He Frees Us

February 8, 2022

(Singing)

“Was the cross meant for me that my Saviour carried.

Now I’ve been made free by the mercy of God. 

Was the grave meant for me where my sin lay buried.

Now I stand redeemed by the mercy of God.” 

Hallelujah!! Thank you for the saving blood. Your saving blood.  You have done so much to save us – to save me. And I’m alive today, I have a present and a future today, because you set me free. You came to save us from our sin. Not someone else’s that was wrongfully assigned to us – from our own sins and mistakes. Thank you Yahweh for freeing us. Thank you for a new day where you can be worshipped and honoured because you alone are worthy to be praised. I am so grateful for everything that you have done to save me – everything that you are doing so that my mind can rest easy in you. Every day you reveal just a little bit more of who you are and who you want me to be, and I am thankful that you share with me. Yahweh, I pray for this family: this crazy, wonderful family that you’ve made me a part of. I ask for your blessing over us, that you come in and seal up the cracks, fill in the gaps so that we are whole in you. You are the master and you can do anything (and no this isn’t flattery) and I pray that our hearts would be opened to the places we have to change – to the areas we need to lean into. Our lives are not just to waste but to do what we’ve been put here to do. Help us to brighten the corner where we are. I’ve always liked this song. Nothing wrong with fame and all its trappings where you (a person) can impact the world. I mean after all, you’re like worldwide, universe wide, galaxy wide famous. But making the corner of the world where you are a better place? That is phenomenal. And personal. And you are both: personal and having a world view. Thank you for that. I’m sorry I talk a lot sometimes.

2 Corinthians 3:17 – Now the Lord is that spirit: and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

[CONFESSION: Sometimes I just love the poetic nature of the King James Version. Just saying].

Eleutheria – A state of freedom from slavery. 

Slavery shackles us and prevents us from reaching our full potential. Prevents us from thinking. Slavery is both physical and mental. I think the mental is worse though. Mental slavery means that you have no hope or that you feel you have no hope. You can get caught up in performing rituals not recognizing that a simple act of turning to God (verse 16) takes away the shackles. There is a freedom in having a personal relationship with Yahweh. And it tears down any false image that religious rituals and dogma may have established. You have this Eureka! moment. Well constant Eureka! moments because the more the veil is lifted, the more we see what the spirit can do, what they desire to do in us and through us and the more excited we get.

1 Peter 2:16 – Live as free people, but don’t hide behind your freedom when you do evil. Instead use your freedom to serve God.

You does really make me smile. No wonder we need to draw close to you to get a better understanding of you. You freed us, without a doubt freed us. But we need to also give up our freedom to you so that we can actually have a good life. The freedom that you’ve actually given us (through your death) is the freedom to choose. To choose the type of life we want to live and the debt we want to die. It’s like having two plates in front of you. They both look good, they both smell good but one has a slow acting poison in it and the only way to not die immediately is to keep preparing more food yourself so that the poison has something to feed on besides you. But in the end it always gets you.

The other plate has no poison, but it does say that if you want more, you have to stay here and ask. You have to humble yourself to admit that you’re hungry again: you can’t serve yourself. The moment you do, you have to keep serving yourself but by then you’ve taken the poison.

But the beauty of the spirit is that both choices are always before you and you can always choose to humble yourself and be served and that enables us to serve Yahweh. Difference between a slave and a servant: one is forced, one offered. 

Galatians 5:1 – Christ has freed us so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. Therefore, be firm (in this freedom) and don’t become slaves again. 

It is a constant choice that is ever before us – live free or die hard? (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself). But it’s the truth though, one offers life (here and hereafter) and the other offers death (finito). 

One is based on relationship: it is personal. The other is legal and movements made because of a wide-based law. What’s funny, in both situations they may be doing the same exact things. They may be eating the same food, wearing the same clothes, helping others the same way. But one is dying, the other is living. The one who is dying is thinking: okay, if I do this and I do that and I do that then God will be happy and would save me? Right? Right? (Looks around for approval). The other, who is living, is having a constant conversation with Yahweh. What’s the best thing to do? He knows that he is saved and decides that the one who saved him knows best. He’s not looking around for approval because he is already moving the way that Yahweh wants him to. He’s assured of that, but he keeps communication open because he doesn’t want to miss a thing. 

Yahweh, thank you for seeing us. You give me a choice, everyday, every moment. To allow you to serve us or we serve ourselves. Today I will choose to allow you to serve me. Which (you’re always full of paradox which is probably my favourite word right now) enables me to serve you. Thank you for your miracles in my life, I have a life today because of you.

You know last week when I was like yes! I need to go live, get this out there, I hadn’t even realised how much work I still had to do. Thank you for reining me in and reminding me to stay the course. I’m also really thankful that I listened. Help me to always be open to your voice and your spirit in me. 

Yahweh, walk with Clint today, I pray that he continues to choose you daily. I pray that today at work, your peace would reign in  him and calm the chaos. He is yours Yahweh. Protect and keep him. 

You know it’s amazingly refreshing and amazing the different forms that worship to you can take. We’ve been indoctrinated to think that “worship” is singing mainly and yes that is definitely a universal aspect of worship, but it’s more than that. It’s what we do that is dedicated to you. The words we speak, the person we help, the art we create, the cake we bake. It all becomes worship when the heart is moving in tune with you. Yahweh, help my heart to sing with yours.