FREEDOM OR SLAVERY

Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 06 March 2012

Hi all,

Have you visited a zoo recently? It’s a fun place for people. Lions, tigers, polar bears, snakes, birds and all the other forms of wildlife nicely displayed for us to gawk at. How about the animals? Do they like it there? Oh they look comfortable enough. They get fed regularly. All they have to do is be on display for people. They can’t get out even if they want to.

It occurs to me that there’s not much difference between an animal in a zoo and people in Satan’s lair. They look comfortable enough. But they are locked in and there is no way for them to get out. Of course they can die. That’s an out for sure. There are also other zoo’s who want to buy them. So they get moved to another destination which, in most respects, is much like the one they were in.

Some of them get bought by owners of wildlife parks. This enables them to live as close to nature as they could in their natural habitat. Even so, they were still in a form of Zoo; one that has large boundaries. Within the confines of that Wildlife Park or farm, they are free. But someone paid lots of money for them so they are not exactly free.

It’s much the same for people. We are born into slavery; Satan’s slaves. There is no freedom except within the confines of our own cages. We may even be in one of his human-parks. We are there for his amusement and abuse. We are kept in sickness, disease, prostitution, drugs, thievery, murderers and even denominations. We’ve don’t know that things could be different. There is no way out. We cannot escape, even if we would like to. If we did, where would we go? Who would look after us and feed us? We hear rumours that someone is interested in buying us. Even more incredible, He is willing to change places with us. He becomes a prisoner and we go free. From our point of view it’s magnificent; but what about Him? From His point of view it’s not a good deal at all. A classic win/lose situation. But it’s His idea in the first place. So if this is what He wants to do, who are we to buck the system?

Now Satan is tricked into doing this for millions of his slaves. There is a difference of course. We are only a human and Jesus is God. So Satan gets all excited. He has the Son of God in his domain. Satan doesn’t care how many of his slaves he has to set free in exchange for Him. So what! He has defeated God’s Son and must be next in line to the Eternal Throne.

Then, along comes the third Day. Jesus simply walks out! It’s a bit like Paul and Barnabus walking out of prison! ²⁶ Suddenly, a violent earthquake shook the foundations of the jail. All the doors immediately flew open, and all the prisoners' chains came loose. Act 16:26 GW He’s lived a sinless life so Satan can’t keep Him. Satan freaks out. He’s lost everything. The only slaves he keeps are those who prefer to live with him rather than serve the Living God. They stay behind until the day of judgement.

Our meditation today looks at this in rhyme and metre.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Freedom or Slavery

They treated them like cattle as they carried them away.

Chained up like an animal; and from that very day,

They took away their freedom and treated them as slaves.

Now they had an owner till they fell into their graves.

They sold them in the market place. They had no rights at all!

They didn’t have protection. There was no one to call.

Families were broken up; the husbands and their wives,

Taken to plantations for the balance of their lives.

Utterly barbaric! To work till they were dead!

This was thought as “normal”; at least that’s what was said.

But treating men and women as some sort of beast,

Is taking place this morning from the greatest to the least.

But most of us don’t spot it. We think it is the norm.

To be a slave of Satan. We do not need reform!

We’re monsters of iniquity who revel in our sin.

Enjoying every moment in the devil’s rubbish bin.

All our friends are with us. Their company is fun.

Never mind the fiendish things that all of us have done.

We prefer our bondage and would rather not be free.

Then we meet the Saviour. The Christ of Calvary.

Tell me what He’s saying. Why should I change my ways?

I’ve been so long in slavery! Can there be better days?

Will he smash my manacles? Will He let me go?

It really sounds inviting. But tell me, “Is it so?”

Will He take good care of me when I get out of here?

Do you think He really means that He is always near?

There’s been umpteen liars. Is this another one?

Or when He’s got me out of here, perhaps He will be gone?

I can’t say that I blame them. That’s how I used to be.

Until my blessed Saviour, paid the price for me.

For me it was a bargain. He gave His life for mine.

It still sounds rather crazy, I thought that I was fine.

He’s given me my freedom and so was Satan’s slave;

It seemed to me the strangest way for Jesus to behave.

He took my sin and wickedness. His righteousness I wear.

I had the right to come and go and He was locked in there.

But Jesus had a secret that Satan didn’t know.

Jesus Christ was sinless and had to be let go!

Satan got so angry. He almost blew a fuse.

But the courts of heaven rejoiced at the good news!

Jesus Christ had tricked him out of all the souls of men!

Everyone who loved Him and had been born again,

Stood and gave a mighty cheer. He had done it all,

He made it available to mankind’s great and small!

No one was excluded. But if they’d rather not,

They may stay with Satan and get what he has got!

Jim Strickland – Written 6^th March 2012