Freedom is free
As we celebrated Memorial Day this weekend I was struck by a sign outside a church I passed on my way to a cookout late Saturday afternoon. It was a small white building, typical of an older baptist style church with large front doors and a steeple that rose high above the trees. Right at the edge of street was their sign with the black plastic letters which slide in and out with a new message each week. On it it read “Freedom is not free. Thanks to those who fight for ours”.
The sign really struck me because freedom really is free. Jesus came, as is written in Isaiah, to set the captives free. Regardless of where you are living, what you have done or are doing, Jesus Christ set you free. The ironic thing is, if you look at places where you aren’t free(in the worldly sense), those places are thriving with spreading the gospel. Places like China and N. Korea have a booming underground Christianity. It’s awesome that they have come to the realization that they are indeed free, that no chain can hold them, that Jesus is their only recourse.
We are spoiled in America where we can get whatever we want, whenever we want. 5,487 U.S. soldiers have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, over 58,000 in Vietnam, over 400,000 in World War II. Each one of them died protecting our freedoms, our ability to walk down the street, to complain about cold coffee, to practice religion. It’s humbling to read those numbers and to remember the millions of soldiers who have fought and continue to fight for us, even in our selfish “me first” attitudes. To each of them I say thank you for standing up and protecting me.
I have close friends in many branches of the military, heck, I even went through the entire FBI hiring process myself, but that sign reminded me that where ever I am I am free indeed. John 15:4 says “Abide in me and I in you”. Whatever persecution you are going through, you are free in Christ Jesus. Abide in Christ and cast your burdens on Him.
Imagine the largest army you can fathom headed in your direction. Their only goal is your iminent death and you have no weapon. You sit, helpless, huddled behind a rock praying that they somehow pass over you. As the masses draw near and you know it’s only a matter of time, one man steps in front of you with the sword of God. His infinite, infalible Word on His lips, prepared to defend and die for you. He writhes in pain as He is attacked and brutalized, He is murdered at your expense. But the masses lust for blood is fulfilled. Your ransom was paid with His blood and you are set free. Free to live your life and to make choices, whether they be good or bad.
Many men and women have made that choice to die for their country and their fellow man and this weekend we celebrated their honor and commitment. You have the choice to be continually free in Jesus. Your eternal freedom is free now, because one man stood up and took your penalty. All you have to do is accept it.
Confrontation for Growth
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ~Matthew 10:34
Confrontation is always a hard pill to swallow for all the people involved. It’s always awkward and almost always involves some one calling someone else out on an issue of sin in their lives.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:4, “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?” We all have our issues but when is the time to tell that brother or sister that what they are doing needs to stop?
For anyone who knows me, they understand that there is no in between with me. I’m rough around the edges and don’t shy away from situations I feel warrant a voice. Never-the-less it feels poignant to elaborate on why I believe confrontation is a healthy part of a Christian walk.
I was playing football recently and in the course of getting down a dirty another player stomped on my toes. I felt a cleat pierce my big toe and the signal reached my head telling me it was painful. Yet I got back up and played the next play, and the next play, and the next, until the game had been finished and won.
Sometimes in the course of our Christian walk we come up against situations where a friend, a co-worker, a brother in Christ needs their toes stepped on. Jesus tells us many will hate us because of Him(Matthew 10:22). I’ve lost friends over situations which dictated correction. When our toes get stepped on we need to recognize why it happened, deal with the pain of sin, get up, and keep on fighting to win the game.
We were called to be salt in a dying world. As salt(us) stings on an open wound(sin) the long term effect is that salt also helps heal.
Guys, I can’t stress this enough. If you see something wrong, fix it. Whoever it may be could be pissed at you now but later realize the place you pulled him out of. The Lord never backed away from sin. The woman at the well, he called her on her marriages, the lame man by the pool, the tax collectors. Jesus offered gentie Biblically backed correction in order to encourage them back to a full on faith in Christ. We even see Paul in Galatians 2 chastising Peter for his hypocrisy against the customs of the time. And these are two pillars of faith having an argument, stepping on toes.
Clearly our intentions need to be right as we approach these conflicts and that comes from reading and praying daily. When you are there the words that you speak will be truth in love(Ephesians 4:15).
What ever you are approached with bring it before the Lord. Know that as you confront the situation head on, you’ve brought it to the Lord first, and that He is in control.
Frozen Fear
For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7
God’s up there right now with a great sense of humor just chuckling away. At least that’s how I feel in my life. I’m never used in the ways I envision or things I think would be best. And there’s a flaw in that last sentence…”I”.
Isn’t it true of all of us that the situations we’re placed in stretch us just a bit outside our comfort zone if we are doing what He asks? Each time making us more and more well rounded.
I struggle with this one a lot simply because I’m not a very outspoken person. If I know you and I’m comfortable with you my personality blossom’s but throughout my life I’ve been a shy, laid back personality, content in my own world.
As I’ve grown and matured and followed God’s direction in my life I’ve been far more confident in the area’s I’m most weak. And as Christians we need to do the same, just as Timothy says in his second letter. That fear you feel is not from the Lord.
This past week I’ve been challenged to open up and share and it’s been a tough transition for me. I find that, looking back, I’ve been hurt by Christians more often than non-Christians and it hurts my ability to open up.
Two specific situations arose this week that forced me to open myself and reveal pieces of myself that I sometimes would rather leave alone. And it wasn’t as if it could have been two similar situations, making the 2nd a little easier because I had already done it once. Nope, God gives me two very unique ones.
There are a lot of Catholics at my work and as I took a walk outside during lunch I felt the need to share about my church with a co-worker. It went well and then as we got inside again I froze and didn’t share with others who had asked what we had talked about.
I have lately felt a calling to speak to a particular individual. Not normally a big deal but it’s a situation where I feel I could be embarrassed and for any of us that can be a scary thought. As I sat talking to someone I saw the person standing alone. In my head I thought, naw, and kept talking. It seemed as though time slowed. Seconds became minutes and I looked up again and they were still there. I knew it was time.
And I’ll be honest. After taking those steps over there and having the conversation I do feel a bit embarrassed and confused. Did I do the right thing? Did I say the right thing? Was it actually His timing?
When a situation arises like this and your confused prayer and reading the Bible work wonders. And I’m not talking open it up and stick you finger in a page, or one quick prayer of “I hope I made the right decision”. I’m talking much prayer, much reading, much seeking.
2 Timothy came to mind, that the Lord didn’t give me a spirit of fear. If He asks me to do something the fear comes from Satan trying to prevent me from doing the will of the Lord. God gives me the power to do it and the Spirit to guide my words(John 16:13)
I’ve been praying hard about that second situation, concerned that I made the wrong decision, hoping that I made the right one. Normally I’m not so upset about these types of things but this one really stuck with me. As I went to lunch yesterday I decided to bring my Bible in to the restaurant and read and I felt an overwhelming desire for Matthew 7. As I read, Matthew 7:7-8 popped out like it was bolded and as if it started with “Dana, Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” And I guess I didn’t take it to heart as well as I should have because today my daily Bible verse was Matthew 7:7!
Talk about being smacked in the face with something. Sometimes I feel like the answers are right in front of me if I will just take a moment to stop frantically scanning around wildly and just focus on what is directly in front of me, Jesus Christ. I will continue to seek and ask, believing that I will receive.
Daniel 10:12-13 talks about an Angel sent to Daniel as an answer to his prayers to God and how that Angel was caught up with a demon for 21 days fighting to keep him from coming. If Daniel had just given up praying on day 11 or day 20 would his answer have come?
I’d encourage anyone to start a prayer journal. It’s a great way to remember all the items with which to place at God’s feet every time you pray. Pray without ceasing(1 Thessalonians 5:17) and God will hear you and answer your prayers.
