GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life

 

Issue #1,173 September 8,2004 Are You Free?   I live in Canada, and like many other nations, we pride ourselves on being a "free country". There is a lot of truth in that statement, and we do enjoy great freedom compared to many of the world's people. I'm grateful to be able to live here. There is an underlying question that begs to be answered. "Are we really free?" It depends on how you define freedom. We can travel within the country without passports and permits, so we enjoy a lot of freedom that way. Compared to many nations, we have good policing. That means that by and large we're relatively safe. Our political system is relatively democratic, so we have freedoms. We're not at war, at least on a large scale, that's freedom. I can express my thoughts and opinions (to a certain degree) and that's a freedom of sorts. Levels of consumer debt are at all time high levels. That means we're in bondage to overextended lifestyles. Taxation is oppressively high. That means we are in bondage to a government that doesn't know how to manage its (really our) money. There is increasing persecution of the Christian faith, under the misused guise of pluralism and tolerance. In Canada, it's okay to be tolerant and pluralistic, as long as you don't expect Christ to enter into the picture. At that point it becomes politically incorrect. That means we're really not interested in true pluralism and have not understood the truth of tolerance. That's not freedom. There are other areas that show we're not free. Rampant materialism besets the nation, including the church at large. That's bondage. The people of this country (myself included) are increasingly overweight. That's bondage to gluttony and sloth. (OUCH!) Alcohol, drug and gambling addictions levels are high. That's not freedom. We're plagued by broken marriages, family violence and dysfunctional homes. That's anything but free. Stress related illnesses are an exponentially increasing curve. That shows were tied up in knots emotionally and spiritually and it's having a devastating physical impact. That's certainly not free. There is only one source of true freedom. Freedom is found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, knowing who we are in Him and walking in obedience. "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." Luke 4:18-19 NIV Jesus came to bring us freedom. There's more to the equation than just His coming. We have to do something with that event. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32 NIV The latter part of verse 32 "the truth will set you free" is one of the most frequently used out of context Bible verses I hear. The truth will set you free is only partly correct. Who is Jesus talking to? To those who had believed Him. Believing on Jesus is the first step towards freedom. There is no true freedom for those who do not know Christ. The truth will set you free. Is that all there is to the matter? Look at what it says as a whole "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Freedom comes from knowing Christ and walking the talk. There is no other source. Until next time, may you come to understand the true freedom that is offered by Christ and grab hold of it with every fibre of your being. Hallelu Yah (Praise God) Be blessed Kevin Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. You have value in the eyes of God so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that heaven will not be complete without you.

HELP FOR THE HURTING Are you free? Without Jesus as Lord and Savior, you will never be free. No other source of true freedom exists. The choice is simple, make Christ Lord of your life and follow Him to freedom, or, be in bondage for all of eternity. Which will you choose? If you want to know how to do that simply email us and we'll send you some Bible verses that will explain it to you. You can simply begin the relationship by honestly and completely opening your heart; admitting you need God's help; turning away from your sin and saying a prayer along the lines of the one below. There isn't any "magic" in the prayer; it's simply a way to open up to the gift that Jesus already bought for you with His very life. You can't earn it. You don't deserve it. He freely offers it to all who will accept it. Jesus: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I have sinned. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen If you pray this prayer for the first time let me know so I can rejoice with you. It's not the end of the process. It is the beginning of a wonderful journey to become more like Jesus. It's your starting point. NEED PRAYER? GOT QUESTIONS? If you're in need of prayer or answers to questions about the faith email us SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY Gleanings From The Word is distributed free of charge, six days a week to readers in more than 180 countries. It reaches into homes, hospitals, care centers, prisons and many other places. People comment regularly on how God has used Gleanings to change their lives, bring them to know Christ or brought them through difficult times. While we offer Gleanings free to anyone who asks, that does not mean it is without cost to produce. We request that you prayerfully consider supporting us in prayer and with your finances. While we are unable to provide tax receipts at this time, we are registered as a non-profit corporation. Please know that your gift of any amount is appreciated and will pay eternal dividends. Please make cheques payable to: Gleanings From The Word Ministries International and send them to 114 Oak St, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada T8A 0V8 Thank You. BACK ISSUES Looking for a previous issue of Gleanings From The Word? Selected back issues are available on our website   SHARING GLEANINGS If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. Better still, get their permission and sign them up for their own subscription, after all it's free. We do not rent, sell, trade or share our mailing list with anyone. Your email address is kept completely confidential. We also send no forms of unsolicited email. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page on our website. CONTACT US To share your questions, comments, thoughts, prayer concerns and praise reports: you can email us Or you can write to us at Gleanings From The Word Ministries International 114 Oak St Sherwood Park, AB Canada T8A 0V8 © 2001-2004 Gleanings From The Word Ministries International - All Rights Reserved