Celebrate Your Freedom

July 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In July, Americans turn their focus to freedom. Red, white, and blue. Independence. Flags flying. Physical freedom.

Chains Freedom

It’s the perfect time to also focus on your spiritual freedom. If you’re a Christ-follower, you’re free. You’ve been given an amazing gift that should be celebrated even more than the freedom of a country. Take a look at these verses:

  • For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
  • For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Galatians 5:13
  • Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 1 Peter 2:16
  • that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Romans 8:21
  • Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— Galatians 2:4
  • But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. Romans 6:22
  • and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:18
  • and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32
  • for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7
  • The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; Isaiah 61:1
  • Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

I challenge you to meditate on these verses. Pick some to memorize. Dig into the surrounding context of these verses. (I made it easy for you; the verse links will take you to YouVersion.com.) Thank God for the freedom he has brought to you spiritually – no matter what the condition of your physical body.

Original chains photo credit.

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Break out of the Cycle of Apostasy: Praise God in the Good Times

May 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

April showers bring May flowers. You probably sang that little rhyme more times than you can count as a child. Let’s apply that little rhyme to your spiritual life.

Photo Credit

When it rains in your life, you seek after God because you need His help. But what about when life is sunny and the flowers are growing all around you? If you’re like me, when things are going well, your focus slips. Then the next trial comes around and you cry out to God.

The Israelites lived this cycle over and over again. You’ll see it recorded in the stories of Judges and in the reigns of the kings. It’s generally referred to as the cycle of apostasy:

  1. Israel serves God.
  2. Israel falls into idolatry and sin.
  3. Israel is enslaved by neighboring people.
  4. Israel cries out to God for deliverance.
  5. God raises up a judge.
  6. Israel is delivered.
  7. Israel serves God.
  8. And the cycle begins again.

Of course God wants to be there for us when times are tough, but He also wants to be our friend in the good times.

There are a few things that you can do to break out of the cycle of apostasy.

  • Remember that God is in control in both the bad and the good times of our lives.
  • Praise God no matter what circumstance you’re in.
  • Be consistent with prayer and Bible reading to build a solid relationship with God.
  • Don’t allow yourself to become complacent when times are good.

Have you found yourself in the cycle of apostasy? What step are you going to take today to break out of the cycle of apostasy?

Filed Under: Balance, Spiritual Tagged With: , Leave a Comment

Bread of Life: How to Get Started Studying the Bible

March 5, 2012 By 4 Comments

Are you ready to dig into the Bread of Life?  You look a little nervous.  Maybe you just don’t know where to start.  Let me give you some tips to help you get started studying your Bible.

  1. Choose a translation.  Find a translation that you can easily read and understand.  Every English Bible is a translation from Hebrew and Greek.  Each translation lies on a spectrum from very literal word-for-word to thought-for-thought to paraphrases.  Knowing where your chosen Bible is on this spectrum will help you better understand what you’re reading. Does your preferred translation aim towards translating each word or conveying the meaning from the original languages?  ChristianBook.com has a nice illustration showing where various translations fall in the spectrum.
  2. Start simple.  You don’t need a published Bible study book to study the Bible, even as a beginner.  Try reading one book of the Bible and using the SOAP method as you go through it.  The SOAP method is: scripture, observation, application, and prayer.  Write out a verse or passage that catches your attention from your reading each day.  Then, write any observations you have about the verse.  Next, write one way that you can apply what you just read.  Finally, write a prayer based on what you learned and your application.  Two great resources to help you when you don’t understand what you’re reading are: YouVersion (community-based notes) and Logos (commentaries and dictionaries).
  3. Find accountability.  Remember that studying the Bible is about building a relationship, not keeping a particular schedule or checklist.  Staying consistent with your reading is easier when you have support.  Find a group that you can read with.  This might be a group at your church or try an online group like Good Morning Girls.

Now you’re ready.  Let’s dig into the Bread of Life!

Photo Credit

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My One Word: Discovering Perfect

January 25, 2012 By 4 Comments

I’m a recovering perfectionist. I’ve been on a journey for several years to let go of doing everything right and stop worrying about what other people think of me. Easier said than done, right? Last Fall, God brought several opportunities into my life that started to revolutionize my thinking about the word perfect.

When the time came to prepare for 2012 and ask God what He wanted me to focus on this year, it was clear what my one word for the year should be. God called me to research the biblical meaning of the word PERFECT and live it out. And so began my revolution: discovering perfect.

I cannot ever be perfect as the Old Testament Law would define perfect. I’m sinful and I live in a fallen world. That’s why God sent Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for my sins. Because I have received forgiveness and salvation, God now sees me through that atoning sacrifice.

If I can’t be sinless, what kind of perfect is God calling me to live?

In the English Standard Version, the word perfect can be found 53 times in 50 different verses. Digging a little deeper, I found that there are several different root words in both Hebrew and Greek that can be translated into English using the word perfect. As with any language translation, it can be difficult to find a precise word-for-word equivalent in English for words in Hebrew and Greek. More often, there is a range of words and meanings, the best of which is chosen based on the context, and the additional range of meaning for a word enhances our understanding of what a word means in a particular passage.

Using that as my foundation, I’m now working my way through the Hebrew and Greek words that we translate as perfect. So far in my study, I’ve found that perfect really has little to do with being sinless and without failure. It really has more to do with peace, wholeness, completion, and maturity.

What do those things all have in common?

I can’t bring any of them about, in, or of, myself. I must rely on God. This is the process of sanctification, a big theological word for the process God uses to bring me to maturity and set me apart for His work. It’s an on-going process that doesn’t end until I’m in the presence of God.

Are you ready for a revolution in 2012? Are you ready to redefine perfect?  Ready to seek after God for peace, wholeness, completion, and maturity?

Join me here at Must Love God and at The Pelsers as I continue my journey to discover perfect in 2012.

Filed Under: One Word, Revolution, Spiritual Tagged With: , , , 4 Comments