Posts Tagged "freedom"

It’s hard for a two-year-old to stay in the boundaries. “I will run in the way of your commandments, when you enlarge my heart!” -Psalm 119:32 There they were, my godson and his friend, two little boys running ’round in the fresh-cut grass with a solid blue sky overhead.  As the sun slowly set behind the house, the kids were laughing and playing, chasing and tackling one another… and getting steadily closer to the edge of the lake. “Boys,” said daddy, “you can play in the yard but don’t go past the shadow.” It was a good idea, one that would give them plenty of room to maneuver but keep them away from danger.  It wasn’t a small yard and the boundary gave them lots of space to play. But they...

 Do you struggle with self-control sometimes? “Older men are to be…self-controlled.  Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior…and so train the young women…to be self-controlled.  Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled…For the grace of God has appeared, training us to live self-controlled…lives.” -Titus 2:2-6, 11-12 (selections) I find it interesting that not only in this chapter but all throughout the book of Titus, Paul urges the people to embrace the discipline of self-control.  It is significant that Titus was a pastor in the city of Crete, a place known for everything but self-control. Surrounded by constant temptation and encouragement to simply “go with what you feel” and...

Have you ever felt “beaten down” by the Bible? “With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.  In the way of Your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.”  -Psalm 119:13-14 I once heard that in Australia (and a few other places) they have a concept called “Tall Poppy Syndrome.”  The idea is that people who stand out too much or upset the status quo should be “cut down to size.” Have you ever seen the Bible used like that, not just as a set of rules, but as a ruler to measure people and beat them down? Certainly, the Law of God serves the needed purpose of bringing conviction, but while that is sometimes necessary, it’s never God’s first choice for His children.  The Psalmist...

NOTE: I wrote this post about six weeks ago as a meditation on Colossians 1:13.  In God’s providence, it came up in the queue to be posted this week, and it seemed an appropriate reminder on Election Day.  May God’s perspective bring you peace, no matter which way the wind blows. -Pastor Phillip   “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son.” -Colossians 1:13 In the modern world we don’t often think of “domains” and “kingdoms.”  Most of us belong to states and nations and tend to have a very individualistic sense of our fate. Yet, the language of Scripture is stark and specific.  In the spiritual world, we are far less autonomous than we...

If the Christian life seems too difficult, maybe you’re working too hard. The Bible is a book filled with stories and word pictures that illustrate deeper truths.  Featured prominently in the storyline are two things, a tower and a tree. The tower of Babel is found in Genesis 11 and in the story, the people say to one another, “Let us make a name for ourselves.” (Genesis 11:4)  They work and strive, gather and build, stack bricks on mortar in a unified effort to achieve greatness… and ultimately fail as God disrupts their efforts. The tree of life is found in Genesis 2 and 3, along with a heartbreaking account of how the people God made and loved chose to rebel against Him and instead welcome death into our world.  Because of this, He...