The Symbol of Freedom

Isaiah 40:31

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”.

I have been reading this book, The Steward Leader: Transforming People, Organizations, and Communities by R. Scott Rodin, for a class I'm taking, Leadership and Ethics. It is speaking the truth of God's concern more with our inner transformation than our outward behavior changes. God is more concerned with "who" you are than what you are doing. Yes, He is concerned with what you are doing, but He is looking at the heart.

In his book, Rodin says "On the cover of this book is a picture of a soaring bald eagle. It was chosen because it is a symbol of freedom. Many times I have sat at my desk in Spokane buried with work and sensing the stress level increase, only to look out and see two bald eagles soaring high above the Little Spokane River near our home. As I watched them I envied their sense of freedom. Even though they relied daily on the provision of food from the earth, they never looked hurried. They spread their magnificent wings to catch the thermals of the warm afternoon and seemed to soar higher and higher just for the fun of doing it. They are perfectly equipped for their role in the ecosystem. To me they have both a majestic and a humble presence in the skies. As I think about the steward leader, I am led to the image of this great bird that is both free to soar and also created for a distinct purpose within God's wonderful creation. Free and purposeful. Humble and majestic. What a beautiful symbol...A combination of freedome and joyful obedience is the defining mark of the steward leader. Steward leaders are neither born nor made; they are freed for this work."

He has come to set us free to be changed from the inside out. Then we will be free to be obedient with joy. I can trust to follow the Lord because He knows His plans for me, what's best for me, and what will bring joy to my life. I can let go of the weight of trying to figure it out, work it out, or do to be accepted. Thank God for His truths will set you free. Reading this book today is reminding me of God's truth and setting me free!! We are called to be godly stewards who may be called to lead.

If we wait on the Lord, allow Him to lead and guide us, we will be strengthened. We will be able to mount above our problems, circumstances, and issues that we face. We can run and not get weary; walk and not faint. I don't know about you but there have been times in this life that I have grown weary. I have been walking through this life and wanted to faint, if not fainted. I need God, the one that has all knowledge, wisdom, and in control to help me. As I surrender to and obey His will, I am set free to serve Him with joy. "36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)  What freedom!

Be blessed.

DO NOT USE YOUR FREEDOM WRONGLY

 

Galatians 5:1, 13-16

"So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law...13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[c] 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

Paul lets us know that Jesus died so that we could be made free, free from the list of laws and regulations.  Not just to do whatever they wanted to do. They were discussing whether circumcision was still necessary to be a believer.  Circumcision profited them nothing after Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.  To be circumcised would require them to keep the whole law.  Jesus died so that we could be free from the law and accept grace.  

Freedom means quality or state of being free; absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action; the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Jesus came so that we can have the freedom of following Him and to live free from the weight of sin and the slavery to sin.  As we accept Him and follow Him, the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us.  We are to live holy and acceptable to Him but we are not under the law.  We are living with grace.  We have freedom to serve the Lord, not freedom to sin. Sin makes you a slave to Satan. 

We have liberty but Paul admonishes us not to use that liberty unwisely or an opportunity to the flesh.  He tells them that they are to love one another.  We do not want to think that we are made free to sin because that is not true.  We want to bring God glory by loving and serving one another.

We are to love one another as ourselves. In order to do that you have to have Jesus as your Savior, accept His love for you, and love yourself.  You cannot give love to others if you do not love yourself.  That does not mean to have an inflated opinion of yourself or be selfish.  It is a healthy love for yourself.  Caring for and taking care of yourself, then you can love others.    You can't give what you don't have. 

We must ask God to help us love Him, love ourselves, and love others.  If not, we won't be able to accomplish this commandment.  The Holy Spirit will help you with all of these things.  Without the help of the Lord, we will become bitter and critical of each other.  We will "bite and devour one another" as the Bible says.  We will talk about each other, be critical, not helpful, and not see the good in our sisters and brothers.  Paul tells us not to do these things because this is Jesus' command to us.  We are to love one another.  Bickering and talking about each other is not love. Causing confusion and division is not love.  Backbiting and lying on others is not love.  Let's not just say we love each other, but really love each other with actions.  

When problems arise, address them in love instead of gossiping.  When you feel critical, make a list of positive attributes of the individual.  Make a conscious effort to Philippian 4:8 your thoughts, "8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."  Stop those thoughts and bring them captive to what Jesus has commanded us to do, love one another. 

Don't use your freedom to sin or to cause havoc in the Kingdom of God.  You have been made free to live for free from sin and to love one another.  Be blessed.  

 The Truth Shall Make You Free!

 

John 8: 31-36

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.” 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.

How important is it to you to know the truth?  So often today people can justify telling you anything but the truth.  They call lies all kinds of names to soften the fact that they are not being honest or telling the truth.  If you tell the truth, you do not have to worry about being able to recount your story.  It will always be the truth and you will not have to create more lies to cover up anything.  

Jesus is talking to Jews that believed in Him.  He is saying that if they abide (to remain stable or fixed in a state) in His Word, then they were indeed His disciples (followers, students).  They would know the truth and it would make them free.  Jesus is the truth that sets them (and us) free.  If we abide in His Word, we too will be His disciples, come to know Him, and be made free.  

Jesus is the source of truth and the perfect standard of what is right.  He alone can make us free from sin, the slavery to sin, and give us eternal life.  He doesn't make us free to go our own way but to follow Him and become all that He has created us to be.  

It is like making a cake.  We get all the ingredients and we put them together to make a cake.  Once the cake is made, we cannot get the individual ingredients back apart.  When we abide in His Word, we get to know Him and His truth and we cannot take that away.  What we do with the truth is up to us but He gives us truth to set us free from the lies that the enemy has sold us.  The lies about who and whose we are, what we can have, how much He loves us, what rights we have in Christ Jesus, that we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord, etc.  All of the truth of God makes us free from the bondage of sin and the lies of the devil.  

Our chains can be broken because sin will enslave you.  It will control you, dominate you, cause you to fear, dictate your actions, close your eyes to the truth, and cause you to live beneath the privileges that Jesus died to give you.  It keeps you from becoming the person God created you to be.  Jesus came to break the chains of sin off of your life. 

My brothers and sisters, Jesus is the truth and as you come to know Him, you will be set free!! This month of August is the month of freedom!  Be blessed. 

 May the Lord of Peace Himself Give You Peace

2 Thess. 3: 14-16

14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Paul is talking to the people in the Thessalonian church. He was warning them against being idle.  The Life Application Bible says that "Some people in the Thessalonian church were falsely teaching that because Christ would return any day, people should set aside their responsibilities, quit work, do no future planning, and just wait for the Lord.  But their lack of activity only led them into sin. They became a burden to the church which was supporting them, they wasted time that could have been used for helping other, and became "busybodies". (3:11)" The people decided that it was more spiritual to stop working and wait on the Lord.

Paul admonishes them to be responsible and get back to work. They needed to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ but they also need to live a life of faith in Jesus and daily practice that would please the Lord. Being a burden to the church was not the way they should live.  He reminded them that when he was with them, he commanded, "If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat." (I Thess. 3:10) Paul worked day and night so that he would not be a burden to the church.  

He wanted the church to not keep company with those that didn't work.  Why? Because not working gives one so much idle time, which could lead to sin.  The Bible say in Proverbs 16:27, "27 Idle hands are the devil’s workshop; idle lips are his mouthpiece."  Paul cautions the church from being used by the enemy in rumors, hearsay, and gossip.  He also counsels them not to support those that are idle and not working.  Not those who could not work, but those that were choosing not to work. He doesn't want them to treat them as an enemy, but as a brother. They needed to use tough love. 

He closes his letter asking the Lord of peace, Himself, to give them peace.  He wanted the Lord to give them peace in every way.  Not only in their lives but in how they walked together.  I don't know about you but I want peace in every way.  Peace in my home, my mind, my career, family, ministry, and every way. Not the worldly peace because they can take that back. I want the peace that according to Philippians 4,"and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  

So let us not be idle, work while it is day.  Be responsible and live according to God's Word and will for your life.  I pray for you that as you do so that "the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

 Amen.