Freedom for Captives

You may have noticed something if you've been following this blog for any length of time.

We are in love with Jesus Christ.

You already know the story of how Paul and I were saved from death by the love of a Savior, and the rescue mission of two of our four children that followed in His name. 

What is Your Story?

More importantly, do you know how it ends?

In every post, Paul and I try to share with you the blessed assurance that we have, but at this moment I would like to share with you how you can have this same peace, joy, and assurance.  

If you have followed our story from the beginning, you know that Jesus Christ changed everything in our lives and set us free from fear, allowing us to live recklessly for Him.  

What exactly does "believing in Jesus" mean?  

Many people think it means you are a good person.  Others believe it means that we are all forgiven and free to live as we choose; or that it simply means to believe He existed.  Far too many believe that belief in Jesus will prosper them in a material sense.

Paul and I look for these answers from the Bible.  We know that it means none of these things.  We know that we were lost, and that we are now called Beloved.  

We were captives, and now we are free.

But are we truly good people? 

As an adoptive parent, this comes into question quite a bit.  It starts at the homestudy, and it NEVER ENDS!

One of the things people most frequently say to me in public after seeing my brood is, "You are a saint; what a special person you are.  God bless you!"

My response is simple:  

"I am NOT a good person."    

How about you?  Are you a good person?  Let's run a little test, compliments of Living Waters.

Have you ever told a lie?  Stolen anything? Cursed the Lord's Good Name?  Hated someone?  Lusted?  Coveted?

I'll answer.  I am a liar, a thief, a blasphemer, and since the Lord also said that hatred is equivalent to murder in His eyes, I am a murderer.

You probably know that those are the Ten Commandments.  And even if you don't, you know that these things are wrong inherently, because the good Lord God wrote them on your hearts and minds when He created you.  Ask a child, if you have any doubts of this.

The Lord gave us the 10 Commandments, and then He told us not to break them.  It's His Law.  He said that anyone who does not keep all of the commandments all of the time will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven...that same Heaven that so many people think we get into for being "good".  

The bad news is that none are good in the eyes of the Lord under His Commandments.  Not ONE.  

All have sinned...  

Especially this girl!  

How then, do we reconcile with God, when we are sinful in His sight, no matter how GOOD we are (kids we adopt, people we help, etc)?  If we picture Him as a judge, we have to picture Him as the most righteous and fair judge that ever was or will be, because He IS Righteousness.  He IS Justice.  

If you committed a crime and incurred a large fine and penalties, and stood before the most fair Judge that ever existed, and then simply told the Judge, "I'm really sorry; I know I am guilty of murder, but I also adopted some kids and am super nice most of the time.  I recycle, tithe, and am a responsible citizen.  It's just the one murder....." 

Would He let you free?  How can He?  Especially since HE wrote these words:

"The penalty of sin is death." - Romans 6:23 

What's worse, it's not the amount of sin we have committed (or even the type) that matters.  God says that if you have broken one law you have broken them all.

What, then, should the Good Judge do with you?

If you were "judged", based on your keeping of the 10 Commandments alone and God's standards for keeping them, would you deserve Heaven or Hell?

I would deserve Hell.  And Hell is eternal, permanent, and terrifying (especially since it equals separation from God).

But I have a REALLY Good Lawyer.  

While I stand with my head hanging before this Judge, a Lawyer who has never committed a sin EVER races into the courtroom and not only defends me before this righteous Judge, He takes ownership of my crime and pays my fine.  

Then I watch in horror as He takes my punishment.  

Death.  

Justice is served.  

This is what happened to me.  Jesus Christ took my sin and paid for it on the Cross.  And He didn't just die for me, He died for YOU too.  

Our loving God....He loves you.  

And He is rich in Mercy.

He sent His own Son to suffer and die for your sins, so that you would appear blameless before the Lord.  Then Jesus rose from the grave and defeated death, so that you would live.  

He offers this gift of Life for free.  To you.  It is contingent only on your acceptance; you have to receive it.

Here's a quote from my favorite tract from Living Waters:

You can't earn Eternal Life, it is God's Gift to all who humble themselves to Jesus.  "Turn to God in repentance and have faith in the Lord Jesus." (Acts 20:21)  He will forgive your sins and give you a NEW HEART!  "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation!"  (2 Cor. 5:17)

Any good you see in me is the result of Jesus Christ, and is of no credit to me.  He did it, He does it, and He is Mighty to Save!

I am a new creation in Jesus Christ.  I have everlasting life, and nothing can separate me from the love of my God.  

If you want more information on accepting Christ as your Savior, on the Bible and what it says, or are already walking with Christ and want to learn how to share your faith with confidence, please visit www.livingwaters.com (or reach out to us directly on the "Contact Us" page).

I have had many missions in my life that I have intended to be for the glory of Jesus Christ....orphan care, poverty, helping those with substance or alcohol abuse; but sharing the Gospel is the Mission that has given me a solid sense of purpose among all others.  

All other missions can be brought under the Great Commission; always sharing our faith, no matter how we serve.

Last week, we heard our oldest daughter approach a group of children, ask them their names, make small talk, and then ask them, "Do you know the Lord?".  She proceeded to do a full and accurate gospel presentation for the 5-year olds, passionately sharing what she hears from us.  She watches Mommy and Daddy, and she will not grow up fearful of sharing His Word. 

That was my proudest moment as a mother.

My heart is burdened for the lost, and it has been ever since I accepted Jesus Christ...how can we keep this gift to ourselves?  I have to be honest and say that I had truly struggled with how to tell people on a day to day basis (outside of this blog) the truth about Jesus Christ, and the truth about WHY we adopted to begin with...

We adopted these children because the love, joy, and peace that filled our home after Jesus Christ entered our lives was so overwhelming, it brought us to our knees in humility and thankfulness.  Had we not adopted our children, He would love us still; and nothing Paul or I can ever do can add or subtract from that Love.

He chose us...  

And He chose you.  

Choose Him.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

Isaiah 61:1-3

-Missy

The Promise

My oldest has turned five!

Two weeks later, we celebrated turning TWO!  

When she turned one, she was still in care in Ethiopia, which was rough on this Mama, but it made this year all the sweeter, as a Promise I held in my heart came true.

But what of promises that appear to have been broken?  As I think of my girls, and cherish each and every day I have with them, I have to think of this family, and of 5 little girls whose birthdays will never be the same.  Has the Promise been broken?

This father says NO.  This father of five, still fresh with grief and only days past her last breath, can tell the world that the death of his bride is a "billboard for God's grace" on the nightly news.  

By no other Name is this possible.

No other faith on this planet allows us to know for sure, as a repentant yet continual sinner, that we have eternal life in the dwelling place of our Creator, or to rejoice in times of mourning.  

I praise God for giving me that Promise, the one that allows me to truly live, to truly soak in each and every moment with my family with gratitude; without being diluted by the fear of death that follows all of us until the moment that we choose to relinquish our wills to  Jesus Christ and follow His steps.

When we ask Jesus about death, His answer is always Life and an Invitation.  Death is inescapable for 10 out of 10 people, but Life is a choice we must make.  

I choose Life.  Every day; I choose Him.  He writes of His love for me, and I drink in the fresh mercies of every morning spent in His company.  And in that mercy, I am free to love without fear, and I learn from my own daughter what that looks like.

I hold her close; the one who used to avoid my eye contact because she was afraid to love me.  

She loves me fiercely now (there's really no other word to describe it), and THAT is a miracle.

I thank God for the one whom I catch singing love songs to the Lord in the backyard, open-faced to the sky, as she gathers His creations into her hands.

I praise Him for blossoms unfolding for His glory as they grow; faces like the sun, even after too many clouds.

He reminds me that I am His daughter, and He will never leave me.  He reveals the hurt in my own heart by healing the wounds of my own little girl, asking me daily to let Him in and to let Him work.

"Behold, I am making all things new."

Yes, it rings true in my heart; this Promise of healing that is to come.

He frames a new picture on our wall; and He promises a Home for His children.

I choose the Promise.

(For my Carrie; my promise cheerleader.)

 

Because I Love You

YOU.  

Look at your eyes.  Look at them.  

Speckled, colorful.

Each one unique, and I created every one of them.  

I created everything.  

The Universe

And YOU...

I gave you your personality.

I made you PURE.

And complex.

And every day, I give you LIFE.

But something happened.  

You cheated on Me.

You didn't trust me.

You sinned.

You cut yourself off from me. 

And although you are still alive,

You are slowly dying.

So you look for other things to fill the void...

But nothing works.

It just kills you faster...

And separates us more and more.

What are you searching for?

I don't want you to die.

I created you, not to be destroyed, but to Know Me.

So I became one of you, a fragile creation.

I was tempted, but I never sinned.

I came to save you.

You have so many sins, and they have a cost.

Someone has to die.

You..... or Me.  

So I took on your sin, and traded in my life for yours.

And I died in your place.

Because I love YOU.

Then, I rose from the dead.

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life...

I am JESUS.

I am not here to condemn you.

I came to bring you back to Life.

Rely on me.

I will forgive you.

And give you Eternal Life.

Because I love you.

And I did all of this to have a relationship with you.

Will you follow me?

Come Back.

http://fallingplates.com/

For Such a Time as This

As I light the Third candle on my Purim table, I hear my oldest take in her breath and then she whispers it soft...

"He is the Light of the world, Mama."  

He is, Baby.  

You were listening.

I thank Him for inviting us to this table, and to the table we will soon share with Him.

I lay out the beans, symbolic of the vegetarian diet Esther may have kept while hiding her Jewish heritage in the palace, and I wonder how much longer it will be until our children will be told by the world to hide their faith so as "not to offend" others, and what disobedience may cost.

Our children are already being told 

by the state  not to say His name.
(around minute 2)

"If I perish, I perish."

Is teaching my children the weight of Esther's words too dramatic in this day and age, in the "land of the free"?  

I lay the cloth over the challah, picturing the dewdrops on the manna, and my heart says no.  The light we have can't be covered up, and I know that the lines drawn against God in this country will not be withdrawn; they will simply be pushed further.  I know that it will be acceptable to be anything except for a follower of Jesus Christ, and that my History Book has already spelled out what lies ahead.  

I set out the orchids with five petals clothed in royal purple, delicate "stars" like Hadassah Esther.  Is this what I want?  To lay out my own delicate stars to the mercies of times such as this, in times of trampling?

I picture my Saviour's hands, tearing the unleavened bread for me with hands that would soon be pierced...

And I already know the answer.  This world requires Esthers.  And their feet may carry them towards palace doors in fear and trembling in the years to come.

Am I raising an "Esther"?  

Am I an Esther?

Would I relinquish my daughter 

to the other side of the earth 

if God asked her to go? 

Would I rejoice if Jim Elliot was my son?  

(Really?)

The answer comes quickly, and I close my eyes to remember the cost by which I was freed...

YES.  I would.  And I long to be.

What is a mother to do?

We can start by knowing that we are not here to save our country.  

We are here to save the souls of our countrymen, and it is of my belief that in the coming generations, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ will come with a heavy price that will escalate beyond losing a job, and that Satan loves to see us "talking politics" instead of "talking Jesus," and that we should prepare our children accordingly.

I turn back to my table, with the Good News  spread before me on butcher-block, whispering "fulfillment".  

I pray over the candles that I will speak  more boldly to those who do not know, because the stranger in line next to me, the waitress with a heavy heart, and the woman who cuts my hair is Somebody's Little Girl, and He is waiting for HER:

And although God can reach down and save His children at any moment, who is to say I was not placed in that line, in that table, in that chair "for such a time as this?"  

Am I really so confident that my "light" is shining so brightly and perfectly to everyone I encounter that my witness needs no words?  Thank you, Dear Jesus, that my actions are not all I have.  I have The Word, and I have a voice, and I have a Truth above all truths, and I have the Holy Spirit.  Let me lead my children to these precious tools, by God's good grace, as I learn to use them.

Paul breaks the bread, we bow our heads.  We say the words:

"Although the Jews were sentenced to death by King Xerxes' original decree, through Queen Esther's intervention and willingness to perish, God spared the bloodline of the Child who was to save ALL of His children...

And while all of us who have sinned have been issued a decree of death, through the intervention of Jesus Christ on the cross, the Old Decree has been satisfied and the New Proclamation of eternal life has been established."  

I realize that at this table, we are asking our children to grow into witnesses who will be ready to give an answer, and who will carry the keys of freedom to those who are chained, because the sadness is EVERYWHERE.  

How will they learn this?  

From two sinners-as-parents?

We will ask them to follow.

They will watch and wait and stare as their mother takes the time to present the Gospel in full to a waitress who never knew, with hands holding tight and tears streaming, the tray set aside and duties forgotten as chains begin to unravel.  

They will know that Mommy once was lost, and now she is Found.

They will know that their father does not strive to be an engineer or "a good man", he wants to be a tent-maker, true to his name.

They will be reminded, 

every year around this time, 

that they were created to be a witness...

For Such a Time As This.

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To learn more about Messianic Feasts and Appointed Times celebrating Grace by fulfillment (not by law), consider:

http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Appointed-Times-New-Understanding/dp/1880226359/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361917810&sr=1-2&keywords=appointed+times