The Unlikely Missionary

It's March and if you didn't know its my birthday month. Whenever birthdays come around and you get older you get more introspective. In writing this blog I find that i have been looking at my life a lot and where I've been and how the things I've experienced have affected my today. And although I knew this its become clearer to me over time that I wore a lot of masks. While some people may call it fake I call it the hazard of growing up churched. You learn all the rules and the things to say at church and in front of church folks but then you separate that from the other elements of your day to day life. In my case I grew up feeling invisible. And it was a blessing and a curse. When you are invisible you can observe a lot while being unnoticed and therefore you learn a lot but it is a very lonely place to be at times. We are meant to do life with people but when you are made to feel small or insignificant you then diminish yourself even further. They call i...

The earth was new, a great frontier The perfect place to spread his fear So satan set up shop to draw them in Bright lights to display all his wares "Come on in, forget your cares" That devil knew just how to package sin People came from far and wide Not a guilty soul denied But before they knew they'd been deceived They'd step inside and never leave They said his eyes were black as coal His voice a shudder to the soul He preyed upon the broken and the proud He told them they were lost for good No one loved them and who would Before too long he owned that fallen town And from inside the gates they'd wail: Who can save us from this hell? And as their hopes turned into tears He laughed and all his demons stood and cheered Then down a dirt road from the east Came one, they said, could slay the beast But did not fight with bullets or a sword They called him Mercy and at his side A thousand angels chose to ride And a...

Its easy to feel like you are a slave to your circumstances. Not too long ago I was feeling that way and sitting in it. Being weighed down by despair, pity, disappointment, anger, frustration. Allowing those things to poison my mind and spirit. And then I made the choice to be free. My situation hasn't changed but my outlook, my response, the way I live in that situation has. I've chosen freedom. God has set you free. Jesus died so that you can be free and the Father gives you the opportunity to choose to accept that freedom or live in captivity. We have bought the lie that Satan says that we don't have a choice. That there is no way to live victorious even in the worst of circumstances. It is his way to limit our power. He knows that if we get caught up in what we can see and lose hope he has effectively halted our growth, our praise, our worship, our ability to be resilient. He knows that if we let joy, hope, passion, praises, gratefulness, optimism to bubble up ins...

In our lives it is easy to feel enslaved. To your job, by the government, by money, by your fears, by your own mind. I know I can get stuck in the trap of feeling like life is closing in and there is no way out. And then I'm reminded that God has set me free. As a child of the Most High God,  Galatians 5:1 (The MSG) says, Christ has set us free to live a free life.  So take your stand!  Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. I AM FREE! Let Paul's words be a reminder in these uncertain times that you are free, so stand firm in that. __________________________________________________________________________________ Bethel Music has this great song which is the title and inspiration for this post. Whenever you feel bound listen to this song, read its words and come to know the freedom that exists through accepting the wonderful gift of salvation from our Wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ!  Be Blessed! The Unlikely Missiona...