Monday, May 27, 2013

Celebrate True Freedom, God's Way!


For most of us, the main thing about this week-end is three days off. That’s pretty wonderful. The rarity of three days off in a row and especially slowly getting up and moving around at our leisure on Monday mornings makes three days off a real treat.  Often we forget about the real reason for the holiday; we take them for granted really.

There are other things we take for granted. Freedom to enjoy life. Freedom to meet together in groups. Freedom to protect our country. Freedom to own homes, buy groceries and make friends. Freedom to marry whom we choose. Freedom to have children. Freedom to change jobs. Freedom to drive a car, a motorcycle or a truck.  Freedom to protest. Freedom to worship. Freedom to own a Bible. Freedom to share the Gospel.

Every freedom you and I enjoy as American citizens is given to us without reservation and is confirmed in our bill of rights. But the protection of those rights has been kept because our military have fought to keep us free. My own father served in World War I and World War II. Uncles fought in Korea and Viet Nam. While you and I have enjoyed this wonderful freedom, many have died for that freedom.

There is One Who gave His life to set every human being on the face of the earth free. His name is Jesus. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and His destiny was to live, to promote and to die for freedom. If it was simply to die, though, we’d be memorializing Him right along with every other conqueror, leader, hero and demigod across the span of time. We’d be decorating His grave with the myriad of soldiers who have flags and patriotic flowers dotting the cemeteries.

But this One rose again! And because He came out of the grave, fully alive, He dismembered death and made a public show of it! Because He lives we can, as the song says, face tomorrow, all fear is gone, and we know Who holds the future. He is more than a hero, He’s our Savior. He’s more than a Soldier, He’s our King! He’s more than a conqueror, He’s our redeemer! He’s our everything, for His Name is the great I AM!

Oh beloved, before you go out for the day’s festivities, won’t you take a moment to honor the One True God, who lives making intercession for you? He celebrates you every day as He rejoices over you as His beloved, He protects you as His child and He prays for you always. He has granted you True Freedom – to live for Him, to worship Him, to honor Him and to look to Him for everything for life and godliness. His resurrection is your reassurance that – no matter what you are going through, no matter what you have been through and no matter what life brings you – He will be with you! Even in facing hardships, annoyances, sorrows, fears and death itself – you are watched over by the Eternal Light of the World!

Rejoice this memorial day in all it means, but most especially that you are a child of The Most High God! That you are loved beyond measure by the Lord of Heaven and Earth! That you are a soldier of the cross and protected by His watchful care all the way to your reward!

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Hebrews 7:24-25 but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Romans 8:37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

I Corinthians 2:12 And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

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