freedom – Page 5 – Cross Culture Church

Meditation: August 12

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:25

The Foolishness of God

Contained within what we see is a truth that is much deeper than we have come to realize. From the surface, it does not make sense. There are many other things that appear to warrant more attention than this. To the fool, it appears as foolishness. He stumbles over his own thoughts and intellect. The Source of both true knowledge and life are hidden from him. He wonders why there would even remain those who would be so foolish as to waste their precious time on superstitious thoughts that would restrict his freedom of action. ‘Do what you feel’ is his motto. His idea of God is a permissive being allowing him to remain himself void of conviction. But God looks into our past and examines why we think the way we think and do the things we do. He looks ahead knowing where all actions lead. Fools rush to their demise. Their blindness causes them to throw caution to the wind. Yet one seemingly foolish word from the Lord is sufficient to save him. Are there any wise enough to listen?

07 Aug 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: August 7

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, (2) as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, (3) if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 1 Peter 2:1-3

The passions and desires of a converted saint are different from the cravings of the sinner. Even though there is still that memory of a life without power driven by the force of sin, he is now free to make better and wiser choices. One must be fully aware of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to save everyone who believes. The tensions that exist between the bondage of the past and the freedoms that lie ahead in the future will be ever present. Yet they are now expendable. These things may try to attach themselves to you, but they have been expelled from within you. This is what Peter was addressing when he instructed believers to lay all these other things aside. They do not give expression to the new nature within you. You are now in control and responsible for how these things affect you.

Allow your affections to be directed towards those things that add to your faith in Jesus Christ. This is the surrender offered to the believer, that is, to allow the Holy Spirit to give full expression of the character of Christ. This is not striving but resting and letting Him take full and complete control.

A babe is fed food that increases his growth and productivity. You will desire these things as evidence of a changed life within you. He is telling you to set your affections on things above. The time spent in seeking them will have you too preoccupied to waste time in other areas. Being fed by the Lord will allow you to understand how gracious He is to you to allow you to partake of what is exclusively His.

04 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: July 4

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work.” Proverbs 12:24 (MSG)

There is a freedom that allows us to fully cooperate with God in what He is doing. There is a bondage that can hold one back so that they are never able to accomplish or complete anything. It is the mental bondage of procrastination. It is when one thinks too intensely one the amount of work ahead rather than applying the effort necessary to take steps in completing it. The Holy Spirit will assist us but not force us to do anything. He awaits the decision on our part to move in the right direction. Then He supplies the energy and power for us to gain the impetus to continue moving forward. We have been graced to make a difference. Things we not intended to remain as they are. That is why God has allowed us to be born in this generation. What our forefathers completed was foundational for the task lying ahead of us. We must not allow the oppression of laziness to cripple our progress. Speak the truth even when nobody’s listening! Live the life and be the person God has called you to be even when it is not popular! Be steadfast in season and out of season. God will reward diligence because He pays attention to every effort made by those who strain to move in His direction.

01 Jul 0Comments 1Like

July 2014 Article: “If the Truth Be Made Known”

Posted by wwalker Categories: Articles

“If you hear My voice and abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, you will know the truth, and the truth will give you freedom.” (The Voice)

The liberating power of truth exposes the false pretenses under which many people live their lives. They don’t know it, but the systems that people have relied upon are doomed to fail. These systems are constantly being modified to accommodate the latest craze, while in the process, pushing the truth further into a corner. Their problem is, however, that truth will not quietly retreat and allow them to have their own way. It cries out in protest against humanity’s self-government of independence from its Creator. Today’s battle is against the constraints that restrain the vices with tentacles that extend further than what the uninformed can rationalize. Who would consider that today’s idea of freedoms will result in tomorrow consequences of bondage?

In an isolated room of free expression, the heart translates every experience into law. Likewise, those who have been victimized have now taken their pain and institutionalized it. Truth is silenced by the noise of entertainment where subsequently, the mind is in a receptive mode rather than an active mode of discernment. Truth to them becomes relative, but if the truth be told, it is relative to their personal pain. Although they are in need of healing in order to see things differently, who is there to tell them that they are seeing wrong? Popular opinions outweigh the soundness of the tried and tested and as a result, history must repeat itself as this generation engages in an experiment with life as if no other generation has ever existed. As George Santayana famously said, “if we do not learn from history, we will be doomed to repeat it.” Truth is based upon historical facts and not merely scientific experiments. Yet true science reinforces what has been already proven to be true. If the objective is to gather information against the truth in order not to believe, then the theories developed by those who engage become more foolish in the end than before they began.

This is the ploy of the Adversary with his resounding question to each generation: “Hath not God said…?” His attempts to make God appear as a liar as he opens the door to ideas that seem rational are palatable to the dulled senses. Deception always hides behind a camouflage, often majoring in appearances by minimizing the truth. The challenge facing our culture today is if absolute truth is spoken, we are forced to reckon with an absolute Source of truth. If there is an absolute Source of truth, then we end up at the point of our departure, back to God alone. If God is God, then we must rely upon Him and surrender to His will if life is to ever work as He intended. But the experiment provided for this generation is the theory that God does not exist, and if He existed, His only requirement for us is to express love as we interpret love to be. The endless cycle continues to weave a web of deception, holding captive all whosin reject the truth.

Even when the theological argument regarding the existence of God is won by those who have made the point that God and religion are necessary, life still goes on without experiencing freedom. For even the devil believes and trembles…True freedom can only be experienced as result of surrendering to His will. Then, and only then, will every tentacle that attaches one to bondage will be broken. Life can be expressed without the constraints of the past transgressions that might have been translated into law. Thankfully, the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has now set you free from the law of sin and death. He that the Son sets free is free indeed!

09 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

June 2014 Article: “Our Father, Our King”

Posted by wwalker Categories: Articles

The greatest issue facing our culture today is one of authority. Who gives the orders that people are compelled to obey? The need for and the problems with government have remained an age-old crisis, however, when the right person or people are in charge, a harmonious and peaceful state of being exists. Conversely, when the wrong person or people are in charge, the results are chaotic and confusing. The authority to lead is delegated by those who either appoint or submit to leadership. Delegated authority may evolve into absolute authority when left unchecked, thus causing laws and practices to shift in the direction of the whims and moods of the individual. The adage is true that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Yet in spite of the downfalls of corrupted government and despots with no regard for the future of the people, someone has to lead. But the leader is delegated with both the authority and responsibility to lead responsively. Responsive leadership denotes leadership that is responsive to needs, but at the same time, is established upon the standard of truth. You cannot draw a straight line using a crooked ruler.

Society as a whole has lost its moral compass. Who’s in charge today? Who and what is influencing the minds and hearts of this generation? Scripture speaks of a day when there was no king in all of Israel and where “every person did what was right in his own eyes.” Authority must first be established in the home in order for neighborhoods to be safe. Criminals practice what they think they are able to get away with. There is no thought given to the harm that their activities cause to others. The immediacy of the hour, whether by an act of rage or greed, shows an extreme disregard to the future effect of immediate actions taken. What many did not realize is that the criminal act did not begin at the moment others were victimized. The mindset developed over time as more boundaries were pushed back or eliminated.

Worship is the foundational boundary that was violated. When worship is altered into something other than what it was intended to be, it provides a freedom to decide what is best for the individual regardless of the outcome. The worshiper then assimilates his life and character into the life of whatever object he adores, which highlights the importance of fathers. Although these men represent authority within the family structure, unless they are submitted to the right standard, their leadership will direct their children off course. It becomes a cycle of death spreading from one generation to the next and then degenerating to a level of questioning the necessity of a father altogether. Fathers who are responsive to the deepest needs of their family consider how their lives will affect future generations.

Since none other than God is able to see into the future, any sensible individual can at least reflect upon the past. If the decisions of the past have led to things becoming what they are today, don’t you think it’s time to consider what other generations might have ignored? The criminal mind is limited in its thinking, for it only thinks of what the person is able to get away with. It is motivated by rage and greed with disregard to the future effects of immediate actions. It is also criminal to bring children into the world and not to consider their future. These are seeds in need of cultivation so that tomorrow’s world reflects the values of the previous generation. If the world is to be a better place for our children and our children’s children, there must be fathers today who are willing to think that far ahead. God is already there to show you the Way. He is our Father, but He is also our example and our King.

01 Apr 0Comments 0Likes

April 2014 Article: “Dying To Self”

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Articles

Unless there is death, there can be no resurrection. The things that remain alive within us determine the course of our lives along with God’s plan for the life that He gives. The natural tendency of each person is to get whatever he can for himself and live his life unto himself. Selfishness is hard to explain, but easy to practice because self-centeredness is deeply ingrained within the nature of fallen man. We do not know why we do the things that we do, and often are unaware that we are doing it. Ask a person what he thinks of himself and he will speak of his good intentions. Compare his assessment to God’s standard and the defects in his character are exposed. Although you were created for a purpose far greater than you realize, what is accepted as normal competes with God’s original plan. It casts a shadow over the potential of your life and reduces living to merely settling for basic needs and meeting unrestrained passions.

Sin is defined as “missing the mark.” It is not just the act, but the life that is bent in the wrong direction. The tendency to rebel against God is deeply ingrained within the center of every person. It cannot be trained or reformed. Ultimately, it requires a death—bringing an end to the old life in order to receive the new life with promise. Sin works within the body, producing sicknesses and diseases, and eventually leads to physical death. But you are more than your body and God wants reveal to you a part of you are not aware. The mark that is established by Him gives life its truest meaning. While each of us was born, we must remember that we were born for a purpose. Without a purpose life is meaningless, which is why suicide is rampant in society today. These individuals died many years before their bodies ceased to function. Even though attempts were made to relocate the goalpost by lowering the bar or moving it within closer range, these were goals established by man and not by God.

The death of Jesus Christ was the death of sin for us. He died a martyr’s death in our stead, paying the price for our redemption. Similarly, sin requires a death. Although sin exists in our physical bodies, when we accept the sacrifice made for us, we have died with Him. Ours is to yield to what God is both willing and able to do in us by removing the residue of the past as we experience newness of life in Him. Simply stated, if we focus our attention upon Christ and receive the benefits that He offers us, a new expression of life will manifest in and through us. He gives us His life in exchange for our old life, His peace for our frustration and confusion, and His love in exchange for our selfish and limited love. No longer can sin rule over you and within your members. You will be free to love and serve God and others. The pain of dying to self is letting go of the familiar in exchange for an unfamiliar promise. The nostalgia of the old has the potential of enslavement to a value system that must be broken. However, the Holy Spirit will teach those that come to God as little children that they may learn how to live the new life in Christ Jesus. Each lesson learned produces liberty from habits once thought to be impossible to break. Resurrection life produces true freedom. Even though it must be preceded by death, the glorious life and peace that follows is beyond comparison and comprehension.

06 Mar 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: March 6, 2014

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor 10:13

Is it possible for a faithful servant of God to be tempted? Experience provides evidence that all are tempted on occasion. Yet temptations do not have to overtake you. The objective of the Tempter is to overtake the lives of those who do not deliberately fight against what has come to mind. When it becomes a thought that is difficult to erase from the memory, it is easy to yield to the temptation exclusively tailored for you. Yet there is a way of freedom to cancel thoughts that would otherwise translate into actions. It does not lie on the surface but must be sought after. He reveals His sacrifice of life and love in contrast to the current offer. Only then will you be provoked to respond rightly. On the other side of the temptation is the evidence of true love expressed from your heart as a sign of gratitude. When you bear under the pressure of temptation, you are providing evidence that you love Jesus more than any object of affection or attraction that is there to replace what He alone can give.

11 Jan 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: January 11, 2014

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free.” Galatians 5:1

The most secure place is the position of true freedom. Permission is granted to us by our Sovereign Authority to fully participate in a work that extends beyond the passions that once ruled over us. We once thought of freedom as being able to follow the dictates of our hearts. Our old selves willfully responded, as it had been conditioned, to the stimuli of influences surrounding us. Not having the ability to see beyond this, we did not understand that an offering was extended that we might be liberated from the confinement of a world that offered nothing beyond itself. The liberty in which we now stand is a inner freedom that makes us aware of things that exist beyond the confinements of a shrinking worldly existence. As our external life gives signs decay and decline, the inner man is being renewed for its expression of eternal life. We are free to live forever the life that we now have come to experience in time.

23 Nov 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: November 23, 2013

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Meditations

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, (12) teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” Titus 2:11-12

God has dispensed from Heaven an abundance of His grace. Where sin and spiritual blindness abounded, only what one had grown accustomed to was known. Grace came to teach us that our old nature must be denied. How could one ever be freed from what he once defended because it defined him? It is the grace that has appeared in order to show us that a new life was possible. When it came on the scene, it opened our eyes to know that heaven’s order should become earth’s greatest dream. The slave can at least see freedom in order for freedom to be desired. That desire for something beyond our current patterns of living is responded to and then we are empowered to aim higher above level of ungodly and worldly lusts. Each day we will embrace all the more God’s standard of righteousness thus rising above our own. It is because of the grace that has appeared that produces the salvation that we so desperately need.

14 Nov 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: November 14, 2013

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Meditations

“For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.” Ecclesiastes 9:12

Action taken without any knowledge of our time is the entrapment of the enemy. We would lose sight of all the benefits provided as a means of remaining on the path of freedom. What were the habits and where were the pitfalls of the past that once held us in their grip before we were enlightened. They are still there even though we may have been once delivered from them. But when we get out of step with God and begin to take matters into our own hands, in no time they catch up to recapture us. We must be a step ahead of ploys that could so easily cause setbacks. God reveals the strategies and schemes intended to dismantle the work of God in us and through us. Therefore it is required of us to walk in the Spirit in sync with the Lord s timing that we do not succumb weakness of the flesh and the wiles of the devil.

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