Cuba Libre

We are called to live under the control of the Holy Spirit, who gives us the capability to be influential for Him in this world. Proverbs chapter 11 states:
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
12 He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, But a man of understanding holds his peace.
13 A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.
14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

We have been entrusted with a message of peace and freedom in Jesus Christ. Across the world, believers in Christ met together and were encouraged and equipped for the service of our King. Now that Sunday has passed, we are launched into Monday, into the world, into our day-to-day lives - the question is: are we going to take the principles we have learned and been strengthened in and apply them, allowing Him to be our source of abundant life?  

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We serve a King who rules above all earthly kingdoms, in order that His Kingdom may advance on this earth - it's a Kingdom of devotion to God, based on our freedom in Christ that enables us to overcome the desire for worldly control. 1st Peter 2 states:
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.

It's not over, even though the demonstrations for freedom in the nation of Cuba may have disappeared from the news cycles.  Just last week, according to The Daily Signal, Cuban-Americans gathered at the U.S. Capitol for a "Cuba Libre" rally, which was organized, in part, by Alian Collazo, who lives in Florida. He said, “The lack of freedom in Cuba starts with everything...It is not just about freedom of the press and freedom of speech. Those are the fundamental things that they are asking for. But it goes down to every avenue of freedom that one can think of.”

Organizers are asking the U.S. Government to do more on behalf of the people in Cuba who are demanding freedom from the decades of oppression in the Caribbean nation. There were just under a dozen members of Congress mentioned in the article, including several from Florida. One of the attendees, Marta Beatriz Ferrer, said, "We are demanding that the dictatorship tell us where all the missing people are...” Her father has been missing for two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Church in Cuba is continuing to be faithful. The Evangelical Focus Europe website offered a look inside the evangelical community there in a July 12th article, written shortly after the protests began. It stated:

Inside and outside Cuba, evangelical leaders have called to prayer for the island.

“Brothers and sisters, pray for Cuba, the people are on the streets, asking for freedom, the situation is chaotic and very agitated”, said a message shared by Moisés de Prada, the leader of Assemblies of God in Cuba. “Everything points to the fact that this is going to get more complicated. People are in the streets in every province now, and there are clashes with the riot police. I urge you to pray that God takes control and prevents a bloodbath”.

He added, "Cubans could no longer bear the repression."

The article goes on to relate:

Christians in Cuba have denounced lack of religious freedom, slander campaigns and human rights abuses for many years.

Christian journalists have been threatened, evangelical pastors investigated, worship places closed, and individuals abused.

Only a minority of Christian churches have been allowed to operate with normality in Cuba, as international organisations have denounced.

Evangelical Focus also quoted from Noel Nieto, who is pastor of the Cuban Evangelical League, who "told Latin American news website Evangélico Digital that 'the situation today is something we have never experienced before. The peaceful protests are happening in several provinces and municipalities. They [the government] have taken down the internet, to try to avoid more protests and these are broadcasted live. We the churches are organising a prayer vigil asking God for Cuba...'"

Nieto said that "several" Christian denominations had been "praying together."

On July 16th, The Christian Post stated that:

Human rights activist and pastor Rev. Mario Félix Lleonart Barroso reported on Facebook that authorities had detained Yeremi Blanco Ramírez and Yarian Sierra, two pastors from the Berean Baptist Mission in Matanzas who are tutors at the William Carey Biblical Seminary.

Rev. Ramírez and Sierra are being held in a wing of the women’s prison in inadequate conditions in Matanzas, according to the United Kingdom-based watchdog group Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

The article also said:

Rev. Yusniel Pérez Montejo of the Eastern Baptist Convention was also reportedly detained in Songo-La Maya in Santiago. CSW reported on Tuesday that Montejo’s whereabouts were unknown.

A Catholic priest, Father Castor José Álvarez Devesa, was reportedly beaten and detained by Cuban authorities in the Montecarlo Prison in Camagüey. Catholic News Agency reports that Father Álvarez was believed to be defending young protesters on Sunday before his arrest. He was reportedly released.

I have been tracking the thirst for freedom periodically on this program.  We are certainly seeing it in the hearts of the Cuban people and in the Christian leaders there, who are pointing people to the freedom that Christ can offer - a freedom that can sustain and strengthen a person even when he or she is facing oppression from this world.  Deep within the human soul, we want to be free, and our nation was founded on human responsibility - to make good decisions based on reliable information and inspiration. That includes the freedom to practice our faith openly and without encumbrance.

But, there is a sinister human tendency to control others and limit their freedom.  When people don't make the personal decisions that some leaders desire, they resort to mandates - which is expressed in this day of COVID through vaccine passports and mask requirements.  What is so critical, as I alluded to last week, is whom we are allowing to control our decisions.  If we submit to the authority of the Holy Spirit, our decisions will lead to peace and joy even when human authorities result to worldly power and control that are potentially harmful. That's why we need to pray for our leaders and why we have to continue to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, who gives us wisdom to navigate uncertain times.

And, we can also be in prayer for the people of Cuba, who have decided that now is the moment in time to throw off the authoritarian rule of its governmental leaders and reach out for freedom. Socialism and Communism are built on the false promise of freedom and equality, yet, as it's been pointed out, it leads to greater control, because the worth of the individual is not respected and someone has to ultimately been in charge to manage the resources - and it's not God; in a socialist system, rights end up coming from the worldly authorities, in the American Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, our rights come from God.