Father God, Lord Jesus, hallowed is your holy name. Thank you for freedom in Christ, for setting us free from sin and bondage. Today, we recommit ourselves to You and ask for a fresh anointing of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Lord, let freedom reign in the church; give me words pleasing to Your ear and food for Your people. In Jesus' Name, I say Amen.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Something is happening in the church, and we pray the change is to move forward and not backward into the dark ages. As we flip through the pages of history, we are confident that there was no point when black people (men and women) were not part of the tapestry of human history. No one can erase that history because we will not ignore or forget the journey from freedom to slavery to the challenge to hold on to freedom through the Jim Crow years. Look around; we are called to serve again to protect our freedom in Christ and this world. You can stick your head in the sand, but do not deceive yourself; those who ignore history will repeat it. Let us make the church great again.
There is still work to do; we need to break the cycle, the chains and strongholds that link us to a world that disregards the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. Something is happening in the church, but is it for the good work we are called to do, or is it to follow false prophets and do the work of the devil? The devil is a liar and when you lie, “you are of your father the devil” (John 8:44). Many ungodly things are happening worldwide, and we should feel anxious because they are no longer sneak attacks. Christ's Followers are openly challenged by those perverting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we must stand for the Lord’s Way and Truth.
We all need to help each other stand firmly because nobody should feel anxious when they walk into a church. God’s house is supposed to be a refuge for His people and anyone searching for His truth. No one who enters God’s House should be anxious about judgmental attitudes, gossip, backbiting, jealousy, rivalries, factions (cliques), envy, etc. These things are not of God. I am sick and tired of “church folk” claiming to be saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Spirit while acting like the Pharisees, whom Jesus said were hypocrites full of greed and self-indulgence (Matt. 23:25-26). As we observe the chaos in this world, let us observe something different in the church. Stand firm in the Lord’s Way and let freedom reign in the church.
When our ancestors were slaves, their faith was tested every minute of every hour of every day for over 200 years (1619-1865) and beyond. Those in the Baby Boomer generation were tested. Even so, many are leading people back into the dark ages when there was no unemployment insurance, minimum wage, restriction on working hours, and few protections for the average worker, the “have-nots” who have no means to fight back.
Listen to the politicians; it appears they have forgotten or are deliberately trying to rewrite history. We will all be tested if we do not allow freedom to reign in the church and influence the community. “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Eph. 4:14, NKJV). Whenever we encounter spirits, we need to test them to ensure they are from God (1 John 4:1)! Stay alert, just like the serpent deceived Eve; evil spirits can fool anyone open to every wind of doctrine. And if you are not prayed up and have a solid relationship with the Lord Jesus, you can be fooled by a pretty face, clever words, fame, and power.
The devil cleans up well, but he is still a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Do not be deceived because evil may live in Washington, DC, but the people sent it there, and you might as well open the door because the chickens are coming home to roost. They visit every election cycle to receive a rubber stamp for a job not done. Many choose to travel the same path, but some are deceived and dragged into chaos by listening to false teachings, outright lies, and ungodly counsel.
The Lord’s Way encourages us to love, support, and build each other up, not tear each other down. It will seep into the community if we diligently follow the Lord’s Way and Truth. Let us speak the truth in love and grow to become mature members of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:15). Stop acting immature and let freedom reign in the church!
Remember, the Lord “wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), and when I say everyone, I mean everyone because those who believe belong to one faith and are members of one body. If we did what the Lord says to do and eliminated the “good-old-boys” network, there would be no need for DEI. We must do our part to let freedom reign in the church and help others grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. All believers are Ambassadors for Christ. Every believer is a Minister of Reconciliation. “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18, ESV). Let’s do our job and encourage freedom in the church.
The body grows, and individuals grow as they feed on the Word of God and minister to each other. “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (Eph. 4:16, NLT). “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other” (Rom. 12:4-5, NLT). Let freedom reign in the church.
Be thankful that we are called, but we must answer the call to be chosen. Let us be united in mind and conviction, making it known to all that they will see no division in God’s House. To be victorious, we must trust the Lord and allow the peace of Christ to rule our hearts. “With the Lord’s authority, I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused” (Eph. 4:17, NLT). Those who are perishing are also confused because they refuse to follow the Lord’s Way, and too many continue to lie and distort His truth. So, I tell you this: put to death your earthly nature, stop walking in the ways of the ungodly, and stop embracing the morality of this world. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Gal. 5:1). Stand firm and let freedom reign in God’s House.
The Spirit of the Lord says to walk in freedom. Pray and fast by all means; prayer does change things, but we need to do more. Martin Luther King JR realized this decades ago. He said: “It's all right to talk about "long white robes over yonder," in all of its symbolism. But ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here! It's all right to talk about "streets flowing with milk and honey," but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can't eat three square meals a day. It's all right to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God's preacher must talk about the new New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee.”
This is what we have to do: Let freedom reign in God’s House. America can only be more excellent if all people move forward toward freedom and not push some backward into slavery. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation, but first, we must make the church a better refuge for all God’s children. Let freedom reign in God’s House, where all people are equal and have the same identity, a Child of God. Our primary identity comes from Christ rather than our family name, title, social status, or gender. Christ lived and died so believers would have an opportunity for eternal life.
Prayer: Father God, Lord Jesus, thank you for your freedom. Please give us a fresh anointing so we do not lose our savor and become good for nothing. Father God, help us to do things decently and in order as we reconcile ourselves to the Lord’s Way and Truth.
