Freedom

What is freedom?  What does it mean to be free?  There was a program on TBN called the White House's Tribute to Gospel Music.  It essentially was a Christian concert at the White House in front of the President and other people of leadership in our country.  It gave me hope that our nation can come back to the freedom we were founded on--freedom in Jesus Christ.  The Gaither Vocal Band sang "Let Freedom Ring" in which this line stood out to me: "Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no keys."  This line reminds me of Romans 6:18-23.  We are free from sins and slaves to righteousness.  Those who are still slaves to sin are living in a prison without keys becuase God, through Jesus Christ, has gotten rid of the keys and freed us from sin.  It is like those who don't know Christ have the Stockholm syndrome where they are in love with their captor, Satan, though he can't even hold them in the prison of death.  Why is it that once we experience freedom we still are so easily drawn back to the "sin that so easily ensnares us" (Hebrews 12:1)?  Hebrews 12:1-2 says to just lay it aside and "run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has taken his seat at the right ahdn fo the throne of God."  God help me to do this.

I've been home a week now from my mission trip to Dallas and have reflected on it quite a bit.  There is no greater joy than seeing lives changed through coming to know Jesus Christ.  Having an eternal perspective, you see people differently.  I'm constantly reminded how short life is compared to eternity.  People often may only have one opportuntiy to hear the Gospel and I might be that one opportunity.  Talk about a huge responsibility.  I have the answer that makes an eternal difference in people's lives. 

"Only one life, twill soon be past; only what is done for Christ will last."

Vulnerability was also a huge lesson that I'm still struggling with.  I see that it is important to be vulnerable with others because it is conducive to growth, keeps us humble, and keeps us from being fake with one another.  None of us have it altogether nor are any of us perfect.  We all need to learn from each other and share our problems as well as be able to listen to others point out our weaknesses and work on them.

As far as my last post is concerned, I never got the peace of God about attending the HA this August.  I'm still praying about attending the HA in my future. 

PLEASE PRAY FOR ME AND READ THIS AND GIVE ME ADVISE

So much has been going on lately.  I just got back from my mission trip to Dallas with Global Expeditions.  Nobody knew I was going, because I raised the money on my own and did not want to ask anyone for donations.  Now I'm back and I'm faced with the biggest and toughest decision I have ever had to make.  While I was at Teen Mania, I filled out an application for the Honor Academy.  When I told my mom she was totally against it.  I've been praying about it ever since.  I told God I don't want to do what I want to do but what He wants me to do.  I've asked Him to make His way clear to me.  Since I have gotten home I have called all the places to find out how it would effect college and it won't hurt my college career at all.  Tonight I talked to mom about it and shared with her what I read during my quiet time--Nehemiah 1-2. 

Basically, Nehemiah wanted to rebuild the wall because God's people were in reproach.  He trusted God and God prepared the way for Him by softening the kings heart and giving him the right people to help.  He had people who told him he was stupid but Nehemiah trusted God to prosper his way.  God totally lead me to read Nehemiah this morning.  Why would I choose out of the blue to read Nehemiah?  I feel just like Nehemiah.

I love JBU and I am excited about being an officer on the ultimate frisbee team and rooming with Rebecca Reed, but I can't help thinking about the HA.  It would be so easy for me to just forget about the HA, coast the rest of the Summer, and attend JBU in August.  It would be so difficult for me to plan on going to the HA, work 40+ hours/week, trust God to provide enough money for me to go to the HA.  What do you do when both options sound good, you want to do both, both seem to be what God would be pleased with?  I don't want to be motivated by fear in not pursuing the Honor Academy, but is it fear or God telling me it is not the right time?  But it seems God is totally opening the door and making the way for me to go to the HA.  I'm completely and utterly confused and at the end of myself.  God, work it out.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?  For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Some quotes in John Piper's book "Don't Waste Your Life:"

"Treasuring life above Christ is a tragedy."

"You get one pass at life.  That's all.  Only one.  And the lasting measure of that life is Jesus Christ."

"All that looks like reality to us is dependent on God...creation gets all its meaning and purpose from God."

"God's aim in history was to "fully display his glory."  God's aim was that his people "delight in him with all their heart."

"if I wanted to come to the end of my life and not say, "I've wasted it!" then I would need to press all the way in, and all the way up, to the ultimate purpose of God and join Him in it.  If my life was to have a single, all-satisfying, unifying passion, it would have to be God's passion.