THE ONLY TRUE FREEDOM…

John 8:31-36 – “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.”

33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”  NKJV

You can be in chains and not be a slave or be without bonds and be enslaved.  Chains do not determine Freedom; the heart and mind do!  Unfortunately, nothing we do will eradicate human bondage, and men will enslave other men against their wills in the natural.  I can only imagine the physical, mental, and even spiritual torture that being captive brings.  My heart breaks for anyone who has endured that condition, either as a prisoner of war, a human slave against their will, a hostage, or anything similar.   

I know two men who though captives were never enslaved in their hearts and minds.  One was a Japanese prisoner during WWII who escaped. The other was held in Hanoi by the Vietnamese and endured years of horrific torture and abuse.  Both professed that their faith in God and belief in the Word of God kept them Free though in chains.  They were and are examples of True Freedom!

True Freedom is only through Jesus’s shed blood and God’s Grace.  If we receive the forgiveness of sin and are born again, we experience True Freedom.  A thusly free person can be imprisoned, chained, and otherwise enslaved physically, but they will NEVER be a Slave in their heart or mind because the Son has set them free!

Today, we celebrate our Independence in America, yet multiplied thousands are still enslaved in some form.  Enslavement of the mind is worse than being enslaved in the flesh because if a person’s mind is captive, the attitude and actions will reflect that condition. 

Breaking free and living life to the full is virtually impossible because the mind is in chains to wrong thinking, victimization, and false premises.  But if we receive the Freedom that Jesus came and brought, we can not be enslaved.  Remember, if God is for us, who can be against us? As a friend always says, what difference does it make who is against us if God is for us?

God bless you, and BE FREE in Jesus. 

John 8:31-33, 34-37 – “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.  35 ” The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.  36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”  NASB

On July 3^rd, the day before we in America, celebrate Independence Day, reflect on Liberty and its meaning.  We are cognizant of oppression and express gratitude to all who served and sacrificed to bring or preserve Freedom and Liberty. 

It is a day of reflection, introspection, honor, thanksgiving, and remembering, or it should be.  It is both a joyous and solemn day.  It is a time for festivities and deep personal and national introspection.  It is a time to thank God for our freedom naturally and focus on real freedom.

Here in this passage, our Lord identifies True Freedom.  It comes from and can only come from God.  It has nothing to do with whether you live under oppression or are in chains. It has to do with the heart, the mind, the soul, and the spirit.  Jesus said “IF,” and that is an undeniable qualifier.  “IF you continue in My word, THEN you are disciples of Mine; AND you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

The IF, THEN, and AND of the Gospels.  So many times, we encounter truth in Scripture and fail to read it all and apply it rightly to our lives.  Commitment is involved with a continuation on the path of righteousness, and as a result, we are recognized as Disciples of Jesus. As a result, we taste and experience True Freedom!  Without Him, there is no real Freedom because if we are living in sin, we are the slaves of sin and outside the family of God.

Jesus identified that “if the Son makes you free, you will be FREE INDEED.”  The words “Free at Last” could be rightly applied to this passage and the condition of our hearts once we have accepted the Gift of Salvation from our Lord Jesus Christ through our repentance.  The Cross is a most beautiful picture of Freedom because it was there that Jesus paid the price for our Freedom.  There, He bought us back from the devil’s dominion and opened the door for us to be transferred into the Kingdom of God – FREE AT LAST!

I hope that you know Real Freedom today, and as you go through this day, you go through it with a consciousness of the Liberty and Freedom that only comes through Jesus Christ. 

Blessings abundantly as you celebrate our Freedom today!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” NASB

In Paul’s teaching his son in the faith, Timothy, he gives us a most eloquent and powerful explanation and revelation regarding the value and power of God’s Word.  These two short verses have a treasury of knowledge stored up.  In this passage, there is a virtual “gold mine” wherein we can extract powerful life truths that better enable us to walk this Christian walk on planet Earth.

He begins by asserting that ALL Scripture is Inspired by God.  Although it was written by men, it was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that it was penned.  It has life and power that can penetrate even the hardest heart and gives guidance for life like no other piece of writing found among men. 

He declares that this inspired scripture is profitable and then lists some of the many things for which it is to be used:

• Teaching.
• Reproof.
• Correction.
• Training in Righteousness.

He revealed that the end of this is that the man or woman of God may be “adequate” or, as the KJV says, “perfect.”  The Greek is “artios,” which signifies an integer or whole number in mathematics to which nothing needs to be added to make it complete. 

The idea is completion, which he clearly identifies in saying, “equipped for every good work.”  The Inspired Word of God teaches, reproves, corrects, and trains us so that we are complete and capable of doing that which God assigns us in this life.  It is quick and powerful and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  It is a light to our pathway and a lamp to our feet, as Psalm 119:105 reveals.

If we do not spend time in the Word of God, we rob ourselves of light, equipment, training, correction, and guidance that would enable us to walk more complete in Him and make this journey much more profitable and palatable.  Do not rob yourself of one of the most valuable resources you have in life – God’s Inspired Word!

Therefore, as you begin your day today, why not take a few minutes of your time and drink the nectar of spiritual truth available in the fountain of God’s Inspired Word?  

May God be with you as you go through your day!

Genesis 37:27-28 – “Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.  28 Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus, they brought Joseph into Egypt.”  NASB

The story of Joseph is one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible for me.  It is an account of a young man who had heard the story of his great-grandfather Abraham from his father and grandfather from the time he could remember.  He was educated, and the truth of the Abrahamic Covenant had been planted in his heart daily.  It took root and produced the fruit of righteousness and faith, as evidenced by what transpired in his life.

In Genesis 37, we find his brothers selling him to the Ishmaelites, who sold him to Potiphar, an Egyptian officer, the captain of the bodyguard of Pharaoh.  But in Psalm 105:18-19 we find these words regarding Joseph – “They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons; 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him.” NASB 

If you trace the route likely taken by the caravan, it would have passed within eyesight of Jacob’s camp.  Joseph had been trussed up like an animal, placed in a cage, and hung on the side of a camel.  It was more than just being chained. It affected him to his inner person, and had he not handled it, in God, he would have died a bitter old man in Egypt, but he did not.

His troubles did not end in Potiphar’s house.  There he was falsely accused of attempted rape.  I believe that it is likely that Potiphar believed Joseph was innocent.  Why?  Because Egyptian law required the offender to be killed, but instead of killing Joseph, he imprisoned him.  Potiphar had to save face and do something, but he did not exercise the demand of the law, which tells me that he believed Joseph. 

Joseph was promoted in prison because of God’s hand upon him; had he been a bitter man, this would never have happened.  Each trial only made him better rather than bitter. 

God tested him, and when the right time came, he was promoted to 2^nd in the most powerful nation of the existing world of his day.  God worked all things together for his good.  None of them were good in themselves individually, but when they worked together, they produced a mighty, godly, powerful leader that would preserve the seed nation of the Messiah.

In life, things either make us “bitter or better,” and the choice is ours.  We can elect to become bitter and angry, filled with resentment and seek revenge or allow the desire and drive to retaliate to rise, or we can become “better” and “godly.”  God is there for us but allows us to make the choice.  Everything in life is an opportunity to either become embittered or rise to new heights in God and become more Christ-like.  It is our choice!

May God help you become better, not bitter, in life!  Blessings as you go through your day!

Galatians 6:9-10 – “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”  NKJV

We have known people who seem always to be doing good things for others.  It was or is their heart; no matter the recognition or reward, they did it.  We also know those who do good things if the recognition or reward is there.  They continue their efforts and actions as long as the accolades roll in.  I have known parents, spouses, and even workers and bosses express their weariness at doing good things for others only to have it go unappreciated. Frequently I have seen them cease their actions, and some even fall into bitterness over it.

If what you are doing is based on the immediate gratification of recognition, then you are doing it for the wrong reason.  If you do what you do “in the name of the Lord” and “for the Lord,” then your reward is beyond this life as well as in this life.

Paul encourages us not to give up and grow weary in our efforts to do good things.  He assures us what we should all have settled deep in our hearts – GOD SEES ALL!  Just like farming, there is a time of preparing the soil, a time of planting the seed, a time of germination of the seed, a time of growing, and then finally, a time of harvest.  We reap What we sow, we reap Later than we sow, and we reap More than we sow. 

When we are doing good things for anyone, God sees it!  According to Paul, this is especially noted when we are doing good things for those of the household of faith. 

Let me give you a Roy reason for this: “Those of the household of faith are already in the fight and are either sowers of the Gospel or potential sowers of the Gospel.  They are laborers in God’s harvest, and when we do good things for them and help them continue their efforts, we are furthering the cause of the Kingdom in a very tangible way.“

No matter if anyone recognizes your efforts or even expresses appreciation for what you do – Do Not Lose Heart!  God will never forget what you do or have done, and even if it is in Heaven, He will honor your labors, especially if they are labors of love out of a pure heart for the right reasons.

As you go through this day and this year, look for opportunities to bless others, especially those of the Household of Faith!  

May God be with you, guide you, guard you, protect you, and richly bless you in all things and at all times!

John 4:23-24 – “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.  24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  NASB

I love reading about Jesus’s encounters with people, especially those with a stereotypical attitude about Him or anything.  He had a way of cutting through the layers of man-made limitations, getting to the heart of the matter, and bringing light and life to the situation.

Here He encountered a woman from Samaria who had a skewed view of the Jews.  Jesus went outside the norm in speaking to her.  In doing so, He completely dismantled all her preconceptions and brought her face-to-face with the Light of Life in the Son of God. 

He addressed “false worship,” which is still prevalent today in many people and many religious circles.  He tore down the man-made rules and regulations and ideas of what “worship is” and “how it is performed.”  He came to the ultimate truth we need: True Worship is “In Spirit and Truth.”  

It is not in some religious catechism, methodology, or list.  It allows the heart to fully and completely respond to God.  The only possible way to worship God, who is a Spirit, is by the Spirit!  It is a heart function!

When the heart connects with God, there is transformation.  We may connect with just the mind and have a different attitude.  However, our hearts may not be changed, and there may be no transformation in our inner beings, nature, or character. 

However, when the heart connects, we become New Creations and are translated from Darkness into His Marvelous Light and Love.  We become New People because there is a change in us from the innermost part of our being to the outworking of our daily lives.  The change does not come in actions first but the heart.  Out of the heart flows life and changes in actions and attitude.

If you are struggling to be at peace with God and live the Christian life, stop trying to “turn over a new leaf” or “transform yourself” Instead, allow your heart to reach out to His love, and the change will be done IN You, not By You!

May God be with you as you go through your day!

John 6:33-35 – “For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”  34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” NASB

Jesus addressed the crowd and informed them that he was fully aware that they were following Him based on the Miracle of the Loaves and Fish.  He used that moment as a classic teaching opportunity to bring them to the ultimate spiritual truth regarding who He was.  He went back in their history to the “manna” from heaven in the wilderness and the miracle He performed in their midst and advised them that the bread from heaven did not come from Moses or any man but from The Father.

That bread brings life, not just momentary sustenance and satisfaction.  It gives Eternal Life, and the crowd was so moved that they cried out for Him to give them that bread, and Jesus stepped forward saying: “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE.”  He brought them to a moment when they had to decide who He was and what He had to offer.  It was like when He asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter’s immortal response is the only acceptable: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

We live in challenging times materially, socially, emotionally, politically, and even spiritually, but our concerns and even fears about what we will eat, wear, drive, or where we will live pale in comparison to the ultimate question(s):

• What Will You Do with Jesus? 
• Will you receive Him as the Lord and Savior of your life, or will you list Him in the category of a prophet, a good man, or some figure from history? 
• It is an old cliché but true – – Jesus is either Lord of all or He is not Lord at all! 

TodayI encourage you to come to Him and receive the Bread of Life, never hunger spiritually, believe in Him, and never thirst.  You will find complete and total satisfaction in your heart of hearts when you receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.  Make that day of acceptance today!

May God be with you as you go through this day!

Matthew 24:35 –“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”  NKJV

There is not much certainty in this world in which we live.  We do not know what a day holds or what the morrow will bring.  We have only the ability to look through a glass darkly and can only see the beginning from the end.  We know in hindsight but do not have the absolute foresight to know the certainties of the future or even the uncertainties.  We are limited creatures living in a temporal world that is passing away. 

From the moment we are born, we begin the process of dying.  Everything between the cradle and the grave is a veiled mystery for the most part.  People change, circumstances change, conditions change, and we are left wondering what happened as often as we walk in the certainty of how something will turn out.

Yet amid all the uncertainty, we have a statement from our Lord here in Matthew 24: Rock Solid and Absolute!  Jesus declared that the one absolute certainty is that His Words Will Never Fail!  If He has declared it, you can take it to the bank, set your watch by it, and stake your life on it – – It is Absolute!  I know that some would argue against that but argue as you may, I believe it to be the Absolute Truth! 

I have in my heart promises that I know God has made to me in times of prayer and meditation upon Him and His Word and I know that He will move Heaven and Earth if necessary to bring them about. 

• He gave me some promises when my children were born that looked for the longest as though they would not be realities but today, they are. 
• When I was diagnosed with parathyroid cancer, the Holy Spirit whispered to my inner man that God was not through with me yet and that I would recover fully and completely, and I have. 
• The medical doctor who did the surgery acknowledged that what took place was not his doing but came from a source higher than he.  His words were, “God did this.”

I do not know what is going to happen to this nation.  I do not know what is going to happen the rest of today or the rest of my life.  I do not know what is going to take place in the next ten minutes, but I know that God is still on the throne and still in control, and will Whatever He Declares and Has Declared is Absolute!   I trust His Word wholly and implicitly.

Therefore, as you face life’s uncertainties, face them with the certainty that God’s Word is Absolutely Dependable! 

May God be with you as you go through your day!