Freedom is Not Free

 

Happy Son-Day!

7 Fabulous "F's"

Fourth, Family, Friends, Fun, , Food, Fireworks, & Fishing





Happy Independence Day!

While I was in DC a few weeks admiring the Korean War Memorial, I was struck by the engraving the side of one the memorial walls, that said, “Freedom is Free”.  You can see it in the video (video link -https://youtu.be/r1b-Gac6ROI ) at the 7:18 mark. 

In this country, freedom is often thought of being able to do whatever I want.   We even have a movie franchise built on reckless freedom, the “Purge”.  The truth is every country, organization, company, business, group, and yes, family operate within the construct of some rules. Our democracy is based on the Constitution. 

The base of freedom as believers in Christ was first based the decalogue aka the Ten Commandments Exodus 20:1-17:

It starts, “I am the Lord thy God.  I brought you out of Egypt and the land of slavery . . . “

1. You shall not have any other Gods before me

2.  "Do not make statues of gods that look like anything in the sky or on the earth or in the waters. “Do not bow down to them or worship them. I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. For all time to come I SHOW LOVE TO ALL THOSE WHO LOVE ME AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.

3. "Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will find guilty anyone who misuses his name.

4. "Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy. The seventh day is a Sabbath in honor of the LORD your God.   In six days, I made the heavens and the earth. I made the oceans and everything in them. But I rested on the seventh day. So, I blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

5. "Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long time in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

6. "Do not commit murder.

7. "Do not commit adultery.

8. "Do not steal.

9. "Do not give false witness against your neighbor.

10. "Do not long for anything that belongs to your neighbor.  

Christ added a few Himself in Matthew 22:37-39,  

Jesus said, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love HIM with all your mind.  This is the first and most important commandment. And the second is like it. 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself’”

According to Bible scholars, the Bible has 613 commandments, including some in the New Testament.

Our National Anthem, believe or not is not religious.  It is simply a song that has been conflated into a religion.

The anthem of a believer is to walk in His freedom.  It is the freedom to enjoy what we were made for. . . to aligned with His will, to worship Him, to be blessed by Him, to be loved by Him, to be curse free.

Again, the alignment has a cost. 

Psalm119:45

I will walk in your freedom, because I follow your precepts (i.e., a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought.

Freedom is not Free

Galatians 5:13 (the Message)

It is clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do (indulging in the flesh) and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows.

You know, Christ, the Son of God, has set us free from the slavery, the bondage, the curse of sin.  From Christ’s perspective we are passionately freed with an emphasis, He whom the Son sets free is free INDEED!  I leave you with a  freedom meditation scripture . . .

Ephesians 3:12

In union with Christ and through our faith in him we have the FREEDOM to go into God's presence with all confidence.


Songs of the Week -  😁

One song about freedom the curse of sin and the other is freedom to do what I was created to do.  Lyrics below.

 

Shackles (Praise You)

… Whoo!

It sure is hot out here

Ya know?

I don't mind thought

Just glad to be free

Know what I'm saying, uh!

… Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance

I just want to praise you

(What ya want to do?)

I just want to praise you

(Yeah, yeah)

You broke the chains now I can lift my hands

(Uh feel me?)

And I'm gonna praise you

(What ya gon do?)

I'm gonna praise you

… In the corners of mind

I just can't seem to find a reason to believe

That I can break free

Cause you see I have been down for so long

Feel like the hope is gone

But as I lift my hands, I understand

That I should praise you through my circumstance

… Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance

I just want to praise you

I just want to praise you

You broke the chains now I can lift my hands

And I'm gonna praise you

I'm gonna praise you

… Everything that could go wrong

All went wrong at one time

So much pressure fell on me

I thought I was gon lose my mind

But I know you want to see

If I will hold on through these trials

But I need you to lift this load

Cause I can't take it anymore

… Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance

I just want to praise you

I just want to praise you

You broke the chains now I can lift my hands

And I'm gonna praise you

I'm gonna praise you

… Been through the fire and the rain

Bound in every kind of way

But God has broken every chain

So let me go right now

… Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance

I just want to praise you

I just want to praise you

You broke the chains now I can lift my hands

And I'm gonna praise you

I'm gonna praise you

… Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance

I just want to praise you

I just want to praise you

You broke the chains now I can lift my hands

And I'm gonna praise you

I'm gonna praise you

… Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance

I just want to praise you

I just want to praise you

You broke the chains now I can lift my hands

And I'm gonna praise you

I'm gonna praise you

… Take them off

What ya gonna do, yeah

… Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance

I just want to praise you

I just want to praise you

You broke the chains now I can lift my hands

And I'm gonna praise you

I'm gonna praise you

 

Praise is What I Do

Solo

Praise is what I do

When I want to be close to You,

I lift my hands in praise.

Praise is who I am,

I will praise Him while I can.

I'll bless Him at all times.

I vow to praise You

Through the good and the bad.

I'll praise You,

Whether happy or sad.

I'll praise You

In all that I go through,

(Somebody said why)

Because praise is what I do,

Cause I owe it all to You.

Praise is what I do

(Come on church)

When I want to be close to You,

(I lift my hands-somebody lift Him)

I lift my hands in praise.

(Somebody say it so the devil will hear you)

Praise is who I am,

(Come on praise the Lord)

I will praise Him while I can.

I'll bless Him at all times.

And I vow to praise You

Through the good and the bad.

I'll praise You,

Whether happy or sad.

I'll praise You

(Somebody lift your voice and say)

Praise is what I do,

Even when I am going through,

(See I've learned...)

I've learned to worship You.

(See I want to let the devil know tonight, even though...)

Though my circumstance doesn't even stand a chance,

My praise out weighs the bad.

And just go to praising him right now

Somebody lift your voice in this place

Lift up your voice in this place.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Here is Your Mother

Image
It is a Good Son-Day Indeed Mother's Day Menagerie Here is Your Mother I am blessed in so many ways to be surrounded so many wonderful women who have brought into the world exceptional human beings.  Thank God every day for the mothers who have impacted my life.  I know when I need them they will be there for me and they know I will reciprocate. As I continue the epic saga of post-resurrection Christ I would be remissed if I did not include presence at the cross and the acession of Christ.  Typical mother, always there for an extraordinary and exceptional anointed Savior she birth into this world. Take care of the women who are your biological, step, assumed, spiritual, in-law, in-lieu of physical mother. Christ, Mary his mother, Christ's disciple, and Christ's charge to His disciple. John 19:25-27 25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw His mother standing there beside the di...
Read more

Live Roses

Image
 Good Son-Day - The Start of  Something New Ice Creameisters! Live Roses The day after Christmas, I got a call from a former co-worker I had connected with for about a year or so. I started the conversation by asking about her grandchild and two daughters. I proceeded to ask her how her husband was doing and got an unexpected quick but poignant answer: "Oh, he's doing fine; we're getting a divorce."  Wait, what! This couple was married for 30-plus years.  The husband is retired. Nice home in the burbs,  Both children are college grads.  Empty nesters. The American Dream. What happened? I did not pry.  The only thing she offered was, "One day, I was sitting at the dining room table.  He sat directly across from me.  I looked at him.  I said to myself I can't do this anymore. I knew then I needed to file for a divorce."   The  news sent me for a spin.  At first, I thought he must have cheated, or he spent too much time at hi...
Read more

Only The Powerful

Image
Take a Son-Day Drive on This Lovely Day Summer Vibes Laughter is Good for the Heart How Our Summer is Going Only The Powerful  The entire world classifies people into hierarchies based job, residence, earnings, assets, weight, athleticism, height, and color to name an obvious few.  If you do not have the right previous descriptors you can be deemed by society as less desirable, unworthy, or a write off. Recently, I sat in on a conversation with some employees outside one of our buildings.  The conversation turned to a Minneapolis suburb called "Blaine".  They talked about the vivid dichotomy between the impoverished trailer parks and the lavish homes in the new developments.  I then cringed when I heard them refer to the people residing in the trailer homes as "White Trailer Trash" and this was uttered by a person of the same color. I spoke up and said I was uncomfortable with the conversation and that ended it. Our Lord did not create a physical being...
Read more