Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ and Children of God. We hope to see you at church Sunday. Service starts at 10AM downstairs in the sanctuary. Children’s church is upstairs, we look forward to greeting them. You can drop your children off at 9:45. Stop in the cafe for donuts and coffee before or after church.

Have you ever visited Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love,”  or seen one of its most famous landmarks, the Liberty Bell?  According to the National Park Service, no one knows exactly when or how the bell first cracked. The visible crack is actually the result of an attempted repair to the original damage. When the repair failed, a second crack formed and ultimately silenced the bell. The bell bears a quotation from the Old Testament scripture. After the Civil War, abolitionists seeking to end slavery drew inspiration from the bell’s message. The phrase became a rallying cry for social reform, inspiring movements for women’s suffrage, civil rights, and broader human freedoms. It says, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof”.  

This scripture comes from Leviticus 25:10 (KJV), when God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites before they entered the promised land how to celebrate the Year of Jubilee. This year of celebration is special, for it is the seventh Sabbath year in the seventh month, which is the Day of Atonement. God commands that they consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants (Lev 25:10 NIV). This was a time of economic and social reset, establishing debt relief, land restoration, and rest for the land.

Today, the verse can be understood as a call to heal broken relationships, returning to one another, reuniting families, and rebuilding trust. It can also be understood as debt forgiveness. To be free of debt by forgiving others of what they owe us. Here, “debt” does not necessarily mean a financial obligation; it may refer to a wrong committed against you or a wrong you committed against someone else. The verse can also proclaim freedom from the fear and bondage in our hearts. For an individual or a nation, that freedom may bring spiritual renewal.

Proclaim the liberty that God has for you. Boldly speak your proclamation of liberty and know that you have salvation through the death and resurrection of the Son of God. Proclaim it, for it is your year of Jubilee.

Last week, the little lambs discovered how God views women in the Bible. He views women as equal to men and uses women in powerful ways to carry out His mission. He used Deborah as a judge, Esther as a queen, and Rahab to hide the spies. Other women, some unnamed, also had important stories, including the woman at the well and the woman who was healed after touching Jesus’ garment. This week, the little lambs will go on the hunt to uncover the truth about Samson’s strength and how he was tricked by Delilah.

I look forward to worshiping with you and celebrating the love of God through songs of praise and dancing before the Lord who gave us liberty from sin. If for whatever reason I do not see you tomorrow, may the Lord bless you with abundant joy, peace, and a renewed Spirit, and may He guide you, heal you, and comfort you when you are in need.

God bless you,

Your brother in Christ

Michael (aka Mr. Michael)