Jesus

Detox

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

A poison or venom that causes sickness, and even death, when present in the body.

Toxin

As a parent of two little girls I am constantly on the lookout for potential hazards that could harm my children. For some reason the main instrument of investigation for little ones is their mouth. So it is very easy for toxic things to enter a child. 

The most toxic thing to the human body is not from a snake, spider, or any living organism. It’s not even chemicals from paints or lead or cleaners. Any parent would be proactive about protecting their children from any of these. Without a doubt we are very aware of keeping ourselves safe from these as well. 

So what is the most toxic thing to the human body? It’s a nasty three letter word and it infects and affects everyone. It is the root to every problem plaguing societies, individuals, and even nature itself. The most toxic thing is sin.

“For the wages of sin is death…”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:23‬(a) ‭ESV‬

Toxins of all sorts can cause sickness and physical death, but sin reeks havoc on everything and causes a much worse death…a spiritual death…and if left untreated, an eternal death. 

Lies, murder, adultry, gossip, sexual immorality, cowardous, pride, greed, covering, and on and on it goes. Sin, left unchecked, will spill over into the lives around us and have a ripple effect possibly for generations to come. Sin puts people into bondage. The Bible refers to it as slavery. It causes anxiety, depression, anger, and addictions. 

As I said, we all are infected with sin and our sin can infect others. As a parent, I not only need to protect my kids from worldly toxins, I also need to protect them from infectious sin, even that which lives within my own heart. Sin can creep in through the most inconspicuous ways. Movies, tv, books, relationships, and yes, even from parents. As a husband, friend, teacher, or whatever the role may be, it is vital that I deal with the toxins within me. 

Even though sin is the most toxic thing it is also the most curable. Other toxins may lead to cancers or other incurable illnesses. Some may result in near instant death. But sin, it can be eradicated in an instant. 

“…but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23(b) ESV

Jesus made a way for a sure fire detox. Around this time of year there is a barrage of detox methods, healthy eating plans, exercise routines, five step programs to new habits, how to achieve that new career, etc…January 1st is a day for new beginnings for many people. Why not make it a new beginning by allowing Jesus to detox the sin within? What better goal for the new year than spiritual renewal? 

There is nothing more hindering to life than sin. There is nothing more dangerous to ourselves, our children, our spouses, and any other relationship, than sin. And there is nothing more liberating that the freedom that Christ can give to everyone who asks for it. 

As anyone knows who has tried this detox before, it is both instant and a life long process. January 1st can be the beginning of a new year, and a new life, full of hope and promise. No sin is too toxic for the cleansing blood of Christ. No life is too far gone because Jesus creates an entirely new person. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God bless brothers and sisters! May you find new life, new hope, and new freedom in the year to come.

No Shocker Here!

~ ForCommonGround ~ 3 Comments

cultureshock

I’m going to take a break from my usual posts and address…you guessed it…the elections. Before you click off this post (because you are so sick of election stuff) just know that I am not pushing a party agenda or talking trash in any way. This is meant to calm the common rhetoric we’ve seen since Tuesday. I say it’s common because there are always protests following elections and in some cases, states try to leave the union (like Texas four years ago). So as an American Government teacher, I wanted to provide some information that may just calm some people down.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong about my predictions for election night, but I was not surprised. I’ve been telling my students for nearly two years that the national political trend predicts a Republican candidate as President. A look back through election results dating back to 1968 shows that the results from 2016 are right on schedule. No political party has dominated our government for an extended amount of time since 1968. When a party controls either branch of government for a long amount of time, that is known as a party era. One has not existed since the Democratic Era between 1932 and 1968 where Eisenhower was the only deviant from the party. Prior to that era, the Republicans controlled the Executive from 1860-1932 with only a few Democratic presidents in between.

While there have been 6 Republican presidents compared to 3 Democrats since 1968, the time difference is not so big. Republican presidents have controlled the white house for 28 years and Democrats for 20. More importantly to note, most of the time Congress, as a whole or at least one chamber,  is controlled by the opposing party so those presidents are at a political stand still for a portion of their term(s).

-1968-1976 Nixon (R) and Ford (R)

-1976-1980 Carter (D)

-1980-1992 Reagan (R) and Bush Sr. (R)

-1992-2000 Clinton (D)

-2000-2008 Bush Jr. (R)

-2008-2016 Obama (D)

-2016-? Trump (R)

A lot of factors play in to this phenomenon: One, overall our nation is fickle in their political support. Popular and political culture changes with the seasons. Two, party loyalty is stronger than ever. Those who regard themselves as Republican or Democrat truly bleed red or blue and are becoming even more polarized. Three, there is an ever growing number of independent voters whose votes are up for grabs each election. Four, there are more swing states (ones who could vote either party) since 1968 than in prior decades.

While the election results may be a surprise to some, the current power switch is nothing new. More than likely the trends will continue and no single party will run our nation for a long amount of time. Most importantly, its all over and we can move on past the bickering and mud-slinging towards unity. Love him or hate him, Trump is our president and he is probably the least partisan one this nation has ever had. Only time will tell if that is good for us or not.

I call on my Christian brothers and sisters to continue in spreading love and encouragement. No matter our leader, our mission has not changed. We are, and always will be, about our Father’s business. Let’s help to bind wounds and stand for truth. The sun will continue to rise and the seasons will come and go as they always have until that glorious day that our Savior calls us home. No matter what color people think they bleed, Jesus Christ bled and died for us and that is what matters most. We need to speak life and hope and break down political, race, and gender lines that only serve to hinder and divide us.

Pray hard and love much!

Paying Attention to Your Christianity – Old Path Musings

~ ForCommonGround ~ 2 Comments

(Not original photo)

Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

Paying Attention to Your Christianity

Paying attention to how your Christian life is going is important.  As things in this world get more and more debased, we need to pay closer attention to what is being taught.  That is because the heart and mind can easily be drawn off course.  In the book, Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian, more than once, got off the Celestial Pathway for one reason or another.  Most of the time, it was because he failed to heed Evangelist’s instructions.  He let some things slip in his life and listened to other people, like Mr. Civility, Mr. Worldly Wiseman, and others.

An Urgency to Living Right

When we give earnest heed to something, we make it a priority in our life.  Earnest means that it is urgent, it needs to happen now and cannot be put off.  It takes an urgency to live right.  There is often just a short time from when a temptation is presented and a decision is made to move toward sin.  You need to be paying attention so that you are not drawn away by your own lusts, that reside in your heart.  When you let something slip, it means you lose traction, you lose stability.  When we let Bible teaching and doctrine slip out of our heart and mind, we are letting our walk with God slip.  That is why we need to be in church regularly, read our Bible each day, and put good, godly thoughts in our mind all day long.  Make sure you are paying attention to your Christianity today.  If you don’t, eventually, you are getting out of the race.

by Dan Cler | Nov 4, 2016 | 

https://apple.news/AlfqUk5ICQOKeZJYVjRxj9A

Three Questions That Run Our Lives

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

identity

All people go through life with one of three questions looming over them and the decisions they’re faced with from day to day.

#1-How do other see me?

#2-How do I see myself?

#3-How does God see me?

For the follower of Christ, it’s simple because the answer is the same to all three questions: Jesus. When God looks at His children, He sees Jesus.

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:3 (ESV)

Therefore when we look at ourselves, we are supposed to see ourselves through His sacrifice and the new life that He has purchased for us. Obviously we don’t actually look or act or think like Jesus often times but He is our new identity and our goal is to be like Him.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

-2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Because of that, we are meant to reflect Jesus to others. Our goal is never to display ourselves to the world but to put Him on display through our love for others and standing for what He taught.

You are the light of the world–like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

-Matthew 5:14 (NLT)

Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

-1 John 2:6 (NIV)

For those without Jesus (and sometimes Christians too), the answer to the three big questions can vary drastically. The answer to question #1 often times dictates the answer to question #2. The answers comes from words spoken to them, friends they have, their appearance, likes on Facebook posts and tweets, affirmations, successes, etc…Sometimes people will translate their own view of themselves towards how they perceive others, and even God, may see them. This can be either out of insecurity or even pride. People like this think things like “I’m a failure” or on the other end of the spectrum, “I’m the best thing since sliced bread”. Because they have thoughts like those they assume that obviously others must see me that way too. In reality, neither of those statements are true. No one is hopeless and no one is the greatest thing this world has ever seen.

Point is, we cannot answer questions #1 or #2 accurately without first knowing the answer to #3.  I work in a high school where I see teenagers trying to create an image for themselves that they hope will win them acceptance from others. They dress a certain way, listen to certain music, where their hair in a particular style, follow all the popular people on Instagram, want to drive the right cars, etc…believing this will get them “in” with who they want to be “in” with. That’s what it all boils down to isn’t it? We all want to be accepted, loved, safe, etc…When we don’t feel that way ourselves, we try to get those things from others. When that doesn’t work we feel hopeless and depressed.

For some, life will pass them by without even giving consideration to question #3 which is where we have to start. Think about it. Why do we go to an imperfect source of love (people and ourselves)?  Why do wait so long to look at the One who invented love and paid the ultimate price so that we can be accepted despite our choices and failures and struggles in life? Why do we expect anyone (ourselves included) to give us the answers we need accept the One who created us?

Believer, start with Him. You are chosen. You are His child. You are forgiven and loved. You are accepted and you are new. Start with that and live free.

Everyone else, start with Him. You are being called. You are loved. You can be forgiven and new and accepted. Start with Him today and live free.

It’s all about  question #3. God bless!

The Gospel in the OT

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

The first four books of the New Testament are often referred to as the gospels because they contain the life of Jesus (the earthly one anyways). But a close read of the Old Testament will reveal the same gospel message. That’s because God has been writing it since the beginning, because humanity has needed it since the beginning. Just check out this text from Psalm 73:

“I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭73:22-25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There it is. The depravity of humanity, his/her separation from God, God’s faithful pursuit of humanity, and the resulting heart change of someone who has found salvation in the Lord!

God is so good!

Oh to hear those trumpets sound!

~ ForCommonGround ~ 5 Comments

“Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'””

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭23:23-25‬ ‭NASB‬‬

At sunset on Sunday, October 2nd, millions around the world joined in a biblical holy day known as Rosh Hashanah, aka the Feast of Trumpets. I would venture to say that most of those observing this day are our Jewish brothers and sisters, but many are followers of Jesus Christ (Yeshua).

Four years ago my wife and I embarked on a journey of discovery that has been, well, quite amazing. Feeling a mix of conviction and curiosity, we decided to dive into a study of the Holy Feasts that God had commanded His followers to honor. There are 7 specifically outlined in Leviticus 23. Three take place in the spring, one in the early summer, and three more in the fall months. Taken as a whole, they are a beautiful picture of God’s redemptive plan for His creation.

We have learned a lot of incredible things by studying these feasts. Among them is that every single feast is a record of something Jesus has either already done for us or is going to do for us in the future. That’s why a lot of Christians have gotten on board with learning about these feasts and observing them to the extent of honoring Christ. Every sacrifice made during these feasts were related to some aspect of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us. Now that doesn’t mean that Christians are supposed to make the animal sacrifices that are outlined in these feasts. That would be meaningless and empty in light of Christ’s once and for all sacrifice. But the call to sacrifice has not changed. Romans 12:1 says to be a daily living sacrifice. But, Every Old Testament event that these feasts were tied to were but a foreshadowing of Jesus (Yeshua).

I’ve already talked more about the feasts than I planned to because I really just wanted to focus on the ones happening this fall. Come springtime I’ll be highlighting the sweet truths contained in those feasts.

Rosh Hashanah carries with it a meaning of newness. Trumpets (shofars) are sounded which marks the beginning of both a serious series of days and a rejoicing moment looking ahead because of what it points to. This feast ultimately signifies the moment when Christ will take His bride. It’s the moment that all Christians look forward to the most. We will get to be with our Savior forever! For that reason, Rosh Hashanah is our new beginning in the most real sense.

For others, meaning those not devoted to Christ, this marks the beginning of the days of Awe leading up to judgment day, which happens to be ending today on the feast calendar (October 12). This day is known as Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. In the bible, it discusses this feast as the great day in the year when the high priest would offer a sin sacrifice for the nation. The High Priest (Jesus) has made that once and for all sacrifice. Prior to that, the Yom Kippur sacrifice would earn people’s entrance into the Book of Life for the following year. Are you seeing the foreshadowing here? The ultimate sacrifice of Christ bought His followers entrance into THE Book of Life for all eternity. So for Christians, the ten days of awe are glorious reflection on His amazing goodness, culminating in The Day of Atonement when we honor Christ for inscribing our names in the Lambs Book of Lamb. How awesome is that!?

Coming up this Sunday, October 16, we have the final of the seven Holy Feasts of the Lord, Sukkot or Tabernacles. More to come on that…but it is amazing!

God bless my brothers and sisters. Be encouraged that God is and has been in control since the beginning of time.

It’s not God, it’s us

~ ForCommonGround ~ 3 Comments


Upon hearing some really hard news recently I started pondering the idea of God’s sovereignty and evil things happening in the world. It’s hard…really hard to reconcile those two things. The number one argument of people who don’t believe in God is that He can’t be both all-powerful and loving at the same time. I think even believers battle with that when tragedy strikes close to home or when we hear news of horrible things happening. But, God is loving and God is all-powerful. So then why do bad things still happen? Because of us.

I’m not saying us in the sense of you and me, even though I’m sure we’ve all contributed to hurt in this world. I’m saying us in terms of all people. God isn’t the reason for pain and suffering, our own brokenness is. After all, He created things perfect and then humanity broke it. We sin, not God. We hurt people, not God. We are the selfish, self-seeking ones, not God. We wonder why we get sick and why illness plagues even the unborn. We are the ones destroying the environment by pouring chemicals into the air and water and producing toxic foods that poison our bodies.

Sure, God allows hurt to happen but it’s always a result from humanity’s sin. The hardest thing is when someone who is innocent is affected by someone else’s sin. Yet that has been the story of human history. Whether it’s Adam and Eve’s selfish choice, Cain killing Abel, to the day to day pain we see inflicted in our world today, sin has been the cause for pain, not God.

This world is fallen and broken, and yet, God stepped down into it by becoming flesh to walk among us. His desire to reach a world so lost and people so wicked (that’s everyone by the way) is the proof of Him being a loving God. Need more proof? He also allowed those wicked people to whip him and nail him to a cross and crucify Him. And all that so He could take the punishment that we all deserve. Where is God when bad things happen? He was hanging on a cross in the most excruciating pain so that we could be healed despite all the suffering this world offers.

So if He’s loving He must not be all powerful. Well God didn’t stay dead! He was popping out of a grave three days later. God creates life. God makes things out of nothing. Everything that is alive owes every breath to Him. There is no greater power than that.

Let me propose then, that we stop asking the wrong question of “how can a sovereign God let bad things happen” and instead ask “how can we be more selfless and be a part of the solution to the pain in the world”?

God made us with the ability to choose. To choose right or wrong, good or evil, light or dark, others or self, Him or the world. That is a loving God. He is a God who goes to the greatest lengths to reach people who far to often choose poorly. Usually the those complaining about God’s lack of intervention are the same one’s screaming for Him to be banished from our schools and removed from our society. Interesting…

So let’s stop blaming God for not intervening and start pointing the finger where it really belongs. Let’s stop shaking our hands at heaven and instead, put them to work helping others. Let’s stop wondering why God doesn’t strike every evil doer down with lightning and remember that He has not dealt us our due punishment for our guilt.

Rewritten

~ ForCommonGround ~ 5 Comments

At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame.

Zephaniah 3:19

This verse caught ahold of me a few days back. It took me awhile to figure out exactly why. I mean, this verse is right smack dab in the middle of some great verses yet it stood out. It even gets overshadowed for many people by what is said two verses previous to this one. However, a portion of the third chapter of Zephaniah deals with a common theme. Verses 9-20 all point to a time where the lives of people will be rewritten. A time when all the upside down things of this world will be flipped on its head and all will be right again. 

When God makes promises to us, there is usually a present and future reality connected to them. In fact, I’d be hard pressed to think of one that doesn’t…The promise of Zephaniah 3:19 is no different. This little gem contains a wealth of good hope for anyone who reads it. 

Three different labels are placed on the recipients of this promise. Each one is given something both now and in the future. 

#1-The Oppressed

#2-The Lame

#3-The Exiles

It took me awhile to figure out why I connected to this verse so much because I didn’t see myself as oppressed, lame, or as an exile. It was a beautiful and powerful verse all the same but I sensed that there was more for me, and for us then just the beauty of it all. After a few days of reflection here is what I came up with and want to share with you all.

#1-As long as we live in this world we are going to experience oppression. All we have to do is take a look at the news or do a serious inventory of our lives and we’ll see oppression. Granted, this happens at various levels. All of humanity is oppressed by the same thing: SIN. It has imprisoned many to addictive behaviors, depressive emotions, physical chains, and acts of unspeakable horror. 

#2-As long as we live in these bodies we are indeed, lame. Generally that term is reserved for someone with a physical handicap. When we take a long and honest look however, we have to admit that we are all broken in some way and none of us are physically or mentally perfect. Two of the best words to define perfection would have to be PURE and HOLY. No person in the world has ever met those marks other than One. That doesn’t mean we all have an excuse to remain impure or ever celebrate sinfulness or brokenness but that we all recognize our need and how we miss the mark of a perfect God.

#3-We are exiles on earth. For this last notion, we have to consider a reality beyond what we see everyday. This world was never meant to be a permanent home for us. As a created being, we are all exiles on planet earth. I’m not speaking of being sci-fi aliens but we are more like people on a mission trip. When someone goes on a mission trip it is with purpose. Notice, I didn’t say we are on vacation. Big difference. Not all of us have the same future home though and that is evident by what mission we make our lives about. 

The promise that God made in verse 19 was to remedy all of these situations. Let me explain:

#1-“I will deal with all who oppress you…” God wrapped Himself in human form (known as Jesus) and died on a cross to pay our sin debt and break the power of sin over us. (read Romans 5-8). While bad things still happen, we can be free from our own sin that causes pain for others and ourselves. One day God will completely wipe the earth clean of sin.

#2-“I will rescue the lame…” The perfect and sinless life Jesus lived was not only a way to teach us but also so that His perfection can be attributed to those who put their faith in Him. We become new creations spiritually in Christ which means we have His Spirit to lead us in a life that is more pure and holy and we have his righteousness to cover us as we grow and become more like Christ.  It doesn’t mean we become perfect. We will still have to battle in these broken bodies and a broken world but we will have Someone to strengthen us and walk with us through the fight so we can overcome.

#3-“I will gather the exiles…” One day God will call His children home or Jesus will return for them. We will go to where we are meant to live forever. Those who love God will go home to be with Him. Those who reject God, will unfortunately go to the place they have chosen and be eternally separated from God and His goodness. God’s hope is that you choose Him because He chose you before He made you.

The Gospel message is throughout the entire bible. Zephaniah was written hundreds of years before God walked among us as Jesus Christ. Even so, God was reaching down to us and giving us amazing promises. Zephaniah 3:19 can help us view this life in a more realistic way. We can see the hurt of all those around us and be driven to compassion. We can point them to Jesus who is the only one who can break their oppression and heal their pain. We can also stop looking at the physically or mentally lame as being any different from the rest of us. We are all in the same boat…all broken and imperfect and we have to get over ourselves and never think of ourselves as being better than anyone else. We can stop celebrating things that God calls unholy and instead, take His free gift of healing and renewal and stand for truth. Without that, the world falls deeper into oppression and brokenness. Finally, we can view our time that we’ve been given as a gift. Time to be used with purpose and that purpose is not a selfish one. No one goes on a mission trip to be served. If they did, how wretched would they be? We are here to serve, to love, and to glorify God. Everything else is a waste of time and breath. 

If God has rewritten your story than praise Him! If not, He has a pen in hand wanting to rewrite your story. That pen is Jesus Christ and He writes into people’s story, healing, freedom, righteousness, and hope. Who better to have rewrite your story than the Author of all of life Himself.

I hope this brings you hope and encouragement because God has always wanted to rewrite the stories of hurting lives. God bless!

The Giving Pledge

~ ForCommonGround ~ 5 Comments


Have you ever heard of the Giving Pledge? I first came across it a week ago in an article about Warren Buffett giving away $2.9 Billion. If you don’t know about Mr. Buffett, he’s one of the wealthiest people in the world. I’m sure you deduced that by the figure. The entire article and the concept of the pledge hooked me. 

In simple terms, it’s the idea that the super rich would give away all or the majority of their wealth in their lifetime. Wow! I had learned of people in the past who had done similar things like Andrew Carnegie who gave away nearly all his wealth to charitable causes. He was, at one point, the wealthiest man in America and quite possibly the world. Past and present, the idea is astonishing.

I know what some may be thinking, “if I had billions of dollars I’d be fine giving it away too.” I admit I had that instinct at first too. But the question becomes, would you really? I have found that the more money and possessions one acquires in life, the more precious they become. I don’t think any of us should be too quick to assume we’d be super generous if we were billionaires. I was told once that I should not presume to think that I’d be generous if I had more, if I’m not generous with what I already have. I think there is tremendous truth in that!

I’ve caught myself praying before that God would give me more of an income so I could give more away. I had to start searching my own heart and take inventory of how I was already giving. I have known many people who said that they’d start giving once they reached “__” point of success or income in their lives. I think that is a fatal mistake that we make far too often. If only I had “__” then I’d give. That’s a thought that has plagued people for ages.

Truth be told, we don’t have to be super wealthy to give lavishly. To give a lot is not merely defined in terms of $, but also in the cost. By cost i am not speaking of money necessarily but of the risk or sacrifice on our part. In the bible, there is recorded a story of a woman who gave, not billions, but rather all she had. We find it in Luke chapter 21. We probably wouldn’t ever see a CNN headline about someone like her but Jesus commends her for giving more than anyone. She gave all she had! How many of us can say we’ve done that? Most people I know struggle with tithing 10% or making donations that would cause them to give up a few Starbucks trips that month. 

My point is, I have to let go of what I have, and I’m guessing so do the majority of people living in a society of affluence. Jesus said that we will either love and serve Him, or we will love and serve money. Another piece of good advice I heard once was, “if I’m not willing to use something I have to benefit others, than I shouldn’t have it.” Sounds bold but I believe it’s solid counsel. 

Most people who read this are probably far richer than they think. But even if they aren’t, they have much they can give. We have time, money, things, encouragement, love, truth, and hope. And we cannot afford to be stingy with any of it. 

The giving pledge Has inspired me to want to make one of my own. A pledge to give more of my life and possessions and money. A pledge to share my blessings in life with others. A pledge to give out of my abundance or out of my lack. I will probably never give billions of dollars away, but I certainly hope to give all of my life away to the glory of Christ. After all, God set the example for giving when He clothed Himself in human form and sacrificed Himself on a cross for the sins of mankind. That was the ultimate giving pledge that He had made ages ago. May it motivate us to pledge our lives to sharing His truth, His love, and His blessings to a world in need! Will you join me?

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8

Independence for All

~ ForCommonGround ~ 1 Comment


The 4th of July is an incredible day in history, not just for American, but for the world. Because of the success of the American Revolution, the world was ignited into a century of rebellion against tyranny. Much of Latin America and France, engaged in their own epic struggles for freedom. No question, it is a day to be celebrated and remembered. 

However, the greatest independence was not declared in 1776, nor was the struggle waged by American colonists. The greatest invasion into the world of darkness happened over 2000 years ago, when God clothed Himself in human form and came to ransom His creation from the grips of evil, sin, and death. When Jesus Christ said, “it is Finished” before breathing His last breath on the cross, He was saying those who call on my name will forever be free of the power of sin! Just as the American colonists were declaring that they would no longer stand to be subjected to the will of their oppressors, so too does every child of God who says my place is with Christ and I belong to no other. Praise Jesus Christ that He has purchased our freedom at the greatest cost so that we can rise above despair and worry and live to a new hope. 

God bless brothers and sisters!

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36