Today's Teachings

The Courage of Jesus Part 3

11/23/2021

September 2021 – The Courage of Jesus
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD
After Jesus was baptized by John and filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, where He was tempted by Satan. Jesus defeated Satan by declaring the Word of God and remaining faithful to it. And then, Jesus began teaching and ministering in the Galilee region:
“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah” (Luke 4:16-17).
NOTE: The men in the synagogue took assigned turns in Scripture readings. On this day, the assigned reading—ordained in God’s Sovereign timing—was from Isaiah 61, where Isaiah was prophesying about JESUS! And among all of the men in the synagogue, whose turn was it on that specific day to do the Scripture reading? JESUS! Can you imagine the scene in Heaven? Perhaps the Father called Isaiah over to the balcony of Heaven to watch. “Come over here, Isaiah. I have something I want to show you!” The scene continues in Nazareth …
“And when Jesus had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: ‘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.’ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’ So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, ‘Is this not Joseph’s son?’” (Luke 4:18-22).
You would think the people would have praised God and rejoiced. But they totally missed the significance and reality of what Jesus had said. My friend Mike Poulin once said, “You can be in the middle of something God is doing and still miss it.” The people simply thought, “Oh, He’s a nice boy. He speaks so well.” Jesus knew they missed it, so He drove the point home, telling them that just as they resisted the prophets in the past, they would reject Him.
Furthermore, He told them that because they rejected Him, God would show His favor to others.
The congregation turned ugly, filled with wrath, thrust Him out of town, and tried to throw Jesus over a cliff. But verse 30 says something amazing: “Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.” I don’t know what happened, but He simply passed through the raging mob, parting them like the Red Sea, because He had the Father’s business to do.
Jesus set His face like flint to do the Father’s will; to reveal the Father to the world and reconcile the world to the Father. He was never deterred nor distracted. He continually courageously faced down opponents and stymied the schemes of the enemy. And at the very moment when the Devil thought he finally had Jesus right where he wanted Jesus to be … on the Cross … that was when the Father’s plan was fulfilled and Jesus won the greatest victory of all time! I heard Mahesh Chavda say, “One drop of the blood of Jesus is enough to destroy the entire kingdom of Satan.”
When Jesus declared on the Cross, “It is finished! Into Thy hands I commit My Spirit,” it was not a statement of weary defeat. It was a statement of triumph and vindication from the Father. It’s a direct quote from Psalm 31, which was a prophetic Psalm from David. Read that whole Psalm and consider that this was the declaration Jesus deliberately made on the Cross. He endured the Cross because of the joy set before Him. And then, Hallelujah, He arose! He arose!

LOOK TO JESUS
As we look to the courageous Jesus, our own courage will be renewed. We face many challenges. Some of us have been weary, scared, confused, angry, grieving, or frustrated. But Jesus Himself is our peace, our hope, and our Solid Rock. “If you look to yourself, you will be disappointed; if you look to others, you will be disillusioned; but if you look to Jesus, you will be delighted.”– Dr. Harold Wilmington
In Jesus,
Stephen Simpson, President

The Courage of Jesus

11/20/2021

The Courage of Jesus

RESOLUTE
The quality of being resolute was also seen in Jesus’ disciples and in the early Church. Peter, who had denied even knowing Christ, repented, and he was restored. He preached the Gospel on the day of Pentecost, and 3,000 people were saved. The Apostle Paul repeatedly urges us to keep our eyes on Jesus and press on in mission (1 Corinthians 9; Philippians 3). Paul certainly walked it out in his own life. Likewise, the writer of Hebrews says this in Chapter 12 …

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become wearyand discouraged in your souls” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

The key for us in running the race set before us is in looking to Jesus. He provides the example of how to run with endurance, despite opposition. Jesus ran with courage and steadfastness because of the joy set before Him. Jesus knew the outcome of the race before He took the first step. When we face hostility or the temptation to become weary, look at Jesus. The One Who overcame every obstacle will give you grace and strength.

Our English word “courage” comes from French word, “coeur,” which means “heart.” To “take heart” means, “be courageous.” To “encourage” means, “put heart into.”To discourage means, “take heart out of.” Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” God repeatedly told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous” (see Joshua 1). One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in 1 Samuel 30, when David was facing seeming catastrophe. Scripture says, “But David encouraged himself in the Lord.”

In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, and of love, and of wisdom.” Courage is not blind arrogance or fleshly reckless machismo. Courage is informed by wisdom from God. Prudence is not fear; presumption is not faith.

Isaiah had given his life in service to the Lord. The Lord had revealed extraordinary events to Isaiah, including judgment upon Israel, but also the coming of the Messiah. Much of what Isaiah saw by the Holy Spirit was painful to see and to say. He wasn’t appreciated in his day by his people; tradition suggests he was eventually martyred. But God did not forget Isaiah nor the Word given through Isaiah. Look at this … it’s amazing!

The Courage of Jesus part by Stephen Simpson

11/19/2021

I pray you are well. Oftentimes, we are tested on the message we preach. And so it has been this month as I have been preparing this message. I will say, with great gratitude, that God has been faithful to bring us through “many dangers, toils, and snares” by His amazing grace.

I want us to look at Jesus together, and consider His courage, so that we might ourselves be encouraged in the battles we are all facing. Our message is the Good News about King Jesus and His Kingdom: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (see Romans 14:17). Jesus has revealed the Father to us and has promised the Holy Spirit to us. The Spirit has filled us and empowered us to be witnesses wherever He leads.

Our witness is not simply in pretty or clever words, but it is in how we live in the grace, integrity, and supernatural power of God. Our confidence is not in our own strength or wisdom, but in His, and in the eternal reality that His ways work and He has triumphed over every evil. Our hope is not in “horses or chariots,” but it is in the Name of the Lord.

Our prayer is that His Kingdom will come and His will shall be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven. Our joy is in knowing that He Who promised is faithful and that His Word that has gone forth shall not return void.

I love the Prophet Isaiah. More than 700 years before Jesus, the Messiah, was born, Isaiah accurately prophesied God’s purpose for the Messiah and so many key events that happened in Jesus’ life. I’ve heard it said that Isaiah saw Jesus more clearly, by the Spirit, than most people who actually lived during Jesus’ own time on earth. Isaiah not only prophesied the birth and mission of Jesus, but also vividly described the suffering and Crucifixion of Jesus (see Isaiah 53). Isaiah also perfectly prophesied the attitude of Jesus in Isaiah 50:

“The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away. I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.” (Isaiah 50:5-7).

Isaiah describes the humble obedience, courage, and confidence of the coming Messiah. He would come to a rebellious people to seek them out and save them. Tragically, many would reject Him and the salvation He offered. Though He spoke truth in love, He would be tortured and mocked. But, the Messiah confidently declares: “The Lord God will help me; therefore I will not be disgraced.”

It was this faith in the Spirit’s calling and faithfulness that causes Messiah to declare: “Therefore, I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.” Despite the painful torture and death that awaited Jesus, He set His face like flint to do the Father’s will. Flint is a hard, tough rock that symbolizes determination and steadfastness. Jesus courageously embodied and fulfilled this prophecy: it all came to pass, just as Isaiah had prophesied—another confirmation that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

Knowing He would be killed, Jesus “set His face to go to Jerusalem,” according to Luke 9:51.

Why? Because He was confident in God’s goodness and God’s plan, which was already settled in Heaven, in perfect agreement among the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It was a settled issue for Jesus, even before it happened on Earth. When we know we have truly heard from God, and that message is confirmed by Scripture and trusted counsel, we cannot be shaken, even if the whole world shakes.

"The Good Fight" part 3 by Charles Simpson

9/8/2021

The Good Fight

Where to Next?
Bill O’Reilly is a famous cable TV personality and he often focuses on the “culture wars”. Good for him! But that was not the focus of our Lord, the apostles and early Christians, though I’m sure that they would have desired a more godly culture. Their focus was on bringing God’s reign into human hearts. That would produce a better culture. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” begins in the human heart, and then transforms us into the light of the world, a light that cannot be hidden.

Dying to self is not done in a private corner; it comes with tribulation in the world. Unless we go out into the world, we will not meet the “fiery trial” (see 1 Peter 4:12). The truth is that there is little or no privacy anymore. Any stand soon becomes public and that is where the good fight takes us. We cannot hide. But take notice that we must arm ourselves, with knowledge, righteousness, faith, the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, the militant gospel, and praying always in the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 6). If we take the posture of loving not our own lives, and arming ourselves spiritually, we can have peace and joy, even in the conflict, because if God is for us, who could be against us. He has overcome and showed us how.

Martin Luther gave us the great enduring hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” I love the line that says, “The body they may kill; God’s Truth abideth still, His Kingdom is forever.” Luther’s life was in danger when he wrote that hymn. When Luther faced the possibility of death, he said, “Here I stand. I can do no other.” To Luther, “justification by faith” was more than a theological statement; it was an act of obedience and courage. His stand, stood out and brought in a great harvest.

Once we count our very lives a loss in order to win Christ, we become a dangerous problem to evil, as Jesus was, as the apostles were, and those of like mind who came after. We become suddenly tall in a self-indulgent “pigmy” culture. While our task is not to judge the world, it is to bring truth, light, and mercy to the many who do not know the difference between good and evil. And, we can point to the difference in outcomes.

Speaking of outcomes, the greatest measure of any ideology is in its outcome. I am amazed that Nietzsche’s ideology has survived, given that he died of syphilis in a mental institution. “God is dead” is still taught by intellectuals, even after Hitler and Stalin are dead, in part because they believed Nietzsche.

The Good Fight
While our task is not to judge the world, it is to bring truth, light, and mercy to the many who do not know the difference between good and evil. And, we can point to the difference in outcomes. The good fight is not only the battle against the forces of evil in the spiritual realm. It is the battle that must be won on our knees, with others of like mind. The battle must be fought the right way; we cannot just see the issues and become entangled in cultural attitudes. We must ask God to give us Jesus’ motives, attitudes, and means. To be sure, Jesus got angry, but never bitter, hateful, or reduced to evil means. It is very easy to become tainted with cultural attitudes and miss the underlying spiritual issues.

The divine motive is clearly laid out in John 3:16 and other places: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son….” Isaiah and John the Baptist called Jesus “the lamb of God”. Jesus said, “I send you out as sheep among wolves” (see Matthew 10:16). We are to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves. We are not to be naïve, but we are to be kind, self-sacrificing, and merciful. Weakness? No! We are to have strength under discipline, overcoming evil with good, pleasing the One who makes us more than conquerers. That is the Gospel way.

To be honest, this letter is a challenge for me, as I am sure it is for you. But if I follow the Lord, He will lead me through the process of salvation and sanctification, and renew a right spirit within me. If we fight the good fight in reliance upon the Lord, I believe we will see His salvation in the land of the living.

In Him,
Charles Simpson

"The Good Fight" part 2 by Charles Simpson

9/7/2021

The Good Fight

Evil ’s Strategy
The enemy hates the Truth and will use every means to oppress it and remove it. Truth is light and the enemy loves darkness. So evil will even use good words to obscure evil motives in order to seduce, enslave, and destroy.

I do not often read books about how evil works though I have read some, including Will To Power by Friedrich Nietzsche, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer, The God Part of the Brain, by Matthew Alper, Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky, and I Will Testify, the diary of a German Jew. Allow me to quote Alinsky, a community organizer who influenced some of our current leaders: “Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical from all of our legends, mythology and history….The first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did so effectively that at least he won his own kingdom–Lucifer.”

So Alinsky openly selects Lucifer as the strategic model. If I could summarize Alinsky’s advice to radicals this way, he said, “Don’t come as a radical, come as a ‘reformer’”. His appeal is, “I’ll help you get what you want, then you can help me get what I want.” I’ll give you self-interests, ego, appetite fulfillment and promise whatever you want. All you have to do is give me power. To put it another way, He gives us the drugs and we get the addiction and worthless I.O.U.’s. It is dancing with the python.

The Serious Answer
Jesus didn’t do the dance. If you don’t like the bait, you won’t get the hook. Once we know the appeal and payoff, we become aware of the process. Unfortunately, many – even Christians – are caught. Who among us has never been deceived? If our hunger is for God alone and His Kingdom, then we can have peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, even in a corrupted world (see Romans 14:17).

The good fight is first against ourselves (see Jacob in Genesis 32). If we have given our lives to God, who else has life to give us? If God supplies, who else are we to depend upon? If we have humbled ourselves, why do we need an ego boost? If we have died to self, then what appeal has self-interest? If we love our enemies while hating sin, there is not bitterness to motivate us to do evil. If we are delighted in the Lord, what promises of temporal delights can delude us? Jesus said, “The prince of this world comes, but he has nothing in me.” If the enemy has nothing in us, what bait could he use? None.

But all of this is serious stuff. This is beyond a “self-help gospel” or even a “government-help gospel”. I can sing about it but can I do it? G.K. Chesterton said, “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been tried and found difficult.” Before we wrestle with “spiritual wickedness in high places,” we must wrestle with it in our inward parts. The kingdom of God is first of all personal.

"The Good Fight" part 1 by Charles Simson

9/6/2021

The Good Fight

Dear Friend in Christ:

The Apostle Paul told his disciple Timothy to fight the good fight; to wage warfare according to the prophecies previously made concerning him (see 1 Timothy 1:18). The apostle knew about battles, even after the prophetic word had been given. In fact, battles (“the good fight”) are part of the prophetic word that Jesus gave us (see John 16:33). The question is, where is the battle and how do we fight?

I recently read about an army officer who expressed his disapproval of homosexual activity. He was reprimanded and told to serve under an openly gay officer. I know of a TSA employee who prayed and studied his Bible while on break; he was fired. These kinds of conflicts seem t o be on the increase.

My purpose is not to list all of the moral conflicts around us, but how do we focus in the conflict? The battle before us is not new, though often the issues are. The battle between good and evil existed before Adam and Eve; it began with Lucifer’s rebellion and continued to play out in the Garden and throughout history. Now it is our turn to recognize it and deal with it. In order to do that, we need to better understand its nature.

Evil is spiritual, malignant, contagious and not subject to negotiation once it possesses.
Evil is not flesh and blood, though it does certainly use people.
Evil will use any means to achieve power, which was Lucifer’s goal.
Evil’s primary tool is deception. It will use any means, including the Bible, to deceive.
Evil’s aim and evil’s end is destruction.
Evil’s measured therefore, is not in its rhetoric, but in its outcome. Charles Spurgeon said it well when he said, “The choice is death to sin or sin to death.”

Regarding good, God is good (see Psalm 86:5). God is merciful; God is righteous in His ways; God is faithful and true; God is unchanging and eternal; God cannot lie. God is the keeper of covenant, His promises. God’s purpose is salvation; God is Holy (separate and apart, other than creation). This is a brief list of what God and goodness are.

What we need to know about good is that without God, goodness is no longer absolute but becomes whatever a culture decides that it is. “Might makes right.” Evil can become “good” (see Isaiah 5:20). So, atheism, secularism, and agnosticism can reach a place of influence where godly people can be regarded as evil. How do we handle that? That is where the True Gospel is separated from others (see Malachi 3:17-18).

There are many responses that we can have to a corrupt culture. Peter said, “Save yourselves.” We can be passive, naïve, compromise, complain, let others fight, or we can obey the Lord and fight the good fight. Let’s face it, it takes God’s help and courage to follow Jesus in the face of evil.

It was the Lord Who said, “Take up your cross” and Who said that if we try to save our lives, we will lose, but if we lose our life for His sake, we would find it. Of course we not only have His words … we have His life and example.

He also said, “In Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (see John 16:33). Note the issues: We can have peace in a world of tribulation because He overcame the world, AND He shows us how. He laid down His life. The way to face the battle is to lay down our lives for the will of God, whatever that may be (see Revelation 12:11). While I pray for godly leaders every day and vote, I have no confidence in politics.

"The Ropes are Cut" part 3 by Charles Simpson

9/4/2021

The Ropes are Cut

Opportunity
Recently a close friend told me how he had shared his story with others. I have known him for many years. Now he is a very successful businessman. He and his wife are members of a very prominent country club where he was sitting with Jewish friends. Somehow his Jewish friends had heard that my friend had many years ago been a pastor. So they began to ask how he had become a successful businessman. He kept trying to give the short versions, but they kept asking for the details. As he talked and answered their questions, the group became larger and others gathered around. They wanted to hear it all.

My friend had been a Psychology professor at a major Midwestern university, and a communist, and then a friend led him to Jesus Christ. In the course of things, he became a pastor. After several years, problems developed in the church and so he went into business. He was good at it, and the Lord helped him. It was a fascinating story and he told it to a most unusual group of people. He took the opportunity. His ropes have been cut and the gate was open.

We stay in touch with a wonderful family, Mike and Erin Spinello, whose young son, named Cade, has battled both a brain tumor and a stroke. This brave young man, his parents, and his grandparents have great faith and perseverance, and they have also been faithful to testify of God’s goodness to them throughout their ordeal. Because of this, Cade has had a huge influence in raising awareness and support for many others who are suffering. He has met politicians, entertainers, sports stars, educators, and doctors across the country. Cade has a story to tell, and his story is encouraging and influencing many. (For more information: www.caringbridge.org/visit/cader)

When I was young, it was about doctrine and doctrine remains important. But now, most people do not care much about our doctrine, but they will listen to our story because they too long for freedom. It beats in every human heart. Our story is not an argument, it is what happened and can happen to them if we tell it. Just look to see if the gate is open; if it is, walk through it. Blue collar or country club is irrelevant. What is relevant is our freedom to obey the Holy Spirit!

My Story
I recently brought a message to a large congregation, “Freedom is not free.” As I closed, I gave a short version of my story; how I met Jesus as an unsaved church member. After I concluded, numerous members of the congregation received Jesus. I think that the story may have had a greater impact than the rest of the message.

In the 1960’s and 1970s, I traveled in the United States and abroad telling my story. Yes, I preached, but the story reached their hearts and I saw thousands come to Christ and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I was asked to just give my story. To me, it wasn’t spectacular, it was just what happened. I gave it so often that I came to wonder how it had such an effect. I preferred to preach; that is what I am, a “preacher.”

In recent years, I have come to realize that the Gospel, in fact the entire Bible, is a story-many stories. This generation loves a story and we have one if we will just tell it. They may not want to hear you preach to them but they will listen to your story. I have heard people downplay their story, failing to realize its power. I urge you to recover, rediscover what Jesus Christ did in your life. Then tell it. Write it down. Meditate on the grace of God in your life. It can save someone else’s life. The release of our stories will add stories to the Kingdom library and I believe that part of our occupation in eternity will be rehearsing our stories of God’s amazing grace. Remember, the rope has been cut!

In Him,
Charles Simpson

"The Ropes are Cut" part 2 by Charles Simpson

9/2/2021

The Ropes are Cut

Is Your Rope Cut?
There are multitudes whose ropes have not been cut. They need the Gospel of liberty in Christ; but too many Christians are restricted from declaring Jesus because they still act as though they are bound and gagged. Silence in the face of danger is criminal.

If you have received Jesus Christ and the atonement that He made for our sin, then you are free from condemnation, free from death and hell. If you remain bound, it is because you have chosen to ignore His liberty. Your ropes have been cut. It remains for us to set our minds on the Holy Spirit who will show us how to exercise our liberty. If we have received Christ, we have received His Spirit (see Romans 8:1-11). The Lord is calling us to follow the Spirit and obey His leading out of the corral. The ropes are cut and the gate is open!

When our ropes are cut and we become aware that we are no longer in bondage, exciting things begin to happen. I recently read a book written by a friend that told his journey. My friend is a blue-collar guy who worked at many good jobs including a paper mill. But he came to realize that he was not bound to past expectations or limitations. In the following years he went to many nations, prayed for thousands of people, and made disciples in his hometown. Along the way he was offered the “security of position,” but chose instead the freedom to obey the Holy Spirit. What would happen if millions of Christians chose freedom to obey over the “confines of security”, as the early Church did? If we fail to do that, in what way do we make the precious blood of Jesus to no effect?

I cannot release us-Jesus did that-but I can encourage us to exercise our freedom. The best antidote for what troubles us is the release of the Gospel.

Who is Free?
The Apostle Paul was on trial before King Agrippa. He stood before Agrippa and gave his story of how he had been a persecutor of Christians-“enraged against them.” He then told how he met the Lord on the road to Damascus (see Acts 26). At the close of his trial, Agrippa was almost persuaded to become a believer; but he did not.

The apostle then stated that he wished Agrippa would become like himself except for the chains. Paul was in chains, yet free to tell his story. Agrippa was a king, free to choose Christ, yet bound by political fears. Who there was free? Spiritual freedom trumps political freedom. That truth is evident in the lives of untold thousands of martyrs then and now. Who is free? Is it not those who, in the most difficult of circumstances, are willing able to tell their story of how Jesus set them free from death and Hell? (See John 8:31-36.) The question that I pose is this, “How long shall we continue to be merely “educated Christians” before we become “activated Christians”? Why is it that new believers share their faith more freely than those of us who have been believers for a long time? Is it that the Church has become a corral?

There was a time not so long ago, in the small community where I grew up, that it took courage to be an atheist or a non-conformist. Now the times have changed; the courageous person is the one who tells his story of how he or she met the Lord.

"The Ropes are Cut" part 1 by Charles Simpson

8/31/2021

The Ropes are Cut

Dear Friend in Christ,

I am writing to you this month to encourage us together to exercise what Christ died to give us: freedom. As Christians and as citizens of the United States, we can boast that we are free, but if we fail to exercise it, then we will not know its blessings and will eventually lose it. If we exercise it, life can be a joyful adventure.

The Corral
I recall that it was 1965, when I was praying with a small group of fellow Christians. We had all been baptized in the holy spirit but were concerned about what was going to happen in our denominational church and our denomination’s response. As we prayed, I had a vision. I saw a corral, a pen for holding livestock. But inside the pen were people who were tied with ropes and tied to the fence. They were bound.

I believed that The Holy Spirit spoke to me, “Look closer.” As I did, I saw that the ropes had been cut, but the people remained as though they were still bound. I understood the vision to be the condition of the church. In many ways it is the condition of people in the world as well. They have freedom, but act as though they do not.

Sin is Bondage
Bondage takes many forms. It can be physical, mental, or spiritual, but in each case it restricts our movement. Israel was bound by Rome, by law, and by corruption. Sin is bondage. When we live for our own pleasure, we are bound to our flesh-addicted to the desires of the flesh. The mind set on the flesh is death (see Romans 8:1-11).

The enemy of our souls is a tyrant who desires to enslave us; to keep us in the corral. He is a python who tightens his death grip and squeezes the life from us. He will use whatever appeals to us to accomplish his purpose and make us every much a slave as Pharaoh did to Israel.

Yes, Christians can be subjected to bondage also. Galatians was written to followers of Jesus who had again fallen under the yoke of legalism. It still happens. Whatever the source of bondage, it only gets tighter.

“Security” can be a kind of bondage in that it can reduce our faith to fear, and cause a caution that prevents the exercise of obedience and risk-taking. Many of us who seek security in a business or craft find ourselves bound to a security which in fact becomes insecurity. To exchange our highest hopes for some notion of security is a bondage. It robs us of who we really are and reduces us to someone we never wanted to be.

The real issue behind bondage is that we trust something or someone more than we trust God. Whatever that is, it is an idol. Israel trusted Egypt. Later they trusted Babylon; they trusted in their status; they trusted in the law (which they failed to keep) and they often trusted in idols. None of that worked out (see Psalm 20:7-8.)

The U.S. national motto is, “In God we trust.” I wish that we truly did as a nation. The truth seems more like, “In our nation we trust.” But now trust is evaporating with good cause. This would be a good time to renew our motto.

"Freedom is Not Free" part 2 by Charles Simpson

8/30/2021

Freedom is Not Free

Lasting Hope
I love that great old hymn “The Solid Rock” which says: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name…When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.”

Freedom is not just a political idea; it is a God idea. Long before any hero thought of it, God thought of it. Before the foundation of the world, Jesus was ordained to die to set us free. Thomas Jefferson said, “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” That is true. But the eternal price of freedom is the blood of Jesus that sets us free from false hope in ourselves or others. His freedom to us came at His sacrifice, not ours. When we trust in Him, we are delivered from the dominion and tyranny of Satan and enter the kingdom of God that provides righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The kingdoms of this world, including this one, will not forever endure. But His is an everlasting Kingdom (see Revelation 11:15; Daniel 7:14). If we should celebrate with fanfare a national “kingdom” which passes away, how should we celebrate His kingdom which is forever? If we can celebrate a kingdom that requires our vigilance, how must we celebrate the Kingdom which guarantees eternal victory over sin and death? If we can celebrate a kingdom which is unique in history, how should we celebrate the Kingdom which stands above history? I celebrate today the fact that tyranny will be cast down into Hell and we shall be raised up with Christ to the very Throne of God from whence true liberty and justice came to us.

Stalin promised a freedom from God. Hitler promised a 1000 year reign. The French Revolution promised a freedom from a king. All such freedoms exhausted themselves in human foolishness. Jesus promised the truth, a Divine commodity that would set us free, and said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” The freedom to hear and obey God, and the freedom to walk in and be filled with God’s own Spirit, are freedoms no man can take from us. And if we are persecuted as many of our brothers and sisters are, though the price be high, our spirits will be everlastingly free to praise, worship and glorify God! Tyranny will find its place in Hell where it belongs.

The Rebirth of Freedom
From time to time men and women find themselves oppressed. Tyranny, like a python seeks to choke the life out of us. Such was the case when the baby Jesus was born into Herod’s rule. Herod was a wicked and brutal despot, a baby killer. He taxed the life out of Israel and threatened their very existence. He bought off the fearful religious leaders. His success beheaded the great John the Baptist.

But Jesus grew up and offered a rebirth of freedom. He said, “Come unto me and I’ll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Thousands came to Him and in Him, freedom was reborn. Jesus was meek-strong, but His strength was held in check at the Cross, where He shed His blood for our freedom. On the third day, He rose again … the victor over sin and death. His Resurrection confirms our freedom. That is the Gospel, the Good News to the downtrodden everywhere.

I am convinced that the enemy of our soul hates the Gospel and everyone who tells it. Even now, he seeks to restrict our choice to share it. He hates it because he fears it. The Gospel is the antidote to tyranny. We have it and we are compelled to tell it. The disclosure that our own government has investigated and sought to limit some Christian groups is a telling sign. So what would you do if told that you could not share your faith in Jesus? I’m sure that you would protest. Yet, many who would make such a protest never share their faith, though they are free to do so. We will either use it or lose it! And as we lose our freedom to tell the world and our friends about Jesus, we will lose other freedoms to speak the truth in the love of God. It is the truth that sets us free.

The Best Celebration
So how can we best celebrate our precious freedom? Let me suggest some ways.

Make a prayer list that included the government, all leaders, and the lost.
Commit to sharing your testimony with someone else.
Seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your life and be sensitive to Him.

The best celebration of our liberty is to obey the source of it-the Lord Jesus Christ. When you serve and praise Him, you let freedom ring. No political promise and no religious observance can match the power of Jesus’ name. The sacred fire of God’s Spirit cannot be doused by secularism, humanism, or any other “ism”. That is something to celebrate not once each year, but every hour of every day! The kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!

May God bless you and your family this month, and always!

In Him,
Charles Simpson

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