Forever Free

"... ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God ..."



I never understood that phrase from 1 Corinthians 6:20 until my Mom talked to me a few days in a row about it. I was complaining (almost crying) about how awful our country is getting to be - how we are becoming worse than communist countries who bar their citizens in with walls like a prison. I won't name all the evil, disgusting things that are being done these days... there are too many! Anyway it took about 2 or 3 days for me to cool down and finally listen and thankfully grasp what my Mama was trying to tell me. I realized that I have been so fed up, so hatefully angry and so set on rebelling against the injustices and wrongs that are being done to true Americans (patriots, freedom-seekers, etc.) that I have even began rebelling against God. I have asked forgiveness from Him and He forgave me, just like He promises to always do in His word, if a heart is truly contrite. Let me share with you what I learned.



If I am bought with a price - bought with the blood of Jesus - then I am Jesus'. I don't mind not being my own. I have eternal life! And if I am Jesus', I have everything I need - 'cause He's all I need! But there is something I couldn't seem to filter through my thick skull - if I am Christ's, and I am bought with a price, and He has promised to take care of me, why is He letting me live in this day and age when the most triumphant country in all of history loses its blessed freedom? Well, "you are bought with a price!" That's why!!! That wasn't a good enough answer for me. I kept on getting bitter, and then one day I found a couple verses.





"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32



Yes! A little relief flooded over me. I am Christ's, and I don't have to obey anybody on this earth but Him. If they take away the freedom I have, it's not really taken away, because God opens doors no one can shut, and He shuts doors that no one can open. If he takes something away from me, no one else but he will be able to restore it unto me. He gave me a gift that no one can take away - salvation - freedom from sin and laws that are sinful - in fact, freedom from all the laws, because now I have the power over sin. He is my King, and I ought to obey Him rather than any man. The freedom that we have in Christ Jesus is true FREEDOM!!! I will never be in bondage, because if I am, God allowed me to be put there, not some person I don't even know. No one but God controls what happens to me. Ü There's more, though...



"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36



That goes along with what I was saying... when I excepted Jesus into my heart, I was freed from all sin, from all guilt. I should just repeat what I said in the paragraph above (maybe in a different sense?). If I am free from all sin, I am free from all sinful reign. I follow, obey, serve and honour no man - only God. I am not of this world. My kingdom is not earthly - it is eternal. Immortal. I'm just a pilgrim passin' through. And even though we of America are no longer free-free-free, I find comfort in knowing that God allowed that. I am his and he can do what he wants with me, for I am bought with a price. My freedom and my rights are still the same in Christ Jesus! I may die defending those rights, but what would you expect if a spirited, free person from a foreign land (me) lived in a familiar, though rather hostile and tyrannical country (the world) and still declared my birth-right freedom? Uh, wouldn't go so well with the authorities. So I am commanded to obey the laws of the land - except if they are contrary to God's Word. That is a dellllliciously victorious feeling!!!!! A wonderful freedom! I can actually rebel against the laws that confront God's laws (in the understanding that it is to be done respectfully)! The best part is, if you're a sinner saved by the grace of Jesus and his blood, you're forever free! Not just temporarily, or only free if you're good. Those things never saved your soul... only Jesus - the King of Kings! And it is still his power and grace that enables us Christians to remain free. Free from the law and free from sin! But better yet - under his rule and no man's!!!!

I Will Wait

Golly, where have I been!? Oh, here and there... everywhere..... living a regular busy life with chores, piano, riding, and such...


But I've been thinking about this one thing alot lately. This one thing seems like I might not live to see it happen, but then again, I hope with an everlasting hope. This one thing is - my Prince. My Prince of Peace. My Jesus. Someday, when God my Father commands Jesus to come and rescue His children from this world, the Heavens will open, the trumpet will sound, Jesus will come in a cloud with great power and dignity around Him, and I will ascend up to Him. I can't WAIT!!!!!! I'm soooooooooooo excited! It's a hope that's turned louder and louder as the days go by, and it's turned into a song in my soul. I'm like a princess waiting, what seems forever, for her knight in shining armour.

But He is coming soon! He said so!

All my life I have dreamed of what kind of man I wanted to marry. All my life, it's always been an adventurous, daring, spirited guy. But as I got older, I was more specific - more particular - til I was saying "someone perfect"! Shame, shame on me..... no one is perfect. I then realized..... I'm asking for Jesus. Sometimes I'll be laying in bed at night or sitting on my roof watching the sunrise, and I think "Come get me!!!" I've never seen His face or heard His voice, but I know Him and I know He's the knight in shining armour I've always dreamed of. I'll probably get married someday to a wonderful, adventurous guy that's always been my ideal. But waiting for him will never surpass the longing I feel for Jesus. I want Him to come back today and take me home!!!! But even if He doesn't, I'll be waiting til I die, because when I die, I'll see Him them!

When I am Down...

Is there a certain Bible passage y'all go to when you're down, or a person who just automatically lifts your spirits? Maybe a picture drawn by your kid or a song that gives you hope? My two greatest spirit-boosters is God's Word and my Mom. I'm so much like my Mom in some ways, yet so different from her in others. Nevertheless, she always seems to have an answer for everything... and when she doesn't have a direct answer to every problem, she still has a very helpful answer - "Pray." I go to God's Word when I feel most alone. Going back and reading how He pulled Israel through - out of their trials - out of the wilderness.... and reading of how Jesus calmed the raging, deadly seas and caused peace to take hold immediately.... it's as if I can almost hear Him whisper "Peace, be still" within me. Some of the Psalms have helped me, too. There are 150 psalms, and many different ones comfort and strengthen different people. When things like tragedy or doubt come into your life, believe me, I KNOW it's easy to become bitter and say "God, I didn't ask you for this! How could you let this happen to me?" or "The one thing I never wanted, Lord, you've allowed to happen in my life!" It's understandably easy to become bitter when tragedy or even small trials get in the way of life's path. But God is not cruel. No matter what the circumstance, this will be proven to us if we trust in God and wait patiently.....

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

Sometimes, God sees down the path that is before us and knows that, no matter what, His will must stand. God sees things so differently than we do. Going before us - looking into our future - He may see that trial or tragedy will bring good to us, whether we realize it or not. We'll know someday - in Heaven. So, be strong and brave.

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand." Psalm 37:23-24