Today we are celebrating Freedom Sunday across all Assemblies Of God Churches. Just yesterday we celebrated the Freedom of our country. 68 years ago India gained independence and freedom. However in a free India that has made so much progress, we are still known to have slaves. People who have lost the opportunity to speak, are in Bondage against their will. 

The issue of human trafficking doesn’t make for an easy topic. More than 29 million people across the globe live in conditions of modern-day slavery, the Global Slavery Index reveals that roughly 10 countries, many of them in Asia, hold nearly 70 percent of the world’s slaves. India topped the list with the highest number of enslaved people—approximately 14 million, or nearly half the total worldwide

GOD’S HEARTBEAT

• He is gracious, compassionate, loving and just (Exodus 34:6-8)
• He is in the process of restoring his broken world; the momentum of his Kingdom is towards freedom, healing and salvation (Jeremiah 31)
• He does not leave his creation to its own devices; he actively works on behalf of those who suffer (Isaiah 42) If our motivation is rooted in God’s character, it will be both deep and long- lasting.

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THE GOD WE WORSHIP 

He always responds to the cries of injustice. It’s part of who God is: Psalm 10:17, 1 Sam 9:16, James 5:4. He knows the victim by name and He sees their plight. How many of us are actually able to “see” the misery of those trapped in modern day slavery?
 God does see, hear and acts in response to the cries of the oppressed.

HOW GOD EXPECTS US TO ACT

Our goals for this Sunday are two fold: Your prayers would be fueled by God’s heart for those who need freedom As a congregation we will be motivated to put our prayers into 
action and become a community of grace and acceptance 

• Rescuing and caring for the poor and oppressed is central to God’s very nature (Psalms 94 and 146)
• This desire to rescue characterizes his interaction with humanity; Jesus’ mandate was all about reaching the poor, the deceived and the enslaved (Luke 4:16-. His mandate included setting the captives free!
• What grieves him should also grieve us – and cause us to be different. 
• Pray with Grace – We must be ready to let God’s compassion move us to deep, heart-felt prayer (vv16-17)

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