To everyone from the United States, I want to wish you a happy Independence Day! I hope that everyone who reads this blog is well and I pray that the Lord would bless you and your loved ones and guide you all closer to Him!
You may be wondering why I chose the phrase, “Independence Day,” instead of “Fourth of July” or just “4th.” I chose this phrase for a reason. I chose it because while we as Americans celebrate our independence from Great Britain, many of us choose to remain enslaved. Many of us who say that we love freedom choose to remain in chains. It is not only an American problem, it is a human problem. I am sure some of you are wondering what I am talking about. Some of you know the only source of true freedom. Jesus Christ. Most of the people in the United States that are celebrating freedom today are in bondage to sin and death. Let us read God’s Word, given to us through the Apostle John in the third chapter of the Gospel that bears his name:
“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
John 3:16-21
Here we see the heart of man and the heart of God. We see that God loved the world, but the people loved darkness. They love the darkness because they know, even if they do not recognize it consciously, that what they are doing is wrong. That the thoughts, attitudes and feelings they have toward God, toward others and toward themselves, is wrong. But they love the darkness, because the darkness does not make them confront their sin. The Light does. Christ does. For my fellow Christians, we are called to be salt and light by our Savior and our Lord. We are set free from slavery to sin and death. But, sadly, many of us still have the minds and hearts of slaves. Much like the Israelites in the desert, we have been freed from Egypt, but our minds and hearts long to go back there.
What we have seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the killings of African-Americans and the protests and violence that were sparked in their wake, has been the heart of man revealed for all to see. We have seen selfishness, pride, greed, corruption, hatred and violence. Things that were hidden behind a mask during good times have been revealed during these times of crisis that we are all facing. The question that now faces us is this: “What do we do?”
Now more than ever, we must first confront the sin in our own lives. We must examine our own hearts and minds by the light of the Word of God and see where we are falling short so that we can use what we have learned to help others. Let us read the words of Jesus, recorded for us in the Gospel of Luke:
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Luke 6:41-42
This does not mean that we ignore the sins of others but it means that we always begin with ourselves. We do this not only out of humility, recognizing our own imperfections, but so that we can more clearly see the problem that others are facing and help them through it. How can we show others the light when we cannot see it clearly ourselves. We need to ask ourselves some hard questions. What are some of the thoughts and feelings I have towards God? Do they honor Him? Or do they mistreat Him? And what of my thoughts for others? Do I love others as I love myself? Or do I harbor hatred for those that are different than me? Do I dismiss the suffering of others as being exaggerated? And what about the thoughts about myself? Do I view myself as being without sin? Do I compare myself to others and think ‘I’m better than them?’ These are more than just superficial questions. Each of us needs to take the time to examine ourselves, seeking the Lord’s guidance in prayer, and holding our lives up to the light of Scripture to see if our attitudes, our thoughts, our desires and our deeds are good or evil.
It is when our union with Christ is made more perfect that we will experience a more perfect union in our nation and our world. We know that not all who hear the message of the Gospel will receive it, but we do know that some will and that God will always receive honor and glory for it. So I encourage you, as I encourage myself, to not only proclaim the light of the Gospel, but to live the light for others to see.
Take time on this Independence Day to reflect on whether or not you are truly free from sin and death. If you are not yet free, I ask you to come into to the light. To repent and ask for the forgiveness from God that awaits all those who are willing to receive it and to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. For my brothers and sisters in Christ, I ask you to reflect on your walk with your Lord. Seek His presence, daily, in prayer and in the meditation on His Word. Abandon the mindset and the “heartset” of a slave to sin and experience the freedom that our Heavenly Father has given to all of His children.
Please be in prayer for me as I continue to serve the Lord here in Ecuador. Please consider becoming a regular-giving partner in this ministry, so that I can continue to share the Gospel and to drive away the darkness with His marvelous light. I pray that you would join me carrying the message of hope, the message that Christ lives and offers an abundant life of freedom from sin for all who would receive it. Conditions here are difficult. Hospitals and clinics all over the country are filled to capacity, with more seeking treatment. Pray for those that are suffering. I ask, specifically, for prayers for Ivonne Almeida. She is the wife of pastor Jonathan Constante, pastor of First Baptist Church Ambato. She is currently in a diabetic coma in one of the hospitals here in Ambato. Normally, she would be taken directly to ICU, however, because of the pandemic, all of the ICU beds are full. Please pray for healing for her and that God would comfort her husband and two children and all of her family.
Thank you for stopping by my blog today! I hope that this message was challenging and edifying at the same time. If you have any questions you can contact me via email at: chacaucojon@gmail.com. If the Lord has led you to give to this ministry, you can do so online at: https://globaloutreach.org/giving/missionary-details/jonathan-green
May God bless you, your loved ones and the United States of America!
Jonathan Green