HE+ Came to Bring Us LIBERTY ~ Isaiah 61:1 ~ ADVENT 2022

 

  . . . Liberty  from ALL those things which tempt us to be NOT like CHRIST JESUS.

Isaiah 61:1

The SPIRIT of the Lord GOD

[ The SPIRIT of the ADONAI+ YHWH ]

is upon ME+;

MEMORIAL DAY, 2020 . . .This Memorable year, we Commemorate the Death of CIVIL FREEDOM Across the Globe ... or . . . HE'S+ Got the Whole World in His+ Hands Still !

The LORD JESUS CHRIST told us plainly: 

Ye shall know THE TRUTH,

and THE TRUTH shall make you FREE.  John 8:32

+  +  +

JESUS saith unto him, 

I+, I+ AM 

THE WAY,

THE TRUTH,

and THE LIFE: 

no man cometh unto The FATHER,

but by Me+.

John 14:6

STUMBLING Block or BUILDING Block ? ... WEIGHING our Witness of CHRIST'S Divine Scales

Are we a Stumbling Block or a Building Block to Young Christians ?

Are we causing weakened, young, or  new Christians to STUMBLE  or to be EDIFIED  by our actions  or … 

·       by our words ? 

·       by our countenance ? 

·       by our attitudes ?

Is what they SEE in us drawing them closer to CHRIST JESUS ? 

Is what they see us doing REMINDING them of The LORD ?

Is what they see in us bringing CONVICTION upon them... without us speaking a word  ? 

If NOT, then we need to change something we are doing.  

Is our walk so full of "freedom" from the "Law" that our freedoms cause a young or weak brother to stumble ?  

Does our "freedom" wound the conscience of a weakened brother, causing him to think that self-indulgence is okay with The LORD ? 

Weak brothers, as the Apostle Paul terms them, may NOT necessarily be "weak" because they do not love CHRIST JESUS. 

They may have wounded hearts.

These wounds may stem from circumstances over which they had no control as a babe, child, or youth. 

Oftentimes, such wounded ones STRUGGLE every day with trying to "be normal" or "be happy." 

Even though they have turned to CHRIST with all they know, they may  have  wounds that simply have not been  healed yet, in the timing of The LORD.

We older ones in CHRIST realize that  those deep inner healings come as  we  pick up our Cross and walk with The LORD JESUS, daily. 

As we eradicate sinful acts AND ATTITUDES from our lives, The LORD  strengthens us to live deeper in CHRIST.  

When we go deeper in CHRIST JESUS,  then the healings come.

For each of us, HE+ calls us to walk in the ways of righteousness with Our LORD. 

 No, we DO NOT FOCUS on our "healings."   Rather, we FOCUS on CHRIST HIMSELF+.  We strive to please HIM+ in act and attitude. 

When we fail, we repent.

HE+ LOVES HONESTY.  When HE+ sees our inner honesty... then …

HE+ picks us up, cleans the dirt off, and lovingly says,

" Next time, do it MY+ way."

Just like the 10 lepers that were healed in Luke 17, as we GO TOWARDS GOD,  HE+ heals us !

Marvelous!  There is nothing we have done to "earn" our healing... just like the 10 lepers. 

·       We simply MEET JESUS.

·       We acknowledge with everything that is within us that HE+ is indeed MASTER.... JESUS MASTER+ .

·       We ask HIM+ for mercy.

·       We listen for His+ Word to us.

THEN WE OBEY HIM+ !

And, as we walk along that path of obedience --- ALWAYS GOING TOWARDS THE LORD --- HE+ brings the healing.

Thus, those weakening and draining wounds we have carried so long gradually are healed as we make it a point to walk  closely with CHRIST JESUS daily, picking up our Cross. 

Then, we can hear HIM+ clearer.  We have authority and freedom when we are freed from sin.

Then we have some privileges and responsibilities because Our FATHER knows HE can trust us with them.  

HOWEVER ...   it is those "freedoms"  that the Apostle Paul was warning us about using .

The freedom and authority addressed in 1 Corinthians 8 was being able to eat meat, flesh, which had been sacrificed to idols and then sold in the market place. 

Some Christians knew they could cleanse the meat, spiritually, and thus were NOT eating corrupted flesh. Their conscience was clear.

Some, however, seeing them do this, thought it was "a thing allowed" ... when really, it was NOT CLEAN before GOD.   The  weaker brother did not realize the TOTAL situation, and thus, he was made to stumble into sin.

He was only trying to "be normal" or "be happy," just like he saw OTHER Christians do or be. 

In our day, what if we should see a pastor or upstanding Christian walk into a bar or tavern? 

A young Christian might not realize  that he was going there to rescue his neighbor from drink.  The young or new Christian might think the pastor was going to "un-wind" with his friends ... so it must be okay for him to do to this, too...  at the local bar. 

An older Christian might have been delivered from lust of the flesh, so he has the "freedom" to attend a swimming party with friends and family.  He himself will not fall into sin if he attends. 

However... if a younger Christian who has NOT fought the battle with lust of the flesh sees him attending, what will he think ? 

The ladies will be there in skimpy, form-fitting swim wear which is seldom modest.  The men will be scantily dressed also, to show their fine forms.

Yes, they are friends and family, but lust feasts on revealed flesh, regardless to whom it belongs.

The younger or weaker Christian will think this: 

"This must not be wrong to do because THAT older CHRISTIAN is attending. So I can go with my friends and family to the swimming pool ( lake, party, hole, etc.). "

Thus, following the example of the "freed" Christian, the younger, weaker brother  is  put in harm's way and his conscience is made weaker and even wounded.

Thus, let us spiritually WEIGH  the witness we are ABOUT TO  GIVE  when we do things.

Not only is our witness to the world, but also, our witness and responsibility is to younger or weaker brethren. 

Why should we think about them ?

BECAUSE CHRIST DOES.

Hear the Scriptures.

I  Corinthians 8

8:9

But take heed lest by any means 

this liberty of yours 

become a stumblingblock 

to them that are weak.

8:11

And through thy knowledge 

shall the weak brother perish,

for whom CHRIST died?

8:12

But when ye sin so against the brethren,

and wound their weak conscience,

ye sin against CHRIST.

+  +  +

Brethren,  let us  not  sin against CHRIST with our “freedom.”

Let us always walk in agapA  love  towards the young, the weak, and the new Christian. 

When the SALT Has LOST its SAVOR....



Ye are the SALT of the earth;
but if the salt have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be salted ?

 it is thenceforth good for nothing,

but to be cast out,

and to be trodden under foot of men.

Matthew 5:13

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We human beings ALWAYS have freedom to worship.

.

What we do NOT always have is the freedom to worship... without persecution.

.

When we speak of "religious freedom" we usually mean freedom for CHRISTIANS to worship AND participate in society without persecution.

.

That was the reason Puritans fled England: they could worship... but not own property or engage in other "normal " societal functions. They were out-casts and some were persecuted by not having a means to earn a living.

.

Historically, The LORD alone grants Christians from time to time, from era to era, from one country or another, the freedom to worship JESUS CHRIST without persecution.

.

However, historically, it has never been a PERMANENT CONDITION or state of being for Christians.

.

Constantine was a famous example of a ruler who "gave" Christians the right to worship AND function in society without persecution. Different rulers throughout history is a variety of lands have been so appointed by The LORD to grant Christians the freedom to worship AND function normally in society.

.

This "appointment" has NOTHING TO DO with the ruler's qualifications, but rather, it has to do with The LORD'S GOOD WILL ordaining a season for Christians to live without persecution. But, it is ONLY for a season.

.

We see this, for example, in Thomas Jefferson. He was a deist, at best. He made his own "Jefferson Bible" by cutting away the parts of the Holy Bible he found offensive. This included all things referring to the Divinity of JESUS CHRIST. [ See the Wikipedia article on "Jefferson Bible" for Mr. Jefferson's horrendous views regarding Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.]

.

Yet, The LORD used this apostate man to establish a statute for religious freedom which would benefit Christians, allowing them to function in society.

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Mr. Jefferson, who did NOT honor The LORD JESUS CHRIST, was prominent in establishing "religious freedom" for all... precisely BECAUSE he was not a Christian and did not wish to live under religious rule: Let every man choose his own "god."

.

Thus, when we give thanks for religious freedom of choice, let us keep in mind The ONE+ Who+ actually does this: giving His+ Followers a reprieve --- for a season --- so that we may function normally in society.

.

But keep in mind: 

the reprieve 

is ONLY for a season.

.

As soon as Christians assimilate into society so that the distinction between Christians and worldlings no longer exists, PERSECUTION COMES. The LORD Himself+ removes the "freedom" to be a Christian AND to function normally in society , at the same time.

.

Oh yes, we will STILL have freedom to worship CHRIST JESUS... just like the strong and living Church does under persecution in North Korea. Man does not have in him the ability to force us to stop worshipping CHRIST. We simply will not have the freedom to function in society AND to serve CHRIST JESUS , as before.

.

Thus, we will have to choose.

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That is what PERSECUTION does for the church: it makes each person choose deeply and irrevocably to whom his allegiance lies: to the world or to CHRIST JESUS.

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We cannot have both.

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Pastor Saeed Abedini made his choice. He paid dearly for it, but great will be his reward. He remained "the salt of the earth."

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Will we ? 

.

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Ye are the salt of the earth:

but if the salt have lost his savor,

wherewith shall it be salted?

it is thenceforth good for nothing,

but to be cast out,

and to be trodden under foot of men.

Matthew 5:13

.