Freedom

Once there was a Sea Bass named Fin. He lived off the coast of Lewes, Delaware. Fin went to school with all the other fish, loved swimming in the water, and playing water tag. Fin was just a normal fish. However, Fin had one desire, a desire for freedom. Fin would lie awake at night thinking what it would be like to be free from the cold, wet water. He would imagine the pleasure of having sand under his fins, the warm sun on his back, and experiencing the cool ocean sea breezes. “Yes,” he reasoned, “That is true freedom.”

Fin often talked about his desire for freedom with his parents. “Dad, have you ever been out of this annoying water?” “No, God made me a fish, and God made you a fish. God designed you to swim in the water. God’s design always works. So stay in the water, son.” Fin didn’t want to believe his father. “I don’t care what Dad says, I want to be free!” thought Fin.

Eventually, Fin had his chance. He slipped out of his school, and swam relentlessly toward the glistening beach. Each moment his excitement heightened. “I just need to get out of this cold, wet water. This water is bondage. Freedom is being able to do what I want.” Suddenly, Fin was only one wave away; he paused for a moment, and then he rode the wave and shot out onto the beach.

“Yes! Freedom!” He felt unspeakable pleasure as he sensed the sand under his fins, the warm sun on his back, and the cool ocean breezes. “See,” he considered, “Dad was wrong. God was wrong. This is true freedom.” With that, he basked in the searing pleasure of the moment.

But, all was not well. Unexpectedly, Fin felt it getting hard to breathe. The sand that once was so pleasant started to cause a great irritation. Beating down on him was the sun, which he thought would be delightful, but was now making him miserable. The nasty ocean breezes were drying his scales. He tried to swim, but found he couldn’t. All he could do was flop around on the dry, irritating sand. “This is not freedom, this is bondage!” Fin realized.

Longingly, he gazed at the water, “If only I could get back in and experience the energizing, refreshing ocean. He tried and tried, but all his flopping was of no use. He could not return to the water by himself; he needed help. Then, almost instantaneously, he felt the smooth, tender hands of a child lifting him up, and pitching him into the ocean. Finally, Fin realized that true freedom is not freedom to do whatever he wanted, but true freedom is freedom to do what he should do.

So many people, like Fin the Sea Bass, are longing for freedom. They believe that God’s design is somehow keeping them from some great pleasure. From the very beginning, when Satan deceived Eve by saying, “God is not letting you have everything. Look at the fruit; God’s design is restricting your pleasure and freedom.” The problem is that sin’s pleasure is only for a season; it doesn’t last. God’s design does last. Following God’s design is true freedom. So when Satan suggests that the pleasure of lust is freedom, that pride will grant fulfillment, or that bitterness is a right you have, remember the story of Fin the sea bass. Realize that the wages of sin is death, but God is waiting with open hands to throw you back into the vast ocean of True Freedom.

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” ~ John 8:36

A Tool in His Hand

A Tool in His Hand

Words of care go unsaid, and words of kindness go unspoken,

The love that once bound the family together has been broken,

Father, and Mother, Sister and Brother, all have shattered hearts,

The peace that once ruled the home is now all in scattered parts,

Others begin to wonder how this tragedy could have ever taken place,

The family only wishes that the past year could be entirely erased.

=====

Some people tried to keep it from happening, but all attempts were in vain,

Some people talked about it all, others just looked on in pity and shame,

I don’t know what I could do, what help could I even offer to give?

Why should I get involved? People might talk. I have my own life to live,

How could I help? This problem is to hard, it is to complicated to understand,

Yet, here I am God. If you want to use me, I’ll be a tool in your hand.

=====

God sees the family’s problem, and God knows their hurt and their pain,

God loves them still, in spite of it all, He calls them each by their name,

He cares for them, and knows the shame and the guilt that they feel,

He wants to restore the scattered parts, and their shattered hearts He wants to heal,

But who can He use to show them it’s possible? To show them His love is so grand?

Who will bring His peace? Who will be His instrument? Who will be a tool in His hand?

=====

God, I’ll be a vessel for Your use. I’ll be Your instrument. I’ll be a tool in Your hand.

I’ll be a channel for Your Truth and Your Mercy to flow through, like an hourglass with sand,

I’ll need Your help, when I try to help, and I’ll need Your truth and love that you give,

I know the life I live is not my own, for it is in Your life that I live,

I need Your knowledge, and wisdom, to help me understand,

’cause I want to be a tool in Your hand.

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, [and] prepared unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21

What did you get?

Do you remember everything you got for Christmas last year? Two years ago? 5 years ago? Unless you’re a person who records everything in a little book, your answer is probably, “No”. Sure you might remember that candle, or set of screw drivers, but after a while you just kinda forget about the gifts you received. Maybe you said thanks a time or two when you received it, maybe you even sent them a thank you card out of duty, but it is not something you bring up every time you see the person who gave you the gift.

You probably can recall some of those gifts when you were younger, like when you got those socks or that old antique that your parents said you “had to wait ’til you’re older to appreciate”. Do you remember your disinterest? Do you remember how you just tossed the gift aside looking for something better? Maybe just last Christmas you had to act like you were thankful, when on the inside you were thinking, “I really don’t need another pair of fuzzy socks.” You have also probably felt guilt, when you felt you should get a gift for someone because they gave you a gift the year before.

Now I am not going tell you that you just need to appreciate things more, or tell you that if you thought of all the people who would just love a sweater in the shape of a heart, it would be so much easier to be thankful, or that if you would just act like you loved it, you would.

I am, however, going to say, “Don’t do that with God’s gift!” Don’t forget God’s gift in a year or two. Don’t just toss it aside. Don’t look for something more interesting. God did not give it out of duty, but out of love. We didn’t deserve God’s gift. We already have a Scrooge at Christmas, we don’t need one at the Cross.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith;

and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:” ~ Ephesians 2:8

Redemption

They sat there by the city wall, at the close of the day,

This city was their prison now, they would never find the freedom way,

They had fallen for pride, and loved idolatry,

Now the true and only living God has brought them to captivity,

They had fallen asleep in self and sin,

and now they were here, with this city as their prison.

~~~

Hark! Hear the watchman, hear the watchman call,

Publishing peace, salvation, and good tidings for all,

Awake! Awake! Oh, Jerusalem Awake,

God can redeem again, make no mistake,

Shake off the dust, and the gathering dirt of sin,

Put on the garments of righteousness, O daughter of Zion.

~~~

God is reaching down, He has rolled up his sleeve,

Break forth into joy, God’s hand will redeem,

Depart, Depart! And leave this prison,

Walk out through the city’s gates, and from your life of sin,

God will go before you, leading the way,

and He’ll follow up behind you, and beside you stay.

~~~

So break forth into singing, for God reigneth over all,

Have beautiful feet, and bring to others the redemption call,

Be the watchman, and lift up your voice,

Jerusalem sing! Ye waste lands rejoice!

For God’s hand is mighty, and He is able to save,

He came to redeem, and brought redemption when His life He gave.

I Remember

I remember the day that I first laid my eyes on you,

I remember the day that we stood together and said “I do.”

I remember the day that I first held your hand,

And I remember the day that our family began,

I remember your eyes, and I remember your face,

I remember your arms, and your warm embrace,

I remember your love, and I remember your touch,

And I remember you, Oh, I love you so much,

And all through the years you were there by my side,

I remember the times we just sat together and cried,

I remember the meals that you made for me,

I remember the love and the discipline you showed for our family,

I remember your laugh, and I remember your smile,

I remember your hope in the midst of a trial,

You would hug the children and and grandchildren when they came to stay,

and you would wave them goodbye when they went on their way,

I remember the day when you left the bounds of earth,

I still feel the pain, I still feel the hurt,

The family gathered together when they heard of your dying,

and as we remembered the memories we all were crying,

How can I go on? Now that I’m alone?

I will feel all the pain, every time I look at your cold gravestone,

I can no longer wait till you come home to me,

When I wake-up in the morning you won’t be the first person I see,

Yet, I remember that I am not alone, for God is with me here,

I know that I am not alone for God has cast out every fear,

I know that I can go to Him with all my cares,

I can cry out to Him, He will hear my prayers,

And even though we buried you in the sod,

I know you are not there, I know you’re with God,

So if God is with me, and God is with you,

I believe that you and I shall be reunited too.

“…We shall be caught up together, to meet the Lord in the air…” ~ 1 Thess. 4:17

Justifying the Means

We as human beings, especially as Christians, try to justify the means if the result is right. We try to do this even if it contradicts God’s Word. We reason, “But look at what happened as a result!” “See how it turned out in the end!” “Even though it might have been wrong, it all worked out.” We think the means are justifiable because the result is right.

In the Garden of Eden Satan tempted Eve, “You will not die. Your eyes will be opened. You will be like God.” Eve could justify the means, because the result seemed good. She could justify breaking God’s Word, because the result was good.

Abraham justified his lie (the means) in order to save his life. After all, he could not have lots of descendants if he was dead. Sarah would be taken anyway, why not save himself and his descendants and hope Sarah would be able to come with him after a while. As it happened, things did turn out okay, Abraham lived again with Sarah, no damage was done, except for Abimelech’s loss of respect for Abraham. Abraham justified his lie as a way to procure a good result.

A second time Abraham lied in order to save his hide. Abraham had adultery with Hagar in order to have descendants. Isaac followed in his father’s footsteps, justifying the means in order to have a good result. God told Rebekah that the elder would serve the younger, so when she helped Jacob steal the blessing, she justified the means to help God out. David could justify killing Uriah the Hittite because the result was favorable, “We can’t have the people know that their king is an adulterer.” Ultimately, Caiaphas figured it was expedient that one man (Jesus Christ) should die for the people. All these people justified the means, lying, adultery, trickery, and murder, because the result seemed right or necessary.

We feel it is okay to lie in order to protect people, such as the Jews in Nazi Germany. We think it is fine to kill in order to save others or ourselves. We think we are doing right because the result is right, even though the means may be wrong. The righteous lie, and the godly killings, do not exist. It is just us trying to make it seem like doing wrong for the right reason or the right result is okay.

When it come to evangelism, this idea is very prominent. Some religions justify prostitution as way to bring others to their faith. Christians may justify serving alcohol at church so they can preach to the drunkards while they are there. Some churches may try rock music or dancing routines in order to bring people in. “But it works!” they claim. We cannot justify the means because the result is good. Why not have Non-Christian pastors, so, as they are preparing for their next sermon they might be in God’s Word and eventually they might come to Christ.

Satan tries to pollute the Church with the idea that we can do something bad in order to accomplish a good result. We must not justify the means because the result is right or scriptural.

God is still God!

God is still God

By

Caleb R. Martin

 

Winter has ended, and spring has come,

The leaves are green, and bumblebees hum,

The flowers bloom, the grass is green,

The birds sweetly sing, by the laughing stream,

Happiness and bliss, do increase,

Relaxing in God’s grace, His joy, and peace.

 

And God’s still God, He is still the same,

God is still God, He still lives up to His name,

When there is peace and joy and rest, He still is there,

When there is beauty, love, and happiness, He still does care,

So on the mountain high, or the valley low,

God is still God, no matter where I go,

 

Summer fades, and the green leaves turn brown,

Rain clouds come, the thunder sounds,

The battle’s hard, the way is rough,

The pain is sharp, and the going’s tough,

Struggling hard, fighting for air,

Muscles ache, and things don’t seem fair,

 

 

Yet, God’s still God, He is still the same,

God is still God, He still lives up to His name,

When daylight runs, and nighttime comes, He still is there,

When smooth turns hard, and hope is marred, He still does care,

So on the mountain high, or the valley low,

God is still God, no matter where I go,

 

So whether, winter or spring, sunny or rain,

Mountain or valley, healthy or pain,

If the way is soft, or the way is rough,

His love is steadfast, His grace is enough,

Though my circumstance always seem to change,

God is still God, He is always the same,

 

Yes, God’s still God, He is still the same,

God is still God, He still lives up to His name,

If I’m happy or sad, forgiving or mad, God is still there,

He is still open for business, He is still reaching out, He still does care,

So on the mountain high, or the valley low,

God is still God, no matter where I go.

 

The Chase

 

“But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;” Acts 17:5-6

The people in this account are chasing Paul and the other believers. Some may have been chasing to learn more, others may have been chasing to stop them from preaching. Do people chase us? Do they want what we have? Do they want us to stop because they are pricked in their hearts? Are we turning the world upside down? Or right side up? It is time to be more than just a “christian”, it is time to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Right here. Right Now.

~Taken from a conversation with friends

 

 

Stop Living in the Barn

The old man softly sat on the stool, his left arm perched on the hardwood counter top. His gray hair fell gently across his forehead as he casually recalled, “I remember when the gas price was only twelve cents a gallon, and when people sat on their porches and conversed about the events of the day. I recall we had the one neighbor, he was quite a character, his name was Bill Bob. Bill Bob used to sleep in his barn, until he finally built a house. His property consisted of the house in the front, the barn in the back and a little, tiny, pond behind the barn. One thing unique about Bill Bob was he was allergic to mosquitoes, if he got bit by one his face swelled up so it looked more like a basketball with little nose and mouth holes. One night after Bill had built his house he decided to go sleep in the barn again, He trudged out, pink poke-a-dotted blanket in one hand, a pillow in the other, with a couple feathers poking out the one side, and a “I’m a Yankees fan” ball cap pulled down over his eyes. The barn itself was old and rickety, the paint was peeling, the roof was sagging, and pieces of hay were sticking out from between the side boards. Yet, there went Bill Bob to sleep in the barn. The next morning Bill Bob came out of the barn, his face had swollen up two times it’s normal size looking quite like an official NBA basketball. Trudging, Bill Bob slowly went to the doctor, the doctor told him, “You will have to soak your face in chamomile tea for twenty minutes a day for two weeks, and then put some green cream all over your face.” So for the next two weeks Bill Bob sat next to his kitchen table with his face in a dish of chamomile tea and a straw coming out the top so he could breath.

 

Eventually the two weeks were up, and Bill Bob’s face looked normal again. But four days after his swelling had went down, Bill Bob went again to sleep in the barn. The next morning Bill Bob came out looking as swollen as a watermelon, and the process was repeated over again. Two weeks after the second escapade, our family was sitting on our porch talking about the high price of gas, when I spied Bill Bob going out to his barn again, his pink poke-a-dotted blanket in one hand, a pillow in the other with a couple feathers poking out the one side, and a “I’m a Yankees fan” ball cap pulled down over his eyes, I yelled across the lawn to him, “Bill Bob, Why do you keep going to sleep in your barn when your house is so nice?” Bill Bob mumbled, “Cause I like in there.” Sure enough the next morning Bill Bob came out so red it looked like he had just taken a ketchup bath. Bill Bob went to the doctor again, and the doctor looked him strait in the eyes and commanded, “Bill Bob, you must stop living in the barn, Bill Bob, stop living in the barn!”

 

The man gazed again at me and stated, “I will never forget the lesson Bill Bob taught me.”

 

How many of us still are living in sin? Are we still living in the barn? Have we really put on the new man? Have we moved into the new house? Have we torn down the old barn? Are we still trying to sneak back in, and ignoring the drastic consequences for our decisions? Not seeing how foolish we really look. Stop sinning. Put on the new man. Don’t wait. Change can happen, now.

 

Stop living in the barn.

 

The Dryer

Imagine waking up in bed one morning, hearing the birds singing, the leaves rustling, and the sound of your dryer still running. You sit up in bed, “Why is the dryer still running?” somehow due to a malfunction your dryer kept on running all night. You practically leap downstairs, sure that your clothes are now incinerated. Upon arriving at your dryer, you open the door, you see something you can’t believe. Your clothes are all folded and sorted, your whites are off to the one side, there is you towel and wash cloth, and your jeans perched gently of to the other side.

 

The second law of thermodynamics says that all things run down, that things do not get better. This is why your room gets messy, electric cords get tangled, and why your house doesn’t get built on it’s own. However, the second law of thermodynamics can be overturned if energy and intelligence is present. Note: both have to be present, your room will not get cleaner just by putting your dog in there(your dog has energy but not intelligence(no offence to anyone’s dog)), an electric cord will not get untangled by putting it in your dryer, and your house will not built when a tornado goes through a lumber yard. If anything the energy would make the situation worse, which is why the dryer scenario is only possible if someone glued all your clothes together(energy and intelligence).

 

Creationist say the second law of thermodynamics disproves evolution, (and it does) but evolutionist say that the second law only works in a closed system, when no energy is invested. They say that earth is not a closed system, however we have seen from these examples that you need energy and intelligence in order to overcome the the second law of thermodynamics. I would also note that this world is a lot more designed than your clothes being folded, your house being made, or your room getting clean, just look at the chicken or the cow. Yet, evolution is even more impossible because it is more like, “I didn’t even know I had a dryer.” or dryers weren’t even invented. God is the one who made this world and holds it all together. If you can’t make a cow out of nothing, with all of your intelligence it would make sense that the cow came from someone a lot more powerful than you, God. Comparing God’s power to ours “is like comparing the Sun to a flashlight with no batteries.” ~ Ray Comfort. Why believe in evolution? Because it is a worldview that excludes the possibility that there are consequences for your sin. Go to  http://www.needgod.com/