Help is Here

Real Freedom

We are so blessed to be back and rested, for the past 8 years we have not be able to do that for different reasons.

We began this series during Pentecost Sunday celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit.

I’m so thankful for all that contributed to this series, it was a work of art set up by the Holy Spirit.

From our Congregation, thank you Jackson, who initiated for us, Jeff Rogers, Joe Portale, David Rees-Thomas and Michele, Aaron Barker, our worshipers, our deacons and trustees our volunteers, church is really a body, we need everyone.

What inspired me to start this series was a short conversation that I had with Joe and Betty Chee, they shared with me about a book they were reading at the time by Max Lucado, Help is Here, by the way I recommend the book for everyone, is easy to read and very powerful. God spoke to me, through this book thank you Joe and Betty.

In Just a couple days we will celebrate 247 years of independence, on July fourth 2023. Independence from British rule.

America celebrates Independence Day on July 4th every year to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence signed by all 13 colonies that marked the beginning of America's Independence.

I was reading and old article from Billy Graham

In this article is a question about the celebration on the 4th of July.

I'm from another country and am visiting some of my relatives here who are in graduate school. I asked them what your festival on July 4 means, but they were not sure. Does it have something to do with your Christian religion?

A:

July 4th commemorates the day in 1776 that our nation declared itself to be an independent nation, and no longer a colony of England. On that date, a number of our leading citizens signed what is known as the Declaration of Independence, stating our determination to become a free country.

Our independence did not come easily; only after several difficult years of war would it finally be won. Nor were our first years as a nation free from problems and controversies (as is still true). But our forefathers were determined to establish a free and democratic system of government, and the Declaration of Independence (together with our Constitution and the Bill of Rights) became the foundation for this. They have stood the test of time, and on July 4th we give thanks for the wisdom and faith and courage of those leaders.

Although it is not a religious holiday like Christmas or Easter, for many Americans July 4th is a time to reflect on God’s goodness to us as a nation. Molded into the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia (which proclaimed our independence) are these words from the Bible: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof” (Leviticus 25:10, KJV). Our legal system reflects our Judeo-Christian roots.

While we look with gratitude to the past on this July 4th, may we also look in faith to the future, and commit it and our lives to God and His will. The ancient words of the Psalmist are still true: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).

Many have no idea what freedom is, what they celebrate looks more like anarchy, than freedom.

Let’s pray

Real Freedom

We all may have different opinions about freedom, but the only opinion that really matters is God’s opinion.

1 What is God’s view of freedom, what is His desire for us to be free?

Is that we would be separated from sin, from our disobedience and independence towards Him our Heavenly Father. In God’s eyes this is real freedom.

As the Lord brought the people out of Egypt, He promise them a land that flowed milk and honey.

Num 14:8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.

He also blesses us with safety and victory over our enemies

Moses just before his death blessed the people.

Deu 33:27 The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, 'Destroy them!'

Deu 33:28 So Israel will live in safety; Jacob will dwell secure in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drop dew.

Deu 33:29 Blessed are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will tread on their heights."

God’s view of freedom is that we will have victory over our enemies and that we will be free from oppression. Loving and respecting our neighbors.

Free to worship the one that Loves us and is good to us.

Paul writes

Rom 6:20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.

Rom 6:21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!

Rom 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 When are we free?

When sin has no power over us, when we have the choice to do what is right and good, when we can clearly see without any distortion, recognize, and worship the true God.

Ex: One of God’s many gifts to us during this trip, while we were visiting Kansas at the International house of prayer IHOP, we met a dear friend and his family. Several years ago, Helping to lead one of our Discipleship training schools in Switzerland, we met this young man, who had come to the school thinking we were an snow board school, his mom in desperation tricked him to come. He was not doing well, walking with the wrong crowed doing drugs, so she made a deal him, if he would go to this school she would give him a new car or something.

After all his disappointment he decide to stay for the school, God begin to work in his heart, he gave his life to Jesus one of his deepest hurts was with his dad, and bitterness against our earthly fathers, will alter the way we see our Heavenly Father. He forgave his earthly father and his life changed. In 2014 I married them, Today he is a lawyer in Kansas city, with a lovely family 3 boys.

God created us to always be with Him, as a Father, a close friend as a mighty God. When we decide that we don’t want this kind of relationship with Him we are miserable unsatisfied.

Jesus came to express God’s love to all creation, dealing with sin and death, setting us free from all unrighteousness.

3 He sent The Holy Spirit to help us.

Even when we are free, we live in a fallen world, we are tempted by sin, so God sent us His Holy Spirit, to dwell in us and teach us how to obey God and have the power to overcome sin.

Joh 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

The word translated advocate in English is the word parakletos in Greek that can also mean an intercessor, a comforter a helper. That will be with you forever, not only certain days during the week or for a short period of time, forever.

Joh 14:17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Joh 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

By now we know that he is not an it, He is the third person of the God head, He is God.

He is the power of God; He is the one who gives us insight into the heart and mind of God.

He is pure and Holy and there is no darkness in Him, He will remind us of everything Jesus thought us, He was sent to be our helper our comforter.

He came to fulfill the prophecy in the book of Joel.

Act 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

Act 2:2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Act 2:3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

Act 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Peter recognizes what happened and preached to the crowd, who became the beginning of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Act 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

Act 2:15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!

Act 2:16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

Act 2:17 "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Act 2:18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Act 2:19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

Act 2:20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

Act 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

The Holy Spirit is here with us today, welcome Him

We will only experience God’s freedom through Christ Jesus, and the power of His Holy Spirit.

Joh 8:34 Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

Joh 8:35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.

Joh 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Our heavenly Father knew the condition of our hearts, and how powerless we were towards sin. Only Jesus was able to set us free, He became sin for us, taking our sins upon Himself, taking our place at the cross, he died our death, and he was raised from the dead, by the power of The Holy Spirit.

Rom 8:10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

Rom 8:11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

The Holy Spirit who lives in you, will empower you to walk in freedom free from the power of sin and death.

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

we need to make Jesus the Lord of our lives.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Joh 3:16

To receive Jesus, we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, and ask Him to be your Lord and savior, not that you deserve it, but is a gift from God.

If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me?

Heavenly Father I’m sinner,

I’m sorry for my sins,

I’m willing to turn away from my sins.

I receive Christ as my savior,

I confess him as Lord

from this moment on I want to follow and serve him,

in the fellowship of his church,

In Jesus name. Amen!

1Co 11:23 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;

1Co 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke itand said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

1Co 11:25 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."

1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

1Co 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks thiscup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.