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Freedom From the Shackles of Enslavement!

Some people strive to climb higher than those around them, and are willing to go to great lengths to attain a better position, recognition, validation, or even possibly a better view. Some people try hard to be everything to everyone, hoping to gain favoritism and reward.

Nonetheless, nothing is wrong with pursuing your rightful dreams and goals, but if anything gets in the way of God’s will for your life, then you will be imprisoned in the bondage of your own choices. Living a life where you always try to please everyone is a recipe for stress, misery and frustration—it can be exhausting. 

Questions we may consider: Could our desire for love be linked to a lack of self-confidence, or is it because of our natural kindness and caring personality that we crave love and respect in return as we give to others? Or could it be that we chase recognition and rewards because of our intellect and sagacity?

In any case, first, we are not responsible for anyone’s happiness. Second, our ultimate rewards stem from obeying God’s will. God never intended for you and me to be trapped in servitude—to satisfy everyone, or our selfish desire. No, He wants us to release ourselves from the binds of enslavement.

In terms of spirituality, freedom is nonexistent for everyone. We are bound by sin or bound by righteousness. Our own efforts cannot free us if habitual sin enslaves us. We can only achieve it by surrendering ourselves to God through faith. Some individuals may argue that they don’t commit sins and, consequently, they aren’t in bondage to sin. That is a great thought, but in reality, we all seek freedom. We might be slaves to things that we don’t consider being sin. We may hold on to fears, past hurts, negative self-image, or obsessions with things, which trap us and steal our peace. Then we find ourselves locked up inside of a cage which we built with the help of our own sinful nature.

As for the achievements, recognitions, and validations from the world, I like the way Beth Moore said it: “You don’t need to be known by the world. You are known by the one who made the world.”

This brings us to God’s never-ending love, which enables us to break free from enslavement. Our God-given freedom doesn’t require us to look elsewhere based on the evidence we have at hand:

Because Christ gave His life to set us free, and it was costly.

Because as soon as we let go of what holds us back and live our blood-bought freedom in Christ, we will automatically be released from servitude.

Because we are shaped by God, our yearning for freedom is a God-given trait. 

For these reasons: We must be cautious and mindful of our way of life because our freedom in Christ draws the attention of those nearby who crave freedom.

A friendly reminder: When you feel you’re being pressured to become someone the world wants, don’t forget to trust in your faith in Christ to deal with those false desires and thoughts, in which the solid pillars of evidence strongly support your faith.

Galatians 5:1

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter that begins the Holy Week. It is the day that we remember and celebrate the day Jesus entered Jerusalem as Savior and King. 

Though Jesus had been to Jerusalem several times to celebrate the three pilgrimage festivals, his final entry into Jerusalem had a special meaning. He was solemnly entering as a humble King of peace. Traditionally, entering the city on a donkey symbolizes arrival in peace, rather than as a war-waging king arriving on a horse. Thus showing his meekness and humility, he used the donkey to connect with the common people.  

As Jesus rode a donkey into the town of Jerusalem a large crowd gathered and laid palm branches and their cloaks across the road, giving Jesus royal treatment. The hundreds of people shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 

Debbie McDaniel wrote about the significance of Palm Sunday,

“On the heels of Palm Sunday, as we begin this Holy Week, may we constantly be reminded of its significance and value for our lives today. That very important day in history, when Jesus began His journey towards the cross.

Yet maybe in the midst of busy lives, on the heels of Spring Break, or in all of the upcoming thoughts about Easter, the real meaning of it may, even unintentionally, get missed.

His Word reveals such great truths in every part of this story. Truths that draw us closer towards Christ, reminding us that He alone is King.”  

With the knowledge of the “Truth”, we’re celebrating the upcoming, and the most important holy holiday “Easter”  with the reminder of Christ Jesus’ resurrection, and the rebirth of many souls.🕊️🤍

#Happy Holy Week!

Have you ever done anything without asking God what He thinks of your plans, and then regretted not asking for His permission? I have, and I’m sure you have too. Possibly it’s fear, or even pride which causes us to choose our path instead of pausing for a moment and talking it over with God, or waiting for a little longer for God’s direction. 

Often we think our way is the right way. We don’t ask permission before doing something because we fear we might be told not to do it. So we recklessly move forward and hope for the best. When we come out of this period of disobedience, and realize we have done something wrong, we might try to justify our actions and motives. Later we may end up spending time apologizing and trying to compensate (with sacrifices and good deeds).  

At times, we think it’s easier to give a quick sacrifice than to be obedient to the Will of God.

Unfortunately sacrifice will not correct our way out of disobedience. Seeking God is always the first step. He hasn’t moved, it’s always us moving ahead from Him and His Will, or staying stuck in the past. Either way He wants our submission to His Will.  He always lovingly takes us back and gets us right with Him. We will hear God say, “No, I don’t need your offering. I want your obedience to my Will”.

Recently God has been teaching me big lessons about being obedient to what He has already asked me to do, instead of giving a quick sacrifice (my time, spare money, gifts, or to serve…).

God hasn’t revoked the system of sacrifice He had initiated with Moses. Instead, God is calling for sincere faith and devotion. In Isaiah 1:10-14, the leaders were carefully making traditional sacrifices and offering at a holy celebration, but they were still unfaithful to God in their hearts and behaving wrongfully. Sacrifices were to be an outward sign of their inward faith in God, but the outward signs became empty because no inward faith existed. Although the people did not feel sorry for their sin, they continued to offer sacrifices for forgiveness. In other words, their stubbornness and ignorance brought them to a place where submitting to the Will of God was often more difficult than kneeling at an altar and asking for mercy. 

They thought, if God loves to forgive, why not give him more to forgive? If forgiveness is guaranteed, do we have the freedom to sin as much as we want? In Romans 6:1-2 Paul’s answer is— By no means! Such an attitude shows that a person does not understand the seriousness of sin. God‘s forgiveness does not make sin less serious; Jesus died in our place and He paid for our sin with His life so we could be forgiven. The availability of God‘s mercy—forgiveness must not become an excuse for careless living and moral failure. 

God longs for people who have a heart to obey Him and remain in relationship with Him. It was never His intention for people to choose their own path and then run to the altar, giving a sacrifice to gain forgiveness for their sins.

When you desire to obey God, not only He will be pleased with you, but He will do what He has promised in His Word: 1- His name will be glorified. 2- Your life will be blessed and your relationship will be affirmed with Him. 3- The hearts of others will turn to God by seeing the changes in you and the blessings in your life. 

The bottom line is: Gifts and sacrifices mean nothing to God when they come from someone with a dishonest heart. God wants us to love Him, trust Him, and turn from our sin. Then He can truly be pleased with our “sacrifices” of time, money or service.  

Nevertheless, God is full of grace. He’s quick to extend His mercy and is waiting to forgive us, if we will only approach Him and ask for it. That doesn’t mean that we may continue in sin. If we want the full blessings God intends for us, we must deny our own desires and yield to His authority. Remember obedience requires hard work and effort. 

So, when Jesus says, “Go and sin no more,” He is not expecting us to leave our sinful nature behind and never be tempted again. He is telling us to say no to the sin that dwells within and stop the desire from being conceived; stop the temptation from becoming sin. (John 8:11)

He means that we should deny the thoughts and desires that tempt and entice us.

There’s a place where many people have never gone. If you have ever journeyed to a new and unexplored destination, you might be surprised at what you find when you reach it. Some people arrive and don’t see much. Others come, but don’t like what they see, and never return. In one episode of “Avoiding a Shallow Life”, Pastor Colin talks about why only a few people come to know this place well. This place is: the inside of who we are. For some of us it can be intimidating to visit this place, to get to know ourselves. We avoid it at all costs, out of fear that we might not like what we see.

How can we get to know ourselves? If we don’t like what we see, what can we do to preserve our secret self (our soul) from falling deeper into despair?

What can we do to save our soul? If we gain the whole world, but then lose our soul, what will we ultimately obtain? One day God will give us a new body, but right now, in this life, His focus is on our soul. His very goal is to save our souls. So, clearly it is important to know what’s going on in our souls. The soul is the very center of the action that really counts in this life. We need wisdom and discernment to get to know ourselves. Colin Smith says, “True wisdom—all the wisdom you need in life boils down to two basic things. One is to know God and the other is to know yourself. And here is the catch; you can’t know one without the other. You’re made in His image.  If you’re made in the image of someone you don’t know, how can you know yourself?  And in the same way, if you don’t know yourself, then how can you know God? For this reason, if you’re away from the truth, you can’t come to God.”

The Word of God tells us repeatedly to guard our souls. Our soul is always under the attack of the enemy; there is a battle going on against our souls, and the soul goes through different conditions and experiences.

How do we manage “guarding our souls” without pushing the good things in life away?

Our emotions and feelings can overwhelm us at times. But fortunately, God has given us the answer in the Bible. Wisdom evaluates our “Why, How, and Where”. The book of Proverbs and Psalms of David in the Bible are filled with knowledge of good judgment, insight, and common sense.

[Proverbs 4:23-27] clearly warns us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.”

When we surrender to God, He is gracious to save our soul, and If we keep practicing what God says, we will slowly and surely find ourselves standing in a better place than where we stood yesterday. The practice of getting to know yourself and God in your tough journey may be a scary, slow walk of faith, but as it has been said, “No matter how hard the truth may be, kneel down and listen to the heartbeat of God. Then, and only then, can you gently hear from the house of love into the house of fear, from God’s sanctuary into the depth of your being. After you embrace His love, then you can speak to others from that place.”

It is intimidating for some of us to know who we are. We try to avoid knowing God, whom we do not allow ourselves to hear. But if we take a look at the itinerary, the route of our migration to that place where “our soul” resides, we are able to get to know the One who created us in His image. We will come to understand our journey in life – A life free from enslavement to sin, and a life lived in peace with self, God, and others.

Let us encourage one another in our calling to be the unique image bearer of God that we were created to be in as we journey…

As we look at today’s culture where people give themselves to vainglory—empty ostentation, flattery becomes the language of their survival. We pray continuously for our children’s wellbeing. We ask for protection from a world that rewards self-promotion, and prioritizes self-focus over valuing the needs of others. As parents we teach our children the true meaning of love and moral values in life from a very young age. Nevertheless, the temptations and the trends of this world may be distracting them.

It is hard to convince them—whether they’re your children, friends or family members, because in the world, evil is being called “good” and good is being called “evil” by the culture. Everything seems upside down. What hope is there for our children when this is the world in which they are growing up? This is the burden that gives birth to a parent’s fear. 

Colin Smith says in one of his teachings regarding “How to pray when you fear for your Children”, and what our children are facing today. 

“Flattery always becomes the spoken language in a culture where people give themselves to vanity. Flattery is saying only what other people want to hear, and hearing only what you want other people to say. Flattery is one of Satan’s brands of deception. If you only hear what you want other people to say, then you end up not being able to see the light of God’s Word. This desire for flattery runs deep.”

Children want to be affirmed constantly. They build up a little world in which they seek out people who say what they want to hear. They become more and more preoccupied with themselves. Their eyes grow dim, and the more they are affirmed by others, the less they see the truth. 

When the desire for flattery is fed, it soon becomes a powerful addiction. A person ends up locked in a prison of oneself, incapable of hearing anything other than the smooth talk of affirmation. As with any other addiction, they can never get enough. The more the person is affirmed, the more they feel the need for affirmation.

As parents we get doleful and disappointed when we see the influence of the world, which will even use the Word of God out of context to justify an action. We find it more discouraging when children are unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord. You try to tell them that you’ve lived longer, experienced more than them and have seen much, and though even at times you may have ended up going backwards for a time; you learned what it takes to go forward. You try to save them from causing their own roadblocks, and warn them about the pit of consequence that may result from their actions.

Ultimately, there’s one thing we can do to point them to the light of God (the Gospel)—pray for them. Speaking of myself, I’m not a perfect mom, but I always seek guidance from above. I pray for the awakening of my children’s souls (to be aware and guard their hearts) in this world of desolation. At times I get fearful, and when my prayers ring dull, the Holy Spirit encourages me. I can find the chord again by praying God’s Word. When I pray through the Psalms, I hear God reveal to us His character; who He is, and what He can do when we cannot. At times I feel discouraged, desperate, lonely, completely helpless, and need a fresh view of God. I pray Psalm 139 for myself and my loved ones. I’ve inserted my needs in the last verse of Ps-139 and it has become my daily prayer now.  

O Lord my God, “Search us (my children, my husband, and me), God, and know our hearts; test us and know our anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in us, and lead us in the way everlasting.” [Psalms 139:23c-24 | NIV]

I put all trust in God and never cease praying for them.

“Train children in the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 | NIV)

Think of a time when a crisis arose, and you were unable to do anything or move. It may have felt like your only option was to sit back and do nothing. It’s a tough thing to be kept in the background at a time like that— You may recall a sense of helplessness and disappointment which pervaded the experience.

Some of us are sent to the frontline, some of us are sitting in the mid-way, while others are standing in the back. Indeed some of us totally miss the mark—and are clueless as to what’s happening. Whenever you are in a difficult season of life: sickness, financial difficulties, toxic relationships, death of loved ones, etc… You may be feeling hurt and crushed. Where do you go? And who is there to hear you?

In times of crisis, and distress, do you feel called to work even harder to find out how you can stop the ongoing suffering of a particular situation? What if you suddenly realize that the situation is completely out of your control? What if you have no other choice but to watch and wait?

A great example is when Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane with his disciples the night before his crucifixion (an unjust punishment for the sin of others). And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” Matt 26:36

Jesus knew what was going to happen on the next day, and he was in great distress. But he asked his disciples to “Sit here and wait”. Prior to that, all the disciples declared that they would die before disowning Jesus. A few hours later however, they all scattered. Talk is cheap, right? It is easy to say we are devoted to God, but our claims are meaningful only when they are tested in the crucible of affliction.

You may be wondering if your faith is strong enough to stand up under intense trials.

I have asked myself the question, “How strong is my faith? Would it be able to withstand extreme testing?” When suffering comes our way, there is often no way out except walking through it. In the valley of suffering, despair and bitterness are brewed. But there are characters also built and strengthened. The hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of our life, and we shouldn’t give up so easily on our destiny. The valley of suffering can be fertile ground for soul growth.

Jesus didn’t die for nothing. The Word of God teaches that he knew about the suffering that awaited him at the cross. 

His agony was worse than death because he was going to pay for the sins of all who are separated from God. The sinless Son of God took our sins upon himself to save us from suffering and separation from our God the Father. Everything happened according to God’s plan, and on that first Easter, Jesus rose again. Whoever believes in his death on the cross and his resurrection, will have lasting life.

His prayer in those hours reaffirmed his desire to do God’s Will by saying, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matt 26: 39

His prayer reveals to us his terrible suffering. In times of suffering people sometimes wish they knew the future, or they wish they could understand the reason for their anguish. Jesus knew what lay ahead of him, and he knew the reason for it. Even so, his struggle was intense— more wrenching than any struggle we will ever have to face.

The question is for us: What does it take to be able to say “As you will, Lord”? 

It takes firm trust in God‘s plan and purpose; it takes prayer and obedience each step of the way…

I used to think I could handle anything, believing I was strong enough to take care of any hardships… yeah, right!

Oh boy, did God teach me some hard and painful lessons!

The Lord patiently worked in my life, training me to understand that my self-reliance cannot take me to the finish line.

Self-sufficiency is the enemy when it leads us to believe that we can always do what must be done in our own strength. To prevent this attitude, invite God to provide the power. At times, He may take something away from us to bring to our attention that he is the One who provides strength and direction. We must recognize the danger of fighting in our own strength. We can be confident of victory only if we put our confidence in God and not ourselves.

This is a crucial matter: spiritual blackout, spiritual fugue can be an ongoing problem for us. Sadly, we easily forget Who accomplishes good things on our behalf. Even though we know that God has strategically and divinely orchestrated rescue missions in our past, we tend to quickly forget His kindness and mercy.  

Yes, we do forget, don’t we? 

Why? 

Because sometimes, the size of our ego—our own self-reliance blocks our view, and ends up costing us tremendously. You probably agree with me on this one: Pride forgets, and humility remembers the goodness of God.

Sure, God knows His people and He has blessed us with great gifts and talents accordingly. If we are even reasonably positioned to succeed in a task, we tend to take the credit that rightfully belongs to God. We may even explain it by numbering our accomplishments and experiences, or crediting our genetics. Sadly, we will try to own what belongs to God.

I love how Priscilla Shirer sums it up like this: “While pride, arrogance, and self-reliance incur God’s opposition and will shut the door of His blessings. On the other hand, humility fosters a dependence upon Him, unleashing His power in our lives.”

This is such a great lesson to heed. I had to ask myself, “Is it pride that dims my sight, making me unaware of my weakness?”  I was definitely masking my weakness with self-sufficiency. I was focused on problems and resources, rather than looking at the Lord.

At other times, I am able to come to the place where I may say something like this, “I can’t do this. I’m too weak to do such a task. My resources are inadequate”. God often allows us to be limited and insufficient. Why? So we can lean on Him for understanding and provision. Furthermore, we can admit that we’re not perfect. He is perfect! God minimizes pride and shows His victory. 

Once I recognized that my weakness is the conduit to God’s power and is a Showcase for God’s strength, I dropped to my knees in prayer — repenting and thanking Him for being the source of all blessings in my life. Indeed, I realized that God’s power is perfectly in line with my weakness!

“Our weakness is the key God uses to unlock the door, but even an unlocked door must still be opened. Humility is the knob we grasp that causes the door of God‘s power to be opened wide in our lives.” — Priscilla Shirer 

A truly humble person does not deny the gifts God has given her/him, nor brag about them as if they’re a product of their own making.  Humility is a state of mind in which one puts the needs of others above their own, and never thinks of themselves as better than other people.

Having said that, we should be more vigilant about guarding our humility when we celebrate our strengths, regarding them as gifts from God. Moreover, we shouldn’t look at our weaknesses as repulsive, but as helpful in developing our continued dependence on God.

Keep in mind, pride willfully opposes God. It will result in judgement and will crush you.

Humility says, “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:8-9

Don’t make the mistake of being too proud to not depend on God.

Psalm 103:2 “I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me.”

I recently completed a study written by Priscilla Shirer on the Old Testament Prophet Elijah [Elías/ Ilyās], and I must tell you how Elijah’s narrative and his bold prayers have moved me to the core of my being. I found it so relevant to our modern lives. I would like to share with you what I experienced during this study.

I thought everything in my life was set in order, yet I was unconsciously placing unreasonable expectations upon myself which derailed my emotional stability. I was beating myself up with self- condemnation, disappointment, and regret about my failure to achieve something that GOD NEVER EVEN EXPECTED OF ME.

In that critical moment—when I was most depleted, vulnerable, fatigue, depressed, exhausted, and disappointed, I called out to the Lord, “I have had enough, Lord”.

I was basically giving up. I wanted to stay silent and isolated in my own desert. Then God stepped in and spoke to me. What a moment that was!

It always happens unexpectedly!

I don’t often hear the Lord speaking to me, but when He does, I know with all my heart that it’s Him. Part of the study made references to the verses [Mark 14:3-9]; where Mary of Bethany, Lazarus’s sister took an expensive perfume and, as an act of worship and adoration poured it over Jesus. As it dripped down over His feet, she wiped his feet with her hair. I felt as if I was there, looking at this beautiful scene and marveling.

I found myself on “Mount Sinai” in my own desert, hearing the Lord, my Yahweh, whispering to me…

While I finished reading Mary’s story, I heard the Lord’s whisper in my heart. This is what He said, “Whenever you speak of Me to others, it is as though you are pouring an expensive perfume over Me.” I am unable to describe the extent to which I was overwhelmed by His love at that moment on a Sunday morning. I was in tears and full of admiration.

He  didn’t  rebuke  me,  nor  did  He  ignore  or  discard  me.  Instead,  He  refreshed  me  by  guiding  me  with  loving  steps  toward  the  LIGHT.

It’s a great reminder to me that God is always here—ready and waiting for us—even when circumstances have redirected us or we have foolishly run into a wilderness of our own making.

He simply requested of me not to isolate myself. My greatest gesture of devotion, and my sacrifice—my expensive perfume [Nard] is to tell others about the goodness of God and share His love and His glory.

My Yahweh gave me a sense of freedom regarding my own limitations and humanity.

I’ve realized that God is not mad at me because my body is tired or my mind is frayed or my soul is unusually heavy—not after what I’ve been through, or the difficulties I’ve endured, or when I’m emotionally running on empty.

Moreover, He is not agitated by the limitations of my flesh. Instead, He patiently stands ready to lift me up and teach me the next lesson in life. He nourishes me as I recover from the distress and tension that may be an ongoing part of my daily life.

Now I take a moment to breathe deeply. I’m enjoying the grace and heartfelt affection of my Heavenly Father, who sees all and knows all. Our Yahweh makes sure that even a trip through the wilderness will not be in vain.

So, look for the “Mount Sinai” in your own desert, where God wants to speak to you and refresh your tired soul.

Alright, we get it, we all know our struggles with keeping God’s law. But what are we going to do with this knowledge? How is it possible to fulfill His law and keep our promises to God? Most definitely, we need HOPE to keep ourselves pure.

Our roadmap to living a pure life is found in the Bible—The Ten Commandments. If the Ten Commandments were God’s final words, we would lift our hands and say: ”That’s my struggle…where is the help in that?” There is no one and no way we would be able to fulfill them. If you read the lives of the Prophets, you will find that not even they could fulfill The Ten Commandments—they all fell short of God’s Will, just as we do…

But thank God that He has sent His Son into the world, so that as we come to Him in faith and repentance, He sends His Holy Spirit into our hearts to enable us to live a new life. And what does this new life look like?

Our new life actually begins to fulfill the very law of God. The law of God gives us direction for our lives, and the Holy Spirit of God gives us power to move in that direction. The Ten Commitments highlights our struggles, providing a helpful and reliable guide – from the beginning of our earthly life to the end, and even beyond. It’s the power of the gospel “The Good News”, made possible because of the birth of Christ! In Him we find hope and the ability to move forward.

I remember when I was far from grasping the importance of God’s “truth.” Back then, I just couldn’t see it. I knew that I had no righteousness of my own to approach God’s throne, but didn’t yet understand that He, in His infinite love, had already prepared a way to communicate with me through my Savior, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I studied His Word, I discovered that not only Christians but followers of other religions also agree that Jesus is the Messiah. If we believe that he is the Messiah, then he is the Word of God in human flesh. He is co-eternal and co-existent with God forever. He is the one who is coming again.

John 1:1 says; “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

His birth was confirmation that He is who He claims to be.

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”— a complete life full of purpose (John 10:10).

MERRY CHRISTMAS!