What is religious liberty? By definition, it is the right to practice and believe in one's religion without government interference, or the right to not practice religion at all. It's a fundamental human right that's protected by the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution and other federal laws.
This fundamental human right is being challenged every year. What is being done? Many things. Many of which you will hear about this Sabbath Day. As a Seventh-day Adventist, we know that religious liberty will one day be gone. In Bible Prophecy we read, understand and are warned about a beast power that will force all to worship the Dragons whose deadly wound was healed (Revelation 13).
While many have stopped believing this to be a reality, I still believe it is going to happen. When? I don't know when. However, what I can see in our world is that it's becoming more and more plausible than ever. As the political climate of our world worsens, many are left with more questions than answers. As a Seventh-day Adventist, our answers to the shaking that is happening now in our society is based on our eschatological Biblical worldview.
As our world nears the return of our coming King Jesus, your life is either a witness of the Jesus that has changed you or a reality of everything wrong with organized religion. Lines have been drawn. Sides have been taken. Division is rampant. Unity is a byword of a fake utopian mystical society. What we are all left with, is this . . . with the freedom of religious expression we currently have now, what are you doing to maximize its impact?
How are you living you life as a follower of the Master Jesus who is inspiring those around you to serve, love, and obey Him? Does it even matter? Yes. Why? Because this freedom that we currently have is a testament to the potential we all have to make a significant difference for the Kingdom of God . . . here and now! As Paul argued, "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." - 2 Corinthians 3:2
May you this Sabbath find the courage to live a life that fully expresses the religious liberty you have! May you help others find the joy, peace, and grace found in a personal relationship with Jesus.
So, until the next time this is Pastor Tello reminding you that thoughts do change lives!
Pastor Howard Tello