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Building on the Basics
Real freedom isn’t won by ignoring the rules, but by obeying them so faithfully that they become second nature. Like a great symphony musician, you’ll find freedom in your Christian life, not by lazily skipping practice, but by perfecting the basics, mastering the fundamentals til your instincts become His, till His will becomes yours.
Spending set-aside time with Jesus
Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up. For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before my face. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction; their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue. But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield. – Psalms 5:1-9, 11-12
The moments you spend with no one else but Jesus build the best foundation to a Christian’s day.
Don’t expect your quiet time to come along quietly, because you can usually tell how important something is to your Christian walk by watching how hard Satan works to prevent you from doing it. Yes if there’s one thing you need as a growing believer, it’s the early established, hard fought discipline of starting each day with your head in the clouds, the clouds of God’s presence. Jesus did. The Bible says that He “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place” (Mark 1:35). Not that your time alone with God has to be in the morning, but most of us have learned that leaving quiet time off till bedtime usually results in leaving it off altogether, or at least changes it from a season of refreshed commitments and confident resolve into a weepy, discouraging rehash of the messes you’ve made that day. You’ll make time for what matters. And this matters the most.
“If you meet the Lord before you meet anyone else, you’ll be pointed in the right direction for whatever comes.” – Elisabeth Elliot
Tomorrow’s Reading: Hope you’re ready to carve out a spot in your day that’s earmarked for just you and Jesus to enjoy together. But what are you supposed to fill up a quiet time with?
Celebrate the 4th of July with Video Gaming’s Finest Fireworks!
During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain rule. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:
The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.
Adams’s prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.
Historians have long disputed whether Congress actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day. Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly believed.
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3:20
Every year on July 4th America remembers its freedom from British rule, but as citizens of heaven who are only incidentally American citizens, we daily have a more significant liberty to celebrate.
What freedom do citizens of heaven have to celebrate?
Freedom from bondage
Freed by Christ
Freedom is universally desired
Freed from the law of sin and death
Freed from the bondage of satisfying God’s law
Freed from the sins committed under the first covenant
Freed from our sins by his blood
Freed from accusation
Freed from the power of sin
Caution: Do not think your freedom is permission to sin
Free to approach God with confidence
Freed from spiritual blindness
Freed from the curse of a decaying body
Free to be a slave to others
Caution: Don’t let your freedom from the law lead others to violate their consciences
Freed by the law of love