Freedom

What does freedom mean to you? Is it freedom from something, such as freedom from guilt, stress, persecution, judgment, temptation, and ultimately death. Or, is it freedom for something, such as the right to choose or the right to live?

What image does freedom bare for you? Is the image of a flag, or is it the Cross?

I love (not really) all of the bumper stickers people use to get their point across; Pro Choice, Abortion Kills, and (my favorite) Support Our Troops - Bring Them Home. This is the one that really gets under my skin. How is that supporting our troops? Didn't they have the freedom of choice to sign the dotted line stating that they would defend our country if the need should arise? I served my country for ten years and proudly had the opportunity to be a part of Operation Desert Storm back in '91. I know that there is a lot of debate as to what it is that we are at war for, but that's not the topic here. The point is, I joined the military of my own free will, fully understanding that I could die. Bringing our troops home is not supporting them! Praying for their safety and for their families is! There is always going to be a war. War is biblical: Deuteronomy 20:5-9, Judges 3:1-2, Psalm 27:3, Ecclesiastes 3:8, Ezekiel 38 & 39, and Revelation 12:7. The sooner we get used to this concept, the sooner we can get our priorities straight on how to support our troops in their freedom of choice.

Freedom has to have it's boundaries. I recall a message that my good friend Tim Urmston gave at church one Sunday morning. Tim is a football nut. He played in high school and in college. He now coaches our local high school team. He shared a story of a game that was scheduled one snowy day. The field was covered and you could not see any yard markers or boundary lines. And to make it more interesting, the referees had not arrived yet. So, the parents decided that they would act as the coaching staff and the refs. It didn't take things long to get chaotic. Luckily, the refs finally arrived and began marking out all of the boundary lines with their feet. Rules were established and they were able to play the game of football the way it was meant to be played. Tom Landry (famous football coach) even wrote, "We often resent rules because they limit what we can do. Yet without rules that define a football game, you can't play the game, let alone enjoy it. To live and enjoy the freedom we have in America, we have to live by the rules of society. To live life to the fullest, we need to understand and abide by the rules God spells out for us in the Bible. God isn't out to spoil our fun; He knows that life without limits results in anarchy and misery. You can't enjoy true freedom without limits".

I had a dream last night. Jesus was walking towards me. As I was watching Him approach me, I looked down and I realized that I was in shackles and chains. The closer that He got, the heavier I felt burdened and shamed. I noticed that He was carrying something that looked like a key. As He reached His point and stood right next to me, I closed my eyes and bowed my head because of an immense light that blinded me. He spoke to me and said, "Open your eyes my son". I opened my eyes and the room didn't seem so bright anymore. When I looked at Him, I noticed that His hands were now empty. I immediately looked down and saw that my shackles and chains were not only loosened, they were gone. True freedom, that can only come from Him.

John 8:32 says "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free". The truth being spoken of in that verse is He Himself, Jesus. Do you know Jesus? Do you want real freedom? Do you want freedom from all of the things that I mentioned at the beginning of this blog and for the most important thing: the right to truly live? Take some time to get to know Jesus and you will discover freedom.