Created Free

One of the most significant marks of our being "in the image of God" is our ability to exercise our will and make choices. When we do these things in a way that is pleasing to God we reflect His character and bring Him Glory. When we are deprived of the ability to make these God-honoring free choices (by individuals, government, or other circumstances) then a major part of our God-likeness is unjustly suppressed. Freedom is a fundamental right from our creator that human beings will go to great lengths to preserve. That is why the writers of the Declaration of Independence stated that "Liberty" in an unalienable right received from our Creator. That's why those who founded the United States threw off the tyranny of the King. That's why Patrick Henry cried out, "Give me liberty or give me death." Everyone created in the image of God resonates with the deep call for freedom. I believe that a good deal of the discontent in America today centers around the fact that more and more people are sensing that their liberty is in jeopardy. Increasingly the freedom to choose what is pleasing to God is being taken from us. We are required to have health care or pay a "tax". When we pay for health care we are forced to pay for services and procedures that we may personally find offensive (i.e. for contraceptives). For a long time I wondered what the Biblical basis was for the founders declaring that liberty was an unalienable right. In a recent study of God's attributes (His will and freedom) which to some degree have been passed along to us made it clear that freedom of choice (not any choices, but those which are pleasing to Him, reflect His character and bring Him glory) is part of what it means to be an image bearer...to be made in the likeness of God. So indeed, liberty is an unalienable right and one which deep within our being we seek to defend. Tyranny attempts to suppress freedom and it is against such suppression those created in the image work to free themselves.

Accept the Gift

‎"There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside...there is none who does good... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Ro. 3:11,12,23. Bad news indeed, but the glorious good news is that God seeks after us so that we can be "justified as a gift by His grace...through faith apart from the works of the Law" (Ro.3:24,28). I'm so glad that God came after me and moved in me to accept His gift. That same gift of being declared right before God when we are in fact guilty, is available to all who by grace through faith accept Christ's sacrifice/death as the payment we deserve. When in repentance (turning from our sin) and faith (belief that Christ's death paid the debt I owe) we humble ourselves and turn to God through Christ, we are declared not guilty. Pauls says, that we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law. So many of us believe that if we just do enough of the right things God will accept us. WRONG! Doing nice things won't earn forgiveness. We are saved only by grace through faith in Christ--Ephesians 2:8-9. Why not accept the gift of salvation today? Romans 10:9-10 says, If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead we will be saved. For with the heart man believes resulting in righteousness and with the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation. So my friend, believe in your heart and confess with your mouth and be saved from sin, death, and eternity apart from God.

Good News

After an intense day of ministry (Mark 1:14-34) Jesus rose early to spend time alone praying. When His disciples found Him they urged Him to return to the crowds and Jesus replied, " Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, in order that I may preach there also; for that is what I came out for" (1:38). Jesus stayed on mission--to proclaim primarily that restoration back into right relationship with God and forgiveness of sins is available to all who believe His death on the cross paid the penalty they owe. Jesus did a lot of wonderful things, said a lot of important things, but if we miss that He sacrificed His life to provide a way for us back into right relationship with God we miss the Good News. I don't know about you but as I listen to all that is happening in the world I could use a little good news. Great to know that God knew that what we really needed is a Savior. Not an economist, not a military strategist, not a politician, not an educator. But because our greatest problem is that we are bent on living for ourselves in rebellion against God, He sent His Son to provide a way for us to be forgiven and be restored back into right relationship with Him. This is the good news Jesus proclaimed---"repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" and what we are called to proclaim as well.

God is in this Place

Jacob met God while sleeping on a rock. he was not looking for God, but God found Jacob (Gen. 28). in fact, Jacob had been a scoundrel, but God is in the business of seeking out and saving such people. jacob's response, "Surely The Lord is in this place and I did not know it" (28:16) is a powerful reminder to everyone. For those running from God it is a reminder of how vain it is to think He is unaware. For every child of God--especially those struggling to understand their difficulty or those feeling lonely or whenever we feel empty or like God is silent and not working--there is such wonderful, powerful, and meaningful encouragement in knowing, "Surely The Lord is in this place and I did not know it." He is with us even when we are not cognizant of the fact. Good news indeed.