Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”

We sing this but what do we believe about these words? If pressed we would often find that we think the Holy Spirit will come into our general vicinity and magically take away our problems. But God’s presence and power are not lucky charms or magical talismans to get us out of trouble. His grace and mercy convict us of our sin and selfish desires and forgive us – Frees us from the chains of our past and the things done by us or against us. His power recreates us and opens a door to walk in the freedom He has provided.

But Freedom is not a “once for all” or “one size fits all” deal. Everywhere you look and find freedom you find people in a continuing battle to keep that freedom. Freedom is always a hard won thing – our spiritual freedom comes at a great price both to God and to ourselves. We don’t get free or accept freedom without some soul-searching pain. It’s painful to admit we are wrong, have sinned, have selfishly clung to our pain and victimhood; it’s painful to change, to grow, to receive power to get beyond our past and to leave that past behind; it’s painful to realize and overcome our patterns of thought, life and speech and become Christish instead of Selfish.

Freedom is worth the battle

Every war entered by man was due to the desire to overcome something. Every war won causes the victors to begin a new journey of freedom – and to enter a state of constant vigilance. Freedom is fought and won on the battlefield of life – in the mind, will and emotions of each person. Then comes the ongoing fight to stay free. To guard the mind and will against going back to the habits or fondly remembering the ways of the past. To think God honoring thoughts and act in God honoring ways. To honor the sacrifice God made to provide our freedom and live a life of honor. If Abraham Lincoln had ended the Civil War by telling everyone to go ahead and go back to the way they lived before the war, he would have made the entire fight to end slavery and change the collective understanding of the culture of America to be a useless waste of life. The battle won for freedom in America is still being fought here, in the hearts and minds of the people, in the changes to culture and the changes still needed to see all that was won in 1865 come to true fruition.

It is foolish to think we can gain freedom because the Spirit of the Lord is here BUT not have to fight to make the changes that will keep us walking in that freedom. The battle is on, you are in it if you want to be or not, your enemy doesn’t take a break just because you are tired or want some breathing room. God provides the power that will always allow you to overcome and be victorious. YOU must provide the will to choose rightly and follow in obedience His ways so that you walk in victory and don’t go back to “Egypt” and wallow in defeat or live in “survival mode” in slavery again to your habits or choices of action or thought.

GET ON WITH THE VICTORY LIFE PROVIDED BY JESUS! Don’t allow any thought of going back to “Egypt” to be entertained in your mind (Exodus). You have been empowered to be free – get on with it.

Rope – Fire – Love – Which Burns You More? 1 Pet 4: Judges 15

9/26/11  “Our society is filled with runaways, dropouts, and quitters. The epidemic of walking away has hit our land with effects as devastating as the bubonic plague, and it has destroyed millions of effective lives and relationships. We are so self-centered that we have ceased to lay down our lives for others. We have seen others faint or walk away and we have followed in their weakness. We have fainted when we could have persevered by exchanging our strength for His! With His strength, not only could we have kept on walking, we could have run!”  Kay Arthur   .

1 Pet 4:8-11 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

It’s a shame that so many who call themselves Christian and even go to church regularly spend so little time with God’s Word. He has given us so much to ponder and learn in His word, so much truth that we barely touch and seldom practice. There are many people who have left a church or even turned away from God simply because they were involved with people who were Christians in name only but had no idea how to live the life of Christ among those around them. Too many of us don’t understand fervent love for another or how to cover someone’s sins with love and grace. Too many Christians feel that the hospitality ministry of a church should be done by the pastor and his wife or the handful of people who are extroverts and “good at that sort of thing”. We don’t put others ahead of ourselves because we are more worried that no one will care for us, so we care for ourselves and ignore or cause pain to those who are seeking God’s love and care.

No more ME ME ME

Our love, hospitality, serving, stewarding of our money and talents, speech – all of these are to be done to God’s glory and in accord with His Words to us. It is all about Him, not all about me. In Christ there is no “Me” generation, only a “Him” generation. What do those who are part of a “Him” generation look like? They think of what other people need before themselves. They consider whether the actions they are about to take will reflect well or poorly on the name of Christ. They serve and speak and share in accord with what they know God is saying and asking. They have become aware of Jesus and His power and glory and are willing to live under His care, guidance and dominion for life. We need a generation like this. We need to be a “Him” generation to our nations.

Read 1 Peter 4 click on http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20pet%204&version=NASB

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Judges 15:12-14 They said to him, “We have come down to bind you so that we may give you into the hands of the Philistines.” And Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not kill me.” So they said tohim, “No, but we will bind you fast and give you into their hands; yet surely we will not kill you.” Then they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock. When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were as flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands.

As we go through life we have many opportunities to end up in bondage. Most of these are due to our own sin and foolish choices. Sometimes it is due to Satan trying to keep us from fulfilling our destiny. Whatever the reason, we can end up bound and thrown into the hands of our enemy. All too often we don’t even put up a fight. We ask, “Will it kill me?” as if that is the most important aspect of the attack we are under. God is more concerned with whether we are willing to fight through to victory than with whether we in a situation that will cause our death. We will all die at some point and we all must choose to trust God for eternal life or not. Those who decide to simply “not choose” are making their choice for hell simply by their lack of acting for good and receiving the forgiveness and power of God.

The thing to remember is the victory that is inherent in those who believe. Whether your bondage is due to your own sin or the sin of others, those chains will be broken and those bonds be burnt away when the power of God is released in your behalf. Samson experienced the power of God whenever he was in need of it simply because he was the one God had chosen to be the overcomer for Israel. Have you been chosen to be an overcomer? Has God set you apart to lead a wave of victory for all who are looking to you as their example? If so then you need to walk in that victory and expect that His power will work mightily for you. That power will burn away all that has bound you to sin. That power will bring freedom to you and to those who will learn and follow you to the throne of God. That power will cause you to rise up in righteousness to throw off entanglements and take up the sword and blessings of the Spirit. And you will walk in your destiny, clearing the roads of life so that others will know that it is possible to walk on an increasingly clear path. When we walk with Jesus and ask Him to show us which rocks need to be rolled away in order to allow others to walk behind us with more ease and comfort, He will guide us and reveal His power to us. Take time to ask, take time to choose freedom and let God burn the darkness of bondage away.

Read Judges 15 click on http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges+15&version=NIV