The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast) - Fourth of July Special: True Freedom

Episode Date: July 3, 2020

As we celebrate July 4th this year in the midst of a pandemic and social unrest, let us remember that Jesus Christ has already paid the ransom for our freedom from sin. In this special episode, Jeff encourages us to live in the freedom and hope of Christ as we navigate these difficult times in our lives. If we cling to Christ and allow him to change us, we will experience true freedom and peace. Snippet from the Show “Faith is going to be part of the recipe for freedom in this country and for peace among us.” Email us with comments or questions at [e-mail] Text “jeffcavins” to 33-777 to subscribe and get Jeff’s shownotes delivered straight to your email! Or visit ascensionpress.com/thejeffcavinsshow for full shownotes!

You're listening to the Jeff Kavana show, Episode 173, Freedom. Hey, I'm Jeff Kavins. How do you simplify your life? How do you study the Bible? All the way from motorcycle trips to raising kids, we're going to talk about the faith and life in general. It's the Jeff Kaven show. Well, I wanted to take just a few minutes to go. greet you during this 4th of July celebration here in the United States, certainly a different kind of celebration than anything that we're used to, at least in my lifetime, I don't ever remember a 4th of July like this, where freedom was the topic and what was happening

in the world was anything but freedom and anything but peace right now. And certainly with the COVID-19 and what's happening with the race relations in the country, there's just a lot going on. And I wanted to take just a moment, kind of an abbreviated show to encourage you this week. And just to remind you of a couple of things, it might be helpful in your daily life. You know, as you listen to the news briefly, hopefully, you're going to get a good taste every night on the evening news of what's happening as far as COVID-19 and the spread of this virus and the havoc that is taking place. the lives of individuals around the country and certainly the world. But we're also reminded of what happened in Minneapolis with the killing of George Floyd, with the knee of a police officer in the

Twin Cities. As I'm recording this right now, I'm only about 15 minutes from 38th in Chicago. And that is the place that George Floyd lost his life. My wife and I went down there just a couple of days ago. And it was very interesting because I had a New Testament in my pocket, and I went to that intersection where this happened, and I was leaning against a wall, and I pulled out my phone to look at the news reporting of it, just to get kind of a visual look at what happened and where and how did this happen. And the intersection was completely filled with flowers, and a memorial was established there, and people were walking around very quietly, somberly, peacefully. And it was it was quite a moment, you know, and I started to situate myself in the video and realized I was

leaning against the very wall, the very place that George Floyd sat down when the police officers were talking to him before they brought him over across from Cup Foods, and there is where he lost his life, just minutes from the place that I was standing. And I had the word of God with me, and it reminded me so much of the answer that we have is, Christians when it comes to the problems of race relations and freedom in general. And the slavery issue, of course, is being discussed around the country, and unfortunately in some conversations, there's other topics brought into it, and it becomes kind of a Congress bill of a lot of things under the banner of Black Lives Matter, and certainly we believe that

Black Lives Matter, and that's something that we have to address as Christians. and we address it not by just staying to ourselves in our own ghetto of religious faith, but we actually go out on the streets, and we share the gospel with people, and we share the light of Christ with people. And so I want to encourage you at this time that, yes, it does look bleak, it looks difficult in the world today, but remember the one that we are following. It's Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, the son of God, the one who died and paid the ransom for our freedom. We were all slaves of sin. We were all dead in our trespasses. We were all lost without Jesus Christ. And he said that I am the way and I am the truth and I am

the life. And that is the truth. And I really do believe that Jesus Christ is the answer to the situation that we find ourselves in in the world, whatever the predicament might be. But Jesus is on a page in a Bible for many people, and we need to go from the page to the pavement, and that means that we put our faith into practice. There are many groups around the world that are devoting themselves to social change, and they are not resting. They are not quiet. They are not complacent. They are loud. They are organized. They are making a statement in the world, all the way from Seattle to Florida, from New York to California. And here in the Twin Cities, the epicenter of what has taken place is very clear to all of us,

and that is that we need to get together with people and love one another and give of ourselves, something of ourselves to other people. Having a conference on the topic or having some kind of exchange of churches is not going to be the answer. The answer is going to be, as my good friend, Father Josh Johnson said, on one of my earlier podcasts, we have to give ourselves. We have to sacrifice ourselves and get to know people and be a part of their lives. And when we are a part of other people's lives, Jesus is at the center of it, and he is the one who can bring the peace that passes all understanding. I'm reminded at the Fourth of July celebration here in America, which is going to

be certainly toned down and a little bit more separated than we are used to. I'm reminded of what he said in Galatians chapter 5 in verse 1. One of my favorite books of the Bible, we did a study on this a couple of years ago in the Great Adventure series. Paul said, it was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. In other words, don't go back to a yoke of slavery. I think the topic of slavery and the topic of freedom is something that we can all address at this Fourth of July, and it's something that we all desperately need in our own lives. You and I have been set free.

We have been set free from slavery. There are those in our community that have experienced a double, a double dose of slavery, both spiritually, which we all have in common, and physically. physically, as people were taken from Africa and brought to the United States, emancipated under Abraham Lincoln, but then set free and lost. And I think we have a lot of work to do to help our black brothers and sisters. I don't know what all the answers are, and that's why we need to get together, and we need to talk and pray and love.

It's not something that's going to be settled on CNN or Fox to you. You're surprised, perhaps, but it's not going to be solved on the news networks, and it's not going to be solved in conferences. It may be a tool, but it'll only happen as Jesus Christ is in the middle of all of us working toward loving one another and seeking freedom. So it was for freedom that Christ set us free. Remember that at the 4th of July. Keep standing firm.

Don't be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Don't go back to the slavery of sin. it's not worth it and your life will be in chains. I love what Jesus said in John 663. He said, it is the spirit who gives life. The flesh prophets nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, they are spirit and life. My friends, at this 4th of July, I want to encourage you once again to go deep into the Word of God, go deep into the Holy Scriptures, sacred scriptures, and read and allow Christ to change you. Allow him to change you. Allow him to develop faith in your life. Faith, not just being a believism, but an intellectual assent to everything he has said and then a

personal entrusting of your life to him. That's what faith is. And faith is going to be part of the recipe of freedom for all of us in this country and for peace among us. Paul wrote to the Romans in 1017, He said, so faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. If you have a Bible, I hope by years then that Bible is worn much more. As we dig deep into our relationship with the Lord and we go deep into the scriptures, and we come to know the heart and the mind of Christ, and we bring that then to the problems that we are facing in the world. Jesus said, he said in Matthew chapter 4, when he was,

was led up into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, and he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. He was hungry, yes. And who came to him, none other than the tempter? And the tempter said, if you are the son of God, notice that he is challenging Jesus' relationship with the father. If you are the son of God, command that these stones become bread. And Jesus answered, and what did he say? He said, it is written. Man shall not live on bread alone, but I am.

on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. You see, that's what we are called to live on, is the word of God, the words that come from God. He will sustain us, he will provide for us, he will direct us and correct us. And so on this 4th of July, let's combine the Bible with the topics at hand, and let's experience freedom. Let's get the mind of Christ. His words are spirit and life, and that is what we need. we don't have the solutions within ourselves on our own, but we do have the solutions within ourselves in Christ. And if we give thought and prayer to all the things that we're facing in America

during this Fourth of July, I am convinced that Jesus Christ will triumph. When sin abounds, grace all the more abounds. But it is up to the people of God. To speak up, to love, roll up their leaves and to become one with our brothers and sisters and to encourage each other during this COVID epidemic, this pandemic, rather. And so I want you to know on this Fourth of July, I love you, and I'm praying for you. And some really exciting things coming up on the Jeff Kaven show in the future. We've got some big announcements to make, and we're excited about that. Today, freedom. It's freedom that we are talking about. And remember, it was for freedom. that Christ set you free. He set you free for freedom. And so don't return to the yoke of bondage.

For all the show notes, remember you can text me, Jeff Kavens. You text Jeff Kavens. That's one word. And you can text it to 33777. That's 3377. I'll see you on Instagram and all the other places, Facebook and parlor. And together, we will move forward and pray that the kingdom of God will expand. God bless you, my brother. God bless you, my sister. Have a wonderful, wonderful 4th of July week. Let me pray for you. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen. Lord, I pray for my brother. I pray for my sister right now, who is experiencing of the bondage of sin, the brokenness of iniquity. I pray, Lord, that you would set them free. And Lord, I pray for those that are experiencing freedom. May they continue in that freedom by being with you and walking with you in your word.

and the sacraments of the church and the grace of the Eucharist and the companionship of the saints and the Blessed Mother, I pray that they would experience that freedom to a new level this year and share that freedom with other people. Let freedom ring. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, you have a great week. Thank you.