Living Free...

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,

who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit

(Romans 8:1, NKJV).

One of the very first Bible verses I learned as a new believer (decades ago!) was Romans 8:1. I read and heard many others, of course, but that one truly jumped out at me, I suppose because as a brand new born-again Christian, I was so freshly aware of all that God had done for me. That He had not only forgiven me but personally paid an unimaginable price to do so still left me in awe—which, of course, is a good thing. We should never cease to be amazed that God willingly gave everything for those of us who deserved nothing.

And yet, to keep that in perspective, I still have to remind myself that His forgiveness is so much greater than any of my sins, failures, or poor choices that required that forgiveness. Somehow I have little problem resolving the fact that His once-for-all sacrifice covers my “B.C.” (before Christ) sins, but I struggle more with my “after Christ” failures. I’m a believer now; I have the Spirit of God living inside me, and I should know better…right?

Right. Yes, I should. And deep down, I do. Still, I must remind myself daily that I am one of God’s “WIPs,”—a Work in Progress—and He’s far from through with me. (Are you as glad about that as I am???) Though I love the familiar (and true) statement that God loves me just the way I am, I also know He loves me too much to leave me that way.

Though I cling to the truth of Romans 8:1, meaning there is NOW no condemnation toward me regardless of my sins and failures, I also need to beware of using that promise as an excuse to stop growing in Christ. Our goal and purpose as believers is to continually draw closer to the Father and become more like Jesus, and we do that through an ongoing yielding of our will to the nudging of the Holy Spirit within us—“not walk[ing] according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” When we do that, the Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are indeed His children and are no longer under condemnation.

If you’re struggling with that today—and we all do at times—ask God’s Spirit to search your heart and show you anything that needs to be confessed or relinquished to God—and then do it. The result will be a heart that KNOWS it is free of condemnation. And, beloved, what could be better than that?

Moving from Fear to Freedom

If you're looking for a great book for individual or group study, Moving from Fear to Freedom by Grace Fox is one of the best. This excellent author will help you go beneath the surface to find the freedom that God has for you...if you'll just take that first step and follow along. You can order a copy and/or learn more about the book and the author by checking out Grace's website at www.gracefox.com. Blessings!

It's Time to "Embrace Your Freedom"--and Become an Effective Christian

Author Susie Larson knows how to speak to hearts. In Embracing Your Freedom, that is exactly what she does, as she cuts through the fluff of everyday life and hones in on the eternal, calling readers to a nobler effort and a more effective witness.

This excellent book shows that when we allow fears, insecurities, shame, guilt, despair, or sinful appetites to control us, we will never break out of our self-imposed prisons and begin to minister Christ's love and freedom to others. And that, as the Bible so clearly points out, is our "reasonable service."

Complete with devotional insights, justice quotes, anecdotes, prayer guidance, and study/reflective questions, Embracing Your Freedom is the perfect discipleship guide for individuals or study groups--any who wish to grow strong and live free in Christ and to pass that freedom and strength to others.

Poor Planning and Emergencies

Poor Planning and Emergencies
Kathi Macias

Having been raised by “old school” parents who believed that choices had consequences—and therefore let me reap them—I tended to raise my children the same way. To this day my youngest son, who is now in his mid-thirties, nods his head and grins when he starts to whine at me about something and I reply with, “Poor planning on your part…”
He knows the rest by heart because he heard it so many times during his growing-up years.
When he goofed off and didn’t finish his homework, then frantically begged me to help him so he could turn it in on time, I replied with, “Poor planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part.”
When he frittered away his weekly allowance the same day he received it and then asked for more a few days later, I’d say, “Poor planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part.”
When he failed to complete his agreed-upon chores and was therefore unable to go out with his friends at the end of the day, he knew better than to ask, for all he would get from me was, “Poor planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part.”
You get the picture. And yes, by today’s standards, my unbending stance may have seemed overly strict. But did Chris learn from it? Absolutely. Not only does he understand that the paycheck he receives this Thursday has to last until next Thursday, but I’ve even heard him pass the “poor planning vs. emergency” advice on to his own children.
Here’s my problem: If a child can learn and benefit from this simple lesson, why can’t a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” do the same? I’m more than slightly disturbed by the fact that “we the people” are being pressured to respond to a so-called emergency that was created by the poor planning of people who are supposed to represent our wishes. It is obvious from every poll in the country that our wishes do not include forking over more of our hard-earned money to those who have already proven themselves to be inept at best, devious and self-serving at worst, and who now ask us to “trust them” yet again.
I feel betrayed. I feel robbed. I feel cheated. No matter how clean and neat the thugs may appear, they are cleaning our clock—and it’s wrong. Yes, we plan to fire many of them as soon as we are able, but how many more of our God-given liberties will they wrest from us in the meantime?
First and foremost I am praying for our nation, including its leaders and regardless of their party affiliation. But I am praying for “we the people” too, that even as we “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God,” we will also follow in the courageous and uncompromising footsteps of those who went before us and paid such a heavy price to ensure the freedoms we enjoy today.
If you, like me, consider yourself part of “we the people,” I hope you are praying with me for our great land. I hope too that you will stand with me and declare to those whose actions threaten our children’s future, “Poor planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on my part.”
It is time for the government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” to listen to the people’s voices, to move slowly and cautiously, and to commit only to those actions that will preserve our future as a nation. Our officials have taken an oath to “preserve, protect, and defend” the Constitution of the United States; it is time we held their feet to the fire and insist they follow through!

A Salute to the Veterans!

Just taking a minute to thank our veterans (my husband included!) for their service to our country. This is the land of the free because it is also the home of the brave. We appreciate you!