Nothing Can Separate (Part I) Bishop James A. Johnson

One of my favorite preachers preaching about the intercession of Christ and the impossibility of being separated from His love.

The Quantum Leap

Today I am posting an article written by Leon Golden. Leon is a senior at IUPUI pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, a member of Moriah Apostolic Church, and one of my dearest friends.

The Quantum Leap

By: Leon Golden

The rapture, the catching-away, the Lord’s return for His saints, whatever you choose to call it, Christians have been eagerly anticipating this day for nearly two-thousand years. A day when the bodies of those who have truly served God will be instantaneously changed from their natural, physical state, to another “glorious” structure. When you stop and ponder the idea of the rapture, as I will call it, it does appear to be a somewhat ridiculous idea. Many church denominations have given up the idea of a literal “rapture” and viewed the Bible through more humanistic eyes. However, the idea may not be as farfetched as it initially appears. It is this author’s belief that the natural world offers models as well as clues as to the nature and mind of God, bearing in mind that we ourselves are fearfully and wonderfully made. Let’s observe a phenomenon recently discovered (within the last 75 years) by scientists, known as the quantum leap.

Requisite Knowledge

Scripture for consideration: Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3)

The physical things that we see are made up of cells, which can be reduced to individual molecules, which can be further decomposed into atoms. The atom is the smallest elementary unit in which a substance can be broken down into and still retain its identity. In the center of the atom there is the nucleus about which the electrons orbit at an incredible speed. The electron is held in orbit by an electromagnetic force which keeps it as close to the nucleus as its energy will allow it to get. For example, the more energy an electron possesses, the further it can orbit from the nucleus. Only a certain number of electrons can orbit a given energy level, after which they must move to a higher level – in general, the lower energy levels must be filled first.

The concept of a quantum leap stems from the field of quantum mechanics, which is the branch of science that studies the motion and behavior (the mechanics) of atoms.

Nearly every crevice of the universe is constantly bombarded by electromagnetic radiation (light). As this radiation interacts with the electrons, which are the building blocks of matter, some amazing things happen. The electrons absorb and release little “packets” of energy as they interact with the electromagnetic radiation. Of course, as the electron momentarily absorbs this energy, it moves temporarily to a higher energy level and subsequently moves back to a lower energy level as it releases this “borrowed” energy. It is this interaction that commands awe and produces the phenomena called the quantum leap.

Consider the following illustration: If you want to get from your house to the end of the driveway, there is a period of transition, i.e. you must walk from point A to point B. There is a short period of time in which you are between the two places. In contrast, as the electrons absorb and release energy, there is no transition. The electron in the lower energy level “pops” out of existence and instantaneously “pops” into existence at the higher energy level – this is known as a quantum leap.

This concept is a perfect natural model of the rapture of the Church. It does appear to be a completely ridiculous idea, but is nonetheless truth. One day, we will “pop” out of existence on this earth and instantaneously “pop” into existence at a higher energy level.

Four P's of Perpetual Growth

It's been a while since I posted here and although I've been remiss it seems that many still arrive here to view the Oneness v. trinitarian Debates, or C.P. Kilgore's Wheel of Prophecy, or one of the other blogs on here. I hope you've all been blessed and will continue to visit. I also trust you are all well and find yourself right in the middle of the biggest thing God has ever done in, and through, you. I believe that 2009 will be a great year for the Church and am looking forward it. That being said...

 

A few weeks ago a friend of mine, T.A. Main (keep an eye on him - - his name will be in lights some day), asked me the following question: "What do you think are the three steps to revival?" He had an interesting list and shared it with me.

At the time I was in a rush and didn't have time to adequately respond to him. It was later in the day that I remembered something the Lord showed me over a year ago concerning sustained growth in our local churches.

Since this is traditionally the time of year when we prepare for the coming New Year I thought I'd post those thoughts for you all today.

I think that there are four key steps to effective and prolonged growth (what some might call "revival") in the local Church and its surrounding communities.

The psalmist wrote, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" (Ps. 126:6). In this verse we find the Four P's of Perpetual Growth:

1. Prayer

Prayer sets the stage for the miraculous. Prayer is inextricably tied to spiritual growth, whether it is in the individual's life or in the Church. People who pray consistently and persistently with passion will see results from their time with the Lord. Prayer takes discipline and consecration (not to be confused with concentration) but it is the conduit through which Heaven is reached. When we pray we not only speak to God, but He speaks to us. Prayer sets the stage for the miraculous.

2. Praise

Praise sets the atmosphere for the miraculous. Those who have learned to praise God in everything eventually attain a level of spiritual maturity found only in praise. There are various methods of praise but only one way to praise. We must praise God with our whole heart. A whole heart is one that's affections are not divided. True praise is authentic and sold out to Christ alone.

3. Preaching

Preaching is the anointed message of the miraculous Gospel of Jesus Christ. Truly anointed preaching presents Jesus in such a way that people ask the same question asked so long ago on the day of Pentecost and they receive that same anointed answer: "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:37-38).

4. Personal Evangelism

Personal evangelism is passion for the miraculous. Personal evangelism is that element of inner passion and expectation that propels people to go and tell others about Jesus and what He's doing today. It is spiritually mature and excellent practice to be a witness of the oneness of God. It is not something that only new converts should be doing. The longer one is in the Church the more they should be going forth to bring in a harvest of souls.

There is more that I could write about for each of these, but the main point is that as we end this old year and look to the new one, let's strive to be praying, praising, preaching, and personally evangelizing our communities. If we follow these steps, I'm convinced (and 29 years of living for God has given me some understanding) that we will experience sustained perpetual growth in our personal lives, our churches, and our communities this coming year – perpetually!

Take Me Back

I was reminded of the old (1975) Andre Crouch song "Take Me Back" the other night during the altar service at Landmark Apostolic Bible Church in Rockport, IN.

Nobody sang the song at that time; it just came to my remembrance. So often in my life it's been these older songs that I grew up hearing and singing, which resonate deep in my spirit. Here are the words that still speak to me:

Take Me Back
-Andre Crouch

Take me back,
Take me back, dear Lord,
To the place,
Where I first received You.
Take me back,
Take me back, dear Lord,
Where I first believed.

I feel that I'm so far from You Lord,
But still I hear You calling me.
Those simple things,
That I once knew,
The memories are drawing me.

I must confess, Lord, I've been blessed,
But yet, my soul’s not satisfied.
Renew my faith,
Restore my joy,
Then dry my weeping eyes.

I tried so hard
To make it all alone
I need Your help
Just to make it home.

Today, and every day, we need to renew our relationship with God. He is looking for an authenticity from us based on a continuing renewal of the fervor we first had at our initial conversion. The simplicity of our faith and our humility combined with the simplicity of the Gospel resulted in an authentic conversion.

The words “renew my faith, renew my joy, then dry my weeping eyes” is a call get back to the place where we first gave our will to God.

What is it about us that having come to Jesus empty-handed and totally dependent upon him we now, after being “in the Church” for some time, think we can somehow do it all on our own?

I think that there are many people, especially in their 20s and 30s, that received an initial conversion experience at a young age (6-10), but did not really get converted until later, when they were more mature. This may be why we have trouble in our young adults at times. They got the Holy Ghost at a young age, but the Holy Ghost did not get them until they were older.

It is amazing to me to witness the blessing of God on us and yet we are not satisfied in our relationship with Him because of our own self-sufficiency, pride, and vain living. It is a crutch – a trap of the enemy and the flesh to alienate us from intimacy with Jesus Christ, not a “Jesus is my boyfriend” type of intimacy that we are constantly barraged with in this self-absorbed culture we live in, but a closeness that comes from a genuine relationship with our Savior – a relationship that is deepened every day in the good and the bad that life throws at us.

C. S. Lewis addressed the purpose of tribulation in his book The Problem of Pain in this way:

My own experience is something like this. I am progressing along the path of life in an ordinary contentedly fallen and godless condition, absorbed in a merry meeting with my friends for the morrow or a bit of work that tickles my vanity to-day, a holiday or a new book, when suddenly a stab of abdominal pain that threatens serious disease, or a headline in the newspapers that threatens us all with destruction, sends this whole pack of cards tumbling down.

At first I am overwhelmed, and all my little happinesses look like broken toys. Then, slowly and reluctantly, bit by bit, I try to bring myself into the frame of mind that I should be in at all times. I remind myself that all these toys were never intended to possess my heart, that my true good is in another world and my only real treasure is Christ. And perhaps, by God's grace, I succeed, and for a day or two become a creature consciously dependent on God and drawing its strength from the right sources. But the moment the threat is withdrawn, my whole nature leaps back to the toys: I am even anxious, God forgive me, to banish from my mind the only thing that supported me under the threat because it is now associated with the misery of those few days. Thus the terrible necessity of tribulation is only too clear. God has had me for but forty-eight hours and then only by dint of taking everything else away from me.

Let Him but sheathe that sword for a moment and I behave like a puppy when the hated bath is over - I shake myself as dry as I can and race off to reacquire my comfortable dirtiness, if not in the nearest manure heap, at least in the nearest flower bed. And that is why tribulations cannot cease until God either sees us remade or sees that our remaking is now hopeless.

Our problem is that we become desensitized to those “Take Me Back” moments and even brush them aside when God calls us to some personal time with Him. Jesus wants us to give ourselves to Him and surrender our will to His will. One way we can do that is to take the time to go back to those simpler times when all we had was our faith in Him and all we wanted was His presence in our lives guiding, keeping, and sustaining us.

The Gift

It's been a few months since I wrote anything, but I was researching something today for a Bible lesson I'm teaching tonight at Landmark Bible Church in Rockport, IN. While searching for one thing I unearthed an old email to an Internet acquaintance I met a few years back. Here's a response to that fellow minister in the Gospel, which I've edited for this blog. God bless you all as you receive the free gift.

“A gift, to be a gift, has to be accepted. Otherwise it lies like a burden between people.”
–Robert Fisher, The Knight In Rusty Armor

I think that we are too casual in explaining the present of the Holy Ghost. Since it is in fact the Spirit of Christ in us, it is no wonder that He would be grieved by those who would not want Him in them. I think of those in the nominal church world who have the same access to the Holy Ghost as all of us in this age of grace and Holy Ghost outpouring, but who merely put it on a shelf and never unwrap it. The gift then lies unwrapped, unaccepted, and a burden.

My first date occurred at a banquet on February 14th, when I was twelve years old. I gave the young lady a present that night, which she accepted. However, later that evening, as she was preparing to go home, I misunderstood something she said. She wanted to go get her present, but I thought that she was saying something else. Consequently, she thought that I was refusing to let her keep the gift. To this day I think she still has little time for me and that event is a burden between two individuals.

LOL!! What a catastrophe!?!?

God is not like that. He not only gives a gift, but He never takes it back and He always knows exactly what we communicate - even when we don't know how or what to say.

My grandfather began his journey towards God in the late 1940s. He had such an experience in repentance that he received the joy that the Samaritans had in Acts 8, but he had not received the Holy Ghost. His wife then met some Pentecostals and received the Holy Spirit. Grandpa would get upset with her at night because she spoke in tongues before going to bed at night and insisted that he needed more than what he had. It lay as a burden between them. Finally, Grandpa prayed to God and said that he knew he had all that God had for him, but to make his wife happy, would God let him speak in tongues. Instantly, the presence of God that he'd felt since his repentance left him. This was when he knew that God had more for him - it lay as a burden between him and God. He then cried out in repentance for His pride and God filled him with the Holy Ghost speaking in tongues.

Salvation is a gift that unless received in totality will be forfeit no matter who we are. Paul wrote about receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, which is only accessible through Jesus Christ, who is our portion and free gift through grace. (Ro. 5:21). Refusal of this gift, in this particular text, results in the refusal of eternal life.

Paul also wrote of the gift he was given charge of by the churches of Macedonia, who gave it to bless the Corinthian church (2 Cor. 8). I imagine that if this gift had been refused that there would have been ought among these two groups.

Unrequited love is often mentioned in literature and even God Himself is mentioned by some as a jilted lover covering His eyes in grief as His Jewish bride rejects Him and He then turns to the Gentiles for succor. I only know that He wept at their obtuseness and they became a people who had eyes but did not see. This rejection of Jesus still lies as a burden between God and the nation of Israel as a whole, but, praise God, Israel did not stumble to fall. I believe that the burden will be lifted when they look on Him whom they pierced and acknowledge Him as Messiah.

We call it the gift of the Holy Ghost and it is, by one man’s estimation, being received by 35,000 people a day throughout the world. Why wouldn’t people want to receive this phenomenon that Christ has paid for with His blood and made available to all people?

Debates: Oneness v. Trinitarianism

On this Christmas Eve I want to write a few lines directing you to some powerful debates where the error of the trinity is exposed and the truth of One God (the Mighty God in Christ) is ably defended and presented. Enjoy!

From Apostolic Network Ministries:
Gordon Magee v. W.L. Toddy (March 1960)
Hicks v. Billingsly
Hicks v. Weaver
Hicks v. Woods
Bayer v. Jackson
Bayer v. Welch

From Apostoliclive.com:
David K. Bernard v. Gene Cook
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13

Stephen Kuntzman - The Expression of Redemption

A Slave Coffle

Exodus 6:1-9
1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.

John 1:1-14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Kathy Kiely, a newspaper reporter for the USA TODAY wrote these words on July 13, 2000: "Her name is Freedom, but she was cast in bronze and hoisted atop the U.S. Capitol by slaves. African-Americans helped erect not only the statue at the pinnacle of the Capitol but also the Capitol itself. They were never paid and, until now, never recognized for their work.”

Slavery existed within the boundaries of the present USA for over 200 years. It has been nearly 143 years since the slaves were set free in our nation in 1865. It is nearly impossible for men and women who were born in modern America to really know what it is like to be a slave.

To be enslaved…

• There must be a slave master. There will be an individual who will become a slave.
• Force will be used, fear, and punishment.
• Deception will be incorporated to gain slaves
• Lies told to cloud the reality of the horror of slavery.
• A slave master will use the way of the whip (to drive the enslaved), the threat of the auction block (to place more fear of loss), and murder.
• The slave’s mind is brainwashed to destroy his ability to think for himself and to replace his thoughts with the slave masters. Thus, losing a sense of self.
• The Black slaves in the USA had no family names of their own, but they were known by their master’s name.[1]

They called it a “slave coffle.” This was a line of slaves chained together and then marched by the slave trader to some town where these enslaved humans would be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Treated as merchandise - - as a thing - - men and women suffered at the hands of other humans because their skin color and their place of birth.

The children of Israel were enslaved by Pharaoh in Egypt. The Egyptians kept these children of promise in bondage, and their cry, groans, & sorrows were heard by the Lord.

God sees your state. He is aware of what it is that enslaves you. He knows where you are, and as Job said, “…He knoweth the way that I take…” (Job 23:10).

There are people in the church today who can testify to the freedom that Jesus gives.

People who were once enslaved by:
Jealousy

Envy

Hatred

Drugs

Alcohol

Gambling

Pornography

Illicit Relationships

Cigarettes

Gossiping

Back-biting

Strife

Digging up the past

Tale-bearing

Lying

Playing the busybody

Arrogance

Pride

Lust

Self-righteousness

Looking down on others

Spiritual superiority

Bad attitudes

Anger

Bitterness

Sickness

Disease

The Church is full of people who know what the Lord meant when He said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Are you free? Do you really want to be freed from sin?
What do you want to be free from? Hell?
Lust? Pride? Arrogance? Ditch Digging?
These examples of unrighteousness are indicators that some people still need to be set free. Signs that some of are still enslaved in one area, or another.

Gal. 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Do you groan out to God for freedom from the slavery of sin and satan? Do you want the bonds of sin to be broken from your life?
Do you cry out in your bed of oppression at night?

Ps. 6:6-7, “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.”

Four Expressions of Redemption (Ex. 6:6-7):

 

1. "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians" - Jehovah brought the Israelites out of Egypt and took the burden of slavery from off their shoulders. Jesus will bring you out of the world of sin and lift the burden of guilt that sin has set on your shoulders. You no longer need to suffer when Jesus frees you from sin.
2. "I will rid you out of their bondage" - The LORD delivered the Israelites from the chains of slavery. Jesus will deliver you from those addictions and behaviors that seem to hang on you like chains. Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
3. "I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments" - God showed Himself strong for the Israelites, revealed Himself to them by His redeeming name (Jehovah/LORD), and brought judgment on Pharaoh in Egypt and at the Red Sea. Jesus wants to show you His love and compassion by freeing you from the penalty of sin, by revealing His true nature to you, and by bringing judgment on those things that have enslaved you for so long. Isaiah 53:1-5, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
4. "I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians" - The children of Israel are known as God’s people - - the children of promise. Because of Jesus we are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

When Jesus redeemed you He paid the purchase price for your release. Your freedom was purchased by another and it includes:

• Healing (Physical, Spiritual, & Emotional)
• Victory over sin
• Salvation
• Eternal Life
• Deliverance

Jesus frees completely and wholly, not partially or half-way.

There’s no use trying to sidestep the issue. You’re either free, or you’re not – holy, or not – right, or not.

If you’re free then you need to remind yourself of who you are:

• You are the head and not the tail (Deut. 28:13)
• You are above only, and not beneath (Deut. 28:13)
• You are more than a conqueror (Ro. 8:37)
• You are a peculiar treasure (Ex. 19:5)
• You are a citizen of a holy nation (Ex. 19:6)

Lionel B. Fletcher wrote, “The thoughts that are welcomed in our minds…are a reflection of our true selves as we appear in the sight of God.”[2]

Sometimes the slave trader, that old enemy the devil, comes to kidnap a free born citizen of the kingdom of God.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Once you find freedom, don’t forget where God has brought you from.

Jesus met with some Jews one day and found that they’d forgotten their origin and who it was that delivered them from slavery. Jesus ignored their obvious mistake and went to the heart of the matter - - their slavery to sin.

John 8:30-36
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Jesus properly identified satan when he said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

The devil is a slave master who wants to take from you all your strength, vitality, purpose, and destiny; but Jesus is The Expression of Redemption for you today:

• He alone is the spoken Word made flesh.
• He alone is the Savior and Redeemer
• Isaiah 49:26, “All flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”
• Isaiah 43:11, “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.”
• The word “LORD,” as used in this passage refers to Jehovah. This is the redeeming name of God in the Old Testament.
• When the angel told Mary that the child in her was to be called Immanuel he was signaling that He who was to be born was “God with us.” This simply means that Jehovah of the Old Testament is Jesus Christ of the New Testament.
• He alone is the “express image” of God (Heb. 11:1-3).
• “There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Tim. 2:5-6).
• 1 Tim 3:16, “…God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
• “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)

Listen to me, Friend. You are not a slave. You are a child of God. Your condition is slavery, but you were created to have dominion over all the earth.

This is a true story:
Eliza was a pretty girl. Her master was her father and her mother was a slave. When the girls in the big house had suitors come to visit them, they’d ask, “Who is that pretty gal?” So they decided to get rid of her right away. The day they sold her, at the auction block, they stripped her to be bid off and looked at. The man that bought Eliza was from New York. The slaves in the community had enough money together to buy her freedom, but they wouldn’t let that happen. There was a big Swedish man there who bid for Eliza that day as well. He always bid for the pretty slave girls and bought them for his own use. He asked the man from New York, “What you gonna do with her when you get her?” The man from New York said, “None of your business, but you ain’t got money enough to buy her.” After the man from New York paid for her, he turned, looked at Eliza and said, “Eliza, you are free from now on.”[3]

John 8:36
“So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.” (NLT)
“So if the Son frees you, you will really be free!” (The Complete Jewish Bible)
“So if the Son of Man sets you free, you will really be free.” (New International Reader’s Version)

Jesus came to Nazareth one day and opened the scroll of Isaiah and read:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:18-21).

The Expression of Redemption is Jesus for He came “to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).

Ox Yoke

Being freed from those things that once bound us - our fears, hang ups, habits, behaviors, hurts, shame, sin - we are now able to enjoy a pure relationship with Jesus Christ. The burdens we carry by ourselves might be overwhelming and may even bring us to despair, but when we use the freedom He gave us to walk with Him we find that burdens are lighter for He says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

____________

SOURCE:
[1] Lester, Julius. (1968). To Be A Slave. Dell Publishing Co. Inc.: New York, NY.

[2] Fletcher, Lionel B. (1933). The Pathway to the Stars. Hunt, Barnard & Co., Ltd: London, England. p.25.

[3] Lester, Julius. (1968). To Be A Slave. Dell Publishing Co. Inc.: New York, NY.