Freedom

This morning I was awakened very early, maybe by a firecracker, or maybe just the first light of dawn. Some prophetic verses in the Old Testament had been on my mind and one in particular, actually one word in that verse was dangling in my consciousness. It was just like an itch, I just had to itch! 😊 . Watching the Son rise in my mind literally was enlightening and it was one of those occasions where I would have loved to shout what I found on the roof tops. Somehow the word smashes walls and barriers and lifts you up and makes you feel like you can fly.

On this day, we celebrate the 4th of July. It is a celebration of the freedom we have in America thanks to the believing and love of some very wise men that founded this country on a set principles whose original source is the creator. They weren't perfect men but they rested their beliefs humbly in something much bigger than themselves.

God is so much bigger than our minds truly can grasp, but His word can open our hearts to make more space in our narrow minds beyond what we can even describe!

True freedom comes from God and it rests in the knowledge of his Son and what was done for us through him and what he is to us today. Jesus Christ spoke God's word. He was/and/is the son speaking for and showing the Father.

Back in the time that he specifically lived on earth he said to those who followed him:

31 Then said Jesus to those Judeans which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32

These are beautiful words! They continue to speak throughout history and continue to speak to us today.

What is real freedom? People talk about it, they define it and they value it! But do we humans settled for our own perceived notion of freedom? Honestly, our own notions of freedom probably limit us. My perceptions of freedom have continued to grow as I continue to seek its real definition. Each stage of growth is another stepping stone to not settling for a worldly mundane existence. Once you have seen another level of freedom, there is no turning back.

So today as I celebrate the founding of this country, I am thankful to God and to his son, Jesus Christ despite the hoopla going on in the world. I pray for this country, its leaders, our families and friends, that they may understand true freedom and not settle for a narrow, limited vision. 

Real Liberty

This (Galatians 5:1) verse hit home this morning in a way that I am just giddy with gratitude for God's heart!

Have you ever felt powerless and inadequate? Welcome to the weak and beggarly elements of the world! (Galatians 4:3). The book of Galatians is an important book. It exposes legalism as to its misuse. Think, for example, about the 10 commandments. Are they weak (powerless) and beggarly (inadequate)? Not really, unless one gets the idea that by observing them, one earns his way into anything. Paul made this point over and over again in Galatians.

The book of Galatians is also addressed to pagan, gentile converts. Could we describe the ways of the world as powerless and inadequate? Yup! We see it everywhere. The world has got answers for absolutely everything! Sometimes - no wait!- usually, it is very, very frustrating. I have to remind myself over and over again that man isn't the smartest firecracker in the sky always, God is!

When you combine legalism and paganism together the whole thing is insane. Enough of that!

I love that we have the privilege of prayer! It is great to talk everything over with God. I recently read an interesting quote:  "As long as you know God is for you, it doesn't matter who is against you." If you just believe the first part of that quote, power and adequacy are unequivocally yours! The second part of that quote we don't have to worry about. Human beings naturally bump each other about, so why is it even shocking that it happens (reminder to self).

Absolute true freedom comes from a loving, wonderful God who sent His son to totally free us of all that renders us powerless and inadequate. Have a truly free day!

What is Truth?

What is truth? The question of all questions!  Pilate put the same question to Jesus. It is recorded in John 18:37-40,19:1:

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

Pilate had the truth looking him straight in the eye. Did he wait for an answer to that question? No, his concern was his position as the Roman prefect. Seeing that Jesus was not a threat to Roman government, he had done his job. That was it. All that was left for him to do was to court public opinion. He played to the crowd. He found no fault yet scourged him.

Pilate let something else do his thinking for him. It was his position, his perception of himself, his lazy attitude toward truth and just basically his own fear that motivated him. That is not freedom.

Today in any category of life we have the same choice. We can make decisions based on truth or we can look in other directions. There certainly are plenty of options. We say we are the ones to decide our own life, but in reality are we just turning our life's decisions over to something else or way of thinking. It is evident that this type of thinking leads only to entanglement and self-deception.

We have the same opportunity in life of looking into the same eyes that Pilate looked into and believe his life is the way, the truth and life.  The God of truth never controls, he sent His son to show us freedom and if we chose him we are free (link) indeed!