FREE by Maria Hartman

Picture this scenario. You have committed a terrible crime; many terrible crimes. None can be defended and all require a substantial punishment......years in jail that will ultimately lead to death. A miracle suddenly takes place. Due to no merit of your own, you have the chance to be released....... someone has come forward on your behalf. They have spoken to the Judge and it has all been arranged. You know you are not eligible for parole, your future is sealed. So why is the warden walking to your cell with a key? WHAT??? This cannot be possible.....how can it be? Has someone really come forward and taken YOUR punishment??

Do you want to leave, or do you want to stay?

You have literally just been set free! The penalty for what you've done has not been erased or forgotten, it has just been transferred to another. The warden comes forth to do what he has been given the authority to do; he takes the key, and begins opening doors that were guaranteed to remain shut . He then unlocks what has been wrapped around your hands and feet. The sound is deafening as the chains fall to the ground and the iron door swings open wide. The warden slowly walks away......amazed himself at the transaction that just took place. Nobody is around. Its just you; free to go........to walk away never to return. No more bars, no more chains. You have been released completely from the awful penalty of your sin.
Do you want to leave, or do you want to stay?
The choice is yours, whereas before, you had no choice.

Now, please carefully read the holy Word of God. Romans 6:1-7 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised form the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Here are some thoughts to ponder, along with the above scenario.

If I am buried with Christ, the flesh and the sin that dominates was buried. By the glory of the Father, I am made new and am alive only in Him. The 'old' me was crucified right with Him; I no longer have to be a SLAVE to sin. My new life is truly IN Him who is alive. And sin, despite its ongoing 'influence' is no longer my only choice.

You see, I have died and am free from sin's ruling power. The prison doors have been opened for me and nobody can close them again. But I must walk out and away.

Have you ever stepped back into your 'cell' even though you knew there was nothing worthwhile there? Jesus Christ has opened the prison doors WIDE for each believer, and has left them that way. They were opened for our freedom, but often the enemy seeks to take us back there, one little step at a time. It is a place I never want to be again; it is a place I no longer belong. My punishment was transferred to my sinless Savior.

But until we die, the battle will continue; daily. We need to be alert to our position; we must 'choose ye this day whom we will serve'. We need to recall the significance of what has taken place on our behalf. God, through Christ, has ENDED our bondage and slavery to sin. The new has replaced the old.

Friends, you and I MUST CHOOSE TO BE LED BY JESUS CHRIST EVERY MOMENT!! He has paid the price in full for all our sin, and we are FREE to go; to live new lives for the glory of God. v's 10-11 tell us that The death Christ died was to sin once for all; the life that He lives, He lives to God. LIKEWISE YOU ALSO. reckon yourself to be DEAD indeed to sin, but ALIVE to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. By the power of the Spirit I can tell this body, "No, I'm dead to 'that'! My chains are gone, and I've been set free by the blood of Jesus! "

For Today: If we truly 'get' this, its magnitude is enormous: In Christ you and I HAVE the power to REMAIN free. Speak out the words of Jesus Himself (John 8:32,36) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Do you know the truth? Do you know you are free from the power and deception of sin? If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

Talk To Your Soul by Maria Hartman

Psalm 62:5 says this: My soul, wait silently thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

Just one verse from the Word of God. Maybe you've read it before, maybe I have. But I haven't remembered it.........could it be because I skimmed over it? Probably. But about 2 weeks ago, I broke that verse down on paper during my quiet time. Since then, God has brought that very verse to my mind many times. I'll share with you what God shared with me.

Many of us talk to ourselves at times, (it's ok we all do). Usually it is silly stuff like, "Oh great, here we go again", or "Come on" (I must confess: that is far too common for me when I am driving!) BUT, the inspired Word of God also has some 'talking to yourself' going on. (of course much more worthwhile than what mine usually is.)

MY SOUL WAIT SILENTLY......here we are instructed to remind ourselves of the importance of waiting.........silently. This is a choice we must make; it won't happen without us acting. I believe it also represents a deep trust in Him. Waiting is not a favorite activity of mine, but then silently is added to it! Oh boy! Waiting silently is self disciplined action; it is not taking matters into our own hands. Watch where this leads.
THOU ONLY.....our soul is spoken to again in the 'thou', but a focal point is given for us in the word 'only', that removes other options...why? because the very best is being offered:
UPON GOD : don't let your soul 'wait silently' upon anyone or anything else...
FOR MY EXPECTATION IS FROM HIM: there it is. HE is to be the expectation, the HOPE of our soul........

For Today: Have you ever hoped in someone else to change? Expected someone else to change? Even if it is for THEIR benefit and God's glory that we do this hoping, the OBJECT of our hope is truly the key here. It can't be in that person to do anything! It must be IN JESUS CHRIST and HIS POWER!!
Friends, here is just one verse, but it contains an incredible amount of instruction for us. I pray that as I daily strive and purpose in my mind to obey all 14 words of this verse, that you too will join me in doing the same. Others will fail you, over and over again. God never will because He can't. Trust Him completely with the needs in your life; He knows them, and He has the means by which to provide for each one.




And remember, you just may need to talk to yourself at times. Go ahead and remind your soul of some very important truth.

Obedience

By: Lauren Beckner

Galatians 2:18
"For if I build again the things which I destroyed,
I make myself a transgressor."

Being a parent is exhausting. I was just talking with a friend about that this afternoon. Sometimes I feel like raising a child is one step forward, three steps back. Or, as a sign in my aunt's kitchen says, "Raising children is like being pecked to death by a chicken." We love our children without condition, but sometimes they just make us tired!

This afternoon I was busy in the kitchen when I saw my 20-month-old headed for the dog food container. She clearly knows this is off limits. I cautioned her, "Savannah, no ma'am. That is for the dog, not you. Do NOT touch it." She stopped and weighed her options. Obedience lost out. She grabbed a handful of dog food and dumped it into the water bowl. Gross. I sighed and stopped what I was doing and went to correct her. I asked her to look at me, and she refused. She knew she was wrong. She got a spanking for choosing to blatantly disobey.

I went back to cooking and reflected on her behavior. I thought to myself… that was so bad… she knows better! We'd been over obedience several times and I know she grasps the concept, which she demonstrated by refusing to make eye contact after she had disobeyed. I was frustrated. And then my thoughts were directed inward.

How often do I model that behavior in my own life? I've grown up under Christian instruction. How often do I know the right thing to do… and rebel against it? Far too often, I'm ashamed to admit. I really have no excuse for it. Sometimes I wonder how God feels. Does He look at me and think, "Okay Lauren, I know you get it. Now align your life with what you know." But instead, I stomp my foot and try to go my own way. Its so juvenile…so ignorant…so senseless.

Obedience is a simple thing. All I have to do is know what I know, and act on it. Why do I make it so complicated?! It would be so much easier to just go back to the basics and know… then live… then share. So clear…so direct… no excuses.

We are commanded to obey when we love Christ.

Know. Live. Share.