From Memorial Day - Christ Purchased Our Freedom

He Purchased Our Freedom

Posted on May 26, 2014by rebekahbeene

Today homes all across America will display the Stars and Stripes to honor those who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces of our great land. Defending freedom and helping liberate those who are oppressed and held captive has been the battle cry of our soldiers throughout the years. The Puritans came to America to establish freedom of worship. When they landed on the eastern shore, they knelt and prayed, dedicating this great land to Christ and His Kingdom. It cost the Puritans dearly to attempt to establish freedom for the oppressed and it has cost our friends and loved ones dearly to continue to give liberty to captives. My own dear aunt spent her entire life waiting for my cousin to return home from World War II, after his plane was lost during that war.  

Such willingness to die to bring freedom for others is not a cake walk. Our soldiers throughout the history of our great country fought and bled and lost their lives so that others could go free. Willingly they went to war. Though some were indeed drafted, even then our young men knew that it was good and right to serve the country that gave people the greatest freedom on the face of the earth. No other country has been so free and so at liberty as America.

Real Freedom is costly. Fighting for freedom is costly. Keeping the freedom we so enjoy is costly. To fail to honor the soldiers of our great land for their contribution to our freedom, our comfort, our victory is shameful.  We must find a way to restore honor, not just today but especially today, to the soldiers whose main job is to establish freedom and liberty. Christ set the standard when He appeared in the flesh and hung on the cross for all humanity to find freedom. He truly was and is the greatest Freedom Fighter who ever lived. Romans 5:7 and 8 says it best. “Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

God speaks to my heart. I AM the one who has given you the freedom to live unhindered by tyranny on the shores of this country. You walk in perfect freedom and liberty because I have given it to you. No country is so great as the one that honors Me. No one can ultimately find freedom without finding faith in Christ, who established ultimate freedom and set the standard as the Cross was raised. Those who honor Me by giving their life to Christ have eternal freedom. But this freedom will cost you something as well. Just as a soldier who is enlisted in the army of this country must abide under his commanding officers, so too do My people who have enlisted in My army must abide under My command. I do not bring you burdens that are too hard to bear. I bring you liberty and I remove burdens that the world and the flesh seek to wear you down with. Thank Me for soldiers willing to die to keep your country free and give liberty to captives in other lands. But worship Me alone – for I AM the one who called you to walk in My ways and live for My Kingdom.

Oh beloved, as you set your flag out today thank the Lord for soldiers who have lost their lives defending freedom wherever they have gone. They gave their lives willingly because they loved this land and the people of it. Thank Him too for your own freedom. He gave His live because He loves you. Thank Him for giving you purpose and power to live for the Kingdom of Righteousness. Wave the stars and stripes and ask Him to use you to establish the Kingdom on earth through the mighty power of prayer. No weapon can defend and protect like prayer. Thank Him that you can live for the Lord and pray for your country to return to its roots that were founded in Him.

God loves you and He’s for you. This is why you can honor your soldiers, honor the Lord, live for the Savior and walk in true freedom all the days of your life.

Romans 5:2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

2 Timothy 2:4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.

Ephesians 1:7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.

John 15:13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Today is a Day of Freedom

Today is a Day of Freedom (Sunday)

When we go to rallies we are usually given an armband as we pay for our registration. This armband has a pretty strong glue on it that holds. The armbands are even washable these days. When we leave the rally Danny does the honor of cutting off the bands from both of us. If we didn’t cut the bands off with a knife or scissors we’d just have to wear them. Imagine how many bands we’d have on after having gone to rallies for 30 years!

Even as believers, who are taught about our freedom in Christ, we still often have bands wrapped tightly around us. Some of those bands are given us by others: useless, unwelcome, rejected, inferior. There are times when we band ourselves with the same words. Our fiascos cause us to believe we are a failure. Disappointment comes and we slap on a depressed band. Someone crosses us and there goes the unforgiveness band. We get hurt and protection band is wrapped tightly around us. We try to loosen them ourselves but to no avail. Pretty soon we can be covered in bands, so much so that we can hardly move. We’re held captive by the wrong words and banding of others as well as ourselves. Someone has labeled us in such a way that we feel every inch of the displeasure, hopelessness, exclusion and all. We try to tell ourselves we are okay, but the truth is the bands remain. So we fill our lives with fun and frivolity, surround ourselves with people, get busy doing unimportant but distracting things and the problems, the bands, remain – they even increase. The bands have slipped from our arms to our hearts and we’re completely captive. What we thought would set us free has now caged us. The fact is what we believe, what we receive becomes our worth and our value.

God speaks to my heart: You were never meant to be bound by the words of others. You must be careful about the words you speak over yourself as well. I AM the one who provided freedom from the bands that want to hold you captive. I break every chain over you. My child, won’t you walk in the freedom I have already provided? Today is your day to walk freely. But the freedom you desire has to come in My way. I sent Christ to set you free from the law of sin and death. Without Christ you will never have real freedom. But in Christ you are free indeed. I have given My Word, God breathed over you, to take in and live out in total freedom. Your desire to be free is a beginning. But coming to Me and allowing Me to remove those bands is what completes your deliverance. My Word is a sharp and two edged sword and I alone AM able to cut those bands from you. Return to Me and see how free you can really be.

Oh beloved! Let God arise and His enemies be scattered! The enemies of God are marching to band you and cage you and keep you ignorant of God’s Truth. But I came to give you an incredible abundant life. No need to walk in the bands of fear, unforgiveness, untruth or despair. Breathe in God’s Word this morning and walk it out in faith and watch as band after band falls to your side. No yoke of bondage, no lie of the enemy, no scheme of the world can hold you down as you live in the light of God’s Truth.

God loves you and He’s for you. Today is a Day of Freedom! So grab His hand, let Him loosen the hold that has been put on you and watch as the freedom of life in Christ unfolds to set you free and for the world to see.

Isaiah 58:6 “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Psalm 119:45 And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Galatians 5:1 [ Walk by the Spirit ] It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Don't Let Yourself Get Cut Off From the Lord

As I was having my quiet time this morning I thought about cattle ranches. I’ve never worked a ranch but I’ve watched lots of movies about them. The scenes where they are cutting cattle are amazing.  The historic reminders of days gone by are amazing. Those cowboys who separated cattle from the herd required the highest level of skill and rode specially skilled "cutting" horses, trained to follow the movements of cattle, capable of stopping and turning faster than other horses. Once cattle were sorted, most cowboys were required to rope young calves and restrain them to be branded.

That’s when God spoke to my heart:  The enemy is specially trained to cut you out of the herd. He’s no amateur that you can avoid. He has, as the Word says, “a cunningly devised plan”.  He will also cut you away from the Word. He wants you separated from the fellowship of faith and He wants you separated from the Word of God.  He will then rope you up in your misery and brand you. His brands are humiliated, unbeliever, defenseless, outcast, weakling, loner.  These brands only stay permanent as long as we believe them. We cannot get ourselves loose from the enemy’s rope.

God spoke to my heart again: God is your Shepherd. Unlike the enemy who wants to cut you down, cut you off and tie you up helpless, God’s ways are loving, kind, merciful and generous. God wants to separate you from the world’s way of thinking. He wants to put you in the right herd, teach you how to live and untie you from all sins and all weaknesses. God’s desire is for you to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His Might. He wants you to know the Word thoroughly so you don’t get separated by the enemy. He has sent Jesus to round you up, give you a new life, set your feet securely and give you green pasture to live in all the days of your life.

Oh beloved, you must be certain of who is driving your life, who is in the saddle and who you are letting call the shots. God’s love will never constrain you, humiliate you, strand you or cut you out from fellowship. You can know whether it is God’s doing or the enemy trying to get to you by viewing your circumstances by God’s Word. Never resort to your own strength for stamina. Never let others bind you with endless wrangling about things that don’t matter. Your troubles may want to tie you up in knots, but Jesus sets you free. Your heartaches may want to brand you weakling, but God’s Word says that your strength will rise as you wait on Him. Your senses may say impossible, but Jesus says all things are possible.

We are not cattle, but sheep who have a Shepherd to show us the way, save us from death, guard us from the enemy, give us His plan, make our way blessed, strengthen our days and teach us how to be like Him. God loves you and He’s for you always, giving you freedom to grow in grace and knowledge of Him all the days of your life.

Isaiah 40:11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to His heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Psalm 121:8 The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.

Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Psalm 119:16 I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

What Have you Been Hearing?

“So then Faith comes by hearing…and hearing by the Word of God” Romans 10:17

My husband gets tickled at me as he watches me grab bits and pieces of conversations all around the room. Problem is I just get bits and pieces. I may hear two or three words, but then if I don’t hear the whole thing I may perceive a whole different story than was actually spoken. Later I might ask him about the $90,000 house to find out that particular conversation revolved around 90 people not $90,000!

There is much to listen to in this world. Even the weather channel no longer deals strictly with weather. You can find politics and other stories if you watch for very long. And when it comes to reporters, even those who are considered conservative will wander over into views that aren’t really that conservative. So much information, only two ears and throw in muffled talk and muted voices and you could make up your own version of most any story.

When it comes to faith, though, we don’t have to take other peoples’ word for the truth. They may be speaking the truth, but for us faith comes by hearing and that hearing should be coming straight from the Word of God. Our best quality of information gathering comes when we go straight to the Word of God for our information.  There are many “channels” of faith talk, but we must always sort through the Word of God for ourselves – straight to the source – to make sure we’ve heard things right.

What have you heard?  Maybe you heard that you are useless, castoff, done for. You may have been given a piece of information that said you don’t fit in, you don’t have the right criteria, you are less than. You may have thought you were hearing correctly when the sentence of judgment came past your ears. Those things don’t feed your faith because they don’t line up with the Word of God. Unless you go straight to the source and find out the truth for yourself, you will be destined to live in the darkness of untruth and half-truth.  Partial information hinders your walk, maims your life and keeps you fettered on the sidelines, unable to break the chains and run free.  

Oh beloved, faith comes by hearing! Hearing the Word of God! Hearing the truth about you! You are not less than, you are more than. You are not beaten down, you are an overcomer.  You can dance free from any chains that seek to bind you by others’ words because you are free in Christ! It doesn’t matter what others say, because it’s not about them. Keep your ears attuned to God’s Word and watch as your faith grows and grows. And when your faith grows your fears subside.  It doesn’t matter what the enemy says, for you don’t have to listen to a word he speaks. He is a liar and the father of all lies. Get that  - the father of, the originator of – all lies. Anything that is spoken about you or over you that doesn’t line up with the Word of God is not a word of faith. You may need to repeat the Word out loud over the lies that come your way or the half-truths that threaten to derail your faith, but lies cannot stand in the presence of Truth.

Every Word of God holds true. The more you hear the truth, the stronger your faith will be. The stronger your faith is, the better your hearing becomes. Eventually you will begin to cast out the things you hear in the background as you discern the difference. God loves you and that’s the truth, backed by the Word of God, and He’s for you – which is another truth backed by the Word, so that you can live with clear hearing and strong faith and that’s what God has for you all the days of your life.

Luke 11:28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.

Matthew 4:4 But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Psalm 119:89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

Psalm 119:38 Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You.

Psalm 138:2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

Looking for True Strength and Real Freedom?

Zoos have always held a lot of enjoyment for us.  One time we were watching small monkeys and one of them had their hand caught in the cage. It seems the little animal had wanted something that was outside the cage. After grasping the item, their paw was then a fist. That fist wouldn’t fit back through the cage. Try as he might, the arm was not budging. No amount of squealing, jumping or pulling was going to achieve a thing. Only when he let go of the object he had so wanted was he able to pull his arm back inside the cage was he able to free himself from entanglement.

Traveling through the airports now, it’s a big deal to go through the checkpoint to get on the plane. You empty your pockets and get every little thing checked. There are simply some things you cannot take on board with you. If you insist on taking things that they don’t allow, you will be barred from your flight. Fight them, argue with them, demand your rights – it all turns out the same. You will not be carrying anything on the plane they consider unfit. The only way to be free to travel is to learn how to pack.

There is a freedom God desires for you to walk in that will require you to let go of what is entangling you. It may be something you desperately want to keep or have desired for some time. It could be a person, place or thing.  You want to be free, but you keep hanging on. If you will let go you will find the freedom that is best for a child of God. He doesn’t want your stuff, but He does want your heart. And it’s amazing how much stuff and hearts are intertwined.

There are places  God wants to take you that will require you to unpack some things that you’ve carried around with you as well.  You simply cannot travel the heights with the Lord while hanging onto baggage. You’ll need to drop that unforgiveness. Lose the fear. Toss out the worry. Empty the guilt. While you’re at it, get rid of the lies: you know - the things you’ve believed about yourself that are so untrue for a child of the Most High God. 

Just as we are embarking on a New Year, you are embarking on a new day with the Lord. You may have heard His call but you’ve been living with a knotted fist and insisting on your rights to carry the junk with you everywhere you go. You think a new day would be great, but what about your stuff?

God speaks to our hearts doesn’t He?  Where you are today is not where I want to take you. I have wonderful plans for your life and for your new year. If you are willing you will walk in My freedom and your load will be light. But you’ll have to trust Me to prepare you for the trip.  Don’t look at what you are losing, look instead at what you are gaining. It’s no accident that you find yourself in a quandary between your desires and My plans.  A new year will come whether you want it or not. 2013 is quickly becoming a vapor. My plans are for now. My plans are for your good. My desires for you are better than your desires for yourself. Don’t walk away from the terminal of decision and count it too much to lose. Remember that I desire freedom for my children and that freedom is found only in relinquishing your life into My loving care. You don’t have the strength to break the bars of your own entanglements. You don’t have enough weaponry of flesh to insist to carry junk you don’t need with you. It’s not about fleshly or secular strength. It’s about becoming obedient to Me that you find true strength and real freedom.

Oh beloved, what wondrous love is this, that God won’t leave us as we are. He never quits planning our lives for His glory. Our best travel and our greatest freedom is when God is in charge of everything.  Let Him take you to the next level as you lay aside the things that want to keep you earthbound. Relinquish every entanglement and watch as you learn to enjoy freedom in Christ. Oh how He loves us! So much that He refuses to leave us as we are! A better life is ahead for you as you live in the light of His Word!

John 14:1 Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me.

Ephesians 4:21-23 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him,  throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

Matthew 6:21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

2 Corinthians 3:17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Celebrate Your Freedom in Christ Today!

Blake came to me yesterday and said, “Tomorrow is fireworks day! We get to pop firecrackers and shoot rockets!”  Indeed today is a pretty wonderful holiday. We are such a free people that we can celebrate this day any way we choose or not celebrate at all. But a day off is always good and family fun makes it even better.

The Declaration of Independence is the seal on the liberty of this great country. Nowhere have people had the freedom to live and breathe and enjoy their lives as we do in this country.  Long regarded as “the land of opportunity,” there’s no question the tiny band of religious outcasts who founded America hit upon a formula for success that went way beyond what they could have imagined. How else can you explain the fact that they established a nation that has become the best example of civil, economic and religious liberty the world has ever known?

Today as we celebrate with hot dogs, trips to the lake, fireworks, watermelon and all the family traditions this day brings, we must stop and give thanks to the One Who made us and this country what we are. Without God’s divine hand on the puritans who came here we would not have enjoyed all that we have.  True freedom is not the absence of God, but the blessings of God’s oversight, sovereignty and loving care.

Even though we live in a great country, for the believer, our citizenship is in heaven. Our liberty as well is found in Christ. Our allegiance is to God’s Word.  This is our formula for success. When we focus on the true foundation of our faith, we can celebrate not only this holiday, but everything else as well.  While the founding fathers fought for independence, we must remain totally dependent upon our God, for without that dependence we cannot hope to claim the rights of a citizen of heaven nor the blessings of a child of the Most High God.

Have you pledged your allegiance– to live in the light of His Word – so that you can see clearly no matter what life brings? Have you claimed your citizenship rights? Are you acquainted with all the responsibilities and blessings of heaven? Are you walking in the true Freedom of the One Who gave you life? People may disappoint, governments may erase freedoms, but God remains faithful to His own. Your life may have its troubles, trials and hurts, but you can rest in the promises of God and celebrate life in Christ no matter what.

Oh beloved, before the food, fellowship and fireworks, won’t you run to the Lord this morning and thank Him for His magnificent gifts? The gifts of liberty, of citizenship and of allegiance? He’s calling you to a greater freedom than you’ve ever known. He’s wooing you to remember who you belong to and where you allegiance lies. His Word is your necessary food to find strength for this day. Celebrate with the Lord this morning and let Him strengthen your heart, straighten your resolve and bless you beyond belief!

You are beloved and you are free- and you can live in the light of His Word!

Psalm 33:12 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His heritage. (Amplified)

Deuteronomy 4:7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the LORD our God is near to us whenever we call on Him?

Psalm 146:5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God.

2 Corinthians 3:17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Philippians 3:20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior.

Hebrews 13:15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name.

Have You Yielded?

Coming into town every morning, I must go through an intersection that just gives most drivers fits. The oncoming traffic from the highway to the right has a yield sign. But rarely does anyone yield to anything. Usually they are speeding through that intersection and merging even into the far lane without a notice. Their poor driving etiquette combined with lots of morning traffic darting in and out of restaurants and gas stations gives more than just me a headache I’m sure.

The yield signs which the highway departments across the nation erect are for the drivers’ safety. It’s not to make them late or curb their style. To yield literally means to surrender or submit. A yield sign calls on the driver to do the following: Slow down, defer to oncoming or intersecting traffic, stop when necessary, proceed when safe, and remain aware of oncoming vehicles.  The yield sign is there to protect you and to give you warning of possible dangerous conditions ahead. What happens to drivers who ignore the yield signs? They drive headlong into a dangerous situation. Not only do they have a greater chance of getting into an accident, others are affected as well.  The damage could be widespread.

For believers, we are given freedom to live life to the fullest. He tells us in His Word that He has given us life more abundantly. Still there are times when we must yield our wants and wishes to the Lord. He has the right of way in our lives and when our hearts are fully submitted to Him and surrendered to His will our life is safer. When we ignore His signs to yield we are letting ourselves be in the line of danger. 

Oh beloved, practice the presence of God so that you will recognize His voice when He asks you to yield. His road signs working in your life are your very best way to go. Yielding to Him produces His greatest safety and your greatest blessing. You may not know which path to take, but as you seek His face, He will speak His will into your life.  God knows you’ve been run over by others and may have been left shut out of the stream of traffic altogether, but He’s going ahead of you. As you yield your life to Him, His blessings will overtake you rather than life’s troubles. And even when you are in a hard spot, He will show you the best path to take. No matter what - if He says stop, slow down or yield – He can be trusted. For He loves you and He cares about you and He has your best interests in mind forever!

James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear [submit and consent to the divine will] and come to Me; hear, and your soul will revive; and I will make an everlasting covenant or league with you, even the sure mercy (kindness, goodwill, and compassion) promised to David. (Amplified)

Hebrews 12:9 Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded [to them] and respected [them for training us]. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the Father of spirits and so [truly] live? (Amplified)

Psalm 62:5 My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.

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.

Freedom to Live for Christ!

A new car now sits in our driveway and I can tell you it was an amazing process. Unfortunately not everything that amazed us was good stuff! We basically dealt with two dealerships. One was high pressure to the max. The other was laid back yet treated us like we were the best folks ever to walk in their door.  Guess which dealership we bought from? When it finally came down to it mere dollars separated the price. But the way we were treated made all the difference.

There was also a way to look up internet pricing in the area of the kind of vehicle we wanted. I didn’t know when I went online that we would get contacted personally, I just thought we’d see the prices.  When the 1-800 calls and the emails started rolling in I knew I had made a big mistake. I ignored the calls and responded to the emails asking to be taken off their list. I am still getting emails from the same folks I asked to be removed from.  Although we have made a decision and gone on with our car buying life, they want to keep us hooked.

In the Christian life there is the immediate blessing of being born again. As humans, we all look for significance, love and acceptance. In Christ we have that as newborn children of God! We don’t have to look back to the past, look around to the mistakes or look forward to future problems. It would be great if the enemy of our soul would just go on and leave us alone! But life is still tough at times and satan still tries to hook us back with him. Not only that, while our hearts are new and we’re born again, our flesh cries out for more self-centered things. 

Unlike high pressure salesmen, we have the Holy Spirit who, through prayer and study of God’s Word, can remove us from temptation and put us on the do not call list! We’ve been removed from the law of sin and death and we’re moving on. Don’t let one call or one message take you back to your former ways.  Move on with the new – for it is surely a new day with the Lord!

Oh beloved, you may have been signed up, chained up and fed up with your old life. But in Christ you have a new mode of transportation! The life of Christ is meant to be lived with gusto and blessings! Regardless of bad conditions, bad times or bad decisions back in the old days, your life is hid in Christ!  You don’t have to answer the phone or return the emails anymore! God says to you today, rise up and live in ME! I AM your new life, I AM your new ways and I AM your everything! I give you a new life, I give you a lifetime warranty and I give you roadside assistance all the days of your life! You are now Mine and you will never need another Savior or Comforter! I love you and I AM for you and that’s all that really matters.

1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

Isaiah 26:4 Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 3:17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Burdened with the Stuff of Life?

Something Joyce Meyer said reminded me of the movie “A Christmas Story”. The younger brother said very little, if anything, but his actions spoke volumes.  My favorite scene of him was the falling into the snow. He was unable to get up because mother had loaded him down with layers of clothes. He couldn’t move! He couldn’t even use his arms to push himself up.  Bless his heart, for his mother cared so much for him that she wanted every inch of him to stay warm in those cold blustery northern winters.

Joyce simply quoted “cast all your cares on the Lord…”  Suddenly I’m transported to the boy with all the layers. And his inability to move because he was burdened so with stuff.

Imagine the delight of this boy as he returns home and begins to unclothe all that stuff. Layer after layer is removed and surely mother is there taking each piece in her hands and helping him get shuck of it all. As each layer is taken off, he feels lighter and lighter.  Finally, he’s cast off all his load and he can breathe and move freely!

Are you burdened with the stuff of life today? Have you tried to cover and heap on yourself things to make it all better and yet it’s becoming more of a burden than a help?  Are you wearing revenge, animosity, unforgiveness, punishment, worry, fear, anxiety? Have you found that you are unable to move freely in the gifts and callings God has on your life? Maybe you thought that religious works would make you free, but it’s now got you bound and gagged.  It could be that others have overloaded you down – telling you that you are unworthy, unlovely or more. Lies are a heavy burden to carry, but we do when we believe them.

Oh beloved, cast all your cares on the Lord this morning! He will lovingly take each one and never give them back. He will help you discard that which He never meant you to wear. He will not only take your burdens, He will offer you His yoke instead, for He is always gentle and humble at heart concerning you. He loves you and He calls you beloved as He whispers His blessings into your life. Let go of those things that keep you bound and be free in Christ! It’s the only way to live free!

Isaiah 28:12 God has told his people, "Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest." But they would not listen.

Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

I Peter 5:7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, [once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. Amplified

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

The Love of God is Full of FREEDOM!

We had a young visitor at church Sunday. He’s recently been released from prison and was looking for a word of encouragement. He has a job in another state and will be living there. He wants to make sure that he never makes the same mistakes again. We prayed for him and with him.


He’s been released from prison. While there, he was released from the prison of his own life. He found the Lord there! Someone came in and shared the Gospel and he accepted Christ as his personal Savior. What sweet release. Don’t you know he’s thankful to be out in the world and be able to walk and talk and go where he wants to? Can’t you just imagine how wonderful it feels to be free as well from the prison bars of his past?

How are you dealing with things? Do you feel free? Or are you still bound to the prison of your past? Are you feeling terror that you will be made to pay for your mistakes over and over? Are you wondering how you can ever get truly free?

There is hope for the hopeless and help for the helpless! God has made a way for you and I to live in the light of His Word. To be saved from the penalty of our past. To be made free from the wrath to come. And to live a life that is pleasing to Him! You can live free in love, free in peace, free in success, free in value, free in your heart.

Oh beloved! God is your answer – He holds the keys to release you from everything you have been kept imprisoned by. From the things you’ve done to the unforgiveness pronounced on you by others. The love that God has for you is full of FREEDOM! The care God has for you is full of PEACE! For He pronounced your debts cancelled and you have a ticket to live forever in the light of His glory and grace! Run to the Lord, your Redeemer, and give Him all your troubles and cares and watch as He changes you into the free believer you were always meant to be.

John 8:32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

Romans 6:17-18 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

2 Corinthians 3:17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Psalm 119:45 I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.

It's Time to Start Walking!

Walking is one of the best “exercises” a person can do. There is even an extension program called “Walk Across Arkansas” where people can log in their miles and minutes as a team. Teamwork helps tremendously. Just the idea that you have someone by your side through the walk time makes for more fun and fellowship! Walking, any way you look at it, is beneficial to the mind the spirit and the body.

Historically walking was the main mode of transportation before the invention of buggies and the taming of horses. Later on, with the onset of automobiles, people began going places with the quickest transportation. But walking is still the most heart healthy way to go. Take a walk and see- you will find the sights and sounds that are unseen while in a car. From birds to blooms, everywhere you look you see God’s beauty and smell the wonderful aroma of the world He created for you and me!

Our lives are full of blessings – more than we can contain.  God gives us everything we need to enjoy the life we have, to endure the storms that come our way and to make it all the way to heaven. Without God and His blessings, we might make it to heaven, but this life with its hills and valleys, would be hard to endure.

Today is your day to start walking! It’s time to get up and walk in the blessings God has for you! Are you worrying about your past? God wants you to walk in His forgiveness. Are you struggling with your faith? God wants you to walk in His Truth. Are you worrying about your family members, your children, your grandchildren? God wants you to walk in His precepts, for He will answer your prayers in His time. You may feel alone, abandoned, unworthy, discarded or worse. But God says Walk tall in all that I AM for you! You may have nothing on your own, but God’s Word says that God chooses the foolish and base things of this world to confound the wise! Rejoice! You are a Faith Walker because Jesus rose again to give you faith and He loves you forever – even making intercession for you eternally in heaven with the Father!

Psalm 119:44 I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to Your commandments.

Deuteronomy 26:17 You have declared today that the Lord is your God. And you have promised to walk in His ways, and to obey His decrees, commands, and regulations, and to do everything He tells you.

Psalm 56:13 For You have rescued me from death; You have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in Your presence, O God, in Your life-giving light.

Psalm 89:15  Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of Your presence, Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight--

Free To Be Me In Christ!

It was one of those times my mother was visiting at a friend’s house. I spied a girl next door and we struck up a conversation.  She invited me over to play.  We went together to play in her garage. I found out she was a ballerina and a little older than me. I wasn’t more than 4.  The playtime turned into bullying as she insisted that I had to stand on my tiptoes like a ballerina before she would open the garage doors and let me out. I was panicky but at age 4, I didn’t even think about crying for anyone to rescue me.  The friendship turned quickly into performance and I could not perform! It was ghastly. I tried knocking at the garage door but was quickly pushed away. Finally, my mother came looking for me.  I honestly don’t remember even telling her what happened. I may have, but I do still remember the terror of being locked away and having to perform. I also remember the tremendous relief at having my mother rescue me.

Performance. Perfection. Personality. Often the walk of faith can become a contest with these three.   We get saved and then we forget. So we begin to perform.  We find that we feel better when we’re achieving, executing and implementing. Busy becomes our best friend and cohort. If we can stay busy we can feel like we’re accomplishing something. Often though it’s a hamster’s wheel we find ourselves on.

While we’re busy performing we find that we need to be perfect – at everything. Perfection is the enemy of grace.  Why? Because grace says “Accepted as Is”, while Perfection says, “Keep working on it you’ll be good enough eventually”.  Perfection’s ally is comparison.  We look around at what others are doing and hope we can measure up.

If that wasn’t enough to garner attention and find release from the need to perform, here comes personality. Our nature is to become like those we’re around to find value, worth and esteem. Although I was not a ballerina, I found that I was trying harder and harder to be like my task master so that I could be granted good enough for release from the prison of that garage.  My usual childlike personality became frantic, terrified and ashamed.

We cannot make it out of the prison we are in on our own. You and I are destined to be prisoners all the days of our lives. Unless we are rescued! Rescue will never come at the hands of Performance, Perfection or Personality. It only comes from the One Who came to rescue, redeem and renew those who could not find freedom on their own.

Oh beloved, are you fighting for freedom? Are you searching for some measure of perfection to find peace? Have you found yourself wishing you could be more like “them” so you could be accepted?  Run this morning to the One Who made you just the way you are! Run to the Arms of the One Who says Accepted! Jesus is the Only One Who can set you free so that you can be truly free! Let Him show you the keys He holds in His hands. Let Him love you all the way to Calvary and beyond. Let Him teach you from His Word that the stone at the tomb was rolled away for your complete and total freedom! He loves you, loves you, loves you and He’s on your side – saying you are His, you are perfected in Him and His plans for you are awesome! Now that’s worth a Hallelujah!

Deuteronomy 24:18 Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God redeemed you from your slavery. That is why I have given you this command.

Psalm 107:2  Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.

Luke 1:68 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.

Psalm 78:35  Then they remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their redeemer.

Isaiah 48:17  This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.

Isaiah 49:9  I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’ They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare.

God's Love For You Endures No Matter What!

There’s an old joke about the husband and wife, married many years. One morning the wife says to her husband who is busy reading the paper, “You never tell me you love me”. To which the husband replies, “I told you the day we got married.  If anything changes I’ll let you know” as he resumes reading the paper.  Obviously he was content with that. Obviously she was not.

There are some things we need to hear over and over. A statement from the heart about love is one of them. Kids thrive on it. Adults respond to it. Even pets enjoy the master saying in baby dog talk, “I wuv you!”

There are some things we need to know are true no matter what else goes on in our lives. One of the greatest things to know, to cherish in your heart, regardless of what life throws at you is that God Loves You! He says it often. He speaks it into your heart every chance He gets.

His True love is not indifferent. It is not apathetic, unresponsive or unconcerned. God’s love takes you personally. His nature is love, so that everything about you is loved. And everything about Him speaks love to you. 

I know we live in a world where apathy is rampant and forever is impossible! But God is True! And His Word shows His feelings about you! Although He is not bound by His feelings, He certainly feels incredible perfect love for you.  Love created you before you were known in your mother’s womb. Love made a way for you when Christ went to the cross. Love gives you purpose and freedom to be all that He intends for you to be! Love comes after you when you go astray. Love steps in to guard you when other things try to distract you.  Love is perfection that covers your imperfections.

Oh beloved!  Rejoice this morning as you talk with the Love of your life! He’s always on your side, always with you and always speaks in Love! Take His Love Story for you from the bookshelf this morning and read! All of His love songs were written for you! Daily He says “I love you!” and daily He yearns for your response for His love is active! His love will take you through the pain, the sorrow, the mourning and give you a fresh start every single day. Although His love is forever and it never changes, He still speaks it into your life always! The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is your Jehovah –Nissi, your Banner of Love!

Exodus 17:154 Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”).

Psalm 121:5  The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.

Isaiah 52:12  You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the LORD will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.

Psalm 69:16  Answer my prayers, O LORD, for Your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for Your mercy is so plentiful.

Psalm 136:1-3    Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.

Lamentations 3:22-23  The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.

Praise God for Fleas? He Has a Purpose for Everything

If you haven’t read the book The Hiding Place I would encourage you to do so. It’s the story of the struggles of a young woman and her family during the holocaust.  Corrie Ten Boom and her sister suffered terribly in the concentration camps where her father and sister subsequently died. Corrie alone survived to be set free. She went on to write her story and speak across the continents on, of all things, God’s love.  One of the stories in her book stands out to me. Corrie and her sister were Christians and they loved to share the Bible with others, even while in prison.  The guard would come into the barracks and regularly harass and do terrible things to the women. But the barracks that Corrie and her sister were in was full of fleas.  They were horrible! Corrie regularly complained about them.  Her sister Betsie finally had an answer as Betsie suggested they give thanks to God for the fleas. Although Corrie was astonished at this idea she soon realized her sister was right.  Because of the fleas, the guards would not come into their area. This gave them free opportunity to share Christ with the women there.  Those women, in such foul circumstances, were drawn to the Bible studies as though it was all they had, and indeed it truly was.  Through those fleas, God protected the women from abuse and harassment.  Dozens of desperate women were free to hear the comforting, hope-giving Word of God.  Through those fleas, God protected the women from much worse things and made sure they had their deepest, truest needs met.

We all have “fleas” in our lives. Those things that seem to cause such hardship, harassment and trouble.  We have the choice in our circumstances to curse God for them or to give thanks to Him in them. While hard things do happen and trials do come, we can rejoice regardless of our circumstances. It is only in giving each thing to God and seeing Him work in spite of them that we find both peace and purpose.

Oh beloved, are you tired of cursing your situation? Are you finding that you are tired and worn out from concentrating only on those “fleas”?  The Lord speaks to you this morning and He says, through His Word, “Give me thanks in all things” for I inhabit your praises. I love you son, I love you daughter and I can use each circumstance to let you highlight my glory and spread the Gospel to all.  I have a purpose for your life and it is good. If you will trust Me today I will take the “fleas” of your life and turn them into stepping stones for your ministry.  Trust Me. I have you by the hand and I will relieve you of your burdens as you thank Me!

Run to Him this morning and give thanks! He loves you and He’s for you and He wants to use you to share Himself with others and that’s all that really matters!

I Thessalonians 5:18  Amplified   Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].

Psalm 100:4  Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Ephesians 5:20  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When Danny was a termite technician he did a lot of crawling under houses.  Most houses were tightly underpinned with bricks or cinder blocks. The vents for air flow were small but big enough for a slim man to crawl through. Danny did a lot of that.  Sometimes he’d have to dig dirt away from the opening to get underneath. Once underneath there were all kinds of barriers to free movement. If a house had an addition, it could mean more digging and lots of wiggling through tight spots. A fireplace would have a huge footprint underneath that you had to maneuver around. Occasionally he’d get stuck in a tight spot and have to reverse the moves to get free.  Not only was the area tight and hard to get into, often there were snakes, scorpions, spiders and other varmints to deal with.   It was dank and dark as well, so that you had to have a flashlight to even move around.

There was no freedom underneath a house. Once under there, a termite technician had to deal with the elements while looking for evidence of more problems. It was restricting and hard to deal with. It was certainly no place for a claustrophobic person.  Restrictions abounded while in the confines of the depths of a house. 

Oh beloved, have you felt restricted lately? Do you find yourself busy dodging troubles or being in tight spots? If you’re looking for real freedom it is found in Christ! To give your life to Christ fully is to be brought into the banqueting room and given complete and unlimited access to the beautiful gifts of God, the wonderful gifts of His Spirit and to produce the fruit of His love! Aren’t we blessed? As believers we are allowed to go into the Holy of Holies! Because of the Blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus, the veil has been torn open and we have free admission to fellowship with God! No restrictions apply to the believer. We can freely enter, we can freely move in all that God has for us. Freedom is found like nowhere else on earth! Run to the Lord this morning and praise Him for all you are IN Him! Thank Him for His freedom and ask Him to show you from His Book of Love all the wondrous blessings that are yours in Him! Unlike the technician who has to find his way himself, we are given a grand tour and shown it all by the Lord Himself! His life gives us access and His Spirit goes with us! That’s how much He loves us! He saves us and He guides and directs our lives all the way to Heaven!  

Galatians 3:22  But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:18-22 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a [a]sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

1 Corinthians 1:30  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

Ephesians 5:8-9 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!  For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.