via TJC
”And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.“
Matthew 24:14 (ESV)
Juneteenth wasn’t something that I had thought of or even really knew about until the last few years. At first, it seemed like another political thing for people to argue over and divide us. Friends helped me to better understand the actual history of Juneteenth and I did some deeper research myself (yes that means I googled it).
I thought about the story of a group of people still in bondage because the message of freedom had not made its way to them - or had been kept from them. Isn’t that the story of the gospel that has been playing out since Jesus gave his life to free us from the bondage of sin?
A few years ago my cousin took me to the museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. There is an amazing room that shows all the peoples of the world that have a Bible translation in their language. More importantly, it shows the ones who don’t - people who have not heard the message of freedom that is the gospel. Some people believe that when the last people group in the world receive the gospel it will usher in the return of Christ and the eternal freedom He has provided for those of us who have believed in his name. Maybe that is true. Imagine the joy that day will bring when we all fully experience the freedom of Christ
We celebrate Juneteenth as a reminder of the completion of the freedom of a group of people. This final group only remained enslaved because the message of freedom had not made it to them. Let’s add to this worthy celebration our prayers for the lost people around the world who have yet to hear the gospel of freedom that is available to them through our savior Jesus Christ.
Daily Battle Order:
Talk with your family today about what it means to be enslaved by sin and the repercussions of that. Ask them if they truly understand the message of freedom in Christ. Then celebrate the story of Juneteenth and what it meant to the people who received that message of freedom and how it points us all to God's ultimate freedom.
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