Is there More to Salvation?

It is a right and proper claim that Jesus came to seek and save the lost and to give His life a as ransom for many.  (Luke 19:10;Matt 20:28).  Salvation is mentioned over 165 times in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.  This is a major theme for us in scripture.  We all want to be saved.  Salvation is core to our belief in Jesus.  He gave His life for ours so that we may gain salvation.  But is there more to salvation than escaping consequences?  What if God has a bigger perspective?

From the beginning of Creation, God's purpose was to create a people for Himself who would love Him as much as they could as He loved them.  Creation comes out of the heart of God.  He already created angels with free will to love Him or not. Still, His heart of love continued to create a different kind in people who would need to trust Him and obey Him like a Father to survive and thrive in the new creation.  He created people with free will to love hm or not and to win our love through His own grace and love.  He was seeking a people after His own heart...a people for His own possession.

As we all know, we cannot become His people in our condition of slavery to sin, under judgement of death for sin. A price needed to be paid.  Jesus paid it. Hence the great blessing of salvation.

Salvation begins for us as escape from our judgement of death, separation from God in eternal punishment.  Our Salvation for God is that we become "a people after His own heart"..."a people for His own possession".   Our view of salvation so often is limited by our own desire for safety and avoiding punishment.  Too many view salvation as a "get out of jail free card" and there is an element of that in Jesus' sacrifice for us.   Still, isn't salvation is more than that?  Isn't salvation, from God's perspective, really the freedom to choose God's presence, to join with His people, a people called by His name, a people for His own possession, a people after His own heart enjoying His presence for all eternity.  This is His big picture and His big plan.

The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 1 Samuel 13:14

and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? 2 Samuel 7:23

James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14  Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. Acts 15:13-14

 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12  instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13  looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14  who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. Titus 2:11-14

 But you are A chosen race, A royal priesthood, A holy nation, A people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10  for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Who Can We Trust?

Christians more than any people should have a pretty solid understanding of human nature. When we come to Christ we first admit and confess that we are sinners, slaves to sin, unable save ourselves or even fix ourselves.

Scripture teaches us clearly who we are as humans.

"for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written,
“There is none righteous, not even one;
There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,” " Romans 3:9-13

Most of us are well acquainted with our own sin and flaws. Still we tend to be surprised when we hear of sinful behavior in others. Sin becomes rather abstract in our relationships.
We trust people in our relationships too blindly and all too often find ourselves pained by those we have trusted. We often don't walk out our understanding of human nature in our everyday lives. But Jesus did.

"Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name,

observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man". John 2:23-25

The good news is that this frees us up from performing for God's love. God loves us not because we are lovable but because He is love. He proved this in sending Jesus to pay the price for our sin and free us from slavery to sin.

Yet the truth is that we still occupy corruptible bodies and are tempted by sin and self interest and none of us has arrived yet at the sinless state of Jesus on earth. That means that even those who are in Christ are not fully trustworthy. We still seek our own interests first most of the time. Furthermore, those in the world who do not know Christ, who are still dead in their sins, are even more corruptible and slaves to self interest and evil impulses.

No one is righteous, Not one. Not you or I or your spouse or children or parents or friends or pastors or doctors or teachers or police or government. None. Those of us who are in Christ may be justified before the Father but we are yet far from the purity of the selfless, sinless life in this world. We must stop walking around naively believing that people will behave differently than what we know about people. Trust is limited solely to where our interests align.

Obedience vs Trust

I admit that I have authority issues. My character is such that I question the "why" of everything and

choose what I want to obey. However, I do obey those in authority not for fear of consequences from those authorities but voluntarily as obedience to God. The Scriptures found in the Bible are the Word of God and therefore the final authority over creation.

"Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves." Romans 13:1-2

Something few people notice in this chapter of scripture is that nowhere does it say that we should trust in the government or those in authority. Our trust must always be in God. Humans are not reliable enough to trust. As I have posted many times, trust is only reliable when interests align. When interests diverge trust disappears. The interest of those in government do not often align with the interests of the people, even in America. The government interests are first and foremost founded on its own preservation and expansion of its power. No government will ever sacrifice itself or its interests for the sake of the people. Nevertheless, we are still living in a time when we can voice our disagreement with the government and seek legal redress for our grievances without disobeying the authority of the government.

Never forget though that regardless of what this scripture says there are plenty of other scriptures that describe people of God defying earthly authorities when those authorities try to force them to violate God's authority.

1) Daniel defying the King of Babylon
2) Elijah defying Ahab and Jezebel
3) Peter and John defying the Sanhedrin (refusing to stop preaching in Jesus' name.)

Obedience and trust are not the same.
Obey those in authority until they call for disobeying God.
Choose carefully which earthly authorities and which people you may trust recognizing that common interests can change over time.

Conceived in Liberty

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." - Lincoln's Gettysburg address, Introduction

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." - Declaration of Independence

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." - US Constitution, Preamble

These are the words of our heritage of liberty in America.

It could be said though that in the beginning God brought forth into the universe a new creation, CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY and dedicated to the proposition that He loves us and wants us to freely enjoy fellowship with Him as His people forever. 

Freedom was born in the Garden the moment God added the tree of the Knowledge of Good and evil and told Adam and Eve not to eat from it.  God knew that there can be no freedom, no liberty without the option to say "No".  God values freedom so much that He risked the entire creation and His relationship with us by giving people the freedom to disobey, to go our own way. 

Some might say that the greatest gift that God gave us is life but that is not true.  The greatest gift God gave us is the freedom to choose.  Without this freedom we cannot love.  Love demands choice.  If we are not free to not love God then we cannot be free to love Him either.  Love is risky.  It demands choice.  It demands the freedom to say "No".

God is the author of freedom.  In creating us in His image we have been given a very godlike power.  The power to choose freely how we will live.

Of course our ancestors chose badly and we suffered for it.  We exchanged His lordship to go our own way.  As people we became slaves of sin, slaves to our impulses. 

People continued to choose badly.

It was not long after the people of Israel had been supernaturally rescued by God from extremely abusive slavery in Egypt that they were clamoring to return there.  Somehow, seeing the Angel of Death pass over their homes and kill all the first born in Egypt, seeing the Red Sea parted while they walked through on dry land, and seeing a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire at night to guide them in the wilderness was not enough to convince them to trust God.  They wanted to go back to the slavery that was harsh but was, at least, familiar. Somehow the certainty of slavery was preferable to them than the uncertainty of freedom.

Once the people were settled in the Promised land they had no King or earthly ruler. They lived freely according to what they believed was right. 

In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.  (Judges 17:6 )

We take for granted that governments are necessary.  Yet, From Abraham to Joseph (approximately 200 years), there was no recorded earthly government over the people of God.  From Moses to Saul (approximately 500 years) there was no recorded earthly government over the people of Israel.  There were laws to guide them and judges to resolve disputes between people and lead them in battle but no King, no governing authority except God.  Each man was expected to know the law and follow it on their own.  There was no law enforcement, no auditors to make sure you paid your taxes.  There was no earthly government over the people before Israel's first king, Saul.  This was God's plan.  Plan A for God is that we should not have any earthly government over us.

God has been trying to gather a people for Himself out of history to love and enjoy Him forever.  God's plan is that He will be king over His people.  When the people demanded an earthly King they rejected God from being King over them.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations." But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD. The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. (1Sa 8:4-7)

"Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day--in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also. "Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them."

So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked of him a king. He said, "This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots.

"He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

"He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. "He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants.

"He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants.

"He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work.

"He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants.

"Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day." Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." (1Sa 8:8-20)

God never required any of these things from the people.  In the law He gave only requirement for a tithe, 10% of the first fruits from the growth in wealth of the people to fund the temple.  God warned them that choosing an earthly king will be alot like slavery.   (It sounds a lot like governments in our age only the taxes are nearly 500% higher.) This is not the kind of life that God wanted for His people.  The people wanted again to exchange the freedom of doing what was right in their own eyes, with God as their king for an earthly government as slaves to an earthly king.

Why is liberty so hard to sustain?  No democracy in the history of humanity, prior to the US,  has lasted longer than 200 years and ours is decaying.  Is it something in our human character that always leads us into slavery, to seek the authority of others over our lives?  The Apostle, Paul, describes us this way 

as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS"; "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES." (Rom 3:10-18)

Consider this.  Every human and our leaders have this character.  Even Christians are in process of being transformed from this into the image of Christ.  Ideally, when we die to ourselves in baptism and rise to new life, we would like to think that all of these characteristics would be left behind but if we are honest we must admit that we have a long way to go.  We know that we are not perfect yet and neither are any human leaders.  This is why all human governments are fundamentally flawed. Even David, as the God anointed King of Israel from whose descendants Jesus will come as the final King, was a flawed man and flawed king.  All humans are corrupt and self-interested.  No exceptions. 

Jesus is the only one who can truly set us free

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (Joh 8:31-36)

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (Gal 5:1)

Fear vs Freedom

Fear is the number one reason why people will choose slavery over freedom.  We fear death.  We fear news of threats of harm. We fear not having a job or enough money for our  families to have a home and food and a car. We fear that people don't like us or worse that people may not notice us at all. We fear disease and we fear loss of a loved one. 

The government and business and the media seem to create new fears for us daily.  If all of the fears we hear about in the media were really true most of us in this room should already be dead. 

Most people are even afraid of freedom. They fear what would happen if their neighbor and brother-in-law were really free.  They imagine a world similar to the post apocalyptic world of Mad Max if everyone was to "do what is right in their own eyes".

Jesus frees us from fear if we let Him.  We do not need to fear death.  He has promised that He has gone to prepare a place for us so that we can be with Him.  He promises that anyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.  Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5 that our bodies are just tents where we are temporarily living and that we have a permanent home waiting for us with God.

Jesus promises that God loves us and will provide all that we need. 

"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Mat 6:25-34)

Paul teaches us that we do not need to fear condemnation by God or slavery to sin

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (Rom 8:1-2)

We must honestly admit that our nation that was CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY now some 12  score and 10 years ago is no longer the same. 

Thomas Jefferson rightfully warned, "Where the government fears the people there is liberty.  Where the people fear the government, there is tyranny."

George Washington warned the nation, in his farewell address on leaving the office of president, against foreign entanglements and against a standing army. 

Ben Franklin warned us that if we are willing to give up some of our liberty to obtain safety or security that we will end up with neither.

Our Constitution was written in such a way not to limit the people but to limit the government. The government existed solely to protect the liberty of the people and yet today we have many in the government and in society trying to limit the rights of the people to free speech and to bearing arms.  We see many in the government and society claiming that we must be willing to give up our rights for safety. We must be willing to accept constant surveillance of all of our correspondence and communication without due process.  We must be willing to submit to random searches and seizures without a warrant.  We have Federal judges claiming that the Constitution is irrelevant and not worthy of study.  We have political leaders who believe that we should subordinate our laws to international authorities.

• We celebrate this weekend the vision and the sacrifices of those who founded our nation, CONCIEVED IN LIBERTY.

• We celebrate our independence from the foreign authority that was Great Britain and that we remain mostly free of foreign authority today. 

• We celebrate the America that has attracted people from across the world yearning to breathe free. 

• We celebrate that as Americans so far we still have a voice in how we are led and governed. 

• We celebrate that so far we can still gather as the people of God and worship as we choose. 

Regardless of changes in our nation, God is the author of freedom

• We live free because Jesus set us free.  The Spirit of the living God lives within us.
• We live free because we are no longer slaves of sin, slaves of our bodily impulses and feelings. 
• We live free because we are no longer afraid.  The God of the heavens cares for us and provides for us and has an eternal home ready for us.

As Christians we know that this world and this nation is not our home. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God.  We have taken Jesus as our Lord believing that He cares for us, gave His life for us and has prepared a place for us so that we can live freely in this world, fearing nothing, and trusting in Him for all things.

The signers of the Declaration of Independence closed with this line.

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

If you have not made Jesus your Lord and accepted His free gift of eternal life why not make today your INDEPENDENCE DAY?  Why not declare today that you will no longer live in fear but cast your anxiety on Him because He cares for you?

Why not declare today that you will not go quietly into that dark night but declare that you are free because you are in Christ?

Nations throughout history have come and gone.  Nevertheless, our freedom in Christ cannot be taken away from us no matter where the political winds blow. Christians through out history, even in the first century when Jesus and Paul taught us these things, there was very little thought about true political freedom. governing authorities like Rome would never tolerate that.  Even today Christians in many places around the world are imprisoned or fear for their lives.  Yet they can still be free in Christ because this life is not the end and is not all there is.  Eternity awaits us.  We will discover that what happens in our lives here is trivial compared the real lives that we have yet to begin.

"They may take our lives but they will never take our freedom."  - William Wallace, Mel Gibson, Braveheart

The Green Monster

"Hulk is the alter ego of Bruce Banner, a socially withdrawn and emotionally reserved physicist who physically transforms into the Hulk under emotional stress and other specific circumstances at will or against it; these involuntary transformations lead to many complications in Banner's life. When transformed, the Hulk often acts as a disassociated personality separate from Banner. Over the decades of Hulk stories, the Hulk has been represented with several personalities based on Hulk and Banner's fractured psyche, ranging from mindless savage to brilliant warrior, and Banner has taken control of the Hulk's form on occasion. Banner first transforms into the Hulk after being caught in the blast of the gamma bomb he invented while saving Rick Jones, a youth who had wandered onto the testing range." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulk_%28comics%29

Jekyll and Hyde

"Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson that was first published in 1886.  It is about a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll,^[2][3]and the evil Edward Hyde.

The work is commonly associated with the rare mental condition often spuriously called "split personality", referred to in psychiatry as dissociative identity disorder, where within the same body there exists more than one distinct personality.^[4] In this case, there are two personalities within Dr Jekyll, one apparently good and the other evil. The novella's impact is such that it has become a part of the language, with the very phrase "Jekyll and Hyde" coming to mean a person who is vastly different in moral character from one situation to the next." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Case_of_Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde

The Bible's description of Human Nature

as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS"; "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."

(Rom 3:10-18)

"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

(Jer 17:9)

Every human being has a "Hulk" or a Mr or Ms Hyde inside of them.  Every child born has this.  In fact it can be more visible in children before they are quite socialized and matures into a semblance of self control.  They may not yet be responsible for their actions but yet the actions of selfishness are manifestly visible.   

Every man and woman, husband and wife have their "Hulk" inside no matter how sweet and charming they are.  Even the feelings of attraction and romance that we feel toward another person are entirely based on how "they make us feel".  Parents don't have children for altruistic reasons unless they adopt an unfortunate child already in this world.  Parents birth children for the sake of their own feelings.  

Every choice we make is influenced by how it makes us feel.  From our homes to cars and clothes and friends.  Remember how we reacted the last time our paradigm about our lives was disrupted most likely by other people working out the paradigm of their lives in traffic or shopping?

Now consider every leader in our nations and societies.  Every local leader, pastor, administrator, business person, every councilman, school board member, school teacher, police and fire person are all human and are walking around with their own Mr or Ms Hyde or incredible Hulk inside.   Every governor, senator, congressman, and President has one.  Every government employee making policies, shuffling paper,  serving citizens at gov't office windows around the world has one.  Every person we encounter every day at the store or gas station or church all have the same character inside.  

As Christians we know that before coming to Christ all people are slaves to sin, slaves to this inner being of selfishness.   As slaves they cannot be expected to behave in any way as selfless and honest people.  It is surprising when anyone who is a slave to sin actually behaves well.  This may in fact be a residual effect of the God's Spirit in our society from prior generations.    Even so, after we come to Christ the "Old Man" or "Old Woman" is not gone.  (See Romans 7.)  God has begun a good work in us and will continue it until we are perfected (Ephesians 2).  

Why is this reminder important for us?  Because like the many humans who have gone before us, we forget.  Even more so, we create all kinds of narratives around ourselves and our loved ones, our leaders, our teachers, our pastors, our police officers, our society that allow us to naively believe that most everyone is good.   Then we find ourselves shocked when one of these people "goes bad".    Then we appeal to other leaders to do something so that bad things don't happen.  And yet they do.  No gov't on earth, not even the Gov't that God put in place over Israel through His commandments, can tame the human heart.  No law can eradicate the Hulk, or Mr or Ms Hyde from the human character.   We all have potential to act badly depending on our incentive.

That brings us to our attitude about leadership.  If all humans carry with them this green monster of self interest how do we choose leaders for government and law enforcement, for church, for schools, for sports, for media, for entertainment, for military?  Can any humans be trusted when no one is looking to put other people's interests ahead of their own?  What is the solution for human leadership?  Shall we trust blindly and hope for the best?  Shall we create a narrative where the Bible doesn't really mean what is says about the human heart?  Maybe it is not desperately wicked after all.  Maybe we can discover that there are exceptions for my child, my husband, pastors, teachers, police and political leaders?  

"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS"; "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."

(Rom 3:10-18)

When we are alone and only tasked with items of our own lives trust is not necessary.  Trust is only required when tasked with items which influence others while absent or out of sight from them.  Since humans are not trustworthy in this regard, tasks that influence or control others must never be done in secret, in darkness.  We must bring all those matters into the light. Secrets are the tools of tyrants and people of low character.

And the LORD was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things.

(Gen 8:21)

  

We Are Not Lovable

"Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man." John 2:24-25

Humans have a difficult time understanding how to love as God loves. Too often humans translate this kind of love as turning a blind eye to the truth of human Character. We live in a kind of denial about ourselves, our loved ones, our communities and the world thinking that this is how love works. The truth is, humans are deeply flawed and corrupt. Paul writes in Romans 3 that our throats are an open grave and the poison of asps is on our lips. In the scripture above, even though Jesus came to give his life for people He did not trust us because He knew how deeply flawed we are. One week before the crowd shouts to crucify Him those same people were shouting Hosanna to the King. 

God does not love us because we are lovable. He loves us because He is love. It is His nature, thankfully for us. As we are called to love people we must do so acknowledging the full truth about ourselves, our families, friends, communities and the whole world. "There is none righteous. Not even one. Everyone has turned to his own way." Humans are deeply flawed, selfish and unreliable. Our actions cause friction in the world around us. Our footprints in the world stomp on others. Our hearts are desperately wicked. This is reflected in the world we occupy with all the conflicts, hate, murders, assaults, corruptions, self interests, controlling of others, accidents we cause by our inattention to how we impact others, etc. It is difficult for us to be otherwise as this is our true nature.

It takes a God to love people because we are not lovable. Even after His Holy Spirit comes to live in us the road of transformation from our true nature into the nature of Christ takes a lifetime.

A Holy Nation Conceived in Liberty

"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on his continent a new nation, conceived in liberty…."  -Lincoln, Gettysburg address, Nov 19, 1863

If he had spoken these words today, they would say 11 score and 18 years.  A score of years is 20.

In America, we tend to feel that liberty is our own unique value that suddenly came on the historical scene with our declaration of independence. 

Indeed looking back over history, it is hard to find many other examples.  We did see the British Magna Carta in the 13th century, some 500 years before our Declaration, but that applied mostly to noblemen not to common people.  Prior to that you would have to go back before Christ to find much in the way of liberty minded societies, The Roman Republic founded roughly 500 years before Christ and the Greek city states like Athens who experimented with liberty roughly 400 years before Christ. 

Human beings have a real difficulty in living free for very long. 

Even among God's people they did not fare much better.  When God rescued the people from slavery in Eqypt, roughly 1400 years before Christ,  it wasn't long before they clamored that they wanted to return to that slavery rather than risk the unknowns of life in the desert even though God had promised to take care of them and lead to a new land where there would be great abundance.  After God gave them the law through Moses and they moved into the promised land they still had very little government.  God was their King.  They had judges who were selected from among them to solve disputes.   Occasionally they gather together into a militia to fight off foreign invaders and bandits but still no government except God as their King.  The Old Testament book of Judges describes it this way.  Everyman did what was right in his own eyes.  They were free and took responsibility for their own lives.    Many large government folks today would call that anarchy.    After nearly 400 years of this kind of freedom the people cried out to God for a King.  They rejected God as King over them and desired an earthly king and gov't.  (Approximately 1051 BC)

So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked of him a king. He said, "This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. "He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. "He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. "He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. "He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. "He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. "He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. "Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day." Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."

(1 Samuel 8:10-20)

From the American Founders:

In 1776, we read the glorious words in our Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

From <http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html>

God is a God of Freedom

God gets a bad rep.  He is portrayed as the God who prohibits everything.  Despite His great love and sacrifice of His Son for the world, he is portrayed as a hater by many. 

And yet He is the originator of freedom.   He puts the tree in the Garden of Eden.  He didn't have to do that. He risks His whole creation and risks that we might not love Him by putting that tree there.

Later He sends Jesus, His beloved Son, to give His life for us.  Again, He risks everything so that we might freely choose to love Him or not.

God is a God of choice.  Without choice there can be no freedom, no liberty.  Without risk that we might opt out of His plan we could not be free to choose Him, to Love Him.  Love demands liberty.

From Jesus:

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

(John 8:31-36)

What is the truth?

There are two parts to this truth:    

1. Humans by nature are prone to slavery. 

Slaves to self

Slaves to addiction

Slaves to sin and impulses

Slaves to fear

We live in fear because we do not have all knowledge nor do we possess all power.  We feel powerless and the world seems more complicated and hazardous all the time. 

Fear of getting fat		Fear of Death
Fear of never being skinny		Fear of Shame
Fear of being alone		Fear of being exposed as weak or for not being who we pretend to be
Fear of never being alone		Fear of not having enough
Fear of vegetables

2.  God loves us and wants to be our liberating King forever.  God has sent His Son to free us from our slavery and our fears.

• Not WYSIWIG.  What you see is not what you get.  Eternity is our Destiny.
• There was little to no freedom in the first century.
• There were unfair taxes.
• There were warrantless searches of your home and person
• There was no due process and no appeals unless you were a Roman citizen and even then it was not by a jury of your peers.  It was to only one man whose decision was final and potentially arbitrary, the Emperor.

And yet Peter says of those Christians of that day and of us today. 

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

(1 Peter 2:9)

Political liberty vs Kingdom Liberty

If our destiny remained in this world then we could never be free. 

Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?" Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

(John 18:33-37)

Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate *said to Him, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?" Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."

(John 19:8-11)

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

(Colossians 1:13-14)

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

(2 Corinthians 5:1-4)

There are Christians around the world living in political countries where liberties are not as available as they are here.  And yet they are still citizens of that Holy Nation that is the Kingdom of God. 

God's people since the beginning have persecuted and imprisoned for their faith in God.  All of the apostles were imprisoned and killed for their faith. 

Two Christian authors of the 20th century spent time in prisons for their faith. Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Watchman Nee. 

They along with all of the martyrs saw themselves as citizens of a different nation, a different Kingdom where love and justice and freedom reign. 

Our liberties here for the moment still allow us to speak out against the loss of our liberties and the abuses of our government and yet we are not truly citizens here as much as we are citizens of the Holy Nation, the Kingdom of God. 

This is what knowing this truth looks like.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, *got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

(John 13:3-5)

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

(Matthew 6:19-21)

It is the open hand.  Whatever I have … whatever my talents and gifts… we hold them with an open hand to God.  He poors into our hands so that we may poor out to others.  We are free from the need to hoard. We are free from the need to grasp and hold and protect.  Everything we have comes from Him and there is so much more.

Jesus tells us that He came that we might have life, abundantly.  But that does not come from slavery or fear.  It comes from the open hand. 

Prepare

We do not fear death.  We do not fear loss. We do not fear what this world can do to us because we know the truth and the truth has set us free from these fears. 

"This World Is Not My Home"

This world is not my home

I'm just a-passing through

My treasures are laid up

Somewhere beyond the blue.

The angels beckon me

From heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home

In this world anymore.

Oh Lord, you know

I have no friend like you

If heaven's not my home

Then Lord what will I do.

The angels beckon me

From heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home

In this world anymore.

From <http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jimreeves/thisworldisnotmyhome.html>

There will come a time when America will be no more.  We have all watched in grief at what our nation has become as more as more people turn away from God.   But this is not God's nation.  Nations will be rolled up like old rugs and only God's Kingdom, God's Holy nation CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY will remain. 

God is not a God of prohibition.  He is a God of liberty.  Let us not to back to the land of Egypt to slavery again. Let us move forward into the land flowing with milk and honey, the promised land of eternity with the God who liberates us through great risk and great love.

Jesus promised us that as this moment approaches persecution of His followers will intensify.  Some, even among His people will be deceived and compromised.  Those remain faithful to Him will receive that crown of glory and dwell in eternal houses in presence of God of liberty who loves us and risked it all that we may choose. 

Psalm 23, amplified and paraphrased

In your personal Bible reading have you ever done this?  Take a small section of verses and paraphrased the meaning to yourself and amplified with your own words? This can be especially helpful for verses you have read many times before and have a tendency to blow through quickly.

The Lord, the creator of heaven and earth, and galaxies, stars, and trees and oceans, and every living thing, and gravity and magnetic fields and photosynthesis and warmth and cold, the wind and the rain and the snow, the mountains and the streams.

is my shepherd,  knows me, watches over me, protects me, guides me, 

I shall not want, provides me with all that I need for life and love and joy.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, to smell the grass and feel the warmth of sun on my face, and hear the wind and birds in the trees and refresh my spirit

He leads me beside still waters,  where I can hear the frogs croak and see the water lilies and feel the cool refreshment from my labors. I might even skip a stone or build a rope swing

He restores my soul,  he tells me to close my eyes and take a deep breath and relax letting the tasks and deliverables fade for a few moments and remember what is important

He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.  He reminds me that I am His child and guides me in choices for goodness and kindness and compassion and generosity and service as as a child in His likeness would.  He does not push me but goes ahead of me leading me as I should go. I will follow Him.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Some of the valleys of darkness are a result of my own making, my own poor choices and yet you will not abandon me knowing how fragile I am.   I can survive anything because I am not alone.  What can anyone do to me if you are with me?

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me,  Your discipline is not always pleasant but always leads me to a better place.  You counsel me about limits to keep me from falling and from dark places where destruction awaits.  I am at peace in your discipline and your counsel. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. More than my barest needs you overwhelm me with your generosity. You fill my life to overflowing with richness of joy and peace and love and beauty and flavor and aroma and texture and music.  

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.  With you as my Lord and my guide good things and freedom from performance to prove my value with be the quality of my life each day that I remain here.  And when my time is done here I will join you, my Lord, my Shepherd, my Father in your house and enjoy you forever.

The Normal Christian Life: Fasting

Calendars

About 24 years ago I lost the job I had in California.  It was a good job that paid well but I had accumulated some debt and an expensive car lease.  Some may recall that 1990-91 was a period of a recession in the economy and good paying jobs were not easy to locate.   Around that time some cousins came to visit from Massachusetts and encouraged me to move back there. Without much to tie me to Southern California I agreed.  Still finding work was very challenging and what little money I had left was dwindling fast.  The jobs I was able to find paid poorly and nowhere near what I had been used to or needed for bills.  I was getting behind on payments and trying to avoid the inevitable calls.   I began to dread the calendar.  Each day was another one when something could come due or other items would be even later.  Some days led to events where spending money was implicitly expected as in birthdays and Christmas with family and I was too embarrassed to avoid them.

It took me close to 5 years of work to stop hating the calendar and to begin feeling like the calendar was my friend. 

God created time, days, weeks, months, years, as points for renewal.  No matter how bad a day is, I can sleep on it, and discover a new energy, a new idea, a new point of view in the morning.   I can start a new habit on Monday, stumble by Wednesday and reset again the next week.    The same is true with months and years.   

How has 2014 been for you?   Has it turned out the way that you thought back in January?  

Many of us, see January 1 as a new beginning.  A chance to do things differently. How do you want 2015 to go? How will the next year be different?

·       Will there be change or will it merely be a continuation of this year?

·       Will we lose weight and get healthier? 

·       Will there be a change of job?

·       Will there be a move?

·       Will there be new friends?

·       Will there be loss?

I have an idea for a new start for each of us in the New Year.

Close to God

There are some Christians who want salvation and eternal life but hope for little more from God than that. 

And yet, God so loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die for each of us.

He is seeking something more for us than just a “ticket to the game”.  He is seeking a deep and powerful relationship full of passion and dedication.

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before Him?  (Psa 42:1-2)

God has plans for us

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  (Jer 29:11)

Commands

When God gave Moses the law, there were 635 principle laws not just the 10 commandments.   Jesus’ sacrifice of His life for us freed us from the requirements of the law.  He taught us that whoever believes in Him would receive eternal life.  We no longer live under a book of regulations but of relationship with the living God.  There are very few commands in the Christian life. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself.

However there are common practices and culture of the Christian family from the beginning.  Immediately after Peter’s first sermon the people of God responded.

So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Act 2:41-42)

I call these things THE NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE

·       Baptizing

·       Gathering together

·       Worshipping God

·       Praying

·       Studying God’s Word

·       Serving

·       Giving

One common practice of God’s people, including Jesus, is Fasting.

 

Fasting – Abstaining (Work, Food, etc)

There are many reasons to fast. Here are a few examples of those reasons.

Obedience – Rest – “Atonement”

"This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you; for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. "It is to be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute. (Lev 16:29-31)

Repentance

Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the LORD alone. Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the LORD for you." They gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah. (1Sa 7:3-6)

"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in loving kindness And relenting of evil.  (Joe 2:12-13)

Expectancy

Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.  (Luk 2:36-38)

Preparation

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights He fasted and became very hungry. (Matt 4:1-2)

Guidance

Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called "the black man"), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them." So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.  (Act 13:1-3)

Purity - Daniel’s Fast

But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king." But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. "Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see." So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables. As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams. Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's personal service. As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm. (Dan 1:8-20)

Warning – “Don’t show off”

"Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Mat 6:16-18)

Jesus assumed that His followers would fast.

God First

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Mat 6:33)

Most of us are familiar with this verse but tend to focus on the second half more than the first.  This is a conditional verse.  We may wonder why God doesn’t provide exactly what we ask but we may not have been doing our part.  We don’t like to view God that way.  Yes our eternal life is a free gift of God so that no one can boast in their accomplishments.  However, our relationship with God from that point does have a certain conditionality.  Jesus didn’t say “just go about your business, doing whatever you want and God will just bless you in everything you do.”  He said, “Seek God first..and all of these things will be added to you.”

Fasting is like that with God.  We are not commanded to fast but in the history of God’s people they did fast when they were really serious about God, about needing Him, about repenting from Sin, about purifying themselves, about seeking guidance.    Fasting is a statement to God that we are really serious about this and we want to be serious with Him. 

Fasting, like many other activities of putting God First, comes with many benefits.  My experience with fasting lead to a clarity of mind, a purity of mind, a sensitivity to what God is doing, scripture became even more alive to me and, finally, greater discipline and control over my appetites.  I lost weight because I no longer obsessed about food.  God’s Spirit strengthened me as I honored Him. 

There were challenges and I found myself falling off from my fasting plan but this also showed me even more about God’s grace.  I got up and picked up where I left off. 

How then should we live?

Most who know me know that I have done a 40 day fast, in the model of Daniel, for the last two election cycles.  However, there are some in body of Christ who have suggested that in the theme of “God First” perhaps we should consider giving the first day or week or few weeks of each New Year to God in this way. 

Many of us, see January 1 as a new beginning.  A chance to do things differently. How do you want 2015 to go? How will the next year be different?

·       Will we put God first in our lives?

·       Will we repent of putting ourselves first as we did last year?

·       Will we seek God’s guidance and plans for us?

·       Will we desire His presence as a deer pants for water?

In my life as a Christian I have heard very few messages about fasting.  Perhaps because it can be very difficult and it is not commanded and it is generally very private.  As a theme in the Bible it does not even receive very much teaching.  Most references are brief. Nevertheless there is evidence in the Word that this was a common practice by the people of God.  IT WAS NORMAL.

 

It was part of the normal Christian life.

Would you consider starting your year with a fast? Whether it is food or work or social media or other media, would you dedicate it to a new relationship with the God who loves you and gave His Son’s life for you? 

Could you use a fresh start of the year with God, with purity, with clarity of thought and purpose, with renewed physical and spiritual health?