Claiming Faith, Finding Freedom

Today's television broadcast of Turning Point was truly excellent! I learned quite a lot when it comes to the comparison of legalism vs. liberty.

What was also interesting was the portion of the sermon where Dr. Jeremiah discusses the fact that God made a promise of a child to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah was 90 years old.

Of course, we know the story in Genesis where Sarah became anxious (at the ripe old age of @ 77 years old) and decided to have her Egyptian maidservant Hagar become impregnated with a child by Abram to "speed along" the promise that God made to them regarding having a child.

Hagar gave birth to a baby boy named "Ishmael." You will notice that in Genesis chapter 16 Sarah's original name was Sarai and Abraham's was Abram. FYI, both Sarah and Abraham's names were changed by God in Genesis 17 when God made the covenant with Abraham through the coming birth of Isaac.

We find out in the Scriptures that when Hagar became preganant, Sarai was jealous. She wanted Hagar out of the household. Sarai was "hard on Hagar" and she fled. But God saw Hagar's affliction and intervened:

Gen 16:6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid [is] in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.


Gen 16:7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.


Gen 16:8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.


Gen 16:9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.


Gen 16:10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.


Gen 16:11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou [art] with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.


Gen 16:12 And he will be a wild man; his hand [will be] against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

Most Bible scholars agree that the "angel of the LORD" in the Old Testament is the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. We can see how even though the people in this passage went against God's laws and did not trust by faith that they (Sarai and Abraham) would bear a child from their own bodies, that the promise was ultimately fulfilled. The fact that both Sarai had been barren her entire life up until the point where she conceived Isaac, and was way past child-bearing age, indicates that Isaac's birth was through a miracle of God. It was not the same thing as Mary, the mother of Jesus' miracle (the Virgin birth).  Our long awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ would enter the world through the incarnation.

During the sermon, Dr. Jeremiah pointed out that Ishmael was the ancestor of the Arab people. The fact that they were against their Jewish brothers thousands of years ago, and are still, to this day, fighting against the Jews in Israel is just another important proof that the Bible is true and the Word of God.

Here is the link to the entire televised sermon:

David Jeremiah.org Scroll down a bit and click on the green box that states "WATCH NOW - THIS WEEK'S BROADCAST."

Here is a copy of the summary about the current T.V. Series:

Claiming Faith, Finding Freedom

ABOUT THE CURRENT TELEVISION SERIES

Sometimes we diminish the power of grace in our lives by leaning on our own strength. We try to earn a right standing with God, and get caught up in legalistic practices that turn our focus off Christ and on to ourselves. That is what the Galatians did. They were drawn astray by the false teaching of the Judiazers who taught that keeping the law was necessary for salvation. The believers, who were once solid in their faith and had received sound teaching from Paul, conformed to their previous lifestyle under the law. They had forgotten the power of grace! In the Book of Galatians, Paul confronts the believers’ weakened faith, reminding them that salvation comes through the Spirit. The law merely illuminates sin, but it is through God’s grace that we have the assurance of salvation. When we claim our faith in this truth, we will find the freedom Christ offers us. From July 17 through September 11, Dr. Jeremiah is teaching the Book of Galatians on Turning Point Television. He examines the difference between law and liberty and why we are to embrace the freedom grace allows us. He also teaches how we as Christians are to properly use our liberty so that our actions do not cause others to stumble, but edify fellow believers. God’s grace is not an excuse to sin, but should motivate us to a greater love for our Savior and others.

The portion where Dr. Jeremiah discusses the difference between choosing to live under the law (Mount Sinai - where Moses received the Ten Commandments) or under grace (Mount Zion - where Jesus Christ brings us through the Gospel) is truly riveting!! It explains in a better way than I have ever heard before the difference between legalism (religion) and liberty (finding faith, claiming freedom)! A LOT OF CHRISTIANS do not understand the difference. It can be a difficult concept to grasp, but Dr. Jeremiah explains it all in such a way that you will never confuse the two ever again!

The following outline might be helpful to print out and study as well:

CLAIMING FAITH, FINDING FREEDOM: THE STUDY OF GALATIANS

Dr. David Jeremiah

“The Story”
Galatians 4:21-31

August 21 2011

I. The Argument – Galatians 4:21

II. The Allegory

A. The Two Sons

Galatians 4:22
Genesis 15:4
Genesis 17:18-19
Genesis 17:17
Genesis 21:8-9

B. The Two Systems

Galatians 4:23
Romans 4:19-22

C. The Two Symbols

1. The Covenant of Law
Galatians 4:24-25

2. The Covenant of Liberty
Galatians 4:26-27
Hebrews 12:18-21
Hebrews 12:22-24

III. The Application

A. We Are Children of Promise
Galatians 4:28

B. We Are Candidates for Persecution
Galatians 4:29

1. This Can be Applied Historically
2. This Can be Applied Religiously
3. This Can be Applied Spiritually
Galatians 5:17

C. We Are Not to Compromise With the Flesh
Galatians 4:30

D. We Are Called to Liberty Not Law
Galatians 4:

Hat tips to all links.

Cumbersome Sack of Discontent

Over the last three days, I have had the complete displeasure of watching and listening to most of the keynote speakers at the Democratic Convention. Last night, I watched the repeat broadcast of Joe Biden's speech.

I was struggling to find a catchy line that would describe what was heard in most of the speeches. Then, while reading a chapter from Max Lucado's book Traveling Light, I found the phrase I was looking for:

Democrats: Those people who trudge through each day with a "cumbersome sack of discontent."

I am serious!! All that I heard coming out of the mouths of most of the speakers were complaints!!

Except for moments of grandeur and praise of themselves, their own families, and other Democrats, did you hear any mention of gratitude for living in the greatest nation on God's green earth??

The other thing that really bothered me was seeing Hillary and Bill join the clueless, Kool-Aid drinkers and through their individual speeches, ultimately ended up bowing at the altar of Obamination. Are we to really believe that what they said was sincere?

Perhaps Hillary was sincere in her rejection of John McCain, but the recent campaign commercial where she states something like this - "John McCain is prepared to be president and has served this country honorably for years - Barack Obama gave a speech in 2002." [paraphrased here] has to make one wonder...when was she telling the truth? Was it when she made that original statement about Senator McCain or the other night when she disparaged him and praised Obama?

Isn't it logical to ask, "When was she genuinely sharing her true opinions and feelings?"

It is mindboggling how Democrats consistently talk out of two sides of their faces - and end up saying completely opposite things. What's even worse is that the MSM lets them get away with it!! Thank God for the Internet where we can discern truth from lies!

Did you happen to see the new NOBama fad? Flip flop sandals with mini heads of Obama attached at the top! Each one represents each of his known flip-flopping stances on issues! Ha!! More accurately, it appears that he tries to be "both ways Obama." Now, that's a real hoot!!

It wasn't my intention to continue describing all of the discontent that reeks from the Democrat Party. It's just that it served as a perfect example of what Max Lucado describes as "the prison of want" in chapter four of his book Traveling Light.

This particular chapter is so good that I wish I could type it all out! But I will share just a few portions that will hopefully give you the main message.

Max describes the "world's most oppressive prison" as "the prison of want." He gives examples. People who may not want much, but just that "one thing" that will make them happy.

Excerpt:

They want just one thing. One new job. One new car. One new house. One new spouse. They don't want much . They want just one.

And when they have "one," they will be happy. And they are right - they will be happy. When they have "one," they will leave the prison. But then it happens. The new car smell passes. The new job gets old. The neighbors buy a larger TV set. The new spouse has bad habits. The sizzle fizzles, and before you know it, another ex-con breaks parole and returns to jail.

Personally, I think that many liberals and most Democrats are in the prison of want. What's worse is the fact that their leaders want them there in order to get what they want...elected!

When the Democrats took over Congress in 2006, did you see them pass any legislation to make their "prisoners of want" happy? No. Of course not! Why? Because they wanted the "sack of discontent" to linger all the way up to this forthcoming election day on November 4th, 2008! Doesn't it seem that way to you, too?

Lucado tells us how to recognize when we are in this type of prison:

Are you in prison? You are if you feel better when you have more and worse when you have less. You are if joy is one delivery away, one transfer away, one award away, or one makeover away. If your happiness comes from something you deposit, drive, drink, or digest, then face it - you are in prison, the prison of want.

If the truth be told, I think that almost everyone goes through a time in this particular prison. However, some people remain their for most of their lives! That's truly sad!

Well, as Max writes, "that's the bad news. The good news is, you have a visitor."

And your visitor has a message that can get you paroled. Make your way to the receiving room. Take your seat in the chair, and look across the table at the psalmist David. He motions for you to lean forward. "I have a secret to tell you," he whispers, "the secret of satisfaction. 'The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want'" (Ps. 23:1 NKJV).

David has found the pasture where discontent goes to die. It's as if he is saying, "What I have in God is greater than what I don't have in life."

You think you and I could learn to say the same?

Wow! That's SO POWERFUL!

Let me take a brief time out to share some thoughts about a movie documentary that I saw yesterday. The movie is called Young At Heart.

At that link, you can read a brief review (that doesn't give a lot of the plot away) and also view several video clips (may contain spoilers) of the documentary.

At the end, I teared up big time!!

It was so awesome to see these people perform and receive standing ovations. They got such responses from both a huge concert audience, as well as from prisoners (who were holed up in a real prison camp) they had performed for earlier in the movie.

Several of members of the choral group were believers. One sang in his church chorus and another mentioned that the Lord will take him when it is his time.

I have to say that seeing some grown men at the prison camp tear up - and then hug the choral group members after their performance - was so very moving!

We know that many Christian groups bring children and various singing groups to nursing homes to visit the elderly and cheer them up. But to see the elderly from nursing homes come and sing for a group of hardened criminals was just amazing!

These chorus members still had their problems - health and otherwise. They had their aches and pains. They had difficulty learning and memorizing some of the lyrics. They had their emergency trips to the hospital. They had physical disabilities and all the rest that comes with the aging process. Yet, when they were performing - in those moments - all of those problems went away...for a time. They expressed how much they loved singing and performing for grateful audiences.

The final concert at the end had me sobbing - both with sadness and joy!

You see, the life of the Christian believer is like that. Sometimes filled with sadness - but also overflowing with joy!

When we receive Christ as Lord and Savior, that born-again experience releases "the fruit of the Spirit" within us.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,


Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Eph 5:8 ¶ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:


Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)


Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Notice that one fruit is called "long suffering." The Bible tells us the truth - and the truth is just as Jesus described to us in John:

Jhn 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

And, why can we be of good cheer despite all of the turmoil going on around us?

1Jo 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Jesus is all about overcoming. At the moment of salvation, he overcomes the effect of sin on our souls. With Him in our hearts, he allows us to overcome our fears, trials, tribulations and yes - even the "prisons" that tempt to snag us in this life.

Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.


Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Which brings us back to Max Lucado's book.

Excerpt:

Think for just a moment about the things you own. Think about the house you have, the car you drive, the money you've saved. Think about the jewelry you've inherited and the stocks you've traded and the clothes you've purchased. Envision all your stuff, and let me remind you of two biblical truths.

Your stuff isn't yours. Ask any coroner. Ask any embalmer. Ask any funeral-home director. No one takes anything with him.

The author goes on to tell the familiar story of one of the wealthiest men in history, John D. Rockefeller. When he died, his accountant was asked, "How much did John D. leave?" The accountant answered, "All of it."

"Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand." (Eccles. 5:15 NIV).

Back to the election for a moment. During all of the back and forth about Barack Obama's elitism (and, now he's 4 million dollars richer through book sales) and John McCain's wife owning seven homes; on campaign camp tried to outdo the other in the "rich man" game.

However, I liked what I heard from John McCain. Compared to most of the rest of the world, every single one of us in America is rich! He probably wasn't only talking about financial circumstances. America is rich in many other things too.

Rich in faith, hope, love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and salvation through Christ.
Rich in freedom.
Rich in generosity.
Rich in protection.
Rich in good people.
Rich in a military unsurpassed by any other.
Rich in giving to those less fortunate.
Rich in providing education.
Rich in opportunity for those who work for it.

The list could go on and on.

What would you add to it?

I see John McCain's candidacy as being filled with optimism - about today and tomorrow. I see Obama's campaign as filled with pessimism and discontent about today - with a pseudo kind of "hope" for tomorrow. These are just my opinions, of course.

Back to Lucado's book:

All that stuff - it's not yours. And you know what else about all that stuff? It's not you. Who you are has nothing to do with the clothes you wear or the car you drive. Jesus said, "Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot" (Luke 12:15 MSG). Heaven does not know you as the fellow with the nice suit or the woman with the big house or the kid with the new bike. Heaven knows your heart. "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7 NIV).

When God thinks of you, he may see your compassion, your devotion, your tenderness or quick mind, but he doesn't think of your things.

And when you think of you, you shouldn't either. Define yourself by your stuff, and you'll feel good when you have a lot and bad when you don't. Contentment comes when we can honestly say with Paul: "I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have....I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty" (Phil. 4:11-12).

Back to the election.

Tonight, there will be a grand performance held at a stadium which holds 70,000 people for Obama's speech. I just can't even imagine what the cost of such an extravaganza will be. In the midst of all this hype, I have two questions.

1. Why doesn't Obama donate money (even just some of the 4 million from book sales could do a LOT!) to the needy he often talks about in his speeches?

2. Why is he wasting millions of campaign donor money on an event that is designed just to specifically glorify himself?

HT: Young at Heart

Max Lucado's Traveling Light