FREEDOM
BREAD
5 In my
anguish I cried to the Lord, and
he answered by setting me free. 6 The Lord
is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on
my enemies. 8 It is
better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man. Psalms 118:5-8 (NIV)
32 I run
in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free. Psalms 119:32 (NIV)
45 I will
walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. 46 I will speak of your statutes
before kings and will not be put to shame, 47 for I delight in your commands
because I love them. Psalms 119:45-47
(NIV)
1 The
Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on
me, because the Lord has anointed
me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness
for the prisoners, 2 to
proclaim the year of the Lord's
favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who
grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil
of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of
despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV)
31 To the
Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to
my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then
you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are
Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say
that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the
truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a
slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:31-36 (NIV)
1 It is
for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let
yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
BUTTER
“My chains fell
off, my heart was free. I rose, went
forth, and followed Thee.” Charles
Wesley
“Redemption does not only look back to
Calvary. It looks forward to the freedom
in which the redeemed stand.” Leon Morris
“The
only perfect freedom is serving God.”
Malcolm Muggeridge
“God is our
Father, and we are to enjoy Him forever…What a comfort to enjoy God like that!
I can act as a child and treat Him as a father. I am free to fail, free to
speak what is a concern to me, free to be myself, free from fear, free from
guilt. God, through the life, death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ,
has adopted you into His family through faith.” Dan
DeHaan
“He was the most
balanced and perhaps the most beloved being ever to enter the society of
men. Though born amid most disgusting
surroundings, the member of a modest working family, He bore Himself always
with great dignity and assurance. Though
He enjoyed no special advantages as a child, either in education or employment,
His entire philosophy and outlook on life were the highest standards of human
conduct ever set before mankind. Though
He had no vast economic assets, political power or military might, no other
person ever made such an enormous impact on the world’s history. Because of Him……..people have come into a
life of decency and honor and noble conduct………He came to set men free from
their own sins, their own selves, their own fears. Those so liberated loved Him with fierce
loyalty. It is this One who insists that
He was the Good Shepherd, the understanding Shepherd, the concerned Shepherd
who cares enough to seek out and save and restore lost men and women.” Phillip
Keller
“Never
dread any consequence resulting from absolute obedience to His command. Never fear the rough waters ahead, which
through their proud contempt impede your progress. God is greater than the roar of raging water
and the mighty waves of the sea. ‘The
Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever’
(Psalm 29:10). A storm is simply the hem
of His robe, the sign of His coming, and the evidence of His presence. Dare to trust Him! Dare to follow Him! Then discover that the forces that blocked your
progress and threatened your life become at His command the very materials He
uses to build your street of freedom.” F. B.
Meyer
“When you are interiorly free you call
others to freedom, whether you know it or not. Freedom attracts wherever
it appears. A free man or a free woman creates a space where others feel
safe and want to dwell. Our world is so full of conditions, demands,
requirements, and obligations that we often wonder what is expected of
us. But when we meet a truly free person, there are no expectations, only
an invitation to reach into ourselves and discover there our own freedom. Where true inner freedom is, there is
God. And where God is, there we want to be.” Henri
Nouwen
HEART SAVOR
- · Jesus came to set me free – free from sin, free from myself. I can be my own worst enemy.
- · I am not to let myself be yoked again to slavery. If the Son has set me free, I am free indeed.
- · I was born for freedom and I deliver into freedom through obedience to God’s Truth.
