Freedom

Freedom

There are many kinds of freedom and many kinds of slavery. We can be free in our spirit and souls yet be enslaved and held prisoner by a government that does not recognize our God or our beliefs.

We think of ancient times when Christians were brought into the arenas as slaves for the gladiatorial games their lives to be spent for entertaining the free citizens of Rome and other cities of that empire.

By Gods grace we have fought to end such a period of history so that we might enjoy the freedom of a democracy. We have had two great world wars and many other wars and conflicts since 1917.

We have enjoyed a great peace since the end of the Second World War. Some 60 plus years of peace purchased for us at the highest cost in human sacrifice.

Today our calendars mark a single day each year that we pause and reflect on the great victory won by such a great sacrifice. This precious peace has been entrusted to us to preserve and defend and to employ in the cause of democracy and more importantly in the cause of Jesus Christ.

Today people should be working as never before to tell the good news of Jesus Christ and the freedom that is found by trusting him. But sadly the church seems apathetic the love to reach the lost seems to have grown cold. We like the veterans we honor today should continue the fight till it is won and not let the odds or the apparent strength of the enemy diminish our resolve.

Freedom has been lost by others we are fortunate never to have known such loss in Canada to date. But times change and governments fall.

In 1787 Alexander Tyler a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2000 years earlier

A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.

A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.

From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years

During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1 from bondage to spiritual faith

2 from spiritual faith to great courage

3 from courage to liberty

4 from liberty to abundance

5 from abundance to complacency

6 from complacency to apathy

I believe that we in North America are about to complete this cycle and that we may be witness to a sequence of events that few of us are prepared to face.

I see some disturbing parallels in Alexander Tylers research. The church has been around much longer than 200 years in fact we are approaching 2000 years.

We were once in spiritual bondage until Jesus freed us.

Our spiritual faith led to great courage as evidenced by martyrs throughout the centuries.

Great persecution led to liberty for the church and we prospered.

We became abundant throughout the world and yes we also grew complacent.

Now I fear the church in North America at least has grown apathetic.

We just dont seem to care about things with the same passion we once displayed.

The bible tells us that our death in Christ has freed us from sin.

Romans 6 NIV

Dead to Sin Alive in Christ

1What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or dont you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father we too may live a new life.

5 If we have been united with him like this in his death we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Members of our church family have suffered losses this past week. We grieve with and prayerfully support Les and Fran Monk at the passing of Les sister Lillian Murphy and with Larry & Carole Sparks with the passing of Larrys brother Tom.