[S] Jeremiah 34:17 (NIV) --
17 "Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim 'freedom' for you, declares the Lord—'freedom' to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth.
[O] Freedom is something we all desire. No one likes to be constrained under some boundaries all the time. However, freedom either has to be available equally to everyone or it will not work. For example if only one of the two people exercise his freedom then it's really not freedom but an abuse such as the incident that took place this morning in Empire State Building in NYC where a gunman took the lives of many. He exercised his "freedom" while others helplessly became his victims. If we proclaim our own freedom, then let God exercise His own freedom to let us fall by our enemies (or be subject to our own sin). The picture is pretty clear that we are the losers. So, that's not a good option to take.
[A] The other "good" option is to be subjected to His covenant which is His law wrapped around His love and grace so that I will be protected from His "freedom" to zap me for who I am. I am sensing that this is a message for someone I know but I no name comes to mind now so I need to pray for His guidance to deliver this message. Additionally, I must daily approach His throne to be wrapped around this grace as I live each day.
[P] Dear Father, Your grace overwhelms me again today and may my heart be large enough to take it all in so that my life will blossom with Your amazing grace. Please reveal in me whom I should share this message of hope and future. In Jesus' name. Amen.
From my Life devotional journaling and more (Read Today's Passage)
Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
Showing posts with label Freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freedom. Show all posts
Friday, August 24, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Set Free from My Prison
[S] Psalm 142:7 --
7 Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
[O] The desire of praising God by this writer is clearly seen in this passage. His request to be set free from "his" prison is so he may praise God's name which will bring the fruit of righteous people gathering together. So many times we try hard to gather others through programs and plans of our own but God's way of gathering people is to set people free from their prison so they can praise God's name. The focus is on Him. And that is what is going to attract each other to gather.
[A] God's ministry needs a basic structure and programs to sustain it but once they become the end goal then we have deviated from becoming His followers and worshipers. Deep down at the core, it should be about being set free from prison of my own in order to praise God's name up high. This will gather the like-minded followers of Christ and out of that life-giving ministry will spring forth.
[P] Dear God, please free me from my prison. I want to praise Your name every moment, through thick and thin. Please gather others with the same passion to lift up Your goodness and to let the world know about such goodness. In Jesus' name. Amen.
7 Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me.
[O] The desire of praising God by this writer is clearly seen in this passage. His request to be set free from "his" prison is so he may praise God's name which will bring the fruit of righteous people gathering together. So many times we try hard to gather others through programs and plans of our own but God's way of gathering people is to set people free from their prison so they can praise God's name. The focus is on Him. And that is what is going to attract each other to gather.
[A] God's ministry needs a basic structure and programs to sustain it but once they become the end goal then we have deviated from becoming His followers and worshipers. Deep down at the core, it should be about being set free from prison of my own in order to praise God's name up high. This will gather the like-minded followers of Christ and out of that life-giving ministry will spring forth.
[P] Dear God, please free me from my prison. I want to praise Your name every moment, through thick and thin. Please gather others with the same passion to lift up Your goodness and to let the world know about such goodness. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The Right Use of Freedom
[S] 1 Peter 2:16 --
16Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
(NLT) 16For you are free, yet you are God's slaves, so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.
[O] I like NASB's wording of: don't use freedom as ... but as .... NLT's wording gives me more practical perspective. The concept of applying freedom is two contrasting way caught my mind because I always thought freedom can only be used for good where in this verse it can be used to cover, or excuse to do, evil. Haven't I heard others say, I can be free to do whatever I want? What do you say to that? Now I know what to say: don't abuse it to justify your evil deeds. Freedom cannot be above moral standards where the good gives into the bad. Who'd want to live in a place where everyone pursues evil in the name of freedom? Or reversing that around, have you seen anyone spend their money to go suffer in the freedom of evil? Most people get upset if they are ill-treated a little by a customer service people, say cab driver, why would they want to buy themselves more ill-treatment?
On the other hand, when I use my freedom of choice to choose to be a bondslave of God, then what appears to be a restriction will actually free myself to fully live out my life's potential without any limits.
[A] The latter is where I want to be. I want to fully utilize my freedom in this country to surrender my life to Jesus so I would live out my life's potential He planned for me. to reach out and build up the community of believers.
[P] Thank You, Jesus, for giving me the freedom to choose You freely in this coutry. I would like to use that freedom to conform my life for Your mission here on earth. Please let me explore to the max while in Your realm of discipleship. In Your name. Amen.
16Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
(NLT) 16For you are free, yet you are God's slaves, so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.
[O] I like NASB's wording of: don't use freedom as ... but as .... NLT's wording gives me more practical perspective. The concept of applying freedom is two contrasting way caught my mind because I always thought freedom can only be used for good where in this verse it can be used to cover, or excuse to do, evil. Haven't I heard others say, I can be free to do whatever I want? What do you say to that? Now I know what to say: don't abuse it to justify your evil deeds. Freedom cannot be above moral standards where the good gives into the bad. Who'd want to live in a place where everyone pursues evil in the name of freedom? Or reversing that around, have you seen anyone spend their money to go suffer in the freedom of evil? Most people get upset if they are ill-treated a little by a customer service people, say cab driver, why would they want to buy themselves more ill-treatment?
On the other hand, when I use my freedom of choice to choose to be a bondslave of God, then what appears to be a restriction will actually free myself to fully live out my life's potential without any limits.
[A] The latter is where I want to be. I want to fully utilize my freedom in this country to surrender my life to Jesus so I would live out my life's potential He planned for me. to reach out and build up the community of believers.
[P] Thank You, Jesus, for giving me the freedom to choose You freely in this coutry. I would like to use that freedom to conform my life for Your mission here on earth. Please let me explore to the max while in Your realm of discipleship. In Your name. Amen.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Have Achievable Goals in Life, not just Wishful Thoughts
[S] Matthew 18:26-27 --
26"So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'
27"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.
[O] Here is an excellent example of how a wrong set of assumptions or expectations can lead to a greater error. The slave asked for a delay of payment until he can make enough money to pay it all back while the master in verse 27 actually released his debt completely. The slave's "good intention" of paying back his debt was actually impossible to achieve because of the amount was something more like millions or billions of dollars in today's term. Based on his (wrong) assumption of paying it back, however, drove him to start gathering all the money he can and that determination turned him into a merciless man only purpose in life is to make more money to pay back the master. Instead of living a life filled with his own plans to achieve a goal and purpose that is unachievable, he simply had to accept the pardoning of his master and live a freed life filled with gratitude.
[A] This story speaks into my heart every time I read it because I find myself not really living out the "freed" life with gratitude of God's pardoning of my inability to pay Him back with my life's efforts. I need to grasp onto His gift of forgiveness so I may enjoy this life for Him.
[P] Dear Father, please correct any wrong assumptions in my life so that I won't live a worthless life like this slave. I want to enjoy the fullness of your joy based on the freedom You gave me to live without worrying about my faults. In Jesus' name. Amen.
26"So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'
27"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.
[O] Here is an excellent example of how a wrong set of assumptions or expectations can lead to a greater error. The slave asked for a delay of payment until he can make enough money to pay it all back while the master in verse 27 actually released his debt completely. The slave's "good intention" of paying back his debt was actually impossible to achieve because of the amount was something more like millions or billions of dollars in today's term. Based on his (wrong) assumption of paying it back, however, drove him to start gathering all the money he can and that determination turned him into a merciless man only purpose in life is to make more money to pay back the master. Instead of living a life filled with his own plans to achieve a goal and purpose that is unachievable, he simply had to accept the pardoning of his master and live a freed life filled with gratitude.
[A] This story speaks into my heart every time I read it because I find myself not really living out the "freed" life with gratitude of God's pardoning of my inability to pay Him back with my life's efforts. I need to grasp onto His gift of forgiveness so I may enjoy this life for Him.
[P] Dear Father, please correct any wrong assumptions in my life so that I won't live a worthless life like this slave. I want to enjoy the fullness of your joy based on the freedom You gave me to live without worrying about my faults. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
False Visions Lead To False Prophets
[S] Ezekiel 13:9 --
9"So My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations They will have no place in the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am the Lord GOD.
[O] This passage linked my mind to the video of John Piper's message of "No, Mr. President: John Piper's Response to President Obama on Abortion" because there are so many people (saying prophetic words) based one false visions and deceit. It so happens to be our current government leaders are doing their best to lead this country to preserve her freedom and peace however, they seemed to be locked up in the deceit of this world and so their genuine efforts are nothing other than what God speaks of through Ezekiel in this verse.
[A] Just thinking about this makes me feel real helpless because I'm just one voice and a weak one at best but I will continue to boast about our Lord God in Heaven who is in full control regardless. I will continue to stay as one of His people and pray for the leaders of this country such that they, too, would soon see the glorious God who cares for them to provide the real truth to set them free from their own bondage of intellectual deceit.
I will also continue to pray for my children and their friends in Christ so they would grow up to shake this world upside down as Paul did for the cause of Christ.
[P] Dear God, I praise You for granting Your wisdom and love to have captured my children at early ages. I will continue to encourage them and to raise them to have true visions from You to lead Your people in the right path of freedom away from all the false teachings from this world. In Jesus' name. Amen.
9"So My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations They will have no place in the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am the Lord GOD.
[O] This passage linked my mind to the video of John Piper's message of "No, Mr. President: John Piper's Response to President Obama on Abortion" because there are so many people (saying prophetic words) based one false visions and deceit. It so happens to be our current government leaders are doing their best to lead this country to preserve her freedom and peace however, they seemed to be locked up in the deceit of this world and so their genuine efforts are nothing other than what God speaks of through Ezekiel in this verse.
[A] Just thinking about this makes me feel real helpless because I'm just one voice and a weak one at best but I will continue to boast about our Lord God in Heaven who is in full control regardless. I will continue to stay as one of His people and pray for the leaders of this country such that they, too, would soon see the glorious God who cares for them to provide the real truth to set them free from their own bondage of intellectual deceit.
I will also continue to pray for my children and their friends in Christ so they would grow up to shake this world upside down as Paul did for the cause of Christ.
[P] Dear God, I praise You for granting Your wisdom and love to have captured my children at early ages. I will continue to encourage them and to raise them to have true visions from You to lead Your people in the right path of freedom away from all the false teachings from this world. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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