He brought us home, he paid the price
Free, we are free... paid with blood by the lamb of God - Jesus. He was our ultimate sacrifice, freeing us from the laws of sin and death. Nothing could stop him, nothing could get in his way. Because of his courage - we are free. God didn't free us so that we would chain ourselves into service for him, God set us free so that we could become rulers in the kingdom that he has created here on earth. Become like minded with the mind of Christ and you can see what I mean. We were prisoners because of the fall of Adam, but Jesus came to our rescue. We are kings and queens in the court of the most high God - and he is calling us to rule with him - not to be ruled by the earth. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened by the yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1. Have you ever seen a picture of early farming? How the Oxen carry upon their necks a yoke, chained up and reigned, held by the one directing them as they plowed the hard rocky soil? The weight of burden carried around their necks as they pull and stress against the ground to do as their master commands. Is this how you are living out your faith? As a martyred, miserable, exhausted christian? Beaten down by "ministry" and dry in your bones? Why do you slave for the Lord like a shackled prisoner? Let life speak into your soul. Let it resound within you like an earthquake, bringing healing to the depths of your being. Slavery is NOT God's desire for you. "The Lord sets prisoners free" Psalm 146:7, "So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed" John 8:36.
So you may not be in a prison right now, but are you in bondage? Are you sacrificing something because you feel it is your duty to God? Maybe you're a sunday school teacher out of obligation, maybe you're a nursery worker because you were asked and felt it was the "right" thing to do. Maybe you're pursuing some type of ministry and finding it to be a lot more work than you were thinking it should be, or finding the road that you're on is too difficult to break into - maybe you're tithing your 10% as the rule book says to do - but missing the mark because you're not listening to how God wants you to tithe... or maybe your chains go deeper than simply trying to do what's right - caught in a trap that you cant seem to figure out how to escape from. Maybe this is your wake up call... it's time for you to see the chains you've put on yourself. Before I move on I will clarify this... I am certainly not saying that pursuing God is wrong - and tithing is not wrong, what I am saying, is that Christians tend to put ourselves into some difficult positions trying to become the perfect christian that often times they're forgetting to listen to God and His direction for our lives. Time gets wasted in ministries and people get hurt when things are done in the flesh. Well meaning christians pursue healing ministries that they are not cut out for in the name of doing the "right" thing. Maybe it's time to rethink what you really feel serving God is all about. It's time to do a mental 180 and open your eyes to see the goodness that God has in store for you. It's time to rule with God!One of the first steps to becoming a ruler in the kingdom, is to decide to cross the fence between slavery and living life your way, and deciding that following God is how you truly want to live. What's your focus point? What are you currently doing that you know is wrong? "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover up for evil; live as servants of God." 1 Peter 2:16. For many years I kept pushing and trying to become who God said I was going to be. Prophecies spoken over me were powerful and great, and pursuing them in my own flesh led me into traps that cost me not only time but a lot of money. I fell into sin and used God's grace as a way to justify what I was into... trapping myself into a cycle of sin and repentance. I was mocking God, and he was not amused. Finally I became disenchanted with what I was doing and the ugly person I had become. I did my 180. I shook off the wrong I was doing and I put back on the robes of righteousness, and the moment God saw me returning, he met me in his power and lavished on me some amazing gifts - gifts of the spirit - and physical gifts. It's not easy to shake off the old you. People won't understand - I had to push away some really unhealthy relationships to put my royal robe on. It was hard, but I saw a promising future in the glimpses that God gave to me. God gave me a focal point that gave me the drive and desire to push forward and shed off the old - so that I could have the new.
"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness" Romans 6:18 Wait, why am I talking about becoming a slave again? I thought you said God doesn't want me in slavery. God doesn't want you in the kind of slavery that causes you to lose the life and the future that can only be found in him. Have you ever heard the saying - when you love what you do - you will never work a day in your life? That's what it's like to be a slave to righteousness. You're working for the Lord, but you're working through the skills and strengths that he has given you, and the passions you have. You become a slave to righteousness because you will love what you are doing - and through that you will joyfully give your all to fulfill what he has called you to do. God loves and adores you. Just as you want to see your child happy, He wants to see you happy. What is it in your life that when you think of it, causes you to feel happy and excitement? What is it that's blocking you from that type of life? What are the reasons that are holding you back from pursuing the kind of life that you feel your heart calling for? I challenge you to write all of these fears down on a piece of paper and ask God to show you what his thoughts are. I dare you to ask him to show you which items on that list are lies from the devil... because in case you didn't already know - the devil wants to make you afraid to pursue your destiny. He doesn't want you realizing your potential because he already knows that his time is short, and he has been warring to keep God's kings and queens in bondage.
"It pleased the Lord for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. they have become plunder, with no one to rescue them" Isaiah 43:21-22
In the old testament, Moses went up on the mountain and was given the law of the ten commandments. The law, impossible to not break, becomes death to anyone trying to fulfill it. "because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace" Romans 8:2-6 If I were to put these two verses in a blender to simplify them into lamens terms, I feel that they would simply say this... God made the law, knowing that it was law that we could not fulfill. So he sent Jesus to fulfill the law perfectly - not so as to be an example, but so he could crucify the law of sin and death. The death of our savior on the cross, broke us out of the prison that the law kept us bondage to. When you can become free from religiosity, and start living life by the spirit, you will discover the freedom of no rules. Why no rules? Because when you live life by the spirit, the spirit will guide you between right and wrong. God is the ultimate authority - and he along with his Holy Spirit, are constantly advising and guiding you along your journey. God is always with you - way more than you will have access to your bible - so listen to him. Listen to that voice you hear within you where it's guiding you to go. But just as Jesus willingly laid his life on the cross to save us, you need to willingly put your life on the cross to receive new life. You need to be willing to draw a line in the sand and cross over it and never look back again. You were born to be a warrior - and this is your day. This is your new beginning.. You are set free! Take a few minutes to check out this video sung by Casting Crowns - "Set me free" dramatized by The Circuit Youth...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7olqJtW8EI
Dear Jesus, You were the ultimate sacrifice. You fulfilled the law to free us from slavery to it. I pray that the wells of the ears and the spiritual eyes be opened for each and every reader that has been with us today. Open them and cause them to flow with new waters of discovery and understanding in the spirit. Give them the course they need to follow to pursue after you, and to become who they are pre-destined to be. You have directed their path. Let nothing stop them from finishing the race they have started. I declare in the name of Jesus that their chains are broken! They are set free! Release them into their destinies. In the name of Jesus we pray, we give you all our worship Lord, Amen!
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