“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”- Galatians 5:13

Why are we free?

What makes us different to those that are not yet free that they would so desire our freedom?

Our use of God’s freedom manifests itself ironically in becoming a slave to the love that set us free

True freedom is slavery

True freedom is self-giving to others

Jesus exampled this great pattern of exchange

Not using his freedom for his own gain but for the gain of others

Now we have the chance to imitate Him

Why are you free?

+jk

Psalm 116:6
The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.

It is the proud who God resists.

If our hearts are complicated we may find that we are trying to figure life out without God.

When we rely on God life becomes simple...not easy...simple.

True salvation occurs at the point of humility.

Then we continue to be saved as we stay simplehearted.

Is your heart feeling complicated today?

Check out the surrounding passages to verse 6...

 ⁵ The LORD is gracious and righteous;
       our God is full of compassion.

 ⁷ Be at rest once more, O my soul,
       for the LORD has been good to you.

Because God is gracious and righteous and full of compassion,
we don't have to save ourselves and he will fulfill our great need!

Now we can rest for He protects us and He has been so so good to us.

David loved the Lord for he knew God heard his cry and his need.

I love the Lord...He is so good to me.

Prayer:
Simplify my heart today Lord, for I need you more than anything in this world.

amen.

+jk

Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin.
Psalm 106:43

We have been given a set amount of time on earth.

God has delivered us from evil for a purpose.

Each day we must be focused on Jesus as our flesh is bent on rebellion towards God.

We will find ourselves wasting valuable time and wasting God's purpose for our lives if we are not in a constant position of submission to His will.

I watched today the Boston Celtics win a 1 point victory over the Orlando Magic, with under a second to go the Celtics focused and made the winning shot.  They took full advantage of that 1 second.

Time is not wasted when we focus. 

Take full advantage of the deliverance that God has given you.

Let us not waste away in our mistakes or rebellion but let us be those who cry out to God and act on the sound of His voice.

To see a city won for Him.


+jk

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18


It is God's will that we would be joyful always!!!!

Crazy I know that God would want us to be happy all the time...but it is true.

It doesn't depend on our circumstances.

If we pray continually and give thanks in the good and the bad we will be joyful always in Christ Jesus!

What a promise, what a will.

What's the will of God for your life? 

Joyful always in Christ Jesus.

+jk

Gen 28:¹¹ When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.


I was back at CHANGE last night, it was such a blessing to be there.

I was only away for one week but it felt like a month.

It is such a beautiful thing when we gather together in a certain place.

Jacob found a certain place, found rest and discovered a dream.

The rest and the dreams that God has for us as body called the church are found as we gather together
in a certain place.

What could we do together if we united for one cause?

What is possible if we dropped our agenda's and picked up God's?

If we can believe anything is possible.

See you at the certain place.

+jk