“When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.” – Acts 24:27

Today, we celebrate that as Christians in America, we are free. Free to worship wherever we want to worship. Free to publicly gather for worship. Free to build churches and proclaim the Gospel. However, today’s Scripture reminds us that Christians are never guaranteed earthly freedom. So, remember to give thanks and rejoice if you enjoy freedom. Commit to pray and glorify God if you don’t.

Paul was unjustly imprisoned for two years for sharing the Gospel. Today, untold numbers of Christians are intimidated, persecuted, imprisoned, or killed for their faith. Paul’s imprisonment reminds us that the Gospel can still advance effectively without freedom. His bondage wasn’t wasted! Freedom isn’t necessary for God’s Kingdom to advance, as much as we enjoy having freedom. Indeed, sometimes the Gospel spreads faster in places where the followers of Jesus must suffer for their faith.

As you enjoy this Independence Day, give thanks for the earthly freedom you enjoy. It was bought with a price and can be easily lost, taken, or surrendered when we take it for granted. At the same time, remember that as a Christian, your true freedom is in Jesus Christ. In Him, you are free from sin, death, and the devil. Take time today to pray for those Christians around the world who don’t have the same freedom you do. Pray that God will strengthen, comfort, and encourage them in their oppression. #FollowJesus

“Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, ‘Jehu is king.'” – 2 Kings 9:13

Buried deep in the history of the kings of Israel we catch a little glimpse of how the people of Israel celebrated a newly appointed king. God told the prophet Elisha that Jehu was to become king of Israel. In Israel, kings were covered in oil at God’s direction rather than merely crowned with a crown. The Hebrew word for being anointed like this is “Messiah”. After Jehu had the anointing oil poured on his head the people acknowledged him as their king with a celebration that included laying their outer garments on the ground in front of him so his feet wouldn’t touch the dirt.

This helps us understand an event that happened hundreds of years later when Jesus of Nazareth rode into Jerusalem and a great crowd celebrated by waving palm branches and laying their outer garments on the ground ahead of him. What happened in Jerusalem on the Sunday before Jesus was killed on a cross was His earthly celebration as God’s anointed Messiah and Israel’s true king. The people celebrated His coronation as their ancestors had done for centuries.

What they didn’t understand was that the Kingdom of Jesus didn’t just include a small part of the world called Israel. Jesus is the righteous and eternal King of the entire world. His true coronation wasn’t performed by a crowd but by God the Father Who crowned Jesus King through His suffering, death, burial, and resurrection. All hail #KingJesus!

“Better is a little with righteousness
than great revenues with injustice.”
– Proverbs 16:8

Our world tells us to always go for MORE, MORE, MORE. We’re constantly shown images and fed stories about people with lots of money and very little honor or integrity. We’re taught and encouraged to grab more wealth, more power, and more status for ourselves. We’re told to look out for #1, grab the brass ring, and measure ourselves against others based on our income and net worth. Ethics and integrity are no longer taught or valued and we feel like everyone in the world is cutting corners in pursuit of dishonest money and influence.

It isn’t worth it! Ever! God’s wisdom in this matter is true and eternal. Children of God must NEVER compromise their integrity for the sake of money. We must never betray the principles and character of Jesus for a job, a promotion, a bonus, a bigger house, a fancier car, or a better retirement.

It really is better to live in scarcity on earth, knowing that your righteous integrity will bring you rewards in heaven that will last for eternity. Don’t let our culture’s insistence on grasping for more, more, more infect your heart or corrupt your Christ-like honesty, integrity, and hard work. Never let jealousy or resentment toward the earthly success of ungodly people lead you astray. Ask God’s help to be content with what you have as you #FollowJesus

“And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’” – Acts 22:8

Paul was totally devoted to God and thoroughly trained in the Scriptures. And yet, for all that, he completely missed the truth of Jesus, the Son and Messiah of God. Paul was so disoriented toward God that he was hunting down God’s children in his zeal to please God. Paul knew so much but understood so little!

When the resurrected Jesus appeared to him, Paul had to ask who Jesus was. Paul had the forms and rituals of religion without its truth or power. True faith in God isn’t about obeying a system, it’s about forming a relationship with God the Father through Jesus the Son.

Many in the world today are earnest about pursuing God, even to the point of hurting others or themselves to earn His approval. Trying to connect with God through systems of religion developed by people to discipline themselves for righteousness will NEVER work. Like Paul, those systems have missed the ultimate movement of God when He became a man, Jesus of Nazareth. They have the forms and rituals of religion without its truth or power.

We, who are always imperfect, can never connect with the perfect God of the Universe on our terms or based on our behavior. We NEED God’s grace and His grace only comes through faith. That faith must always be rooted in Jesus of Nazareth. #FollowJesus

“But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” – Acts 19:15-16

Seven foolish sons of a Jewish priest saw Paul casting out demons in the name of Jesus. Though these men didn’t believe Jesus was the Son of God, they tried casting out a demon in His name anyway. That was a terrible idea!!! They knew all the right words to say but they lacked the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. That only comes from being a follower of Jesus. So, they were powerless against the demon which beat them up, tore off their clothes, and sent them running out of the house buck naked.

This story is a wonderfully hilarious reminder of an important truth… Demons fully know who Jesus is and have no choice but to obey Him but people who don’t know Jesus should not get mixed up with evil spirits! Christians in the West often discount the supernatural realities of the universe but demons are real and they’re terrible. However, Jesus is more powerful than every demon ever created.

Every true follower of Jesus is sealed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of Christ. We have tremendous power to win spiritual victories, even over demons. However, to win that victory we must fully believe in Jesus, believe in His prevailing power, and stand firm in the Lord by putting on God’s spiritual armor (see Ephesians 6). Are you prepared for whatever spiritual battles you face today? In Christ, you have all the power you need. #FollowJesus