Free Your Life

Recently I borrowed a book from a friend that we share a common interest. The book is entitled Freedom from Tyranny of the Urgent, by Charles E. Hummel. I want to recommend this book to all true Christ-followers as it has the potential of changing your life. The basic premise is that not all things in our lives that are urgent are important. This book will help you discover the difference. 

If you want to live a life of meaning and purpose, this book is for you.

Jesus: Our Blood Donor

 "The Life is in the blood."  Leviticus 17:11

Most people, when they retire, get a gold watch. James Harrison deserves so much more than that.

Harrison, known as the “Man With the Golden Arm,” has donated blood nearly every week for 60 years. After all those donations, the 81-year-old Australian man “retired” Friday. The occasion marked the end of a monumental chapter.

According to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, he has helped saved the lives of more than 2.4 million Australian babies. Harrison’s blood has unique, disease-fighting antibodies that have been used to develop an injection called Anti-D, which helps fight against rhesus disease.

Harrison’s remarkable gift of giving started when he had major chest surgery when he was just 14, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service said. Blood donations saved his life, so he pledged to become a blood donor. A few years later, doctors discovered his blood contained the antibody which could be used to create Anti-D injections, so he switched over to making blood plasma donations to help as many people as possible.

As great as Mr. Harrison’s dedication was there is someone else whose blood donation was even greater, Jesus Christ. Jesus is a blood-donor not a blood-shedder. “The life is in the blood,” as the Scripture says. The New Testament doesn’t so much teach “forgiveness OF sin” as it does “freedom FROM sin.” Jesus’ blood is not just about paying for our past transgressions but rather providing for our future transfusion. He wants to infusion us with His life.  

Why I Turned My Back on Religion

 

“...That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away from God ...” 

2 Thessalonians 2:3

One-fifth of Americans are religiously unaffiliated — higher than at any time in recent U.S. history — and those younger than 30 especially seem to be drifting from organized religion. A third of young Americans say they don't belong to any religion.

Voltaire, the 18th Century French cynic, wrote: “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” This quip is often quoted cynically. But in fact, he was being perfectly sincere. He was arguing that belief in God is necessary for society to function, even if he didn’t approve of the monopoly the church held over that belief. From the earliest civilization, man has always been religious. He found the need to worship someone or something.

There are many reasons people are leaving organized religions. Here are some of the reasons young people gave:

• Hypocritical behavior in the lives of professing believers

• The problem of suffering in the world

• Mega churches have millions of dollars but they are not actively reaching the needy

• Probably the biggest reason is they do not believe religion is relevant today.

If the church is going to reach this generation, they must be willing to change. For change to occur, we must listen to this younger generation. We need to include them in making decisions to make decisions. One of the main reasons the church is unable to see any positive change is that they don’t allow room for younger members to have a part in the changes being made.

The biggest group that has faced holy discrimination is the LGBTQ community. The traditional church is totally against homosexuality. The church cannot expect the gay person to change BEFORE they are accepted into the church. We can love/accept the person without condemning them. Somehow the church is more willing to forgive the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, the greedy, drunkards and swindlers before they would even consider forgiving the LGBTQ community even if they are not practicing homosexuality.

The church must teach/preach a message that is relevant. What millennials need are teachings that closely align with what they are experiencing. What millennials need are teachings that resonate with a young 35-year-old single mother. What millennials need are teachings that could be useful for a 20-year-old college student dealing with financial and personal stress.

The only way to stop the exodus from our churches is to be willing to change. Like how badly does the church want to attract a younger audience? What measures is the church willing to take to capture the millennial generation? What is the church willing to give up bringing more souls to Christ?

More Than a Little Piece

 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Matthew 16.24

We all leave a piece of ourselves behind when we move to a new place. But to become a long-term resident of Villas Las Estrellas, Antarctica. Leaving a piece of yourself behind is a literal thing. With the nearest hospital 625 miles away, a person will be in serious trouble if their appendix bursts. So every citizen is required to undergo an appendectomy before moving there.

Sounds drastic right? But it's not as drastic as becoming a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Because people want to follow Jesus on their own terms and not His. (Matthew 16:25-27) He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” This includes being prepared to let go of everything that competes with Him and His Kingdom.

As we take up our cross, we also take on a willingness to truly follow Him. This means following His lead as He guides us into service and sacrifice. Following Jesus means so much more than leaving a little piece of ourselves of ourselves behind. With His help, it's about submitting and surrendering our whole lives, including our bodies, to Him alone.