesus Christ. In doing so, we bring to remembrance the war that He fought and the life He gave to bring freedom to humanity. Although, Jesus had become a fallen warrior in the battle for freedom, He rose victoriously from the dead, completely liberating humanity, never to fall again. This has given hope to all, especially those who we honor on Memorial Day who have lost their lives protecting the freedoms we have in the USA. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." (John 11:25-26) So, let us take time every day and give the highest honor to Jesus Christ, the One who has given all humanity the greatest of all freedoms, abundant life! PTL...