Tag Archive | license

What does it mean to live like a Christian? Learn to tell the difference between what freedom is and what it is not…

Sep13

By leaning upon God’s will, we are granted new and remarkable freedoms. The outside world sees us as chained. We go where they choose not, we see what they prefer to ignore, we dress in a manner they call severe. They hold up to us the so-called freedoms of this world and declare themselves happier for it. They live in blindness, both to the pains of others and the remorse and strife within their own souls.”

Quote by William Wilberforce, 1759-1833, A British politician and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade

A venus flytrap (picture left)is like a spring-loaded trap that transforms into a ‘cage’ after responding to stimuli, such as when an unsuspecting insect contacts the surface.

Now you may be wondering what a carnivorous plant has to do with this post? Read on to discover the answer!

That fly was enticed by a sticky sweet juice emitted by the venus plant. This juice smells like a bouquet of fruit and plant flowers to the fly. Something quite familiar to the fly. Not realizing the danger it was in, it decided to check into what looked familiar to it. Thus it got mired down into the sticky substance and the teeth of the venus snapped shut and became a cage. Eventually the venus consumes the fly.

Christians who are not familiar with how the Bible defines truth are much like this fly. Their confusion about what is freedom and what is bondage leads to their entrapment.

A Christian whose search for freedom lies outside the boundaries of biblical truth, are venturing into a wilderness of deception. A wilderness where lies are disguised as truth and truth is disguised as lies. The side effects of living in this wilderness is blindness. A blindness that prevents them from seeing that the freedom and happiness they think they are experiencing is nothing more than license. And that happiness is nothing more than the thrill of getting their own way and getting pats on the back for it from others who wander about in the same wilderness.

But for a Christian, this fake freedom will eventually deteriorate. The Bible puts it rather succinctly.

 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12 NIV

Christians who adopt the freedoms that run contrary to God’s word are entrapped just like the fly in a venus plant. Yet, unlike the fly there is a way to break free from such bondage before being consumed. By returning to God’s word, we will grow in wisdom and understanding as to the difference between true freedom and bondage. God’s light will illuminate the path of their escape. As the disciplining love of God turns them around and brings them to their senses, they will be restored to the fresh and cleansing winds of true freedom.

Illusion of Truth

Jun27

I’ve often wrestled with how all the rhetoric about pro-choice totally excludes the voice of the unborn. Listening to their reasoning, it’s ALL about the mother, her needs, her situation, her future, her health, her well being, and it goes on and on. These are genuine concerns, yes! But what about the choices of the unborn? Are they not genuine as well?

It’s like the unborn child within her doesn’t exist. They have no needs, no future, no well being, their situation is precarious. They don’t have a voice. They aren’t even considered a person. How does a mom deny the undeniable?

Ever heard this statement?

“Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth”,

After reading this article from which the above quote originated, I think I have hit upon the answer to my question. This article refers to the above statement as the “illusion of truth effect.”

For the ‘illusion of truth effect’ to succeed the person exposed to this illusion, must be far removed from the Truth. The article mentions how we take shortcuts: “Our minds are prey to the illusion of truth effect because our instinct is to use short-cuts in judging how plausible something is.” Repeating a lie often enough, causes us to take the shortcut of belief.

When we find ourselves in a situation we don’t like or want, we start looking for justification to get out of our predicament. One day we hear something that offers us a solution. We know deep down that it’s likely a lie, but our desperation drives us to ponder it nevertheless. Then our mind continues to replay this dressed up lie and eventually our mind embraces it.

BINGO, now we have a way out. And not only is it a way out, but the crowd that sponsors this lie, reinforces this repetition and we aren’t standing alone in our despair. There are all these voices that have redefined the lie, removed our guilt, and provided us license to do whatever we wanted to do without being criticized for it. What freedom (new word for license)!

That’s why the lie of abortion, disguised as a plausible truth, became more and more acceptable. As people became less familiar with Truth, then the easier it became to embrace something that sounded truth like.

There is a lot of forceful oration being shouted about now after Roe vs Wade was overturned. But remember these pro-choice individuals have been deceived. The truth has been stolen from them. Many (but certainly not all) are genuine in their belief and see no other way to solve their problem of an unwanted pregnancy. They are being taken advantage of by those who are profiting, either politically or financially, from those who have been manipulated and deceived into believing a lie.

Now that Roe vs Wade has been declared unconstitutional, Truth once again has been highlighted for all to see. Prayerfully, many, in being reacquainted with the Truth, will be set free from the enslavement of abortion.

Pray for them, for their eyes to be open. To come to know the Truth and be set free by it.

Life or Death–You Choose

Jul22

   When I think about all that God offers those who would believe in Him and compare that to what is in store for those who don’t, my mind is overwhelmed as to why anyone would not choose God. Yet, far too many not only reject God but set out to destroy those who do. I read in the Bible of the blessings and curses that come with choosing God or not choosing God. Deuteronomy 30:11-20 gives us the following:

Choosing God

Life

Prosperity

Increase

Be blessed by God

Will live an abundance of years in the land you possess

Rejecting God

Death

Destruction

Curses

Will not live long in the land you possess

   

   Who in their right mind would deliberately choose from the Rejecting God list? Yet, many do. They don’t realize what they are doing actually. Because, you see, if they have rejected God, then they have rejected God’s Word. And if they have rejected God’s Word then everything in this world, every experience they encountered will be defined by a context that excludes God. They live in darkness, while Satan is promising them the world!

            Satan would give Christ the world if He would only worship him! After all, 2 Corinthians 4:4, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God,” (NIV) p.39, FD

   In America, today, it seems our country is being taken over by those who have rejected God. Satan has released one fiery dart after another successfully blinding those who discount and reject God into believing they have been enlightened and they have finally broken free of all the restrictions of Christianity.

   They are bent on changing wrong into right, just so they can live anyway they want to without guilt.  They refuse to acknowledge sin and it’s consequences. Satan ‘s fiery darts have hit their mark once again in manipulating them into believing they are seeking freedom. Because they have been taken over by fiery dart thinking, they don’t see that it is license they are pushing for; not freedom.

   Daily I pray for my country, 2 Chronicles 7:14: (NIV)

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

   And while in the meantime we as believers may have to suffer, we always have the following hope:

 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV

Truth = Genuine Freedom!

Jul5

Proud of my country's flag!

Proud of my country’s flag!

Today my country is 237 years old.

Two hundred and thirty-seven years ago today, a bunch of ordinary men got together and did something extraordinary and here’s how they went about it:

Before they signed the Declaration of Independence, they went to church for four hours. Then they went to the hall and prayed an hour before they signed it. Several ministers were involved in the decree for independence.

These men knew that freedom wasn’t license to do whatever you wanted to do. They knew that TRUE freedom came through Faith, with Morality, Law, Education, and Liberty, based on Christian values and principals and steeped in the love of God. (Matrix of Liberty)

Our country’s forefathers were fresh from prayer and sacrifice as they signed that Declaration of Independence.  Therefore, the fiery darts had little chance to interfere with or manipulate their attitudes and/or actions.  Most of those men were Christians and I dare say ALL of them respected the Word of God.  Men like this didn’t give the fiery darts much room to mess with their minds.

But through the years this has changed.  No longer is America led by men and women who have a healthy respect for God and His Word.  Many don’t even believe He exists.  Personal agendas trump God’s agenda more often than not. How did we get from 1776 to 2013 and wind up so far from the principals we were founded on?

There are so many ideologies floating around in the halls of our leadership, and each one of them proclaim they want freedom.  Yep, you heard me freedom!  BUT it’s not freedom they really want.  Their freedom is just the fiery dart of license dressed up to look like freedom.  The enemy is so-o-o cleaver, I’m sad to say, and many of us have fallen prey to his deceptions.   

But we do have hope!  Our land can be healed.  It will require something rather dramatic of us, though.

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

 

This is what is all boils down to:

We need to humble ourselves

Pray

Seek God

Turn from our wicked ways

And there’s something  quite significant as to whom this verse is directed:

My People

(That’s Christians, people)

No fiery dart will tell you to start solving our country’s problems by humbling ourselves in prayer, seek God, and repent!  Nope, it will tell you to demand your rights, deny God, assert yourselves and don’t you dare call it ‘wicked’ (even if God does).  And if anyone comes against you for that, then the fiery darts will convince you that whatever you have to do to shut them up is acceptable.  Do you know why they think like that?

I think the Bible nailed it in the following verse.

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” Isaiah 5:20

So, fellow Christians we have our mandate.  Don’t expect those who have rejected God to start acting right.  It’s not going to happen.  It’s not their fault our country has strayed so far away from our beginnings, for they are just acting as people like them have always acted.  We allowed it by not standing up for the principals our country was founded on.  We got away from God’s Word, and the further we drifted the cloudier truth became.  

We must get back into God’s Word and allow His Truth to dictate our attitude and actions.  Our country was founded and built upon the Truths of God.  Therefore, no other truths will produce what God’s Truth produces, 

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Romans 8:32

Misunderstanding Freedom!

Mar10

As I listen to people who proclaim they have thrown off the shackles that have kept them in bondage, and are delirious with the joy their new found freedom has afforded them, because of what I’m learning about fiery darts, I see people who have succumbed to a dangerous deception.  The sad thing is they don’t even realize it.  Why is this?  Because their resources for defining Truth are anything BUT the Scriptures, the Holy Word of God, the Bible!

How can anyone misunderstand freedom, you might ask?  Well, in order to misunderstand freedom, freedom has to be redefined. But before freedom can be redefined you must first redefine wrong. For example, if you are doing something wrong and you desire the freedom to keep doing that wrong but you don’t want to have to feel guilty about doing it then you must redefine wrong!  Obviously, the first thing that must be done is to be selective about the sources  that are chosen in selecting the definition desired.  So, throw out the Bible!  You won’t have to go far to find people who are willing to choose any philosophy available that will condone behavior that the Bible condemns.  Once that is accomplished then you can easily redefine freedom.  And guess what?  This definition has always been around!   I’ll leave out the word and you see if you can fill in the blank!

_________ –  sometimes denotes deliberate deviation from normally applicable rules or practices to achieve a desired effect.

Did you guess it?  I bet you did.  Yep it’s license!  You see people who want to “achieve the desired effect” of doing wrong without having to feel guilty about it are in reality desiring license.  But no one would be foolish enough to demand license because they wouldn’t be taken seriously.  Therefore, call it freedom and when you start demanding your freedom then you’ll be taken seriously!

But unless you have a formidable number of people in agreement with you, you still might not succeed.  So then what do you do?  Simple! You begin a campaign where people are influenced to reject the source of truth that opposes you.  That’s right, the Bible.  Bombard the airwaves, via television, movies, radio with cleverly written scenarios of people who live their lives in direct opposition to God’s Truth without suffering any adverse effects long enough and soon people will be as easily deceived as you have been.  Then you’ll have the freedom to live anyway you want and no one will mind.  Well, maybe not everyone but enough to where you will achieve the desired effect.

And don’t be naive and lay all the blame for this at the feet of those who have rejected God’s Truth so they can have the “freedom to live without guilt“.  Yes, some of the blame should be laid at their feet but not all.  The culprit is threefold:

Satan (James 4:7)

the World (John 16:33)

and the Flesh (Ephesians 2:3)

These individuals, in not seeking genuine Truth, have sucuumbed to the flesh and are unwittingly cooperating and being influenced, by Satan and the World.  As a result they are being deceived and manipulated into thinking they have finally achieved freedom.  That sentence in a nutshell defines the work of fiery darts.

1 Tim 4:2 (GW)2 These people will speak lies disguised as truth. Their consciences have been scarred as if branded by a red-hot iron.

“What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.  Isaiah 5:20, New Living Translation