Free Indeed!

In John 8, Jesus is having a conversation with Jews about an oft-discussed subject, relationship.  The people are resting on their relationship to Abraham, claiming that their connection to Abraham, in itself, makes them holy, free and chosen.  The Jews of Jesus' time claimed that this relationship to the patriarch, Abraham, was a 'get out of jail free' card that gave them claim to connection with God.  Jesus debunks this misconception quickly when He speaks about truth, relationship and freedom.  Here's what Jesus says:

1. Jesus says truth is freeing.  "know the truth and the truth will set you free (v:32)!"  We have lots of issues with truth these days.  Last week a CEO convinced 4 other people that his certainty (feeling/knowledge) about the safety of a deep-water submersible was more "true" than empirical testing of carbon-fiber as a proper material for constructing such a vessel.  His false information meant death for him and the 4 other passengers that died in what was called a catastrophic implosion.  Truth can set you free but falseness can be deadly.  Jesus said, "Don't rely on your perceived relationship with Abraham ... you are not following the truth of his witness!"

2. Jesus says your "familial" relationship is important to life.  He spoke to believers reminding them to "remain true to His teachings (v:31)."  Jesus tells the followers to follow Him, his teachings and His "true" relationship to the Father.  He continues to tell those who are trying to rationalize their status, "you are children of your father the devil (v:44)."  He then reminds them, and us, of a sign of sonship ... "If God were your Father, you would love me (v:42)."  Are you in a loving relationship with Jesus?  Do you express your love by placing Jesus as your #1 priority?

3. Jesus says that He is the source of true freedom.  "He whom the Son sets free is free indeed (v:36)."  Are we free?  As we celebrate freedom and America's birthday, let us remember the source of true freedom ... Jesus.

I wonder if Jesus walked down "main street America" and asked, "Are you free?"  Many would respond, "Of course ... we live in America!"  I think Jesus would reply, "Why are you relying on your relationship as a US citizen as your source of real freedom," just as He cautioned Jews not to rely on their Abrahamic roots as freedom.  Truth, relationship and Jesus are our sources of freedom.  And, while you won't hear this in most schools, our nation was built on these foundations.  Let's hold fast to the things that are the underpinning and anchors of our freedom!  Randy

Choose Your Yoke!

Jesus is all about Freedom!  He came to set the captives (that is ALL of us) free!  Good stuff for sure.  What is this freedom like?  Scripture tells us the answer!

Here is the hard and beautiful truth.  We are people who will wear a yoke ... but which one?  Here is what God's word says ... "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free!  Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1)."  There is a yoke of slavery, from which Christ has freed us.  I cannot stress enough the importance of what we believe and how we incorporate those beliefs into our lives.  Moses tells Israel, "You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying Him and committing yourself firmly to Him.  This is the key to your life.  And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."  Choosing God is freedom, and life.  Choosing to follow the world and the prince of this world (Satan) is choosing bondage.  "Do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery" Paul pleads!

There is another yoke we can wear.  Jesus said, "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30)."  Like Moses, I advise you to choose the Lord, for the Lord is life itself.  Like Jesus I advise you to choose Jesus' yoke, which is a light and easy burden.  Like Paul I advise you to not allow yourselves to be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.

As we celebrate freedom and the birthday of America, let us remember the godly foundations upon which our nation is built.  Many of us mistakenly think this "freedom" is doing what we want to do.  But our founding fathers knew that to build a nation you need a foundation (they posed the foundation of 'under God") ... you need structural integrity (they posed rules/laws contained in our constitution) ... you need leaders who value the foundation and structure more than they value feelings or their personal gain.  Maybe the writer of one of our songs this morning knew this ... "who more than self, their country loved, and mercy more than life."

Which yoke will you choose?

Spirited Discipline

There is a viral video of generational responses to being accidentally bumped while entering a store.  The video is telling and (I think) scary!  The 60-year-old gives the offender a bit of a scowl and moves on.  The 30-year-old looks around for help.  The 18-year-old cries, "He hurt me!"  It is interesting how people respond to difficulty, struggle and adversity when they have been sheltered from all negative things.  I wonder if the greatest "sins" in our current society are words/actions that hurt someone's feelings and fail to affirm them.  What does the Bible say?

Hebrews 12:5b-6 says, "Do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves and He chastens everyone He calls a son."  The entirety of the passage connects discipline, fatherhood and sonship/daughtership as part of a holy and good dynamic.  In fact, it says that if God (the Father) does not discipline you, then you are not connected to Him ... you are not true sons/daughters.

In our world today, we can continue to follow the world's way of allowing undisciplined, poorly-informed and self-focused children to run our homes and their lives.  The Bible not only calls this a recipe for disaster ... it actually created a disconnection between children and parents.  The Bible offers a different way.  For in discipline (both criticism and training) we do the heavy lifting of relationship-building that proclaims ... 1) we care how you are doing and what you are doing, 2) we want to tell and show you the right way (Proverbs 22:6 "train up a child") and , 3) we want a growing relationship with you that lasts all of our lifetimes.

I will leave this blog with a question ... "Why do you think structured teachers/leaders (even drill sergeants) are loved and respected by their students?"  Hebrews 12 has that answer too!  Randy

The Account

Over the past months, I have experienced a timidity in Christian circles that is troubling.  Here is what I have often seen unfold.  I will converse with someone who is in a church that has left the United Methodist denomination (please pray for all involved with these painful transactions).  I will ask, "What are you and your congregation doing now?"  They will respond with something like, "We just thought we would wait awhile and see what unfolds."  What they are really saying is, "We are waiting till we find a safe and comfortable place to land ... then we will make our decision."  It is how they have done "church" for decades.  I want to ask, "How has that worked for you?"

I thought about this as I read Acts 2 and Ephesians 1.  Acts 2 disciples are anything but safe and comfortable.  Jesus and the Father have kept their promise in sending the Holy Spirit.  The disciples (becoming 'sealed' with the Holy Spirit as described in Ephesians 1) have chosen to open that seal and let the Holy Spirit work through/in them as they have gone out into the dangerous world of their time.  They are in Jerusalem, post-resurrection.  They are part of a movement that is being and will be (forcefully) persecuted by the authorities.  Yet they run out into the street, proclaiming the message that Jesus (the one illegally/wrongly tried and crucified by the authorities) is the means of forgiveness, justification and salvation for all people.  Thousands repent and become Christ-followers.  All who are believers have been given the Holy Spirit as a "seal" or what I am describing as an "account."  The Acts 2 disciples have decided to open that account and spend the gifts God has given them.  No timidity here!

The question of Acts, Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit is the question of the Church ... "Brothers, what will we do (Acts 2:37)?"  Peter answers the question ... repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Spirit (the account God wants to offer all of us).  So ... what will YOU do?

Ephesians 1 says, 1) when we were baptized we were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), and 2) God made a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.  If you are a believer, YOU have an account deposited in your name, "to the praise of His glory (the ending of Ephesians 1:14)."  "What will you do?"

Bishop Scott Jones, in a presentation I heard in Birmingham a few weeks back, said something that is very telling (and a confession on his part).  He said, "I think we need to rethink and relearn being the church ... something we have gotten wrong for the last 50 years."  Whether we have sought our comfort and our safety ... whether we have forgotten the boldness of going out into enemy territory ...  whether we are too far removed from the days when Joshua and his people battled giants and won ... whether we have buried our talent in the ground, waiting for a safe time to take our unopened account and offer it back to God ... our account is sealed and waiting for us to open it and let God release His Church into the world, "to the praise of His glory."  AMEN