This is very good and true.
----- Original Message -----
From: O.Addison Gethers
To: Deaf-blind inspirational life groups ; Christian bible study groups ;
Resting place groups
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 8:57 AM
Subject: {dbilg} Freedom Isn't Free devotional from S F July 28
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Print Article
Print Article
Print Article
Leave a Comment
Freedom Isn't Free
Milan Ford
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to hear Ravi Zacharias, a renown
Christian apologist, speak at an event located right outside of Atlanta,
Georgia.
The purpose of the event was to discuss the power and influence today's media
has on popular culture.
During his 30-40 minute presentation, he made this one incredible statement;
one that will remain with me for quite a while:
"...without TRUTH, education is moved to the skeptical, spirituality is moved
to the mystical, and art is moved to the sensual."
Now more than ever before, we are living in an age where matters of faith and
morality differ from person to person. What has long been considered true
is now (in the eyes of many) debatable, while those things that we have
always believed to be false or in contrast to our faith, are now being adopted
and accepted as cultural norms.
This reversal of truth unfortunately exists within today's Body of Christ as
well.
As a result of our individual and collective life pursuits (money,
relationships, position, etc.), many of us at times have thrown aside the
principles
of our faith to pursue a sense of FREEDOM that is completely void of His
truth. For some odd reason, we have bought into the lie that the freedoms we
want
to experience in Christ as believers, can come about without certain rules
and boundaries.
We have created a generation of believers who now have a longing for the
mystical to occur in their life, rather than embracing the truths behind sowing
and reaping. We want to gain, but refuse any pain associated with it. We want
to earn, but refuse to learn what is necessary to do so.
As believers, we really have this FREEDOM thing all messed up.
Sponsor Ad
Isn't it interesting that the very first time the word "free" is mentioned in
the Bible, God follows it up with a boundary for that freedom to occur:
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and
keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the
garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
- Genesis 2:15-17.
Here we see God from the very beginning, providing mankind with instructions
on how he can flourish FREELY within the garden He provided, along with the
BOUNDARIES he needed to observe in order to live and succeed. While the Bible
is full of these kinds of examples, we can learn even more about how God
wants us to properly balance our freedoms as believers by looking at His
creation.
Take a river for example.
A river is a body of water that is in constant movement, capable of
sustaining life because of a flow of fresh water. Isn't it ironic that free
flowing
rivers are typically surrounding by a variety of boundaries.
Whether they consist of rocks or dry land, these boundaries help keep the
water focused and flowing productively. However, whenever a river exists without
any boundaries, it is no longer a river.
It becomes a swamp.
Today, if you are confused or at times find yourself upset with God because
your life has begun to look like a swampland, rather than a river of living
water, remember this one undeniable TRUTH:
God will never answer prayers that would enable us to live more independently
of Him.
The freedom God provides us as believers to walk in is in fact not free at
all.
It requires boundaries. May we all commit to establishing some today.
Milan Ford
O. Addison Gethers
e-mail address
[email protected]
[email protected]
twitter
URL http//:twitter.com/OAddisonGethers
Messenger contact
window live/msn messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype:
cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
rs
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
