Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
I have been so excited to get to the computer and share with you this message today. I have taken on some new responsibility at work and it cut down on my available time to write for now until I get a good handle on what needs to be done. At any rate,the Lord opened my eyes this week to a concept that I knew intellectually but never understood at, what I call, the heart level.
"Redemption" and "saved" are words so frequently heard in the church that many have become deaf and do not know what they mean. "Saved" and "redeemed" are often used interchangeably which in my opinion is a huge mistake, saved begs the question, "Saved from what?" and the pat religious answers always fell flat on my ears. Redeemed had been an empty concept until just a few days ago.
I was listening to a pastor on the radio while driving from Kansas to New Mexico to begin a few days of "loading Milk" as we call it, which means farm pickups. Anyway this pastor was delivering his Fathers Day message, (I think it was Allister Begg on BOT Radio) When the Lord gave me just the briefest glimpse, by a picture in my mind of what it really means to be redeemed.
I have prayed for a way to share with you that powerful experience which has deepened my understanding of what Jesus and our Heavenly Father did for us, the following is what He has given to me to share with you.:
Suppose one day a Father came home to find His beloved youngest son missing, He is panicked and heart sick,. Soon He finds a letter on the table that says, I have left you and I have taken Adam with me.
Next to the note is a restraining order. He looks at the note again and it says at the bottom, "please do not contact us but we are next door". The Father is devastated. He can see his son but he can not touch him, kiss him or hold him, he can only talk to him through the fence.
The older son can not stand to see his father broken and heart sick and he comes up with a plan. He will find out what it will cost to get his younger brother back for his father, what the price of the younger s redemption is.
The price was for the older son to exchange his life for the life of the younger son.
Somehow the father had found out about this plan and decided to take action, he disguised himself as the older brother and paid the price of redemption himself once the deal was struck and the the younger brother was safe, the disguise came off and the broker of the deal was powerless to change it.
Of course its not a perfect analogy, don't focus on the holes in the story, there are many, but instead focus on what the father became willing to do to get his youngest son back. Focus on the Love this Father has for his younger son and relate it to your own experience.
God redeemed us from the cost of rebellion to Him. We, where deceived into joining Lucifer's band of rebels and the Father disguised Himself as the man Jesus, in order to pay the price for our redemption. We are saved from the devils punishment and returned to relationship with our Loving Father by accepting the payment give for us.
It is you who must accept the payment, Lucifer never will accept it for you. It has been paid and paid in full but the Father is so Loving He will never make you come with Him, if you like living with Lucifer, who could care less about you and wants you to work your fingers to the bone for him and share in the price for his rebellion to God, well then, so be it. The Father has done all He can to redeem you, He can do no more.
On this Fathers Day take a moment out of your day and thank the Father for all the great and wonderful gifts He has given to you. Life is not perfect but if we stay truly grateful it will be a great Joy both to our Father in Heaven and to ourselves.
May God Bless and Keep you. Amen
PS Please check out my books on the Download Page or at Amazon.com. Thank-you
I have been so excited to get to the computer and share with you this message today. I have taken on some new responsibility at work and it cut down on my available time to write for now until I get a good handle on what needs to be done. At any rate,the Lord opened my eyes this week to a concept that I knew intellectually but never understood at, what I call, the heart level.
"Redemption" and "saved" are words so frequently heard in the church that many have become deaf and do not know what they mean. "Saved" and "redeemed" are often used interchangeably which in my opinion is a huge mistake, saved begs the question, "Saved from what?" and the pat religious answers always fell flat on my ears. Redeemed had been an empty concept until just a few days ago.
I was listening to a pastor on the radio while driving from Kansas to New Mexico to begin a few days of "loading Milk" as we call it, which means farm pickups. Anyway this pastor was delivering his Fathers Day message, (I think it was Allister Begg on BOT Radio) When the Lord gave me just the briefest glimpse, by a picture in my mind of what it really means to be redeemed.
I have prayed for a way to share with you that powerful experience which has deepened my understanding of what Jesus and our Heavenly Father did for us, the following is what He has given to me to share with you.:
Suppose one day a Father came home to find His beloved youngest son missing, He is panicked and heart sick,. Soon He finds a letter on the table that says, I have left you and I have taken Adam with me.
Next to the note is a restraining order. He looks at the note again and it says at the bottom, "please do not contact us but we are next door". The Father is devastated. He can see his son but he can not touch him, kiss him or hold him, he can only talk to him through the fence.
The older son can not stand to see his father broken and heart sick and he comes up with a plan. He will find out what it will cost to get his younger brother back for his father, what the price of the younger s redemption is.
The price was for the older son to exchange his life for the life of the younger son.
Somehow the father had found out about this plan and decided to take action, he disguised himself as the older brother and paid the price of redemption himself once the deal was struck and the the younger brother was safe, the disguise came off and the broker of the deal was powerless to change it.
Of course its not a perfect analogy, don't focus on the holes in the story, there are many, but instead focus on what the father became willing to do to get his youngest son back. Focus on the Love this Father has for his younger son and relate it to your own experience.
God redeemed us from the cost of rebellion to Him. We, where deceived into joining Lucifer's band of rebels and the Father disguised Himself as the man Jesus, in order to pay the price for our redemption. We are saved from the devils punishment and returned to relationship with our Loving Father by accepting the payment give for us.
It is you who must accept the payment, Lucifer never will accept it for you. It has been paid and paid in full but the Father is so Loving He will never make you come with Him, if you like living with Lucifer, who could care less about you and wants you to work your fingers to the bone for him and share in the price for his rebellion to God, well then, so be it. The Father has done all He can to redeem you, He can do no more.
On this Fathers Day take a moment out of your day and thank the Father for all the great and wonderful gifts He has given to you. Life is not perfect but if we stay truly grateful it will be a great Joy both to our Father in Heaven and to ourselves.
May God Bless and Keep you. Amen
PS Please check out my books on the Download Page or at Amazon.com. Thank-you
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