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Pastor's Corner |
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12/3/00 |
A famous man once said, "Give me
liberty or give me death!" That declaration has been the hearts cry
of every American since that day. However, what is liberty to a Christian?
And why should we also take up this battle cry? |
First let me shock you with a
statement. Liberty is not synonymous with ‘I get to do whatever I want
without anyone telling me what to do". Now, I know, that most people
think that is what liberty means. In fact, however, that statement is
really an expression of anomia; lawlessness. To say, "I have
liberty" is not to say that I am free of law; whether it be man’s
law or God’s law. To claim to be FREE is not the same as saying,
"and every man did what was right in his own eyes". Scripture
attributes that thought to evil men. Liberty IS freedom, but it is not a
freedom from rules, authority, headship, leadership, human officials, or
government structures (whether church based or theocratically based or
politically based.) |
When the famous cry, quoted above, was
being uttered, it was being spoken in defiance of OPPRESSION! Rulership
that has GONE TO FAR puts the people of the realm into BONDAGE. When laws,
ideologies, theologies, philosophies, policies, political maneuverings,
and manipulations over the peoples (who ARE subjects) goes to far THEN it
is time to cry for liberty. |
AND GOD UNDERSTANDS THAT HEARTS CRY!
When Isreal was oppressed in Egypt, God said, "Let my people
GO!". When Israel ended up in bondage to heathen nations — even
when it was their own fault for turning against God in sin — God sent
judges to SET HIS PEOPLE FREE. God is in the setting people at LIBERTY
business. He really does not care HOW you ended up in bondage to a
"foreign" power; He wants you to not be oppressed. |
Jesus came to Israel on the wings of
the Spirit of God, and with the calling of God, and with the anointing of
God. His mandate? SET THE CAPTIVES FREE! His methodology? CAST OUT DEVILS!
His teaching? BEWARE THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES — who had become the
oppressors (both spiritually and governmentally) over the common
Israelite. His overall ministry, and ultimate death produced, what?
LIBERTY and eternal life. |
Yet, we are still BOUND to His Word!
And we are still SERVANTS of the Most High. We are still to be disciples
who sit at the feet of the MASTER. We are citizens of a kingdom and
subject to a King. |
We have been set at liberty from: SIN,
SATAN, SICKNESS, AND OUR OWN STUPIDITY. |
We have been given TRUTH in place of
LIES; love in place of fear; heaven in place of hell; pardon in place of
condemnation. The Holy Bible, written by our LIBERATOR, has clearly
explained the conditions of our RELEASE. We are NOT NOT NOT criminals set
on parole — as some evangelical/orthodox teachings try to suggest. We
are P.O.W.s who have been rescued from the oppressive, demonically
influenced, tyrants of the dictatorial rulership of NATURAL MAN! The
flesh, which was directed by the demon wizards behind the curtain, has had
it’s fingers broken; its weapons thrown to the ground; its chords cast
asunder; it’s wizard slain! |
Our battle cry is indeed GIVE ME
LIBERTY! But OUR afterthought is AND GIVE ME LIFE!!! |
© Anthony J. Massotti Th.M. 12/3/2000
12/10/00
The other day, I was working on a puzzle
-- no, not the mental kind, rather the cardboard on the table kind. In that
puzzle was a statement – it was after all a puzzle about words. It said Roman
soldiers were paid in bags of SALT. The word that was tied to this history
lesson (on the board) was SALARY. Wages? Payment?
In my mind I jumped! Why was THAT exciting
to me? Well, I know that over time I have heard a lot of sermon segments wherein
we, the saints, were equated to being salt. The scripture does say ‘Ye are the
salt of the earth’. Usually, that was then explained as to its use as a
preservative for foods, its necessity for retaining water, and it being a
flavorful substance. I have heard of how we saints are supposed to be (behave)
like salt; help people, flavor life, and hold the Holy Spirit. I, also, have
heard the warnings about "don’t loose your savor (flavor)" or else
you are of no use to anyone. Well, all that is okay, of course, but not
EXCITING. Seeing the link between SALT and SALARY-- now THAT excited me in my
spirit.
A roman soldier was basically a paid
mercenary. Often, he was in the job for the spoils of war. He served the empire
but he also served himself. His payment in salt had to be VALUABLE or else he
could not exchange it for other commodities that he really wanted. If his salt
lost it’s taste, and, often, salt was his only SALARY, then HE WAS BROKE! The
salt was thrown on the ground; WORTHLESS!
YE ARE SALT! That is another way of saying
YOUR ARE VALUABLE. You have great worth! Your are greatly esteemed by the owner.
God owns you. Wherever you go, you are HIS SALT – costly – He is using to
conduct business. We so often talk about the value of the blood of Christ; yet
it is not the medium of exchange God uses to conduct business on Earth. We have
all heard how valuable the anointing oil is, but that oil is poured upon people
and falls to the ground. It is not kept as the primary medium of exchange. SALT
IS A BARGAINING CHIP. Salt is payment. Salt is blessing. You! Blessing!
There is an old cliché I have heard. It
says, ‘he is worth his weight in salt’. What a thought! I know how much I
weigh, but am I that valuable? You can just hear Simon saying to Jesus, "I’m
not worth that much, boss". Yet Christ called Simon: PETER – a rock. You
might say that in God’s eyes he was ROCK SALT. There are a million things that
can be done with rock salt! None of it’s uses is ‘worthless’. Furthermore,
you always protect your salt (in vessels), you use your salt SPARINGLY (lest you
run out of it), and you never, ever, give up your salt to someone for a cheaper
product! In the Old world only fools ignored salt. Today we disrespect salt.
Today we disrespect Christians. To God, however, you are too valuable; He will
not give you up for "nothing". He will, however, USE you up. And that
is okay too, because that is of value to Him too. Accept who you are to God. Let
Him show forth His riches for the world to see.
© Anthony J. Massotti Th.M. 12/10200
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Original Quote by Pastor Anthony |
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God's authority is to be used against demons, not Man; God's power is to be used for man, not against demons.
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This site was last modified on 10/10/2007
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Anthony J. Massotti Th.M. || Technical:
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