2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

In a couple of days, we will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of our country's freedom. That may sound like a lot of time, but compared to other countries that have been around for well over a thousand years, we are still in the baby stages as a country. The question is, are we truly free in the United States of America? Based on the scripture verse above, I would have to say no.

This country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles and many of the founding fathers were believers. But I would have to say that for the most part, we are no longer a Christian country. We may be a country with a good number of Christians in it, but even the quality of our people and our churches is sadly not too good. Many denominations are a mess, with a good number of them going the way of apostasy by approving of things that God says He hates and that are sinful according to His Word. Even the Bible has come under attack with people, including pastors and leaders saying that it either has evolved and many of what’s in it no longer applies or that it really isn’t the final, authoritative Word of God. Because of how we have turned away from the one true God, our country looks much different than how it started out.

There are only two countries that started out right, and by that I mean that they sought the Lord from the beginning. Those two countries are Israel and the Unites States of America. But both didn’t last long in their commitment, however. Israel got so bad that the people were exiled and they lost their country for a time. Through prophesy and by God’s mercy, the Jewish people have come back to the Promised Land, but sin is still rampant. Sin is rampant in this country as well and there are things that people practice with the approval of higher-ups in government and a majority of the people that are an abomination to the Lord. Given all of that, I don’t see us lasting another 250 years unless people repent, starting with the Church.

Thankfully, whether the country changes direction or not, you and I can still celebrate freedom because true freedom has not a lot to do with how we are governed or what kind of laws we live under, but by how we surrender to Jesus and allow Him to lead and guide us. Wherever there is a people or a person who seeks the Lord with all of their heart, that is where the Spirit of the Lord is, which means that there is where you will find true freedom. Only Jesus can set you free and when He does that, freedom reigns in your life independent of life’s circumstances. Someone in a prison somewhere can experience more freedom than someone who is free to move around but enslaved by their sin. This July 4th, celebrate the real freedom that we have as followers of Christ and make sure to make a lot of noise with your praise and worship of our God. It may be noisy outside on that day, but it is empty noise as it will be made by many who are bound and don’t even know it. Celebrate true freedom this year by celebrating Jesus!

Pastor Joey Vazquez