Two Christmas Dinner's

Christmas day was an opportunity to attend two distinct dinners.  One was filled with happiness, excited children, good food, and the spirit of joy and love.  The other was solemn, lacking much laughter, there was no excitement, yet, the food was good, the Christmas spirit seemed to be present, only no children and the love and joy were not so noticeable.  What was the difference of these two distinct dinners?   Let me take a moment and explain.  These two dinners reminded me of what life can be like, either filled with joy and life, or filled with sadness and loneliness.  One filled with purpose and meaning, the other filled with no direction and emptiness.

The first dinner My wife Eva and I attended was at a memory loss facility where Eva's mother was staying.  We were invited to have dinner with my mother in law on Christmas day.  We have visited many times to see to some of the needs Eva's mother has so we were not shocked to the conditions or the lack of excitement in this type of facility.  Everyone that has been placed in one of these facilities is not there because they want to be, they are there because they need to be.  In the faces of these residents you can clearly see the condition of dementia.  You can see a want to, but the lack of understanding as to why they want to.  As we entered the building and found most of the residents sitting around a table holding stockings stuffed with some Christmas gifts the first thing you noticed was most of them did not know what to do with them.  A confused look set in on their faces, some ask what they were supposed to do with the item.  Most had to be helped taking things out of the stocking and have an attendant explain the items.  As you continued to watch the expressions on the residents faces, you knew that there was a want to to understand and enjoy, but you seen very quickly that there was a lack of communication from the brain to the heart or emotions.  At dinner the same look and reaction was there, except most because of routine knew what to do.  Most enjoyed the meal but had no emotion and no reaction, some had to be helped to eat their meal.  Eva's Mom is one of the more alert of the group, she recognizes us when we enter the room and enjoys the conversations, it's just her memory that lets her down.

In this facility you see the lostness in peoples faces and the lack of confidence in their actions.  Emptiness in their lives is prevalent because their minds are not functioning at the capacity of those without dementia.  You can't help but feel sorry for these folks knowing that at one time they were active and contributed to society in some way.  You often wonder what their stories are and what there life was like before they were afflicted with dementia.  It is sad to see some just wondering aimlessly down the hall not sure where they are going or why they are headed in the direction they started out in.  An emptiness prevails continually on most of them and existence is from their room to the dinner table or to some games at activity time.

The other dinner we attended was at our daughter's and son in law's house.  Here we gathered together with loved ones and felt full of life.  The grandchildren were running around and playing with toys they just received for Christmas.  They knew for sure what to do with them.  The excitement could be seen on everyone's face and the hugs were genuine.  We ate dinner with the rest of the family and exclaimed how excellent it was.  No one needed any help except for the smaller children.  You did not see the emptiness on peoples faces and none seemed to be lonely.  Life seemed to abound as games were played, snacks were eaten later and toys were played with.  What a contrast to the first dinner.

As I watched the folks at the care center I could not help but realize that the world that does not know or accept Christ as God's Son looks just like this.  They have a look of lostness, anxiety, and emptiness on their faces and in their lives.  Even though most know what they are doing, and where they are headed they still don't have the direction they need to be fulfilled in life.  Many struggle through each day just to face new challenges without guidance or hope.  Many wonder aimlessly through life wondering why they are going in the direction they started out in, and can't figure out why they even exist.  Most seem to lack purpose and meaning for the existence they are in.  A sad and lonely look is prevalent on their faces and the frown lines become deeper and more sorrowful looking.  Even though most seem to put on a smile, and have some happy times, when the day is over the feeling of why and what's the meaning of life settles in.  The only thing to look forward to is another day filled with the same emptiness and feeling of despair.

Now I am not saying that those who have Christ in their life do not have days of despair and some anxiety at times, but for those who put their trust in the living God through Christ have hope on their face and know they have meaning and purpose in this life.  When they go through hardships and trials they know that they are not alone and have a friend to walk through the valley with them.  Unlike those outside of Christ who struggle and lose hope, the one's who believe in the living God and accept Christ as their Lord continue to have a smile on their faces and a bounce in their step.

Here are some scriptures that may shed some light on the differences of the two ways of life.

John 1:12  "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."

1 Corith. 12:27  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

Look up these scriptures on your own and let them sink into your spirit.  These verses will tell you that you are accepted.

Romans 5:1;  1 Corith. 6:17;  Ephesians 1:3-8;  Colossians 1:13-14;  Hebrews 4:14-16


The following verses show you that you are secure in Christ.

Romans 8:11;  Romans 8:28;  Romans 8:31-39;  2Corith. 1:21-22; 

Philipians 1:6 "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

These next verses tell me I am significant.

John 15:5, " I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

John 15:16;  ICorith. 3:16;  2Corith. 5:17-21;  Ephesians 2:6

Who am I in Christ?  The scriptures tell us that in Christ I am a child of God; God is spiritually my Father.  Look at the following scriptures;

Romans 8:14-15;  2Corith. 5:17;  Galatians 3:26,28, Galatians 4:6-7

These are just a few of the scriptures explaining our position in Christ.  It is no wonder that those who put their trust in Christ can have a tear in their eye and a smile on their face.  Those in Christ have hope.  Those without Christ are like those in the care center, lost, lonely and wondering aimlessly throughout life with no hope of something better to come.  The question would be, which are you?  I would encourage those who have not put their faith and trust in Christ to do so, for those who have put their trust and faith in Christ but have forgotten their way, return to Him and let Him show you the way.  For those who have kept their faith in Christ, endured the hardships, and continue to follow Him no matter, keep it up and always remember in whom you trust.

May God bless you richly and abundantly as you journey through life with Him as your Lord and Saviour.

If you are interested in further scriptures click on the link below.
encouragingbiblequotes.com/verses2a.html  

Doubt

(just a note; when observing scripture ref. you can place the cursor on the ref and it will bring up the scripture or take you to the full content of scripture)


Doubt is something that we have all struggled with at some point in our lives.  You more than likely doubted some of your friend's honesty or their faithfulness.  Maybe you doubted when someone told you may be getting a promotion.  Doubt can creep into our lives in almost any situation, it can cause you to withdraw from friend's or keep you from stepping forward to receive something good.  Doubt can keep your faith from working and your relationship with the heavenly Father at a distance.  Doubt will stop faith in its tracks!  Are you faced with doubt today?  Are you finding that your relationship with God is always at a distance or your faith is not getting that mountain moved?  Let's examine some people from the scriptures and see how they handled doubt in their lives and what the Lord told them.

Before we look at these folks from scripture, let's take a look at the definition of "doubt."  According to the dictionary:  As a noun, doubt is "a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction."  As a verb, "feel uncertain about, question the truth or fact of (something)," "disbelieve, (a person or their word)" "feel uncertain, especially about one's religious beliefs."

The first person I want us to consider is Eve.  As you all know Eve was the first lady to enter the earth's domain.  Along with Adam, the first man, they were placed in the garden of Eden and told to take care of it.  Adam had been instructed as to what they could eat and what not to eat before Eve was brought on the scene.  When God gave Adam his instructions He said that disobedience would bring death to him.  This was Gods Word, and, it would not be changed, it was His way and no one, not even the Creator Himself would change it.  Genesis 2:16-17 says; The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”   Now we know that Adam instructed Eve as to what God had instructed him because Eve quoted back the instructions to the serpent.  These two both knew the consequences of disobedience to Gods Word.  

What happened then that caused the downfall of all humanity?  First, let's consider the serpent and why satan choose a serpent to do his dirty deed.  Genesis 3:1 states that the serpent was more crafty than any of the beasts that God created.  Crafty means "crude, sensible in the Hebrew language.  This scripture also states that he was cruder, more sensible than the other beast.  "Beast" in the Hebrew would mean "raw, fresh, strong."  Satan did not use an intimidating beast to strong arm Adam and Eve, because they both had been given authority over all the animals, fish and fowl.  Using strength would have been useless and the end goal of Satan would have been thwarted by their God-given authority.  Since the serpent was crafty he could use deception and try to get these two to give up their authority.  Satan did not have the authority to do anything, he only had a mouth full of lies.  Here we have it, deception.  Get Adam and Eve to doubt Gods Word and have their authority handed over to Satan.  Doubt was the key, and it worked.  The first thing that happened was that Eve misquoted Gods Word, she added something that was not there.  Look at the difference, God said; "you must not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil."  Look at what the serpent said; "did God really say?"  There it is, the casting of doubt in the form of a question.  The woman responds with a misquote of what God actually said; "we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die."   Deception is generally subtle and sneaks in behind you before you even realize you fell for the bait.  Doubt of Gods spoken Word cost humanity paradise.

Let's look at another example of where doubt brought rebuke.  Thomas in the New Testament referred to as doubting Thomas.  Just who was Thomas and where did he doubt? We find Thomas was one of the disciples that had followed Jesus from the beginning.  There is not much said about Thomas except he followed Jesus when asked to do so.  His name in Greek is Didymus, which means twin.  If we follow Thomas's life as he followed Christ we will see he had witnessed many healings, deliverance's, and heard many sermons.  He followed Jesus the whole time after being called. Yet, after the crucifixion of Christ, Thomas like the other disciples went back to their old way of life.  They thought it was all over.  They had forgotten what Christ had taught them about the resurrection.  Then, the miracles of all miracles happened, Christ rose from the dead, the grave was empty and the disciples were astonished.  Then they remembered what Jesus had taught them about coming back on the third day.  Well, all except Thomas.  He doubted, he questioned Gods Word to them about the resurrection.  Maybe not out loud, but he did question it.  Look at this account in John 20:24-25, "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”   The other disciples actually saw the resurrected Christ first hand and told Thomas what they had seen, but Thomas would not accept their word.  In fact, Thomas would not accept just seeing the risen Christ, he had to see the nail holes in his hands and put his fingers into the place the nails pierced the hands of Christ and put his hand into the hole that was made by the sword in Christ's side, he would not believe.  Thomas was going to depend on his own senses before he would believe.  This tells me that Thomas was questioning what Christ had told all the disciples in the first place, questions had to have entered Thomas's mind and cause him to doubt, questions that were subtle and thought-provoking.  We need to ask ourselves where these questions came from, questions like "did Christ really say he would come back?" Didn't Jesus die just like everyone else dies?  Deception came to Thomas in much the same way it came to Adam and Eve, subtly and sneaking in the back door so to speak.

There is one more person I want us to consider, a person who was set apart from the time he was conceived in his mother's womb.  His name is John the Baptist.  Before he was born and still tumbling around in his mother's womb the Holy Spirit came upon his mother as Mary the mother of the Messiah approached.  Luke 1:43-45, "And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”  John the Baptist was to be the voice that would announce the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the savior who would set men free from their bondage to sin.  John the Baptist went about proclaiming the year of the Lord, The Lamb of God who would save the world.  John 1:28-34, "These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! “This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ “I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

John the Baptist not only proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, he witnessed the miracles Jesus had done.  John was highly honored in the eyes of Christ.  Yet, while in prison for at least six months, maybe as long as two years John the Baptist began to doubt.  Those haunting questions began to filter in through those prison doors where John lay alone in a dark dungeon, isolated from people and all that was going on.  Although scripture does not tell us the questions that entered his being, they do relate one question that snuck into the back doors of that prison cell and caused John to question the authenticity of the Messiah.  Matthew 11:3 says; "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?"  You must understand, John knew from the beginning of his life that Jesus was the Messiah, God spoke to him and told John that this was His beloved Son.  John saw first hand the dove that came over Jesus when he came up out of the water, John heard of the miracles Jesus was doing and he saw first hand the workings of miracles.  Yet, here was this anointed man of God who knew the Old Testament prophecies, who knew the Old Testament Law and the history of the Jewish people.  John knew what was to take place, yet that little area of weakness entered Johns mind, that one subtle, sneaky question, "are you the one who is to come (meaning the Messiah), or should we look for another."  Doubt had entered the scene and the question arose, "are you the one."  Another way to say this would be "are you really God's Son" or do we look somewhere else?"  

It is amazing what Christ told the two disciples John sent to Jesus to inquire of His authenticity.  When you read the portion of scripture of what Christ was doing at the time and what He told these two men seemed rather demeaning or none caring.  Jesus did not answer their question as to who He was and assure them He was the Messiah, no, He told them to go tell John the Baptist, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me."  Matthew 11:4-6.  Jesus referred John the Baptist back to the Word of God.  He was quoting from Isaiah 61:1 which John the Baptist was more than familiar with.  What Jesus did was refer John back to the Word.  In doing that Jesus was saying that the Word of God is true, it is eternal, and it is absolutely valid.  The prophecies were being fulfilled right before their eyes so that all could see.  Jesus wanted John to stand fast on the Word of God and know that it is true.  Isaiah 29:17-19 and 35:2-6 also relate to the coming of the Messiah.  

Doubt is destructive to one's faith and will cause you to falter in your walk with the Lord.  It is crucial that we understand where doubt comes from, especially when dealing with spiritual matters.  When you step outside of Jesus, you will begin to doubt.  John the Baptist prepared for 30 years before he came on the scene to proclaim the "The Lamb of God" who takes away the sin of the world.  John knew very well the prophecies concerning the coming of Messiah, he understood the times and the season in which he lived.  But, doubt had entered his world when he felt all alone when he was cut off from the rest of the world.  Doubt came to John the Baptist just like it does to all of us, in the form of questioning God's Word, "did God really say?"  "Is this really God's only begotten Son?"  "Does God really heal today?"  Those simple little questions that enter our minds and begin to work on our thoughts and emotions.  They stick with you as long as you are allowing them to bounce around in your thinking process.

I would like to leave you with some scriptures that tell us to trust in God's Word and cast doubt out of our thinking by not only standing on God's Word but also to use His Word to destroy any doubt of just who God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are.  God is His Word, to not trust it is to doubt the validity of God Himself and deny that Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate, John 1:1-14.

Jesus told Thomas "blessed are they that have not seen yet believe."  John 20:24-29.  Unbelief is a choice.  David encouraged himself in the Lord his God in 1 Samuel 30:6.  In 2 Peter 1:17-19 God's Word is validated with an audible voice of God.  Psalm 138:2 the psalmist says God has exalted His name and His Word above everything else.  

Our problem today is that we base many of our decisions on our emotions and not on the Word of God.  Emotions have their place, but they should not be used to make our decisions.  Emotions don't last forever.  Jesus did not give John the Baptist an emotional response, Jesus referred him back to the Word.  The question to you should be this;  are you going to live on an emotional level, a feel-good moment or feeling?  God is trying/wanting to bring us up to His level, not come down to our level.  God's Word is absolute, take it personally, honor God's Word.  

Adam and Eve / Paradise / Talking Snake

It always amazes me what people, including myself at times, hold near and dear to their hearts and lives.  Sometimes you don't even know how much or what you have until you decide to move to another location.  All of the sudden, you are overwhelmed by the amount of junk we hung onto and thought that it was worth keeping, even though you haven't seen it in months or even years.  The funny thing is, we keep hanging onto it even after we ask ourselves why we kept it.  Sometimes we hold onto memories whether they be good ones or bad ones thinking that if we let go we would miss out on something or someone.  There's nothing wrong with having memories unless of course they are consuming your life.  And there is nothing wrong with keeping possessions, unless they too are consuming your life.  I read a scripture that says that "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,"  Matthew 6:21.  It's hard to let go of things that control our lives, whether they be material goods, emotional and sentimental memories, experiences that helped shape us into who we are today, etc.  The word of God teaches us to be content no matter where we are in life.  There was a couple in the bible that just couldn't be content with what they had and ended up on the losing end of things.

Adam and Eve were placed in paradise, the perfect garden, Genesis 2:8.  They were given responsibility over the earth and everything that walked, crawled or flew, Genesis 1:26b.  These two had it made, they were to care for a perfect garden, how hard can that be?  They had the authority to do what they wanted with it.  This would be what we today are always striving for, that perfect place where there are no problems of any kind, paradise we only can only dream of right now.  You would think that nothing could disrupt this perfect world.  Nothing could interfere with there utopia world.  Well, there was this snake, a talking snake at that and it approached Eve one day.  But, remember now, who has the dominion or authority over the earth and everything in it?  Adam and Eve did, what they say goes or what they decide to do is in their power.  So, this talking snake, Genesis 3:1 approaches Eve and starts offering something that ended up creating discontent in them.  The snake began to make it sound like God was holding something back from them causing Adam and Eve to begin to doubt God, Genesis 3:1-6.  So, these two humans that God created felt in their heart that they wanted to strike out on their own, and have more than what they already had.  They listened to the serpent's deceit thinking God was holding back, not realizing they already had everything for a perfect life.  There wasn't anything more that would make their life better.  They had it all, they had the power of God at their disposal and the authority to use it.  But, they soon found out that their life was about to change drastically because they thought there was more.  They listened to a lie and instead of having life easy and fulfilling, they chose to disobey God and reach for that one little tidbit more.  Just one more thing that they thought would bring them more happiness, more power, more authority and see things they did not need to see.  

Satan convinced Adam and Eve to be dissatisfied with what they had. Just like Adam and Eve we are being faced with the same temptation's today.  Satan convinces us that their is just one more little tidbit that God is holding out on.  So instead of listening to the Holy Spirit of God, we hear that talking snake whisper in our ears, reach for it, you will be much happier, you will look so much better if you had this in your life, you'll experience such satisfaction if you try this, and on and on it goes. That whisper that the snake did thousands of years ago is still whispering in people ears, "did God really say," Genesis 3:3.  You don't think that Satan can't deceive you if you aren't truly grounded in God's Word?  Think about this for a moment, Satan convinced Adam and Eve to be discontent while they were in the middle of paradise.  This old serpent is sneaky, full of lies and deceit, he knows all the tricks to play to convince you that that one little tidbit more will be worth it.

We live in a fallen world ever since Eve listened to that snake.  How much further has this world fallen since the original fall took place?  How much easier it is for the serpent to offer his lies nowadays than it was in that perfect place.  The scriptures tell us that man's heart is nothing but evil, Genesis 6:5.  In the New Testament we find God telling us through His Apostles that God has already provided a way for mankind to be reconciled back into relationship with Him.  He had already determined that man was going to need to be saved and that there would be only one way for that reconciliation to happen and that was through a blood sacrifice.  A sacrifice that would have to be done not only by a human, but a perfect human and that would end up being God's only begotten Son,  Jesus Christ.  John 3:16 brings to pass what God said in Genesis 3:14-15.  

At one time man was perfect and he was created to live forever.  He had everything he would ever need to sustain him, including the very presence of God in their lives.  That perfection was marred because mankind wanted just a little bit more.  The problem was that to have that little bit more cost them eternal life and that little bit more was a lie from the pit of hell itself.  You see, you cannot perfect that which is perfect, you cannot fill that which is already full.  That little tidbit more, it wasn't more at all, it was less than what they already had.

The world today is constantly whispering in your ear, reach out, take it, it's good for you, it will bring you peace and happiness.  Go ahead and tell that lie and you'll get ahead in life much faster, after all didn't God say you can eat of every tree.  So, we reach out, take that pill, smoke that dope, cuss out your kids and be angry at them, they'll learn better that way.  After all, your wife/husband doesn't really love you, so it's okay to have a quick little affair, what she/he doesn't know won't hurt her/him. Do you see where this leads, one pill leads to another, then something stronger, one affair leads to another, one lie leads to many lies.  I could keep going on, but you get the picture, you don't live in a perfect world and that imperfect world wants you to be just like it.  One more morsel the snake says, nobody will know, it won't hurt you, God didn't really mean it when He said you will surely die.  

If you find yourself falling for the serpents lie's then I want you to know that God provided a way for you.  You must first realize that there is no one perfect, Romans 3:10 says that "that as it is written: there is no one righteous, not even one."   You cannot earn you way back to God by being good or doing good things, Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds of this, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."  You cannot escape the fact that you are a sinner, because no one could ever or ever will live up to God's standard, Romans 3:23 tells us that "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  The only remedy for sin is the sacrifice of God's son, and whether or not you believe in who He is and what He did for you, John 3:16, John 3:36 says; Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.

Well, there it is, Gods offer of salvation, and just like Adam and Eve you have a choice, follow Gods instructions and leave the fruit of the world alone by believing in His Son, or reach out and take that one little morsel more.  Everything the world offers you for peace, joy, satisfaction, and even love is destructive and will never fill the void in you that only God can fill.  The world's offer is only temporary, it lasts as long as that next fix, next pill, next sex partner, that one more material thing, all of which fades away and leaves you wanting more, dissatisfied, hungry for something bigger and better.  Why not try Gods way; "Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty,"  John 6:35.

Yes, we accumulate a lot of junk in our lives, not just material junk, but we accumulate a lot of worldly junk, things that won't last or satisfy our hunger.  The hunger that every human heart has is the hunger for God and a return to relationship with Him.  You have that choice just like Adam and Eve, accept God's offer of love and play by His rules or reach out for that one more small morsel that will ultimately lead to death.  How much junk have you reached out for? The choice is yours.  

If you are tired of your life as it is then you can make a change right now.  You must as the scriptures say, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved," Acts 16:31. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved," Romans 10:9.  We must accept the fact that He not only died for our sins, but He (Christ) was buried and on the third day rose again so that we have hope of eternal life with the Father.  I hope you will make the right choice.

Friends

It has been some time now that I have posted a new message.  I hope this one will be beneficial to you in a way that will not only encourage you, but speak directly to your heart.  I have prayed for the right message to share for quite awhile now and I believe through a course of events, relationship observations and even my own experiences God has shown me what He wants me to share.  I draw from the Word of God on the subject of "Friends."  Take a few moments and see if this pertains to you or maybe someone you may know who is struggling with this very subject.

The very first question that comes to mind is "what is a friend?"  To answer that question we need to look at the definition from a couple of sources.  From the dictionary it states that "a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations."  Well, that seems pretty normal, we have a mutual affection for each other.  In other words we get along with each other and accept each other even when we disagree about something.  These to me are the kind of friends that come and go, as life moves along so does the friendship, it either fades away and new friends are made to take the place of those who are no longer in our lives.  Or, you find that your interest over the years have just grown apart and the friendship becomes more of a memory that you can reflect back on.  This type of friendship is the most common of all and we all have at least one, two or even many of these.  So is there another kind of friend that exists and what role do we play in each others lives?  Lets look at a more spiritual aspect of a friend. For this we need to consult a definition from a well known source, a book that is more popular than any other book, the Holy Bible.

So just how do the scriptures define a friend?  For this we will look specifically at the creator of the gospels, Jesus Christ.  He had a few things that define friends that go far beyond the typical definition.  We'll begin in the gospel of John.  In John 15:14  we see that to be a friend of Christ you must obey His commands.  But why did Christ say it this way?  When we look at the verse in context we find Jesus referring to Himself as a vine and we (those who believe) as branches.  The word friend used in verse 14 comes from the Greek word philos; a friend; someone dearly loved (prized) in a personal, intmate way; a trusted confidant, held dear in a close bond of personal affection.  (Note:  The root (phil-) conveys experiential, personal affection - including experienced-based love.)  So this kind of love is deeper than the normal everyday friendship, this friendship requires a bonding as if grafted into someones life.  You are going to accept this person as one of you if they come along side you and support you, agree with you and you with them.  This is a friendship that will last and not fade away as life moves along its path.  Now, here's a catch to this type of friendship, you or they must have some kind of experience together in order for this friendship to work.  It is not that everyday, "hi how are you" kind of friendship.  This friendship means you have gone through some experiences together, whether good or bad, and still remain close.

In John 15:13 you have Christ giving us even a deeper meaning of this type of love, it's more than just experiencing things together, even more than just sticking together through thick and thin.  Here we see a slight variation of the word Philos.  We see the Greek word Philon, this word actually says that a true friend is one that will lay down his life for their friends.  Friends are people who we come along side of and communicate, walk with, share with, cry and laugh with.  True friends are all those, but go a giant step further, true friends will actually sacrifice everything they have for you no matter your situation, they will even give up their life for you.  Friends are an important part of our lives, without them we are empty and void of relationships, even the shallow kind.  Everybody longs for friendship of one kind or another.  We all long for that one friend that will never leave us, will always be there for us.  It's a little sad when all we can find as a friend are those who come into our lives for a season then are gone.  These friends are those I believe that come into our lives for a purpose and once that purpose is fulfilled they move on to the next person.  We of course do the same, we meet someone, make friends, hang out for awhile, talk, share, and then for some reason we or they are out of each others life. This is not a bad thing, but it doesn't fulfill that longing in our heart for a friend that sticks like glue and never loses touch with you.

So what's the reason for this message?  The reason is that I want people to know that friendship is something that every person needs in their life, whether it be one or many.  We all need a friend. When we know someone is alone and maybe struggling, it should be our desire to come along side and become that persons friend, even if it is just for a season.  When you are alone, what is it that you crave more than anything?  Yes, admit it, you desire friendship and someone to talk to, someone to share your feelings of happiness or sadness, an ear to listen to your concerns.  Friendship is extremely important to the human race.  

I have seen the difference of friendship in a couple of my grandchildren lately.  One who is 14 years old and quite a social oriented person. Friendship to her is important.  She feels lost without being around friends.  She will go out of her way to make friends and do things for them.  She has also felt the sting of supposed friends that caused her a lot of emotional pain, and finding out just who her true friends are.  The other grandchild is not so much a social person, he is almost 13, and has maybe three or so good friends that he enjoys being around.  He has had ups and downs with them but remains as a friend.  The differences of these two show that no matter how many friends that one may have, friends are important to each of us.

I have also seen people that appear to be alone, dining by themselves, sitting on a park bench lost in their thoughts or past memories.  There those that are in a crowd of people who are alone aching for just one friendly smile.  The most hurtful and sad cases that I have observed are those in a church trying to be friendly, yet set alone in the auditorium, go to service alone, shake hands with many people smiling and wishing people well but goes home alone with no invites to a home or just a friendly lunch together. You see the loneliness in their eyes and forced smiles.  It does not speak well of a congregation of people with the love of Christ in their hearts and that love is not extended out to those who long for just a small gesture of friendliness.  NOW, let me say this, not all churches are the same, and not all churches fit what I just described, yet it exists and it shouldn't.

In John 15 Christ talks about being grafted in to Him like a branch is grafted into a vine.  Once grafted in we become part of the vine.  The vine does not become the branch, but the branch becomes part of the vine.  As we study God's word and follow His commands we become part of His family that is grafted into His kingdom or vine.  Christ shows us that we are more valuable than any part of the created universe when He gave His life for us on the cross of Calvary, shedding His blood for us so that we could be forgiven once and for all.  He shed His grace on us by taking the penalty of death upon Himself for us.  He rose again on the third day so that we would have the same resurrection hope of living eternally with Him.  

Yes, friends are most important, but there is a friend that "sticks closer than a brother" as Proverbs 18:24b says.  If you are lacking in earthly friends, and just can't seem to find that special friend, then turn to Christ, He is that friend that not only laid His life down for you, He would do it again if it was necessary.  Thank God, He only had to do it once.  He understands your pain, He understands your aloneness, He understands abandonment, and He understands you.  Give Him a chance in your life, as John 3:16 tells us, He loved us more than anything else.  You do not have to walk the path you are on alone, Christ will walk with you no matter how high, how steep, how low or how flat your path is, He will not leave you or abandon you as orphans, John 14:18.  God loves you so much that "He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life," John 3:16.

Are you lacking in friends, draw close to God and He will draw close to you, He will provide you with friends that are true and will be there for you. Know this, He has provided Himself as a true friend and He will dwell with you in your heart, and He will walk with you no matter where your path leads you.

I cherish your comments and/or your reactions, feel free to leave either or both.

Elijah The Prophets "There"

1 Kings 17:2-4 gives us some insight into Elijah's trust in God and what it means to go to "there."  I would like to examine a portion of Elijah's life for a few moments and see what he did when it came to trusting God.  Sometimes we can miss what God has for us if we are not listening to His instructions. Elijah knew what God told him to do and without hesitation he went.  

The first thing we must understand about Elijah is that he was living in a terrible time to be someone who not only trusted in God but also to be a prophet.  So anything that God was instructing Elijah to do meant that he could well be put in harms way.  There is very little information about Elijah except he comes on the scene in chapter 17 of 1 Kings and that he was a Tishbite which made him an inhabitant of Gilead.  The first indication that he was a man of God is that God instructed him to approach Ahab, king during this time.  King Ahab and his wife Jezebel had been systematically killing all the prophets of the Lord, 1 Kings 18:13.  These two were feeding 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the groves at their expense each day, 1 Kings 18:19.  Their whole objective was to stamp out the worship of the one true God of Israel in favor of the pagan worship of Baal.  So you see, not a good time to be a prophet of the true God of Israel.  The Lord sent Elijah to Ahab to deliver a message of a drought that was soon to come, so Elijah went to Ahab knowing who he was and what could happen, but, Elijah did not waver, he delivered the message and by doing that put the crosshairs of Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel straight on his back.  

Now that the message was delivered, God told Elijah to leave and head eastward, The word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. “It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.”  So Elijah did as he was instructed.  Now, I want you to notice that again Elijah did not hesitate, he went.  We don't know what was going through his mind though.  Maybe he was thinking about Ahab and what he might decide to do.  He could have been contemplating his route to the brook Cherith.  We just aren't told.  What we do know is that God told him that he would provide for him  "there."  Elijah had to know God and who He really was because Elijah did not pack provisions as far as we know.  The brook would provide water for him but God would provide everything else he would need.  So, off went Elijah to this new destination.  We also have to understand that Elijah did not know why he was going, he only knew that God would provide for him.  Elijah also knew that God had spoke His word and that was all that he needed to be courageous to do exactly what God instructed.  Elijah knew that God's word would accomplish the purpose it was sent out to accomplish.  

When we begin to understand the power in God's word we too like Elijah can become bold knowing that His word will bring forth what it was meant for.  We should have nothing to fear when we act on His word by being obedient to what He tells us to do.  In this portion of scripture we also see that God will provide for us.  Sometimes we have to listen to the His instructions and understand what God said.  What did God tell Elijah?  He said to him, go hide yourself by the brook, which would not only be a safe place, but it also provided him with water.  God said He would take care of him being fed.  This was Elijah's next step, to go "there."  Consider this for  a moment, what if Elijah would not have went "there?"  Remember, Ahab was a wicked king and was eliminating Gods prophets.  Chances are Elijah would have been the next one.  So Elijah took his next step following Gods instructions. Put yourself in his place, you are called by God to do something for Him and all you have is Gods word to go "there" and he will provide for you.  You may not want to do that, like must people you may try to figure out just how you are going to get there and how you are going take care of yourself and your family.  If we don't pay attention to Gods instructions and follow them then we may well miss out on His blessings.  Elijah knew God well enough to know that God would not let him down.  God told him He would provide "there."  We may not know the next step until we take the first one.  We may not understand why we are going "there' or understand how God is going to take care of us once we are "there."  God does not or should I dare to say, will not provide us with the next step until we reach the first "there" where His promised provisions are.

Look at how God told Elijah He would provide; “It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.”  If I was Elijah I would be a little hesitant as to Gods ways.  Really Lord, your going to have some birds provide for me, not only that, unclean birds? Elijah didn't blink an eye, he headed for the brook.  Today we have allowed the world to intimidate us and question the word that God has given us.  I mean ravens are going to feed me, that's not natural and does God really tell ravens what to do?  Let me consult my pastor or someone who understands these things.  There's nothing wrong with seeking counsel but in the end we must know that God has spoken and that is what we must do.  If Elijah had chosen not to go who would complete the next step that God had planned out.  Elijah went, and he stayed by the brook until it dried up, which from the time he arrived and the time God told him to go was around three years, 1 Kings 18:1.  He had not had another word from God all the while he was "there."  Elijah knew the brook would soon dry up because he told Ahab there was going to be drought for a few years.  Also, while Elijah was "there" I'm sure he could see the brook getting lower and lower until there was no water left.  Before Elijah was told to leave something happened that should open the eyes of every believer.  The woman who helped Elijah had lost her son.  She could not believe that this tragedy would befall her.  So Elijah prayed and raised the boy back to life.  God answered this prophets request.  Just another shadow or type of Christ's death burial and resurrection. Now that the water was gone God spoke again to Elijah telling him to go back to Ahab and tell him that He was going to send rain.  

When Elijah was headed for Ahab to present himself to the king, he meant Obadiah who was Ahab's palace administrator, and, Obadiah was also one who believed in the one true God, the God of Israel.  Ahab had sent him out on a mission to find food for the horses.  This is where Elijah and Obadiah met.  This is where we learn that Ahab had been searching far and wide for Elijah ever since the drought began: 1 Kings 18:9-14 “What have I done wrong,” asked Obadiah, “that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. But now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ I don’t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth. Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!”  From the point that Elijah returned to present himself to Ahab Elijah went with confidence in Gods word.  He never doubted what God had told him or did he waver in telling Gods word to those who were to hear it.  Now that he meant Ahab, Elijah spoke against the evil king and told him that he was the troublemaker of Israel and that he brought the drought on the land by not only worshiping Baal but causing the people of Israel to follow his lead, 1 Kings 18:18.  From there, Elijah put Gods word out for all to hear and see.  He challenged the people of Israel to make a choice and stop wavering between Baal and the God of Israel.  Elijah had full confidence in what God would do.  Elijah knew he operated under the power of the true, living God. Look at this portion of 1 Kings 18:18-29 where Elijah made a mockery out of the so called god Baal. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing. Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.” Then all the people said, “What you say is good.” Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.  At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.  There was absolutely nothing political correct about this, Elijah not only spoke out against the false god, he mocked its worshippers and made fun of Baal.  A lesson we all need today.  God is still the one true God and He never wavers on His word.  Once God speaks His word it will accomplish that which it is sent out to do.  This demonstration or should I say manifestation of His word is what should be following every believer today.  Read Matthew 10:7-8 and let it soak in; As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.  This is the same God of Israel that Elijah trusted.  It is the same message we carry.  Notice in this verse who's responsibility it is to carry the message and who's responsibility it is to heal the sick, raise the dead, etc.  It is not God's responsibility to do these things, it is ours.  God placed His power in us, the same power that raised His son Jesus Christ from the dead, dwells in us.  He also gave us the authority to use this power, so if it is not getting done, then we are not going to "there" where God has been trying to get us to go.  As Elijah went with boldness wherever he went, His boldness came in the form of Gods word which has proven true throughout history.  It has never changed and never will.  Is God sending you to "there" with a message or a mission?? 

You cannot stand back and expect God to provide you with everything where you are when He said He would provide for you "there."  If we as believers are not willing to take the first step towards "there" then we cannot expect anything else to happen.  The first step is crucial in our walk towards Gods command.  Do you want to see the the sick healed, demons cast out, the blind to see, then you must in faith stretch out your hand and speak God's word into that person believing that God will deliver and His WORD will accomplish that which it was sent out to do.  

Isaiah 55:10-12; 

As the rain and the snow 

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

      and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands.

Is this what you would desire in your life, to see Gods word active and alive in you accomplishing that which it was meant to do?  Then be bold like Elijah and step out in the faith that was placed in you, believe what God's word says and deliver the message that is burning in your heart.

  

Freedom in Christ

Freedom, a much sought after way of life rings loud in the news media and merits bold headlines in the newspapers.  Here in the United States and other free nations we live in societies that experience freedom on a daily basis.  In fact it would be safe to say that countries such as the United States have lived in freedom for a long enough time that we have become so accustomed to it that we take our freedom for granted.  We really do not give freedom much of a thought until we find that a piece of our freedom is in jeopardy of being taken away.  Lets examine freedom for a moment and see just what it is that we all seem to want so much .


I would not be far off in saying that if those of us that have not experienced the lack of freedom do not really know what it is like to live in a country where freedom is not allowed.  We do not really know the emotions of the people who have to live under a dictator that rules with an iron fist, where people live in poverty because the governing forces take from them to support the interest of the government.  Where people cannot express themselves openly except to agree with the government.  We who live in freedom have the freedom of the press, can voice our opinions and openly disagree with our government.  In countries that live under a dictator or in a military style government most likely do not have the freedom of religion.  The religion is what the government allows, or those in authority say the religion is.  If you do not practice their religion you could well be punished by imprisonment, tortured, beaten or any other form of controlling discipline.  


So just what is freedom then?  What does it really mean to be free?  Look at the definition from an on-line dictionary: The state of being free: such as, (a) : the power to do what you want to do : the ability to move or act freely.  (For the rest of the definition just click on the blue link.)  The basic of being free is to do what you want when you want.  This is the reason you find in the Mid-East countries today a rebellion taking place, the people are fed up with the oppression of a dictatorial government.  They are tired of the ruling authority taking from them and telling them what to say, what to believe or where they can go.  Freedom is a basic need in all people, yet a large portion of the worlds countries do not live in freedom.  When you look into the conditions that most of these people live in, you begin to realize just how oppressed the governments have kept their people.  Listen to the news, read the papers and look into these conditions and you will begin to realize just how desperate the people of these countries are.  Freedom is a driving force in a person's soul that cannot be kept in prison forever.  


What is sad in all countries of the world is that no matter how free one thinks they are, no matter if the oppressed gain freedom from their government's, their is a freedom that still eludes every person that is born into this world.  The fact is that we are all born into this world enslaved to an oppressor.  Even those that live in what would be termed a free country, are not truly free until they find the true source of freedom.  


What will happen when the mid-east countries do gain their freedom?  Will they experience freedom as the already free countries do?  Will their pursuit of freedom be short lived and come under a more harsh dictatorial regime?  These questions and many more need to be answered in order to put in place a system that guarantee's their freedom.  If these countries do gain freedom, and I hope they do, set up a government that will maintain the people's freedom, will they truly be free?


There is only one source of true freedom that will set each individual free in this world today, and that is the freedom we find in Jesus Christ.  I realize that most of these countries are of the muslim religion and have a different view from other religion's, but it does not change the truth about Christ and the freedom each will find in Him.  According to the Holy Scriptures, or God's Word, true freedom comes through Jesus Christ.  His Father, God, sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem man back to Him by the shedding of His blood as the ultimate sacrifice for our rebellion against God our Heavenly Father.  It is through the shedding of blood that our sins have been forgiven.  Without the forgiveness of our sins there is no freedom.  We will remain a slave to the oppressor of this world and continue to live in a depraved state.  We are all sinners when we come into this world and are a slave to sin until we are set free through Christ.  Lets take a look at some of the scriptures that talk about the freedom we have in Christ.


First of all we need to realize that every person born into this world is born with a sin nature and we are a slave to sin.  Look at  Romans 3:9-19, Paul is referring to both Jews and Gentiles when he says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  The law was given to show us just how sinful we are, it removes all of our excuses when we sin.  You and I must realize that we cannot avoid sin because we live in a fallen state.  The law was given not to live up to and hope to achieve perfection, the law was given to show how imperfect we are and that nothing we can do will bring us back into the presence of God.  Sin or rebellion separates us from God.  We became slaves to sin when man's first act of rebellion allowed sin to become part of our nature.  Paul, speaking to the Galatian's emphasis's that "Christ has truly set us free.  Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law," Galatian's 5:1.


First and foremost we must realize that we all are born into slavery to sin.  Even if all the nations of this world gained there freedom from oppressive government's and the people were free to come and go where ever they desired, and everyone could be free to have whatever religion they could come up with, there still is a master that controls us until we find true freedom through God's Son, Jesus Christ.  Paul was simply telling the Galatian's that you cannot live by the law and expect to become righteous.  There isn't anything that anybody can do as far as doing good or living by the letter of the law that will set you free from being enslaved to sin.  James speaking to Jewish Christians living in Gentile communities outside Palestine said this about living by the law: "For the person who keeps all of the law except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws," James 2:10.  So what is one to do if they cannot achieve a righteous state by following the rules or doing good?  Christ in His teachings stated this to His audience, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free," John 8:31-32.  Consider what Christ went on to say to those around Him at the time.  He made a definite distinction between who His father was and those who sin.  Read the following scriptures to see how sin is the master of human nature, which makes those who sin a slave to sin.  John 8:31-47 makes it clear that when we sin we cannot claim God as our Father.  Living in a free country does offer you a better life, free from tyranny, freedom of religion, and many other benefits, but no matter how free one's country becomes, you cannot be truly free until you are free from the control of sin.  Being free from this master through Jesus Christ means that you can live in a state of freedom even in a country that is not free.  Being free from guilt and shame is far more liberating than having our freedom from tyrants.  Yes, life would be easier and choices would be better, but to be completely free is the place one should strive for.  


When Christ came and lived among us, He came to set us free from our captor, sin.  He did not come to set us free from tyrants and and evil men.  Even though man can persecute the believer and even take your physical life, one thing is for sure, they cannot destroy your spirit.  Look at what Christ says in Matthew 10:28, "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul.  Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell."  Luke describes this a little differently, it says the same thing, but shows us that we need not fear death if we are truly free through Christ.  Here is how Luke 12:4-5 describes our position in this world; "Dear friends, don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that.  But I tell you whom to fear.  Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell.  Yes, He's the one to fear." "True Freedom" is knowing that you have been set free from sins control.  You must realize this one important aspect about your life;  you are not what you see in the mirror, you are more than just a physical being, you are a spirit created in the image of God the Father but sin has separated you from God the Father.  He sent His Son Jesus Christ to set you free from the burden of the law, or sin.  Through Jesus Christ you have been given access back into the presence of your Heavenly Father, free from the clutch's of sin's grasp, the shackles that have you bound will be broken because the Blood of Christ paid the full price for your redemption.  There is absolutely nothing you can do to gain your own freedom except invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior.  This is true freedom, no matter what your physical condition may be in, your relationship with the Heavenly Father will be restored when you put your trust into His Son.  


If you have not put your trust into God's Son, Jesus Christ, now would be a good time to do it.  You will need to submit to God and surrender your will to Him.  You do this by believing in God's Son and asking Him to take control of your life.  Just bow your head and say this simple prayer; Father, God, I am a sinner according to your word, I am a lost soul in need of salvation, I believe Jesus Christ is your only Son and He is the Lord and Master of all.  I accept Him as my redeemer and as my Lord. Forgive me of my sins and create in me a new heart filled with your Spirit.  Thank you for saving me and giving me a new life, Amen.  Jesus said that "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me."
If you prayed this prayer and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, then from this point on you are now a new creation.  From this moment on, live for Him and receive the love that He has for you.  This is the true freedom that you seek, no matter where you are in this world, no matter what state you find yourself in, you are His and you are free. Read and study God's word, you will not regret it.


If you are already a believer, one who believes in Jesus Christ as God's only Son, and find yourself struggling with sin in your life, confess your sins to God and return to following the Word of God.  Find a fellow believer and tell them that you are struggling and need their support and prayers.  God will help you to find your way and return to the path He set before you. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us that we are to; "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."  In doing this you will once again find the peace that passes all your understanding.  Don't allow sin to win out.  You have choices because God gave you a free will.  You can continue down a path that keeps you enslaved or you can choose to take the path that brings you freedom from sin.  In Proverbs 3:7, we are told not to be impressed with our own wisdom, but instead, "fear the Lord and turn away from evil."


These are choices we all can make whether we live in a free country or a country that is not free.  The choice is yours to make a decision to follow the one who can set you free from the shackles that have you bound.  


May the God of peace set you free and bring you a life free of sin and guilt.