Gaining Freedom

In February 2020, I was a drunk libertarian sitting in my own basement looking down on the folks that weren’t free. I spent my days laughing at folks for their philosophies that kept them shackled to ideas like religion and government while I was shackled to my own love of ideas. I made a lot of enemies and hurt a lot of folks emotionally and probably spiritually. And I thought that somehow, in all of this confusion and mess that I was living within that I was somehow more free than them.

Then came the plague and fear hit. I was afraid because I realized that I was not living as free as I thought. BUT God had a plan to get me free. And that led to me continuing a story decades in the making. A story that led me back to Him and into a relationship as on fire and committed as it was nearly four decades ago.

I was raised in a Pentecostal church. And when I say raised I mean I knew every corner and space in that church. I was also a smart kid. Reading The Bible and knowing the stories was easy for me. I could soak that stuff up like a sponge. When I finally made the decision to become a Christian, I was really on fire for doing what God commanded. And that fire hit a lot of walls. I hit walls when the folks around me were not on the same page with my commitment. I saw a lot of grown ups make ungodly decisions in the church. And then I started to see some cracks in the church and in religion. I saw a lot of the problems BUT no one had provided an explanation that made any sense to me. I was just seeing folks I thought were Christians acting in so many unChristian ways. And that contributed to my spiral out of those church doors, into other churches, into other religions, and then totally out of faith. Probably a typical story all around this world. Folks failed me so I looked at that as God’s failure. So, I decided to fail Him too. And I was really good at failing Him.

When the plague hit and food got scarce and reality became real, I was afraid. Mostly I was afraid because I was living a lie. I was all about freedom and I was nowhere near free. And then my journey began. Or maybe my journey never really stopped. Maybe the setbacks and sidesteps and detours and distractions were there for a reason. Maybe all that diversion into idolatry and destruction were part of His plan. Or maybe it was just me fighting against His plan. One day I will know, however, today I can live with that uncertainty. Because no matter how uncertain my notices were in the past, my motives today are simply to be faithful to Him. I get to daily live in the freedom He has brought into my life.

Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

No King BUT Christ no. 19

“When a human act does not conform to the standard of love, then it is not right, nor good, nor perfect.”

Thomas Aquinas

“‘Do not hate your brother in your heart, but rebuke your neighbor frankly, so that you won’t carry sin because of him. Don’t take vengeance on or bear a grudge against any of your people; rather, love your neighbor as yourself; I am Adonai” (Vayikra (Lev) 19:17-18).

Contemporary Christians like to act like they are the first to be persecuted for their faith. Paul wrote many of his letters in jail awaiting his death for his beliefs. We live in Babylon or Rome or whatever word you want to use for human government. And despite that we are to follow their rules as long as they do not contradict His commandments. So, love your enemy even if it is the government that is your enemy . . . .

Before I renewed my commitment as a Christian a few years ago, I was extremely anti-government. I was involved in libertarian philosophy and put that wisdom on a throne. Today, I don't use any of those worldly political adjectives to describe my beliefs because ultimately I am a Christian. That means I pledge allegiance to King Jesus and that also means I do as He commands . . .

So, either I am faithful to that allegiance or not. We all get a choice. And Romans 13 lines up with loving God and loving neighbor even when I don't like the politics and society and government and laws . . . . I still have to be faithful to The Christ.

“I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels; but if I lack love, I have become merely blaring brass or a cymbal clanging. I may have the gift of prophecy, I may fathom all mysteries, know all things, have all faith — enough to move mountains; but if I lack love, I am nothing. I may give away everything that I own, I may even hand over my body to be burned; but if I lack love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful, not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not gloat over other people’s sins but takes its delight in the truth. Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures. Love never ends; but prophecies will pass, tongues will cease, knowledge will pass. For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial; but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, argued like a child; now that I have become a man, I have finished with childish ways. For now we see obscurely in a mirror, but then it will be face to face. Now I know partly; then I will know fully, just as God has fully known me. But for now, three things last — trust, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love”(1 Corinthians (1 Co) 13:1-13).

Grace and Shalom to your home. The Kingdom of God is now!

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH