Brown's Daily Word 7-3-09

Praise the Lord for the freedom we have in Christ. Praise the Lord for the great land He has given us to live and to serve.
I was reading about Terry Waite some time ago. Terry Waite CBE (born May 31, 1939 in Styal, Cheshire, England) is a British Quaker and Anglican, humanitarian and author. In the 1980s he was Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie's Assistant for Anglican Communion Affairs. As an envoy for the Church of England, he traveled to Lebanon to try to secure the release of four hostages including journalist John McCarthy. He was himself held captive between 1987 and 1991. Terry Waite in his book ‘Taken on Trust’ describes being chained to the wall and only allowed to go to the bathroom once a day. He was shackled to that radiator for 1763 days, almost four years. We can only imagine the sense of freedom he has now. But imagine that after he was released he was walking past the building where he had been held and one of his captors calls him over. The man says ‘Mr Waite won’t you come back into captivity again? We will give you a new set of handcuffs, a new chain, a new room and a new radiator to be chained to.’ Would Terry Waite go back? No of course he wouldn’t. Paul says in Galatians 5 verse 1 ‘It is for freedom Christ has set you free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again with the yoke of slavery.’ When we look around us and observe the lives of many people we see slavery and not freedom. I see people burdened with guilt, bound by fear, enslaved to habits which are sinful, shackled with an attitude that is far from Christlike. Yet here Paul says Jesus has set them free. In John 8 verse 32 Jesus says the truth shall set you free and four verses later in verse 36 he says ‘if the Son sets you free you shall be free indeed.’
In Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress there is a point at which Christian’s burden, which he has been carrying all his life, falls off his back and rolls away. Do you remember where this happens? It falls off at the foot of the cross and it rolls into an empty tomb. He never again carries that burden on his back – the burden by the way is sin. Friends Christ has set you free from the burden of sin. Paul tells the Galatians, and us, we are made right with God by grace through faith in Christ – our justification. That frees us from the burden of sin, from a guilty conscience, from the fear of death. We also have freedom of access to God and freedom of acceptance by God – all because of Christ. Therefore ‘stand firm’ in the freedom which Christ brings, and Christ alone brings. I have freedom to serve my neighbour. Paul says in verses 13-15 that I have been freed to serve others, not exploit them. You see the mark of freedom is service. Sounds strange but as we are told we are no longer our own but have been bought with the blood of Christ. We are freed from the slavery of sin and become servants of Christ. I display my freedom in Christ by serving others in the name of Christ. It is out of my freedom that I serve. It is an expression of my love towards Christ who has set me free that I serve others in his name.
The Son shall set you free and you shall be free indeed. Amen.



Micah called this morning and said grandpa I am coming to your house today. Simeon turned 2yrs. old today, they are all coming here for a few days. Alice has gone to Boston to drive them back here. Tom and Jessica will be coming home for the weekend too. Sunita will be coming from Washington. We will all be together for a few days, praising God and celebrating His grace and love.



May the Lord bless all of you as you travel and celebrate.

In Christ,

Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5gDTwi4YJk