John 8:34-36 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
On July 4th, America remembers a bold declaration — a break from tyranny, a longing for a better government, and the birth of a nation built on liberty. The Founders risked everything to establish a new way of life, one where freedom could flourish. Their cry was clear: “We will no longer be ruled by kings who oppress–we will be governed by laws that reflect liberty and justice.”
But for believers, that cry still echoes deeper. We, too, are longing for a better government–but not one formed by men. We are yearning for a Kingdom not of this world, ruled not by flawed leaders, but by Messiah Yeshua, the Righteous King. We long for the day when the government will rest upon His shoulders (Isaiah 9:6), and peace will fill the earth as waters cover the sea.
Shabbat is a weekly taste of that coming reality. It is not just rest from labor — it is prophetic rest, a sign and shadow of the Messianic Age to come, often referred to as the Shabbat Millennium.
In Jewish thought, just as a Sabbath followed six days of creation, so too there will be six thousand years of human toil followed by a thousand-year reign of the Messiah–the final Shabbat.
As we light the candles of Shabbat and hear the sounds of fireworks overhead, we are caught between two celebrations — one looks back to national freedom, while the other looks forward to cosmic redemption. One was secured by revolution; the other will be fulfilled by revelation–when every eye shall see Him, and every knee shall bow.
Messiah Yeshua proclaimed true liberty when He stood in the synagogue and read from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me… to proclaim liberty to the captives.” (Luke 4:18)
He wasn’t talking about political chains, but spiritual ones. Through His death and resurrection, He broke the power of sin, shame, and death. That is the ultimate independence–freedom not just from Pharaoh or Caesar or king, but from everything that keeps us from entering into God’s presence.
This weekend, as America celebrates freedom and we, as believers, enter the rest of Shabbat, let us remember: the Founders wrote liberty on parchment, God engraved it in stone at Sinai, but through the Messiah, that same freedom is now written on our hearts—eternal, living, and unshakable.
Step into His prophetic reality — a rest is prepared for those who trust in Him, a freedom given that can never be taken, a Kingdom coming that cannot be shaken. So lift up your eyes and cast off every chain. This Shabbat and Independence Day, don’t just celebrate freedom–embrace it, proclaim it, and rest in it. Let your life be a living banner of unshakable truth that no darkness can silence: We are redeemed, we are empowered, and we are unstoppable–by the resurrection power of the King who reigns forever.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]For nearly twenty years, Romans 13:12 has been my signature verse on every email I send. For me, it’s a constant reminder that the long, dark night of this world is almost over, and the Day of the Lord is just about to dawn.
The testing of Abraham’s faith was repeated by YHVH throughout the patriarch’s entire life. The tests grew greater as his life advanced, and through every one, whether Abraham passed or not, YHVH proved Himself to be his friend over and over again. Every test or “trial” involved a serious challenge or threat in which Abraham had to trust that the LORD knew what He was doing, asking, or requiring, and that His goodness and faithfulness were unquestionably reliable.
While I was in the States, I read several stories about Ronald Reagan that made me appreciate him as a person and as a leader. But one amusing story really caught my attention and made me smile. When he was a young man, Reagan worked at a radio station and sometimes played records of sermons. His shift at the station was a one-man operation and so, on occasion, Ron would set the record playing and then sneak out for a cup of coffee. One day he got a call while he was at the coffee shop from the station’s owner, ordering him back to the station, and then … he received his termination notice. He’d returned to the station finding the record skipping at a particular point in the sermon…
Having spent over 20 years living in Israel’s Negev Desert, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of salt in maintaining proper hydration. “What in the world does salt have to do with grace and truth?”, you ask. Well, I’ll tell you.
During the first great awakening, revivalist George Whitfield was preaching to coal miners in England. He asked one man, “What do you believe?” “Well, I believe the same as the church.” “And what does the church believe?” “Well, they believe the same as me.” Seeing he was getting nowhere, Whitfield said, “And what is it that you both believe?” “Well, I suppose the same thing.”
The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It stretches over 4,000 miles (6,400 KM) and was built to protect China from the barbaric hordes to the north. The designers of the wall made it so high that it could not be scaled, so thick that it could not be penetrated, and so long that no one could go around it.
In today’s news, Bloomberg reported that according to a recent study, Americans can add as many as two years to the nation’s life expectancy if they stand up more often and watch fewer hours of television. What a concept — move around and you’ll live longer!