39: 50 Days Freed

For those living in oppression, freedom may seem like a concept way beyond their grasp. For others, the hope of freedom drives them to a place where they will risk everything to escape. We have seen a spike of this in recent years with refugees fleeing countries where they feel that they can no longer be safe. They risk their lives and the lives of their families in a hope that something better is out there.

 

As believers, we were once in the place where we were living in bondage. Many of us live in countries where we have the perceived freedom of faith whereas the choice to believe is not up to the government. But in reality, this freedom of religion is slowly disappearing. As governments work to create new rights and freedoms, many of these go against the very backbone of the Christian faith. To openly oppose these ideas are shifting to become regarded as hate speech. Even in my corner of the world this year the availability of government grants was taken away from those organizations who simply would not check a box stating they were okay with abortion and gender roles. For far too long believers have been silent in their freedom and the enemy is working to keep it that way.

 

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1: 5-8

 

This world is covered in darkness. If you cannot see it just turn on your local news channel.  Go online and see the news that is not be shown on TV. There are things going on that no public news is reporting. Why? Because it scares them, the enemy only wants you to be scared enough to keep away from the truth. If we were to know all the atrocities that were happening it may scare us right towards God. If the truth about Christians standing up for their faith and dying for their faith was made public, it would have many questionings why these men and women would die for their faith. These questions would burn in their hearts until they were answered. The enemy wants the perception that if we do not see it, it must not be happening.

 

God sent Jesus to illuminate the darkness. Jesus told us that when we follow him the power that he had we have, so then we can illuminate the darkness. Jesus said he can to set captives free, then we can help set captives free. We can give them the key to freedom, the key being Jesus, they must choose to accept the key. We can bring them light, they must choose to walk in the light or run away back to the shadows. Freedom is available to every man, woman and child on planet earth. John is very clear in this passage above. We cannot be playing in the darkness and expect to effective in displaying freedom to those around us.  We need to shine brightly with the love of God, standing out practising what we hold in our hearts. A gift is only good when given away.

 

I pray today that whomever this message reaches will experience the love of Jesus. If you are not walking with Jesus then you are in the darkness. This very moment you can change the lighting situation in your life. You can hit the switch and everything can change. Asking Jesus to be the light of your life will not be an easy choice, life may get more difficult, but the freedom you receive outweighs the cost. Jesus died on the cross to forgive the sin that has overwhelmed all mankind, even yours. Simply ask him today to come into your life and forgive you of your sin. If you do this I pray you then tell someone, find another believer and tell them of your decision. If you have no one to tell, share it here with me and the others who will support you and help you find someone to connect with. God Loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. You don’t have to go this alone.

 

Father, someone reading this today needs to hear from you, I ask that you show them the freedom they desire. Some may have done some things that they feel are unforgivable. Show them that you forgave all sins, all evil deeds and love them for who they are. Give them courage today to make the choice to follow you. For those who know you, I pray that they will grow in their faith, let their lights shine brightly on you. Help them to reach others for you even today and that your name is glorified all over this world. Amen

Day 6: 50 Days All In

Darkness and light are used throughout the bible to describe good and evil, God and the enemy and the ways of the world. For us to walk and live all in we need to be able to understand what the darkness is without embracing it.

 

“I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.”

 

John 24:46

 

Here we see Jesus telling his followers that to be all in we Should Not abide in darkness. When I first read this, I get the image of a parent telling their child that the stove or fireplace is hot, you should not touch it. As most parents come to find out that the child doesn’t quite understand and touches it anyway. Why does the child ignore the common-sense warning of their parent? It isn’t because they have a desire to disobey but it is their sense of curiosity and wonder that compels them.

Darkness or sin has become a curiosity or wonder for the believer. Especially for the child born and raised in a Christian home where their parents have raised them to live with standards that run close to the bible. They see what their friends are doing which are opposed to what they have been taught and in their wonder and curiosity, they step out into the darkness, not truly understanding what the ramifications may be. Like the child touching the hot surface, these believers truly don’t understand the consequences of their actions.

But isn’t this world run by the darkness as sin has control since the fall of man back in the garden? How can we not abide in the darkness when it is all around us?

As believers, we have been given freedom from the sin that binds us to this world. It doesn’t exempt us from sin but gives us a freedom to share in the love and light of Jesus. To abide in darkness as Jesus spoke of here could mean accepting it as your way of living. As to say ‘that whoever believes in Me should not accept living in darkness’. We need to realize that we are living in the light that is in Jesus.

We are called by Jesus to be a light in the world. Where does that light that we are called to be come from? Well, Jesus here tells us that He is that light, and if you accepted Jesus into your heart and have given him your all would our earthly body truly be able to contain His light? I think not, so His light would then be shining from us. Of course, this isn’t a spectral light as we know it, but the light is His love. This is what needs to be flowing through us.

So, if we truly want to be living All In, embrace the light that Jesus is. Embrace His love and let His love shine through you into the darkness. We do not nor should not accept living in the darkness any longer. Trust Him he knows what is lurking in the darkness.

 

Father, thank you for sending your light with Your Son. The darkness works to draw us in with desires and curiosities, but we pray for strength to overcome these temptations. Help us to embrace the love and light you have so that we can be hope of others stumbling around in the darkness. Let us be a beacon of Your forgiveness and grace. A lighthouse to the lost as it may be. Let us heed Your warnings to avoid living in the darkness. Holy Spirit, us to reach the lost and hurting people in our neighbourhood. I want to live All in with you. Amen

Day 46: 50 Days of Impact

I had the privilege of seeing Ted DiBiase “The Million Dollar Man” this weekend where he was speaking to a group of men. One point he made was that “We are judged by our obedience and our hearts.” This is so true and fits into todays blog as it is our obedience in being the light and our hearts response to the light that brings us to a relationship with Him. Many will claim to be in the light yet live in the darkness, many are attending your churches.

 

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So, we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”

1 John 1:5-10 NLT

 

Are you living in the light? Are you fellowshipping with other believers? Only on Sunday’s? Do you talk about Jesus outside of church with anyone? Believers or non-believers?

 

We need to be the light, we need to share the light. Jesus said what good are we if we are the light but hide in a bucket? We need to be on a hill, a beacon for those around us to see. We need to be set apart, different. We are all unique in our personalities, which is awesome. Being like Jesus and the light does not change that, it enhances who we are and displays a change in behaviours, attitudes towards certain activities that are contradictory to the light.

 

Don’t hide what you are lighting up. Don’t purposefully be putting yourself into situations which will cause you to sin. Our earthly bodies are still prone to sin and it will happen but remember Jesus promised to cleanse us of our daily transgressions. He will restore us to be the lights we are called to be.

 

We need to share the love of Jesus to those around us, the matter to him so they matter to us. Let us be the light to them.

 

Maybe today your heart isn’t where it should be, or that you never truly had a relationship with God. Jesus is the only way to a relationship with God. Asking him to clean your sin up, removing it completely, committing yourself to following him. Then asking him to help you do a 180 in your life and start living in the light. Find some Christians who will hold you to account, they will guide and mentor you. I encourage you to not delay and make a choice to follow Christ today.

 

Jesus, I want to be the light you have called me to be. Holly Spirit let me burn ever brighter as to reach the people around me. Even at the points where I am just doing my job at work, I want to be someone whose integrity and compassion for people shines through. Burn in my heart that they matter to you so they should matter to me. Amen