"When Do You Want to Be Free?"
Exodus 8:1-9:35
Matthew 19:13-30
Psalm 24:1-10
Proverbs 6:1-5
The fear of the unknown can be paralyzing. I've read that individuals will choose to remain in a miserable state rather than risk the unknown of change. This happens with believers as well. Often God's people are in bondage because they don't realize they don't have to be. Jesus has paid the price, and we can BE FREE!
I've always been perplexed by the hardness of Pharoah's heart. Plague after plague, he would refuse to follow through on a promise to let God's people go. There is one particular instance doesn't make any sense at all.
It's the plague of frogs. Frogs are EVERYWHERE, in the kitchen in the beds, in the food... (on a side note, a friend of mine commented about the magicians who also brought frogs out of the river: "What were they thinking by adding more frogs!?) :)
"Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, 'Plead with God to take the frogs away, and I will let the people go and sacrifice to him.'" Ex. 8:8
It's the next part that I find interesting. Moses asks him when he wants the frogs to go. Pharoah's answer: "Do it tomorrow."
To me that sounds just stupid. Why in the world would he want another minute of this pestilence? Why not say, "right now!!"
Sometimes this is like it is with someone who delays getting right with God. The Spirit draws us to him, and shines his light on sin, and we know we need to lay it down. So often, though, we delay the surrender. More often than not, the problem is we like the sin too much. There can be a false sense of comfort in the bondage of sins grip. When do you want to be free? Tomorrow? Why not today?
Jesus brought me out of Egypt. Now it's my job to get Egypt out of me. I need to be free today. Anything that could hold me back from his presence must be immediately surrendered to him. My passion and fear of the Lord must be of the intensity to allow no delay. We need to "seize the potential of the present."
Be Free TODAY!
rribbit!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Showing posts with label Bondage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bondage. Show all posts
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Monday, November 28, 2011
11.28.11 "Prison Break"
"Prison Break"
Daniel 5:1-31
2 Peter 2:1-22
Psalm 119:113-131
Proverbs 28:19-20
How do you feel about being a Christian? Do you feel free or confined? I'm not talking about the Sunday School answer. That answer says, "I'm free!" We sing about it. It may surprise some and not others that there are Christians who find the Christian walk "confining". They feel it's a walk of "don't do this, don't do this, don't do this..." I can see how that doesn't feel very "free". But I picture a fence keeping one from falling down a dangerous cliff. I see some leaning against the fence saying, "Boy, this is confining!" We need to look at this in a different light.
This chapter of 2 Peter is dealing with false teachers. Verses 1-2 say "...there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin. And because of them Christ and his way will be scoffed at."
I'm thankful that I've never heard any teaching like this, and you probably aren't under the leadership of anyone who would teach like this. But even though there may not be blatant teaching about this type of thing, we are continually exposed to similar philosophy, and these beliefs are on the rise.
Verse 19 says, "'You aren't saved by being good,' they say, 'so you might as well be bad. Do what you like, be free.'"
The world around us touts "freedom". Casting off all restraints. "Do what feels good." "You deserve it."
But the truth is found in the last half of verse 19. "But these very teachers who offer this 'freedom' from the law are themselves slaves to sin and destruction. For a man is a slave to whatever controls him."
Yeah, we know this stuff, but sometimes we grow numb to it. There is a pull toward sin and worldliness. Talking about the evil teachers verse 18 says, "They proudly boast about their sins and conquests, and, using lust as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living."
You may be at work reading this. Where you work it may be a monday morning ritual for everyone to talk about the "conquests" of their weekend. How much they drank, etc. Unfortunately, there are believers who get lured back into their old life of "freedom". The truth is that is not free. It's bondage.
It's like a prisoner being released. They're handed their new clothes, then the big gate opens and they walk out. There is a world of freedom out there, but after taking a few steps, they begin to look back and walk along the fence line. The thoughts are, "boy I had some good friends in there...", "Look how much fun they're having playing basketball..." Can you picture someone knocking on the front gate. "excuse me! hello? Can you let me back in?? I want to be free to do the stuff I did in there!"
Sounds ludicrous right? Well... Duh! that's what the reality of the sinful life is. I don't care how much you may have loved your lunch on metal trays, it's still prison.
A good friend did a practicum in a halfway house. He said, "Guys would enter the halfway house, wait until they were a day from being released, then they'd run in the middle of the night and end up right back in jail. Or you'd hear about them not showing up at their new job the day after they got out, then getting arrested a day later. They were so used to life in prison that they freaked out or completely froze when confronted with the reality of freedom again. I encountered one guy who cried because he wanted to just stay in the halfway house."
God has given us a great "jail break" in Christ. Why in the world would we want to go back. It takes a discipline of the mind to not be tempted in those areas. Peter gets a little more picturesque in his description in verse 22: "There is an old saying that 'A dog comes back to what he has vomited, and a pig is washed only to come back and wallow in the mud again.' That is the way it is with those who turn again to their sin."
The sad part is that those in prison don't really know they're there. Those who do know they're there don't know that there is a way out.
Much of my training in "witnessing" growing up was really blown up into a big deal. Not that witnessing isn't a big deal, but we had the questions, the steps, the prayer and all that. I did lead a few to the Lord that way, but that method was always so foreign to who I was. I'm not a "door-to-door Salvation Salesman" like some may be. I've found that method for me as served to separate me from those who need the message more than it has built a bridge.
Jesus led people into a relationship with God by building a relationship. I need to do the same. With my neighbors, I need to ask them what they believe. People love to talk about themselves. As I ask them about their lives, it will open doors for them to hear about Christ. Building relationships is showing the path to freedom. These prisoners need to be set free. This is our mission: To reach our world for Christ.
Don't get caught in the trap of looking back with longing at the "old life". Make sure you stay in Christ. That's where true freedom REALLY is.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Daniel 5:1-31
2 Peter 2:1-22
Psalm 119:113-131
Proverbs 28:19-20
How do you feel about being a Christian? Do you feel free or confined? I'm not talking about the Sunday School answer. That answer says, "I'm free!" We sing about it. It may surprise some and not others that there are Christians who find the Christian walk "confining". They feel it's a walk of "don't do this, don't do this, don't do this..." I can see how that doesn't feel very "free". But I picture a fence keeping one from falling down a dangerous cliff. I see some leaning against the fence saying, "Boy, this is confining!" We need to look at this in a different light.
This chapter of 2 Peter is dealing with false teachers. Verses 1-2 say "...there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin. And because of them Christ and his way will be scoffed at."
I'm thankful that I've never heard any teaching like this, and you probably aren't under the leadership of anyone who would teach like this. But even though there may not be blatant teaching about this type of thing, we are continually exposed to similar philosophy, and these beliefs are on the rise.
Verse 19 says, "'You aren't saved by being good,' they say, 'so you might as well be bad. Do what you like, be free.'"
The world around us touts "freedom". Casting off all restraints. "Do what feels good." "You deserve it."
But the truth is found in the last half of verse 19. "But these very teachers who offer this 'freedom' from the law are themselves slaves to sin and destruction. For a man is a slave to whatever controls him."
Yeah, we know this stuff, but sometimes we grow numb to it. There is a pull toward sin and worldliness. Talking about the evil teachers verse 18 says, "They proudly boast about their sins and conquests, and, using lust as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living."
You may be at work reading this. Where you work it may be a monday morning ritual for everyone to talk about the "conquests" of their weekend. How much they drank, etc. Unfortunately, there are believers who get lured back into their old life of "freedom". The truth is that is not free. It's bondage.
It's like a prisoner being released. They're handed their new clothes, then the big gate opens and they walk out. There is a world of freedom out there, but after taking a few steps, they begin to look back and walk along the fence line. The thoughts are, "boy I had some good friends in there...", "Look how much fun they're having playing basketball..." Can you picture someone knocking on the front gate. "excuse me! hello? Can you let me back in?? I want to be free to do the stuff I did in there!"
Sounds ludicrous right? Well... Duh! that's what the reality of the sinful life is. I don't care how much you may have loved your lunch on metal trays, it's still prison.
A good friend did a practicum in a halfway house. He said, "Guys would enter the halfway house, wait until they were a day from being released, then they'd run in the middle of the night and end up right back in jail. Or you'd hear about them not showing up at their new job the day after they got out, then getting arrested a day later. They were so used to life in prison that they freaked out or completely froze when confronted with the reality of freedom again. I encountered one guy who cried because he wanted to just stay in the halfway house."
God has given us a great "jail break" in Christ. Why in the world would we want to go back. It takes a discipline of the mind to not be tempted in those areas. Peter gets a little more picturesque in his description in verse 22: "There is an old saying that 'A dog comes back to what he has vomited, and a pig is washed only to come back and wallow in the mud again.' That is the way it is with those who turn again to their sin."
The sad part is that those in prison don't really know they're there. Those who do know they're there don't know that there is a way out.
Much of my training in "witnessing" growing up was really blown up into a big deal. Not that witnessing isn't a big deal, but we had the questions, the steps, the prayer and all that. I did lead a few to the Lord that way, but that method was always so foreign to who I was. I'm not a "door-to-door Salvation Salesman" like some may be. I've found that method for me as served to separate me from those who need the message more than it has built a bridge.
Jesus led people into a relationship with God by building a relationship. I need to do the same. With my neighbors, I need to ask them what they believe. People love to talk about themselves. As I ask them about their lives, it will open doors for them to hear about Christ. Building relationships is showing the path to freedom. These prisoners need to be set free. This is our mission: To reach our world for Christ.
Don't get caught in the trap of looking back with longing at the "old life". Make sure you stay in Christ. That's where true freedom REALLY is.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, September 19, 2011
9.19.11 "Getting rid of 'That Thing'"
"Getting rid of 'That Thing'"
Isaiah 30:12-33:12
Galatians 5:1-12
Psalm 63:1-11
Proverbs 23:22
We all have "That Thing". It was Achan's desire for "That Thing" that caused defeat for Israel and ultimately the destruction of Achan & his entire family. For each of us, it's a different "Thing". There's something in our life we know shouldn't be there. It may be a bad habit, a "comfort sin", a pattern of unhealthy thought, bitterness, selfishness, lust, the list can go on. If you think you don't have a "That Thing", spend a little more time in prayer. God will show it to you.
I heard a testimony from a friend who was finally free from YEARS of sinful addiction. It was a great testimony! One thing he said was how he would in essence "resolve" to never sin again. and yet, he would find himself in the middle of it over and over. So many times we try to get rid of "That Thing", only to return. Why is that? Why can we try and try, but not shake free?
Isaiah 31:7-8 says, "I know the glorious day will come when every one of you will throw away his gold idols and silver images - which in your sinfulness you have made. And the Assyrians will be destroyed, but not by sword of men. The "sword of God" will smite them."
The biggest problem we have with "that Thing" is that we are usually trying to get rid of it by the sword of men. We read self-help books, talk to friends, make resolutions, but we don't completely surrender our lives to the work of the Holy Spirit and allow God to do his thing in us. Yes, we will go to an altar, or sense the conviction, and we'll even cry. But a broken surrender is a whole different thing. It's getting out of the way to let God do his deep work. It's waiting for God to break us.
Isaiah 30:18 says, "Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him, so he can show you his love; he will conquer you to bless you, just as he said. For the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are all those who wait for him to help them."
We can't win any battle in our own strength. I don't know why we fool ourselves into thinking we can. Isaiah 32:2 says, "But to us, O Lord, be merciful, for we have waited for you. Be our strength each day and our salvation in the time of trouble. The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee."
Remember a couple days ago talking about the shelter in the time of storm? Isaiah 31:2 says, "He will shelter Israel from the storm and wind. He will refresh her as a river in the desert and as the cooling shadow of a might rock within a hot and weary land." It is in running to this shelter that we find our strength.
There is a discipline to this. Most of the time when we fail, it's because we are living in the flesh. We are serving the flesh, or relaxing our thought process, or even feeling like we "deserve" the indulgence. That sets us up for bringing "That thing" back.
Galatians 5:1 says, "So Christ has made us free. Now make sure that you stay free and don't get all tied up again in the chains of slavery..." Yes, we are set free through the blood of Jesus, but we must discipline ourselves to not go there again. John Bevere says, "He brought us out of Egypt, but we have to be faithful to get Egypt out of us."
We must be intentional about rejoicing in and remaining in this freedom. Psalm 63:5-8 says, "At last I shall be fully satisfied; I will praise you with great joy. I lie awake at night thinking of you - of how much you have helped me - and how I rejoice through the night beneath the protecting shadow of your wings. I follow close behind you, protected by your strong right arm." Think about that discipline of thought. Think about that habit of worship. Many times we create room for "that thing" through laziness of thought, and lack of discipline in worship.
God will be faithful. He is constantly trying to direct us in his path. Isaiah 30:21 says, "And if you leave God's paths and go astray, you will hear a Voice behind you say, 'No, this is the way; walk here.' And you will destroy all your silver idols and gold images and cast them out like filthy things you hate to touch. 'Ugh!' you'll say to them. 'Be gone!'"
Get rid of the things that are holding you back from being who God has created you to be. Allow him to purify you. Keep your thoughts on him. Let him set you free. Be disciplined to stay free.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
7.20.11 "The Bondage of Freedom or Bound to Be Free"
"The Bondage of Freedom or Bound to Be Free"
2 Chronicles 1:1- 3:17
Romans 6:1-23
Psalm 16:1-11
Proverbs 19:20-21
Romans 6:2 "Should we keep sinning when we don't have to?"
The trip through Romans is very interesting. Paul writes with such a logical process to the Roman Christians. It reminds me of some of my early computer programing classes. Many of the calculations were "if-then" statements. (IF this is true, THEN this is true...) I had a Logical Philosophy class in college which Paul would have been a great teacher of, based on his teachings in Romans. I'm not as eloquent logically, so this DEVO may be hard to follow.
The concept of freedom is very paradoxical. For example, look at America. We are so proud of our freedom, but as individuals "do what's right in their own eyes", their freedom leads to bondage. In legal terms, Americans are "free" to drink alcohol, but how many are bound by alcoholism. When an alcoholic took his first drink and you asked him why, I'm sure there may have been a response something like, "Because I can! Nobody's telling ME what to do!" Yet if you ask him now it would probably be "Because I must!" Freedom? I don't think so.
Romans 6:16b says, "The one to whom you offer yourself - he will take you and be your master and you will be his slave."
Why is it that the "freedoms" of sin are so tempting? We love to please the flesh. We fool ourselves into thinking that our flesh is not really a master. Yet you know in your heart, that pleasing the flesh is exactly what satan hopes we do. As we please the flesh, we become a slave to it's desires.
So where is freedom found? Freedom is found in becoming a slave to God. Romans 6:16a says "Don't you realize that you can choose your own master? You can choose sin (with death) or else obedience (with acquittal)." verse 18 says, "and now you are free from your old master, sin; and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness."
Where is the line drawn between legalism and slavery to righteousness? That's a really tough question. Were we to legislate the conduct and behavior of every individual, it would be yet another form of bondage. But at the same time, being a slave to righteousness will dictate our conduct and behavior.
Bob Dylan sang the song, "You Gotta Serve Somebody". The line was, "Well, it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody!"
The fact is this: you ARE a slave. But, you have a choice to whom you will be a slave to. Look at the benefits package of both sin and righteousness. Make no mistake. If sin wasn't fun, no one would do it. It does please the flesh. So, why not sin? Because you become a slave to it. Period. There's no exception.
We must commit ourselves to be slaves to God. In doing that, it becomes like Romans 6:6 "Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin's control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin."
A friend of mine who was freed from an addiction wrote the following:
Sometimes my body aches, but my heart, spirit, mind, and conscience
rejoice. This makes the score 4 to 1 against the flesh, as I see it.
Yet the flesh is a heavy hitter. It will try to get me to trade scores:
"I can make you feel great!" When we're a slave to sin, this lie works
so well, and I often traded what I knew was right for what I knew was
wrong. After we're away from the flesh for awhile, though, the mind,
heart, spirit, and conscience not only recognize the lie (I recognized it
even when I was in the middle of sin, but still made the trade) but they
now begin to ask, "Is this worth it?" The spirit gains more and more
strength as time goes on and soon says, "It's not worth it today, this
week, this month, .... this year?!!??? " To me the key to no longer
being a slave to sin is to get away from it for awhile completely. Time
is the key to growing stronger, with the Lord's power, of course. The
devil will try to sift as wheat, but if we can make it through a sifting
or 2, suddenly we see a faint light, a spark at the end of the tunnel.
For me, when I saw the spark, I lit out for it, wanted the light. Now
the light shines, and the flesh is no longer the slave driver. Christ
bought me as His slave and offers me the papers of freedom. I don't want
them! Keep me as yours, Lord!
Psalm 16:8 says, "I am always thinking of the Lord; and because he is so near, I never need to stumble or to fall." Keeping our mind on Christ keeps us from sin.
Christians need to be reminded of this. Too often there is a flirting with the slavery of sin. There is willful bondage.
To truly be free, find freedom in Christ your master. On the outside, it may seem that your conduct is constrained, but your heart will be free, and there is nothing like that feeling! This is a daily choice. Romans 6:22,23 "But now you are free from the power of sin and are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include holiness and everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
I am free in Christ!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Chronicles 1:1- 3:17
Romans 6:1-23
Psalm 16:1-11
Proverbs 19:20-21
Romans 6:2 "Should we keep sinning when we don't have to?"
The trip through Romans is very interesting. Paul writes with such a logical process to the Roman Christians. It reminds me of some of my early computer programing classes. Many of the calculations were "if-then" statements. (IF this is true, THEN this is true...) I had a Logical Philosophy class in college which Paul would have been a great teacher of, based on his teachings in Romans. I'm not as eloquent logically, so this DEVO may be hard to follow.
The concept of freedom is very paradoxical. For example, look at America. We are so proud of our freedom, but as individuals "do what's right in their own eyes", their freedom leads to bondage. In legal terms, Americans are "free" to drink alcohol, but how many are bound by alcoholism. When an alcoholic took his first drink and you asked him why, I'm sure there may have been a response something like, "Because I can! Nobody's telling ME what to do!" Yet if you ask him now it would probably be "Because I must!" Freedom? I don't think so.
Romans 6:16b says, "The one to whom you offer yourself - he will take you and be your master and you will be his slave."
Why is it that the "freedoms" of sin are so tempting? We love to please the flesh. We fool ourselves into thinking that our flesh is not really a master. Yet you know in your heart, that pleasing the flesh is exactly what satan hopes we do. As we please the flesh, we become a slave to it's desires.
So where is freedom found? Freedom is found in becoming a slave to God. Romans 6:16a says "Don't you realize that you can choose your own master? You can choose sin (with death) or else obedience (with acquittal)." verse 18 says, "and now you are free from your old master, sin; and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness."
Where is the line drawn between legalism and slavery to righteousness? That's a really tough question. Were we to legislate the conduct and behavior of every individual, it would be yet another form of bondage. But at the same time, being a slave to righteousness will dictate our conduct and behavior.
Bob Dylan sang the song, "You Gotta Serve Somebody". The line was, "Well, it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody!"
The fact is this: you ARE a slave. But, you have a choice to whom you will be a slave to. Look at the benefits package of both sin and righteousness. Make no mistake. If sin wasn't fun, no one would do it. It does please the flesh. So, why not sin? Because you become a slave to it. Period. There's no exception.
We must commit ourselves to be slaves to God. In doing that, it becomes like Romans 6:6 "Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin's control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin."
A friend of mine who was freed from an addiction wrote the following:
Sometimes my body aches, but my heart, spirit, mind, and conscience
rejoice. This makes the score 4 to 1 against the flesh, as I see it.
Yet the flesh is a heavy hitter. It will try to get me to trade scores:
"I can make you feel great!" When we're a slave to sin, this lie works
so well, and I often traded what I knew was right for what I knew was
wrong. After we're away from the flesh for awhile, though, the mind,
heart, spirit, and conscience not only recognize the lie (I recognized it
even when I was in the middle of sin, but still made the trade) but they
now begin to ask, "Is this worth it?" The spirit gains more and more
strength as time goes on and soon says, "It's not worth it today, this
week, this month, .... this year?!!??? " To me the key to no longer
being a slave to sin is to get away from it for awhile completely. Time
is the key to growing stronger, with the Lord's power, of course. The
devil will try to sift as wheat, but if we can make it through a sifting
or 2, suddenly we see a faint light, a spark at the end of the tunnel.
For me, when I saw the spark, I lit out for it, wanted the light. Now
the light shines, and the flesh is no longer the slave driver. Christ
bought me as His slave and offers me the papers of freedom. I don't want
them! Keep me as yours, Lord!
Psalm 16:8 says, "I am always thinking of the Lord; and because he is so near, I never need to stumble or to fall." Keeping our mind on Christ keeps us from sin.
Christians need to be reminded of this. Too often there is a flirting with the slavery of sin. There is willful bondage.
To truly be free, find freedom in Christ your master. On the outside, it may seem that your conduct is constrained, but your heart will be free, and there is nothing like that feeling! This is a daily choice. Romans 6:22,23 "But now you are free from the power of sin and are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include holiness and everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
I am free in Christ!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, May 28, 2011
5.28.11 "The DNA of Undisciplined Thought"
"The DNA of Undisciplined Thought"
1 Samuel 13:1-39
John 17:1-26
Psalm 119:81-95
Proverbs 16:6-7
What does it mean to NOT live the DREAM? Well, the principle of the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is obedience, so that must mean it's to live in disobedience. The principle of Relationships Devoted to Unity is Submission, so that must mean to live in rebellion. When we get to Empowered Through Biblical Training we know the principle is Discipline. That means to NOT live the E is a lack of discipline. What we fail to realize sometimes is the effect it has on others when we don't live the way God intended.
As we looked at a couple days ago in Psalm 119, David spoke of his dedication for the Word, and how even at the midnight hour his thoughts would be on God's word. The contrast of that was 2 Samuel 11 where he rose to find his thoughts on Bathsheba. He dwelt on them to the point of allowing his flesh to believe, "I must have her". We know what ensued.
Follow this DNA strain that's passed on to Amnon, David's son. In 2 Samuel 13, He began to entertain thoughts of "I must have her" toward his sister. He allowed this to grow to the point of making him sick. An obsession. He allowed a friend (cousin) into his life who only served to feed the undisciplined thought. This thought grew to the point of action being taken, and rather than this desire being fulfilled, the result was "now he hated her more than he had loved her."
As a result of all that David's son, Absalom, had undisciplined thought that was the unbridled hatred for his brother. For 2 years it simmered, until he killed his brother.
The collateral damage of undisciplined thought should not be underestimated. Undisciplined thought can almost become an "alternate universe" where truth has no "gravitational pull". When there has been undisciplined thought for an extended period of time, it seems truth has no impact. There's almost a glazing of the eyes like the old "night of the living dead" zombies. Individuals who become slaves to their own lack of discipline begin to wander aimlessly muttering, "I must have...."
This thought process becomes so self serving, one begins to lose all concept of the needs of others. I had a friend tell me after being freed from the bondage of pornography about what happens in the mind. He said you begin to lose any concern for your family and their needs. Everything revolves around the need for the addiction.
To further the universe analogy, this undisciplined thought grows to the point of itself having the gravitational pull that only truth should have. We see how that brought such destruction to the house of David. I think this is ultimately why we have such moral relativism in our country today. "It's all about me" is the natural result of undisciplined thought.
So what kind of rocket booster does it take to break from the orbit of undisciplined thought? Psalm 119:95b says, "I will quietly keep my mind upon your promises." The only cure is disciplined thought.
Ps 119:92-93 says, "I would have despaired and perished unless you laws had been my deepest delight. I will never lay aside your laws for you have used them to restore my joy and health." The only hope is being "Empowered through Biblical training."
Knowing the danger of undisciplined thought should help us aggressively guard the "candy store" of our mind that we can easily allow ourself the luxury of window shopping. It's confections of lust, revenge, jealousy, greed, even comfort should come with a hidden warning label that declares "this product is highly addictive." Garrison Keiller has a saying, "if you don't wanna go to Minneapolis, don't get on the train." If you don't want the trouble that comes, don't even board the train. Don't start. Don't try it.
We MUST stay far away from the attractions of our thoughts lest we infuse ourselves with a DNA strain we were never intended to have.
The proverb for today is 16:6-7: Iniquity is atoned for by mercy and TRUTH; evil is avoided by reverence for God.
Make sure you are taking your supplemental TRUTH vitamin today through God's word!!! It is like a radioactive agent fighting the cancer of the flesh.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
1 Samuel 13:1-39
John 17:1-26
Psalm 119:81-95
Proverbs 16:6-7
What does it mean to NOT live the DREAM? Well, the principle of the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is obedience, so that must mean it's to live in disobedience. The principle of Relationships Devoted to Unity is Submission, so that must mean to live in rebellion. When we get to Empowered Through Biblical Training we know the principle is Discipline. That means to NOT live the E is a lack of discipline. What we fail to realize sometimes is the effect it has on others when we don't live the way God intended.
As we looked at a couple days ago in Psalm 119, David spoke of his dedication for the Word, and how even at the midnight hour his thoughts would be on God's word. The contrast of that was 2 Samuel 11 where he rose to find his thoughts on Bathsheba. He dwelt on them to the point of allowing his flesh to believe, "I must have her". We know what ensued.
Follow this DNA strain that's passed on to Amnon, David's son. In 2 Samuel 13, He began to entertain thoughts of "I must have her" toward his sister. He allowed this to grow to the point of making him sick. An obsession. He allowed a friend (cousin) into his life who only served to feed the undisciplined thought. This thought grew to the point of action being taken, and rather than this desire being fulfilled, the result was "now he hated her more than he had loved her."
As a result of all that David's son, Absalom, had undisciplined thought that was the unbridled hatred for his brother. For 2 years it simmered, until he killed his brother.
The collateral damage of undisciplined thought should not be underestimated. Undisciplined thought can almost become an "alternate universe" where truth has no "gravitational pull". When there has been undisciplined thought for an extended period of time, it seems truth has no impact. There's almost a glazing of the eyes like the old "night of the living dead" zombies. Individuals who become slaves to their own lack of discipline begin to wander aimlessly muttering, "I must have...."
This thought process becomes so self serving, one begins to lose all concept of the needs of others. I had a friend tell me after being freed from the bondage of pornography about what happens in the mind. He said you begin to lose any concern for your family and their needs. Everything revolves around the need for the addiction.
To further the universe analogy, this undisciplined thought grows to the point of itself having the gravitational pull that only truth should have. We see how that brought such destruction to the house of David. I think this is ultimately why we have such moral relativism in our country today. "It's all about me" is the natural result of undisciplined thought.
So what kind of rocket booster does it take to break from the orbit of undisciplined thought? Psalm 119:95b says, "I will quietly keep my mind upon your promises." The only cure is disciplined thought.
Ps 119:92-93 says, "I would have despaired and perished unless you laws had been my deepest delight. I will never lay aside your laws for you have used them to restore my joy and health." The only hope is being "Empowered through Biblical training."
Knowing the danger of undisciplined thought should help us aggressively guard the "candy store" of our mind that we can easily allow ourself the luxury of window shopping. It's confections of lust, revenge, jealousy, greed, even comfort should come with a hidden warning label that declares "this product is highly addictive." Garrison Keiller has a saying, "if you don't wanna go to Minneapolis, don't get on the train." If you don't want the trouble that comes, don't even board the train. Don't start. Don't try it.
We MUST stay far away from the attractions of our thoughts lest we infuse ourselves with a DNA strain we were never intended to have.
The proverb for today is 16:6-7: Iniquity is atoned for by mercy and TRUTH; evil is avoided by reverence for God.
Make sure you are taking your supplemental TRUTH vitamin today through God's word!!! It is like a radioactive agent fighting the cancer of the flesh.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, January 29, 2011
1.29.11 "When Do You Want to Be Free?"
"When Do You Want to Be Free?"
Exodus 8:1-9:35
Matthew 19:13-30
Psalm 24:1-10
Proverbs 6:1-5
The fear of the unknown can be paralyzing. I've read that individuals will choose to remain in a miserable state rather than risk the unknown of change. This happens with believers as well. Often God's people are in bondage because they don't realize they don't have to be. Jesus has paid the price, and we can BE FREE!
I've always been perplexed by the hardness of Pharoah's heart. Plague after plague, he would refuse to follow through on a promise to let God's people go. There is one particular instance doesn't make any sense at all.
It's the plague of frogs. Frogs are EVERYWHERE, in the kitchen in the beds, in the food... (on a side note, a friend of mine commented about the magicians who also brought frogs out of the river: "What were they thinking by adding more frogs!?) :)
"Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, 'Plead with God to take the frogs away, and I will let the people go and sacrifice to him.'" Ex. 8:8
It's the next part that I find interesting. Moses asks him when he wants the frogs to go. Pharoah's answer: "Do it tomorrow."
To me that sounds just stupid. Why in the world would he want another minute of this pestilence? Why not say, "right now!!"
Sometimes this is like it is with someone who delays getting right with God. The Spirit draws us to him, and shines his light on sin, and we know we need to lay it down. So often, though, we delay the surrender. More often than not, the problem is we like the sin too much. There can be a false sense of comfort in the bondage of sins grip. When do you want to be free? Tomorrow? Why not today?
Jesus brought me out of Egypt. Now it's my job to get Egypt out of me. I need to be free today. Anything that could hold me back from his presence must be immediately surrendered to him. My passion and fear of the Lord must be of the intensity to allow no delay. We need to "seize the potential of the present."
Be Free TODAY!
rribbit!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 8:1-9:35
Matthew 19:13-30
Psalm 24:1-10
Proverbs 6:1-5
The fear of the unknown can be paralyzing. I've read that individuals will choose to remain in a miserable state rather than risk the unknown of change. This happens with believers as well. Often God's people are in bondage because they don't realize they don't have to be. Jesus has paid the price, and we can BE FREE!
I've always been perplexed by the hardness of Pharoah's heart. Plague after plague, he would refuse to follow through on a promise to let God's people go. There is one particular instance doesn't make any sense at all.
It's the plague of frogs. Frogs are EVERYWHERE, in the kitchen in the beds, in the food... (on a side note, a friend of mine commented about the magicians who also brought frogs out of the river: "What were they thinking by adding more frogs!?) :)
"Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, 'Plead with God to take the frogs away, and I will let the people go and sacrifice to him.'" Ex. 8:8
It's the next part that I find interesting. Moses asks him when he wants the frogs to go. Pharoah's answer: "Do it tomorrow."
To me that sounds just stupid. Why in the world would he want another minute of this pestilence? Why not say, "right now!!"
Sometimes this is like it is with someone who delays getting right with God. The Spirit draws us to him, and shines his light on sin, and we know we need to lay it down. So often, though, we delay the surrender. More often than not, the problem is we like the sin too much. There can be a false sense of comfort in the bondage of sins grip. When do you want to be free? Tomorrow? Why not today?
Jesus brought me out of Egypt. Now it's my job to get Egypt out of me. I need to be free today. Anything that could hold me back from his presence must be immediately surrendered to him. My passion and fear of the Lord must be of the intensity to allow no delay. We need to "seize the potential of the present."
Be Free TODAY!
rribbit!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, November 28, 2010
11.28.10 "Prison Break"
"Prison Break"
Daniel 5:1-31
2 Peter 2:1-22
Psalm 119:113-131
Proverbs 28:19-20
How do you feel about being a Christian? Do you feel free or confined? I'm not talking about the Sunday School answer. That answer says, "I'm free!" We sing about it. It may surprise some and not others that there are Christians who find the Christian walk "confining". It's a walk of "don't do this, don't do this, don't do this..." I can see how that doesn't feel very "free". I picture a fence keeping one from falling down a dangerous cliff. I see some leaning against the fence saying, "Boy, this is confining!" But we need to look at this in a different light.
This chapter of 2 Peter is dealing with false teachers. Verses 1-2 say "...there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin. And because of them Christ and his way will be scoffed at."
I'm thankful that I've never heard any teaching like this, and you probably aren't under the leadership of anyone who would teach like this. But even though there may not be blatant teaching about this type of thing, we are continually exposed to similar philosophy, and these beliefs are on the rise.
Verse 19 says, "'You aren't saved by being good,' they say, 'so you might as well be bad. Do what you like, be free.'"
The world around us touts "freedom". Casting off all restraints. "Do what feels good." "You deserve it."
But the truth is found in the last half of verse 19. "But these very teachers who offer this 'freedom' from the law are themselves slaves to sin and destruction. For a man is a slave to whatever controls him."
Yeah, we know this stuff, but sometimes we grow numb to it. There is a draw to sin and worldliness. Talking about the evil teachers verse 18 says, "They proudly boast about their sins and conquests, and, using lust as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living."
You may be at work reading this. Where you work it may be a monday morning ritual for everyone to talk about the "conquests" of their weekend. How much they drank, etc. Unfortunately, there are believers who get lured back into their old life of "freedom". The truth is that is not free. It's bondage.
It's like a prisoner being released. They're handed their new clothes, then the big gate opens and they walk out. There is a world of freedom out there, but after taking a few steps, they begin to look back and walk along the fence line. The thoughts are, "boy I had some good friends in there...", "Look how much fun they're having playing basketball..." Can you picture someone knocking on the front gate. "excuse me! hello? Can you let me back in?? I want to be free to do the stuff I did in there!"
Sounds ludicrous right? Well... Duh! that's what the reality of the sinful life is. I don't care how much you may have loved your lunch on metal trays, it's still prison.
A good friend did a practicum in a halfway house. He said, "Guys would enter the halfway house, wait until they were a day from being released, then they'd run in the middle of the night and end up right back in jail. Or you'd hear about them not showing up at their new job the day after they got out, then getting arrested a day later. They were so used to life in prison that they freaked out or completely froze when confronted with the reality of freedom again. I encountered one guy who cried because he wanted to just stay in the halfway house."
God has given us a great "jail break" in Christ. Why in the world would we want to go back. It takes a discipline of the mind to not be tempted in those areas. Peter gets a little more picturesque in his description in verse 22: "There is an old saying that 'A dog comes back to what he has vomited, and a pig is washed only to come back and wallow in the mud again.' That is the way it is with those who turn again to their sin."
The sad part is that those in prison don't really know they're there. Those who do know they're there don't know that there is a way out.
Much of my training in "witnessing" growing up was really blown up into a big deal. Not that witnessing isn't a big deal, but we had the questions, the steps, the prayer and all that. I did lead a few to the Lord that way, but that method was always so foreign to who I was. I'm not a "door-to-door Salvation Salesman" like some may be. I've found that method for me as served to separate me from those who need the message more than it has built a bridge.
Jesus led people into a relationship with God by building a relationship. I need to do the same. With my neighbors, I need to ask them what they believe. People love to talk about themselves. As I ask them about their lives, it will open doors for them to hear about Christ. Building relationships is showing the path to freedom. These prisoners need to be set free. This is our mission: To reach our world for Christ.
Don't get caught in the trap of looking back with longing at the "old life". Make sure you stay in Christ. That's where true freedom REALLY is.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Daniel 5:1-31
2 Peter 2:1-22
Psalm 119:113-131
Proverbs 28:19-20
How do you feel about being a Christian? Do you feel free or confined? I'm not talking about the Sunday School answer. That answer says, "I'm free!" We sing about it. It may surprise some and not others that there are Christians who find the Christian walk "confining". It's a walk of "don't do this, don't do this, don't do this..." I can see how that doesn't feel very "free". I picture a fence keeping one from falling down a dangerous cliff. I see some leaning against the fence saying, "Boy, this is confining!" But we need to look at this in a different light.
This chapter of 2 Peter is dealing with false teachers. Verses 1-2 say "...there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin. And because of them Christ and his way will be scoffed at."
I'm thankful that I've never heard any teaching like this, and you probably aren't under the leadership of anyone who would teach like this. But even though there may not be blatant teaching about this type of thing, we are continually exposed to similar philosophy, and these beliefs are on the rise.
Verse 19 says, "'You aren't saved by being good,' they say, 'so you might as well be bad. Do what you like, be free.'"
The world around us touts "freedom". Casting off all restraints. "Do what feels good." "You deserve it."
But the truth is found in the last half of verse 19. "But these very teachers who offer this 'freedom' from the law are themselves slaves to sin and destruction. For a man is a slave to whatever controls him."
Yeah, we know this stuff, but sometimes we grow numb to it. There is a draw to sin and worldliness. Talking about the evil teachers verse 18 says, "They proudly boast about their sins and conquests, and, using lust as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living."
You may be at work reading this. Where you work it may be a monday morning ritual for everyone to talk about the "conquests" of their weekend. How much they drank, etc. Unfortunately, there are believers who get lured back into their old life of "freedom". The truth is that is not free. It's bondage.
It's like a prisoner being released. They're handed their new clothes, then the big gate opens and they walk out. There is a world of freedom out there, but after taking a few steps, they begin to look back and walk along the fence line. The thoughts are, "boy I had some good friends in there...", "Look how much fun they're having playing basketball..." Can you picture someone knocking on the front gate. "excuse me! hello? Can you let me back in?? I want to be free to do the stuff I did in there!"
Sounds ludicrous right? Well... Duh! that's what the reality of the sinful life is. I don't care how much you may have loved your lunch on metal trays, it's still prison.
A good friend did a practicum in a halfway house. He said, "Guys would enter the halfway house, wait until they were a day from being released, then they'd run in the middle of the night and end up right back in jail. Or you'd hear about them not showing up at their new job the day after they got out, then getting arrested a day later. They were so used to life in prison that they freaked out or completely froze when confronted with the reality of freedom again. I encountered one guy who cried because he wanted to just stay in the halfway house."
God has given us a great "jail break" in Christ. Why in the world would we want to go back. It takes a discipline of the mind to not be tempted in those areas. Peter gets a little more picturesque in his description in verse 22: "There is an old saying that 'A dog comes back to what he has vomited, and a pig is washed only to come back and wallow in the mud again.' That is the way it is with those who turn again to their sin."
The sad part is that those in prison don't really know they're there. Those who do know they're there don't know that there is a way out.
Much of my training in "witnessing" growing up was really blown up into a big deal. Not that witnessing isn't a big deal, but we had the questions, the steps, the prayer and all that. I did lead a few to the Lord that way, but that method was always so foreign to who I was. I'm not a "door-to-door Salvation Salesman" like some may be. I've found that method for me as served to separate me from those who need the message more than it has built a bridge.
Jesus led people into a relationship with God by building a relationship. I need to do the same. With my neighbors, I need to ask them what they believe. People love to talk about themselves. As I ask them about their lives, it will open doors for them to hear about Christ. Building relationships is showing the path to freedom. These prisoners need to be set free. This is our mission: To reach our world for Christ.
Don't get caught in the trap of looking back with longing at the "old life". Make sure you stay in Christ. That's where true freedom REALLY is.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
7.20.10 "The Bondage of Freedom or Bound to Be Free"
"The Bondage of Freedom or Bound to Be Free"
2 Chronicles 1:1- 3:17
Romans 6:1-23
Psalm 16:1-11
Proverbs 19:20-21
Romans 6:2 "Should we keep sinning when we don't have to?"
The trip through Romans is very interesting. Paul writes with such a logical process to the Roman Christians. It reminds me of some of my early computer programing classes. Many of the calculations were "if-then" statements. (IF this is true, THEN this is true...) I had a Logical Philosophy class in college which Paul would have been a great teacher of, based on his teachings in Romans. I'm not as eloquent logically, so this DEVO may be hard to follow.
The concept of freedom is very paradoxical. For example, look at America. We are so proud of our freedom, but as individuals "do what's right in their own eyes", their freedom leads to bondage. In legal terms, Americans are "free" to drink alcohol, but how many are bound by alcoholism. When an alcoholic took his first drink and you asked him why, I'm sure there may have been a response something like, "Because I can! Nobody's telling ME what to do!" Yet if you ask him now it would probably be "Because I must!" Freedom? I don't think so.
Romans 6:16b says, "The one to whom you offer yourself - he will take you and be your master and you will be his slave."
Why is it that the "freedoms" of sin are so tempting? We love to please the flesh. We fool ourselves into thinking that our flesh is not really a master. Yet you know in your heart, that pleasing the flesh is exactly what satan hopes we do. As we please the flesh, we become a slave to it's desires.
So where is freedom found? Freedom is found in becoming a slave to God. Romans 6:16a says "Don't you realize that you can choose your own master? You can choose sin (with death) or else obedience (with acquittal)." verse 18 says, "and now you are free from your old master, sin; and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness."
Where is the line drawn between legalism and slavery to righteousness? That's a really tough question. Were we to legislate the conduct and behavior of every individual, it would be yet another form of bondage. But at the same time, being a slave to righteousness will dictate our conduct and behavior.
Bob Dylan sang the song, "You Gotta Serve Somebody". The line was, "Well, it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody!"
The fact is this: you ARE a slave. But, you have a choice to whom you will be a slave to. Look at the benefits package of both sin and righteousness. Make no mistake. If sin wasn't fun, no one would do it. It does please the flesh. So, why not sin? Because you become a slave to it. Period. There's no exception.
We must commit ourselves to be slaves to God. In doing that, it becomes like Romans 6:6 "Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin's control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin."
A friend of mine who was freed from an addiction wrote the following:
Sometimes my body aches, but my heart, spirit, mind, and conscience
rejoice. This makes the score 4 to 1 against the flesh, as I see it.
Yet the flesh is a heavy hitter. It will try to get me to trade scores:
"I can make you feel great!" When we're a slave to sin, this lie works
so well, and I often traded what I knew was right for what I knew was
wrong. After we're away from the flesh for awhile, though, the mind,
heart, spirit, and conscience not only recognize the lie (I recognized it
even when I was in the middle of sin, but still made the trade) but they
now begin to ask, "Is this worth it?" The spirit gains more and more
strength as time goes on and soon says, "It's not worth it today, this
week, this month, .... this year?!!??? " To me the key to no longer
being a slave to sin is to get away from it for awhile completely. Time
is the key to growing stronger, with the Lord's power, of course. The
devil will try to sift as wheat, but if we can make it through a sifting
or 2, suddenly we see a faint light, a spark at the end of the tunnel.
For me, when I saw the spark, I lit out for it, wanted the light. Now
the light shines, and the flesh is no longer the slave driver. Christ
bought me as His slave and offers me the papers of freedom. I don't want
them! Keep me as yours, Lord!
Psalm 16:8 says, "I am always thinking of the Lord; and because he is so near, I never need to stumble or to fall." Keeping our mind on Christ keeps us from sin.
Christians need to be reminded of this. Too often there is a flirting with the slavery of sin. There is willful bondage.
To truly be free, find freedom in Christ your master. On the outside, it may seem that your conduct is constrained, but your heart will be free, and there is nothing like that feeling! This is a daily choice. Romans 6:22,23 "But now you are free from the power of sin and are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include holiness and everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
I am free in Christ!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Chronicles 1:1- 3:17
Romans 6:1-23
Psalm 16:1-11
Proverbs 19:20-21
Romans 6:2 "Should we keep sinning when we don't have to?"
The trip through Romans is very interesting. Paul writes with such a logical process to the Roman Christians. It reminds me of some of my early computer programing classes. Many of the calculations were "if-then" statements. (IF this is true, THEN this is true...) I had a Logical Philosophy class in college which Paul would have been a great teacher of, based on his teachings in Romans. I'm not as eloquent logically, so this DEVO may be hard to follow.
The concept of freedom is very paradoxical. For example, look at America. We are so proud of our freedom, but as individuals "do what's right in their own eyes", their freedom leads to bondage. In legal terms, Americans are "free" to drink alcohol, but how many are bound by alcoholism. When an alcoholic took his first drink and you asked him why, I'm sure there may have been a response something like, "Because I can! Nobody's telling ME what to do!" Yet if you ask him now it would probably be "Because I must!" Freedom? I don't think so.
Romans 6:16b says, "The one to whom you offer yourself - he will take you and be your master and you will be his slave."
Why is it that the "freedoms" of sin are so tempting? We love to please the flesh. We fool ourselves into thinking that our flesh is not really a master. Yet you know in your heart, that pleasing the flesh is exactly what satan hopes we do. As we please the flesh, we become a slave to it's desires.
So where is freedom found? Freedom is found in becoming a slave to God. Romans 6:16a says "Don't you realize that you can choose your own master? You can choose sin (with death) or else obedience (with acquittal)." verse 18 says, "and now you are free from your old master, sin; and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness."
Where is the line drawn between legalism and slavery to righteousness? That's a really tough question. Were we to legislate the conduct and behavior of every individual, it would be yet another form of bondage. But at the same time, being a slave to righteousness will dictate our conduct and behavior.
Bob Dylan sang the song, "You Gotta Serve Somebody". The line was, "Well, it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody!"
The fact is this: you ARE a slave. But, you have a choice to whom you will be a slave to. Look at the benefits package of both sin and righteousness. Make no mistake. If sin wasn't fun, no one would do it. It does please the flesh. So, why not sin? Because you become a slave to it. Period. There's no exception.
We must commit ourselves to be slaves to God. In doing that, it becomes like Romans 6:6 "Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin's control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin."
A friend of mine who was freed from an addiction wrote the following:
Sometimes my body aches, but my heart, spirit, mind, and conscience
rejoice. This makes the score 4 to 1 against the flesh, as I see it.
Yet the flesh is a heavy hitter. It will try to get me to trade scores:
"I can make you feel great!" When we're a slave to sin, this lie works
so well, and I often traded what I knew was right for what I knew was
wrong. After we're away from the flesh for awhile, though, the mind,
heart, spirit, and conscience not only recognize the lie (I recognized it
even when I was in the middle of sin, but still made the trade) but they
now begin to ask, "Is this worth it?" The spirit gains more and more
strength as time goes on and soon says, "It's not worth it today, this
week, this month, .... this year?!!??? " To me the key to no longer
being a slave to sin is to get away from it for awhile completely. Time
is the key to growing stronger, with the Lord's power, of course. The
devil will try to sift as wheat, but if we can make it through a sifting
or 2, suddenly we see a faint light, a spark at the end of the tunnel.
For me, when I saw the spark, I lit out for it, wanted the light. Now
the light shines, and the flesh is no longer the slave driver. Christ
bought me as His slave and offers me the papers of freedom. I don't want
them! Keep me as yours, Lord!
Psalm 16:8 says, "I am always thinking of the Lord; and because he is so near, I never need to stumble or to fall." Keeping our mind on Christ keeps us from sin.
Christians need to be reminded of this. Too often there is a flirting with the slavery of sin. There is willful bondage.
To truly be free, find freedom in Christ your master. On the outside, it may seem that your conduct is constrained, but your heart will be free, and there is nothing like that feeling! This is a daily choice. Romans 6:22,23 "But now you are free from the power of sin and are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include holiness and everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
I am free in Christ!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, July 4, 2010
7.4.10 "Freedom"
"Freedom"
2 Kings 23:31-25:30
Acts 22:17 - 23:10
Psalm 2:1-12
Proverbs 18:13
Happy 4th of July! We have so much to rejoice in this day. I hope that in this day of patriotic celebration we don't forget to celebrate our spiritual freedom. This makes total sense to us, but to many more than we like to admit, there's a different perspective. Unfortunately, many view freedom as the opportunity to rebel against God.
This is nothing new to God, though. Look at the reading from Psalm 2 today:
Psalm 2:1,3 "What fools the nations are to rage against the Lord! How strange that men should try to outwit God! 'Come, let us break his chains,' they say, 'and free ourselves from all this slavery to God.'"
For Christ followers, we know that when we are walking in obedience to God's commands, there is true freedom for the soul. We have two small dogs. They love to run around in the back yard. They're now to the point that I can let them do that without leashes because they "know" the boundaries. If they "rebel", they will only find themselves leashed once again. How's that for freedom? They love to go for rides in the car and beg me to roll their window down. Once I was making a quick trip to the gas station and Fozzie was enjoying the freedom of the window down so much he figured he should jump through it and see what that was like... Yes, he jumped out the window at 25mph... Not the smartest use of freedom. (He was confused, but fine...) Now I will not be able to trust him with complete freedom regarding the window...
We know that true freedom is found in right relationship with God. The great deception of sin is that there is freedom in rebellion. Not so. Freedom is only found in submission to the plan of God. Within those boundaries there is plenty of room to run free.
"O kings and rulers of the earth, listen while there is still time. Serve the Lord with reverent fear; rejoice with trembling... But oh, the joys of those who put their trust in him!" Psalm 2:10-12
A tremendous price was paid for our spiritual freedom, and for the freedom of this land.
The end of "Saving Private Ryan", a war movie, moved me to tears. It was the story of a soldier giving his life for the safe return of another. The final scene had a pose of the soldier looking over the dead body of the one who saved his life, then with special effects, he "aged" and it switched to him looking at the grave 50 years later. He made a statement something to the effect of "I have my family with me today... I'll never forget what you've done for me. I hope I've lived a life worthy of the price you paid."
This Independence Day, we each need to say the same thing as we pause to remember the white crosses in the field, and the cross of Christ. I pray that each of us will stand before the Lord someday and say, "I have my family with me today... I'll never forget what you've done for me. I hope I've lived a life worthy of the price you paid."
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Kings 23:31-25:30
Acts 22:17 - 23:10
Psalm 2:1-12
Proverbs 18:13
Happy 4th of July! We have so much to rejoice in this day. I hope that in this day of patriotic celebration we don't forget to celebrate our spiritual freedom. This makes total sense to us, but to many more than we like to admit, there's a different perspective. Unfortunately, many view freedom as the opportunity to rebel against God.
This is nothing new to God, though. Look at the reading from Psalm 2 today:
Psalm 2:1,3 "What fools the nations are to rage against the Lord! How strange that men should try to outwit God! 'Come, let us break his chains,' they say, 'and free ourselves from all this slavery to God.'"
For Christ followers, we know that when we are walking in obedience to God's commands, there is true freedom for the soul. We have two small dogs. They love to run around in the back yard. They're now to the point that I can let them do that without leashes because they "know" the boundaries. If they "rebel", they will only find themselves leashed once again. How's that for freedom? They love to go for rides in the car and beg me to roll their window down. Once I was making a quick trip to the gas station and Fozzie was enjoying the freedom of the window down so much he figured he should jump through it and see what that was like... Yes, he jumped out the window at 25mph... Not the smartest use of freedom. (He was confused, but fine...) Now I will not be able to trust him with complete freedom regarding the window...
We know that true freedom is found in right relationship with God. The great deception of sin is that there is freedom in rebellion. Not so. Freedom is only found in submission to the plan of God. Within those boundaries there is plenty of room to run free.
"O kings and rulers of the earth, listen while there is still time. Serve the Lord with reverent fear; rejoice with trembling... But oh, the joys of those who put their trust in him!" Psalm 2:10-12
A tremendous price was paid for our spiritual freedom, and for the freedom of this land.
The end of "Saving Private Ryan", a war movie, moved me to tears. It was the story of a soldier giving his life for the safe return of another. The final scene had a pose of the soldier looking over the dead body of the one who saved his life, then with special effects, he "aged" and it switched to him looking at the grave 50 years later. He made a statement something to the effect of "I have my family with me today... I'll never forget what you've done for me. I hope I've lived a life worthy of the price you paid."
This Independence Day, we each need to say the same thing as we pause to remember the white crosses in the field, and the cross of Christ. I pray that each of us will stand before the Lord someday and say, "I have my family with me today... I'll never forget what you've done for me. I hope I've lived a life worthy of the price you paid."
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, November 28, 2009
11.28.9 "Prison Break"
"Prison Break"
Daniel 5:1-31
2 Peter 2:1-22
Psalm 119:113-131
Proverbs 28:19-20
How do you feel about being a Christian? Do you feel free or confined? I'm not talking about the Sunday School answer. That answer says, "I'm free!" We sing about it. It may surprise some and not others that there are Christians who find the Christian walk "confining". It's a walk of "don't do this, don't do this, don't do this..." I can see how that doesn't feel very "free". I picture a fence keeping one from falling down a dangerous cliff. I see some leaning against the fence saying, "Boy, this is confining!" But we need to look at this in a different light.
This chapter of 2 Peter is dealing with false teachers. Verses 1-2 say "...there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin. And because of them Christ and his way will be scoffed at."
I'm thankful that I've never heard any teaching like this, and you probably aren't under the leadership of anyone who would teach like this. But even though there may not be blatant teaching about this type of thing, we are continually exposed to similar philosophy, and these beliefs are on the rise.
Verse 19 says, "'You aren't saved by being good,' they say, 'so you might as well be bad. Do what you like, be free.'"
The world around us touts "freedom". Casting off all restraints. "Do what feels good." "You deserve it."
But the truth is found in the last half of verse 19. "But these very teachers who offer this 'freedom' from the law are themselves slaves to sin and destruction. For a man is a slave to whatever controls him."
Yeah, we know this stuff, but sometimes we grow numb to it. There is a draw to sin and worldliness. Talking about the evil teachers verse 18 says, "They proudly boast about their sins and conquests, and, using lust as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living."
Many of you are at work reading this. Where you work it may be a monday morning ritual for everyone to talk about the "conquests" of their weekend. How much they drank, etc. Unfortunately, there are believers who get lured back into their old life of "freedom". The truth is that is not free. It's bondage.
It's like a prisoner being released. They're handed their new clothes, then the big gate opens and they walk out. There is a world of freedom out there, but after taking a few steps, they begin to look back and walk along the fence line. The thoughts are, "boy I had some good friends in there...", "Look how much fun they're having playing basketball..." Can you picture someone knocking on the front gate. "excuse me! hello? Can you let me back in?? I want to be free to do the stuff I did in there!"
Sounds ludicrous right? Well... Duh! that's what the reality of the sinful life is. I don't care how much you may have loved your lunch on metal trays, it's still prison.
A good friend did a practicum in a halfway house. He said, "Guys would enter the halfway house, wait until they were a day from being
released, then they'd run in the middle of the night and end up right back in jail. Or you'd hear about them not showing up at their new
job the day after they got out, then getting arrested a day later. They were so used to life in prison that they freaked out or
completely froze when confronted with the reality of freedom again. I encountered one guy who cried because he wanted to just stay in the
halfway house."
God has given us a great "jail break" in Christ. Why in the world would we want to go back. It takes a discipline of the mind to not be tempted in those areas. Peter gets a little more picturesque in his description in verse 22: "There is an old saying that 'A dog comes back to what he has vomited, and a pig is washed only to come back and wallow in the mud again.' That is the way it is with those who turn again to their sin."
The sad part is that those in prison don't really know they're there. Those who do know they're there don't know that there is a way out.
Much of my training in "witnessing" growing up was really blown up into a big deal. Not that witnessing isn't a big deal, but we had the questions, the steps, the prayer and all that. I did lead a few to the Lord that way, but that method was always so foreign to who I was. I'm not a "door-to-door Salvation Salesman" like some may be. I've found that method for me as served to separate me from those who need the message more than it has built a bridge.
Jesus led people into a relationship with God by building a relationship. I need to do the same. With my neighbors, I need to ask them what they believe. People love to talk about themselves. As I ask them about their lives, it will open doors for them to hear about Christ. Building relationships is showing the path to freedom. These prisoners need to be set free. This is our mission: To reach our world for Christ.
Don't get caught in the trap of looking back with longing at the "old life". Make sure you stay in Christ. That's where true freedom REALLY is.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Daniel 5:1-31
2 Peter 2:1-22
Psalm 119:113-131
Proverbs 28:19-20
How do you feel about being a Christian? Do you feel free or confined? I'm not talking about the Sunday School answer. That answer says, "I'm free!" We sing about it. It may surprise some and not others that there are Christians who find the Christian walk "confining". It's a walk of "don't do this, don't do this, don't do this..." I can see how that doesn't feel very "free". I picture a fence keeping one from falling down a dangerous cliff. I see some leaning against the fence saying, "Boy, this is confining!" But we need to look at this in a different light.
This chapter of 2 Peter is dealing with false teachers. Verses 1-2 say "...there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly tell their lies about God, turning against even their Master who bought them; but theirs will be a swift and terrible end. Many will follow their evil teaching that there is nothing wrong with sexual sin. And because of them Christ and his way will be scoffed at."
I'm thankful that I've never heard any teaching like this, and you probably aren't under the leadership of anyone who would teach like this. But even though there may not be blatant teaching about this type of thing, we are continually exposed to similar philosophy, and these beliefs are on the rise.
Verse 19 says, "'You aren't saved by being good,' they say, 'so you might as well be bad. Do what you like, be free.'"
The world around us touts "freedom". Casting off all restraints. "Do what feels good." "You deserve it."
But the truth is found in the last half of verse 19. "But these very teachers who offer this 'freedom' from the law are themselves slaves to sin and destruction. For a man is a slave to whatever controls him."
Yeah, we know this stuff, but sometimes we grow numb to it. There is a draw to sin and worldliness. Talking about the evil teachers verse 18 says, "They proudly boast about their sins and conquests, and, using lust as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living."
Many of you are at work reading this. Where you work it may be a monday morning ritual for everyone to talk about the "conquests" of their weekend. How much they drank, etc. Unfortunately, there are believers who get lured back into their old life of "freedom". The truth is that is not free. It's bondage.
It's like a prisoner being released. They're handed their new clothes, then the big gate opens and they walk out. There is a world of freedom out there, but after taking a few steps, they begin to look back and walk along the fence line. The thoughts are, "boy I had some good friends in there...", "Look how much fun they're having playing basketball..." Can you picture someone knocking on the front gate. "excuse me! hello? Can you let me back in?? I want to be free to do the stuff I did in there!"
Sounds ludicrous right? Well... Duh! that's what the reality of the sinful life is. I don't care how much you may have loved your lunch on metal trays, it's still prison.
A good friend did a practicum in a halfway house. He said, "Guys would enter the halfway house, wait until they were a day from being
released, then they'd run in the middle of the night and end up right back in jail. Or you'd hear about them not showing up at their new
job the day after they got out, then getting arrested a day later. They were so used to life in prison that they freaked out or
completely froze when confronted with the reality of freedom again. I encountered one guy who cried because he wanted to just stay in the
halfway house."
God has given us a great "jail break" in Christ. Why in the world would we want to go back. It takes a discipline of the mind to not be tempted in those areas. Peter gets a little more picturesque in his description in verse 22: "There is an old saying that 'A dog comes back to what he has vomited, and a pig is washed only to come back and wallow in the mud again.' That is the way it is with those who turn again to their sin."
The sad part is that those in prison don't really know they're there. Those who do know they're there don't know that there is a way out.
Much of my training in "witnessing" growing up was really blown up into a big deal. Not that witnessing isn't a big deal, but we had the questions, the steps, the prayer and all that. I did lead a few to the Lord that way, but that method was always so foreign to who I was. I'm not a "door-to-door Salvation Salesman" like some may be. I've found that method for me as served to separate me from those who need the message more than it has built a bridge.
Jesus led people into a relationship with God by building a relationship. I need to do the same. With my neighbors, I need to ask them what they believe. People love to talk about themselves. As I ask them about their lives, it will open doors for them to hear about Christ. Building relationships is showing the path to freedom. These prisoners need to be set free. This is our mission: To reach our world for Christ.
Don't get caught in the trap of looking back with longing at the "old life". Make sure you stay in Christ. That's where true freedom REALLY is.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, August 2, 2009
8.2.9 "The Alluring Bondage of Rebellion"
"The Alluring Bondage of Rebellion"
2 Chronicles 32:1 - 33:13
Romans 15:23 - 16:7
Psalm 25:12-22
Proverbs 20:16-18
Did you remember your "rebellious" stage? I'm sure almost everyone has had one in one form or another. My venture was nothing to brag about. Probably the most extreme was when I put my curly mullet into a ponytail, got a clip on earring about the size of a 50 cent piece with a bunch of dangly things on it. I walked into my dad's office to get a reaction from him. He glanced up said, "you look stupid" and went back to work. That was pretty much the end of that.
Your memories of rebellion may be more current in your dealings with rebellious children, or more painful of past relationships lost through rebellion.
What is it about rebellion? "No one's going to tell ME what to do!" There's something within that drives an individual to push against what they perceive to be constraints placed upon them. The grass on the other side of the fence looks so tempting. It looks so free over there on the other side. Yet, the irony is, no matter what the circumstances, the fruit of rebellion is bondage.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 says "there is nothing new under the sun." The rebels and anarchists of today would do well to look at the rebels of the past. It would probably take the wind out of their sails to know that this rebellion of theirs isn't anything new.
This is illustrated in the life of Manasseh. His father Hezekiah was a great king. He led the nation to worship God, and was incredibly blessed. He destroyed the heathen idols throughout the land. He had his moments of failure, but did all he could to keep the nation pure. His son Manasseh was only 12 when he became king, and he would have nothing of the Law of God. 2 Chron 13:9 says, "Manasseh encouraged the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the nations the Lord destroyed when Israel entered the land."
Verse 7 says, "Think of it! He placed an idol in the very Temple of God, where God has told David and his son Solomon, ' I will be honored here in this Temple... And if you will only obey my commands... I won't ever again exile Israel..." Because we are so used to it, we don't realize how appalling and ridiculous rebellion is.
I heard rebellion described as a police chase we watch on TV. We see the 'rebel' running, but you know how it's going to end. The rebel wont get away.
For Manasseh, the fruit of his rebellion comes in verse 11. "So God sent the Assyrian armies, and they seized him with hooks and bound him with bronze chains and carted him away to Babylon." I've never smoked, but some that I know who do started as an act of rebellion. Well, now there's hooks and chains that have them addicted. Look at the rebel now. There's no freedom there. Think of the many other vices.
John Bevere says in his series "Under Cover", "There is bondage in rebellion, but freedom in submission." Isn't that quite the paradox? Sometimes I find humor in God's ways. So many times we feel the "constraint" of scripture that doesn't allow us to do what we want. And yet, doing what we want will place us in bondage. You tell me who was more free. Hezekiah, who obeyed the Lord, or Manasseh who did what he wanted?
You want to experience freedom? Don't hang around the "fence" of God's commands. Don't try to see how much you can get away with. Instead, enjoy the immense pastures of blessing that are found in obeying his will and his direction. Don't flirt with rebelling against the leaders God has placed in your life. That will lead to the same bondage Manasseh found himself in.
In 2 Chron. 32:12-13, Manasseh "came to his senses and cried out humbly to God for help. And the Lord listened..." If you find yourself in bondage as a result of rebelling against the direction of the Lord, cry out to him today.
In today's Psalm 25:12-14 it says, "Where is the man who fears the Lord? God will teach him how to choose the best. He shall live within God's circle of blessing, and his children shall inherit the earth. Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone he shares the secrets of his promises."
Stay away from the fence line of rebellion, and run free in the circle of God's blessing!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Chronicles 32:1 - 33:13
Romans 15:23 - 16:7
Psalm 25:12-22
Proverbs 20:16-18
Did you remember your "rebellious" stage? I'm sure almost everyone has had one in one form or another. My venture was nothing to brag about. Probably the most extreme was when I put my curly mullet into a ponytail, got a clip on earring about the size of a 50 cent piece with a bunch of dangly things on it. I walked into my dad's office to get a reaction from him. He glanced up said, "you look stupid" and went back to work. That was pretty much the end of that.
Your memories of rebellion may be more current in your dealings with rebellious children, or more painful of past relationships lost through rebellion.
What is it about rebellion? "No one's going to tell ME what to do!" There's something within that drives an individual to push against what they perceive to be constraints placed upon them. The grass on the other side of the fence looks so tempting. It looks so free over there on the other side. Yet, the irony is, no matter what the circumstances, the fruit of rebellion is bondage.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 says "there is nothing new under the sun." The rebels and anarchists of today would do well to look at the rebels of the past. It would probably take the wind out of their sails to know that this rebellion of theirs isn't anything new.
This is illustrated in the life of Manasseh. His father Hezekiah was a great king. He led the nation to worship God, and was incredibly blessed. He destroyed the heathen idols throughout the land. He had his moments of failure, but did all he could to keep the nation pure. His son Manasseh was only 12 when he became king, and he would have nothing of the Law of God. 2 Chron 13:9 says, "Manasseh encouraged the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the nations the Lord destroyed when Israel entered the land."
Verse 7 says, "Think of it! He placed an idol in the very Temple of God, where God has told David and his son Solomon, ' I will be honored here in this Temple... And if you will only obey my commands... I won't ever again exile Israel..." Because we are so used to it, we don't realize how appalling and ridiculous rebellion is.
I heard rebellion described as a police chase we watch on TV. We see the 'rebel' running, but you know how it's going to end. The rebel wont get away.
For Manasseh, the fruit of his rebellion comes in verse 11. "So God sent the Assyrian armies, and they seized him with hooks and bound him with bronze chains and carted him away to Babylon." I've never smoked, but some that I know who do started as an act of rebellion. Well, now there's hooks and chains that have them addicted. Look at the rebel now. There's no freedom there. Think of the many other vices.
John Bevere says in his series "Under Cover", "There is bondage in rebellion, but freedom in submission." Isn't that quite the paradox? Sometimes I find humor in God's ways. So many times we feel the "constraint" of scripture that doesn't allow us to do what we want. And yet, doing what we want will place us in bondage. You tell me who was more free. Hezekiah, who obeyed the Lord, or Manasseh who did what he wanted?
You want to experience freedom? Don't hang around the "fence" of God's commands. Don't try to see how much you can get away with. Instead, enjoy the immense pastures of blessing that are found in obeying his will and his direction. Don't flirt with rebelling against the leaders God has placed in your life. That will lead to the same bondage Manasseh found himself in.
In 2 Chron. 32:12-13, Manasseh "came to his senses and cried out humbly to God for help. And the Lord listened..." If you find yourself in bondage as a result of rebelling against the direction of the Lord, cry out to him today.
In today's Psalm 25:12-14 it says, "Where is the man who fears the Lord? God will teach him how to choose the best. He shall live within God's circle of blessing, and his children shall inherit the earth. Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone he shares the secrets of his promises."
Stay away from the fence line of rebellion, and run free in the circle of God's blessing!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
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