Seven Days of Freedom, Day 3: Free

Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
the LORD answered me and set me free.

Psalm 118:5

free [free] adjective

enjoying personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery
pertaining to or reserved for those who enjoy personal liberty
clear of obstructions or obstacles, as a road or corridor
enjoying political autonomy, as a people or country not under foreign rule; independent

One of my European cousins has often commented on the American’s obsession with freedom. I must admit, I love the freedoms granted by our Constitution. Why? Because freedom means choice. It means I am free to be who God created me to be.

Freedom is also a very important spiritual concept, more important than national freedom. In fact, a person cannot be completely free unless they have been set free from sin. Most Americans have not experienced the bondage of physical slavery, but we all have been in bondage to sin. But because Jesus died for us on the cross, we have been set free.

The Hebrew word for freedom used in the verse above is merchab which means a broad roomy place. or wide expanses. Merchab is derived from the root word rachab which means to grow large, to grow wide. One of the things Jesus frees us from is distresses, metsar in the Hebrew. Metsar, which means trouble, pains, or tight places, when traced to its root also means, stomach. From the previous definitions, we can infer our worries keep us small, stunt our growth, hem us in, and tie our stomach in knots.

Ironically, Jesus sets us free so we can experience true freedom by becoming … slaves of Christ. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. When Jesus sets us free, we are free indeed.

Action Points

A slave does the will of his Master. What area/s of life are you still controlling?
Because you are safe in the hands of your Master, what are you free to do?
What are the blessings of living according to the will of the Good Master?
How does being a slave of Christ bring freedom?

God Bless America.

We hope you enjoy the music below.

“free.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 28 Jun. 2015. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/firm>.

7 Days of Freedom, Day 2: Liberty

18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captive, and recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.

Luke 4:18-19

liberty [lib-er-tee] Noun

freedom from captivity, confinement, or physical restraint
freedom or right to frequent or use a place
freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control

The Greek transliterations for liberty is aphesis. In the Greek, aphesis means “release from bondage or imprisonment; forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty.” Did you notice the part in the parenthesis? God lets go our sins as if they had never been committed. Why does He allow this? Our sins have already been paid in full at the cross. According to the Dictionary.com definition, liberty means we have the “right to frequent or use a place.” Because of the cross, we have the liberty to frequent the throne of grace and boldly ask God to meet our needs.

The cry of the American patriot Patrick Henry, in the face of the American Revolution was, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” How prophetic. As Christians we have the same options: liberty or death. We choose.

Christ sets us free from sin so we have the liberty not to live for self (we already tried that once), but for Him. We have liberty to do good works, serve others, and take the Gospel of freedom to every nation on earth.

As we draw near to Independence Day, remember to thank God for not only for the liberty of our nation, but of our souls as well.

Action Points:

What is something you need to be set free from?
Who needs to hear about the liberty we have in Christ? How can you share the Gospel with this person?
Pray for nations that are closed to the Gospel. To see a list of countries in need of prayer, please click on the following link: Closed Countries

Please enjoy the music below.

God Bless America.

“liberty.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 28 Jun. 2015. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/firm>.

7 Days of Freedom, Day 1: Truth

31 “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 8:31-32

Truth [trooth] noun

1. the true or actual state of a matter

2. conformity with fact or reality; verity

3. a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like

4. the state or character of being true

5. actuality or actual existence.

The definition from Dictionary.com gives us a decent yet incomplete definition of the word truth. To learn the complete truth about truth we must turn to the source of all truth, Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. Our verse above tells us that we find the truth in the Word of God. God is the Father and creator of all truth. If science, philosophy, religions, or false religions contain a grain of truth, it is God’s truth.

As Americans we are blessed with great freedoms. The Bill of Rights and the Constitution list the many liberties of United States citizens. While in all outward appearances we look free; our souls may be in great bondage to sin. Our physical freedom was wrought by muskets and cannons, in contrast our spiritual freedom was won by the cross. Knowing the truth of our spiritual condition-we are lost, and the truth of salvation-only by the cross of Christ, we are set free from the bondage of sin and death.

Have you accepted the truth of your condition and the freedom made possible by the cross of Christ? If the answer is no, please click on the link below to learn how to accept Christ as your Savior.

The Way to God

Jesus … know Him, know truth.

Action Points

Ask God to show you areas of your life in which you are not living in His truth.
God’s Word is truth. How can you get more truth in your life?
Listen to your words today. Are you speaking God’s truth into your experiences?

Please take a moment to remember those who have gone before us.

God Bless America.

“truth.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 28 Jun. 2015. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/firm>.

The 12 Days of Easter: Day 12, Resurrection Life

Day 12: Resurrection Life

“I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” John 11:25

resurrection [rez-uh–rek-shuh n]

noun

1. the act of rising from the dead.

2. the rising of Christ after His death and burial.

3. the rising of the dead on Judgment Day.

4. the state of those risen from the dead.

5. a rising again, as from decay, disuse, etc.; revival

Abundant life … eternal life … everlasting life … are all made possible by resurrection life. Not just life, but resurrection life; the kind of life that comes after a death. Only God can make life after death. Resurrection is not an action, a thing, or behavior; it is a Person, Jesus. The Great I AM.

Because of the resurrection there is life after death, life after divorce, life after theft, life after abuse, life after addiction, and life after lying, but it only comes from Jesus Christ. He endured an ugly, horrific death to make you (and me) beautiful.

Several years ago, a coworker asked me if I would share my testimony (my story of how I became a Christian) with her. I told her I would share my story, but to be prepared, because it wasn’t pretty. God stopped me and whispered clearly in my heart, “Your story is beautiful.”

My story is beautiful because God made it beautiful. He resurrected my life and called me forth from my grave that I dug with my own two hands to live in the beauty of His grace.

Though your marriage is dead, you shall live. Though your dreams are dead, you shall live. Though your reputation is dead, you shall live. God is in the business of raising things from the dead. It is His specialty.

Resurrection life. Forged at the cross by the love and the blood of Jesus.

Death where is the sting? He is Risen! He is risen indeed!

Action Points

1. Accept. If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Savior, please do so now. Tell Him your sin and of your great need for a Savior and ask Him to come into your heart.

2. Live! Stop living in the shadow of a dead past, a dead relationship, or a dead dream. Jesus is calling you forth to new life. What step can you take today to live a resurrected life?

3. Share. Someone you know is dying to hear about Jesus. Tell them today.

Happy Easter.

Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/resurrection (accessed: March 08, 2015).

The 12 Days of Easter: Day 11, Everlasting Life

Day 11: Everlasting Life

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. Romans 6:22

everlasting [ev-er-las-ting, –lah-sting]

adjective

1. lasting forever; eternal

2. incessant; constantly recurring

3. lasting or continuing for an indefinitely long time

Antonyms

1. transitory.

Everlasting life. Ever lasting life.

When I was a much younger Christian, I was very afraid of death. It kept me awake at night, tossing, turning, and wondering about the great unknown that would one day separate me from everything I had ever known.

Life after death seemed to be death after life. Everlasting, never ending death. I did not understand this life is only a shadow of everlasting life; silhouette on black and white, a cardboard cut-out, a distant echo of a beautiful melody.

Like a baby carefully cradled in the womb of his mother; life on earth is life in the shadow-lands. Until one day … we are born (again) into a new world of light, color, possibilities, and opportunities, and placed in the arms of our Father. Forever. Forever-lasting life. Everlasting life.

Death, where is thy sting?

Point to Ponder:

Please fill in the blanks below ( I did the first two to get us started).

In Jesus I have:

everlasting joy, everlasting love, everlasting ___________, everlasting ____________

everlasting _____________, everlasting ____________, everlasting ____________

Prayer:

Dearest Heavenly Father,

We thank you for the gift of everlasting life; a life that never ends in death. We can live forever in Your Presence when we accept Jesus death on the cross as payment for our sins. One day we shall see Him as He is, and every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Please help us to remember that in Jesus, for every Good Friday, there is an Easter Sunday. One day we will rise to everlasting life, and live with You forever and ever.

In Jesus Holy Name,

Amen

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Rev. 21:4

This Easter, please accept the gift of everlasting life. Please click on the links below to learn how to enter into everlasting life.

Ever Lasting Life (article)

The Way To God (video)

everlasting. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/everlasting (accessed: March 08, 2015).

The 12 Days of Easter: Day 10, Abundant Life

Day 10:Abundant Life

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

abundant [uh–buhn-duh nt]

adjective

1. present in great quantity; more than adequate; over-sufficient

2. well supplied with something;

3. richly supplied, as with resources

Exploring the beachside at sunset, declaring “I do” to the one you love, laughing until your voice gives out – these are times when we truly feel alive. Everything in us bursts with life, and our hearts reverberate with joy.

Those moments are abundant life.

And, in the same breath, they’re not. Not entirely.

When I hear that Jesus came to give me abundant life, I imagine perpetual bliss. Perhaps you do, as well. While bliss is in the picture, it’s not the whole picture. The beautiful, sacred memories we treasure are a slice of abundant life. However, we can also experience abundant life in the midst of stress, pain, and frustration.

The truth is that abundant life isn’t defined by how good or bad life is going. Instead, it’s defined by my heart condition. How tender and open is my heart to God during the ups and downs of life?

The Easter story is the perfect illustration of this. While Jesus was preparing to be arrested and die on the cross, he pleaded with God: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). According to the Blue Letter Bible, the word “cup” is a metaphor for “One’s lot or experience, whether joyous or adverse … likened to a cup which God presents one to drink: so of prosperity and adversity.”

Abundant life is about drinking deeply of whatever cup God gives us. It’s about feeling to the fullest, all the while trusting that God will redeem our pain and enhance our joys.

Jesus didn’t turn on autopilot and cruise through life. Whether he was struggling with temptation or celebrating with his disciples, he invited God into every aspect of his day. His life was the very essence of “abundant” – rich, overflowing, and plentiful. Best yet, the abundance of His life spilled over into ours – bringing redemption, love, and grace into our dusty and dry souls.

Perhaps that’s the best part of living life abundantly – the overflow always spills into the lives of those near us.

Whether we’re having a mountaintop or a valley experience, let’s invite God in. I pray that Psalm 66:12b will be true of our lives: “We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”

points to ponder

How engaged are you in life currently?

What cup is God asking you to drink today?

What’s one way you can invite God into your joys or trials?

prayer

Jesus, thank you for your example of how to live abundantly. Help me to live constantly surrendered to you. When life is difficult and painful, let my trust in you endure. Redeem the hardship for your Kingdom. When life is beautiful, celebrate with me. Let me feel your love poignantly.

I pray you’ll fill my surrendered life with abundance. And I pray that the abundance will spill over into other’s lives and bless them.

Amen.

Thanks to our guest writer, Amber Miller, for writing today’s post! Amber is Jane’s daughter and Mary’s niece. Here’s how she describes herself: Board game fanatic, coffee enthusiast, and proponent of loud laughing. I Live in St. Louis with my incredible husband, trying to further God’s Kingdom one small step at a time. You can read Amber’s blog at LiveandLaughLoud.com.