FREEDOM

I was looking back at things the Lord has shared with me over the last year or two and came upon this one from February 2011

“The same power of God that was used to deliver Israel from her bondage destroyed the idols of Egypt. This was because the spiritual yokes and fears that keep us in bondage are often linked to our idols. By this example we also can be sure that the power of God that sets His people free will threaten those who seek to keep people in bondage to them and their idols. They know that when we lose our devotion to their idols they will lose their influence and control over us.
 When I finally pressed through to get into His abiding presence the power of God has made idols that I had useless and as I yearn to set others free, there is a lot of resistance from people who don't want to give up their idols!!”

Wow, this has been really true! When I first started my walk with the Lord in 2001, I remember walking out the door and telling my ex-husband, “Don’t worry, I am not going to go getting religious on you or anything.  I just need to start going to church” Oh boy, did I not have a clue or what?  Haha.  I think back now and laugh, cry, and just plain adore the Lord that brought me to that church that day and took all my burdens off my shoulders, and then proceeded to “clean me up”  It’s truly an amazing story.  Little did I know how I would respond to such an awesome touch from the Lord.  I learned in an instant that those “Jesus Freaks” were really awesome people that had an awesome God.  J From June 17, 2001 until now, I have never turned away from the Lord.  I can’t!!  He is the one who holds me in the palm of His hands. He is the only one who has ever truly understood me and still LOVED me.  He is the one that has taken this broken vessel and has formed and is forming something glorious.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I have been transformed from a caterpillar to a butterfly.  Amazing!!!  That same power is the one who has caused me to want to destroy all the idols in my life.  I want to make sure that absolutely NOTHING brings me back into a place of bondage to the enemy of my soul.  See, sometimes things look good on the outside and seem to be “right” and “ok” but they lead you into a place of death and torment.  I don’t want anything to do with them.  I thought I had gotten rid of all the world when I was born again, but then, after going through some tough times, I wondered am I just overboard? I began to doubt what I felt the Lord had placed on my heart.  Did He really tell me to get rid of “secular” things? After all, my ex-husband didn’t “stand” with me on this right? Did God really say…..??? Oh what a HORRIBLE TRAP STRAIGHT FROM THE PIT OF HELL.  It took a season of getting the LIFE choked out of me to realize just how dangerous “things” had become to me.  They had become “idols” in my life and my enjoyment of them caused me to spend more time with things that brought “entertainment” than to spend my precious and valuable time with the greatest form of Entertainment ever known to man (the Lord’s ‘Presence’)  Instead of hungering and thirsting after righteousness, I was hungry for things of this “world”.  I was trapped and walking miserably thinking that this was “normal”  after all, I didn’t want to be one of “those” Christians who was out there in whoo whoo land right? OR DO I??? J  Well, I can now say with ABSOLUTE CLARITY (because the Lord delivered my mind) that I would rather stay a zealous and passionate Christian that GETS to give up ALL THE WORLD than to HAVE ALL THE WORLD and not have HIS PRESENCE. He is worth the “sacrifice” (if you can really call it that).  I refuse to go back.  I pray I have a circle of friends that will keep me accountable and that I stay hooked up with people who refuse to stop until they have ALL OF HIS FULLNESS.  We can’t make it without HIM.  Our own understanding fails us!!! We THINK we know the Word and then HE REVEALS the truth and we are blown away once again.  HE IS GOD!!!! WE ARE NOT!!! J  I only want to be LED BY HIS SPIRIT and do everything that He calls me to do in this life.  I want to praise HIM with my HEART and not just my lips.  I want to press forward and not go back.  In order to do this, I have to be willing to lay down ANYTHING HE CALLS AN IDOL IN MY LIFE.  When I do this, RELIGIOUS people get frustrated! There are people that want their “organized” “pretty” “so nice” litte boxes that they try to shove God into, but HE DOESN’T FIT!!!  YOU CAN’T CONTROL GOD!!!! He is TOO BIG and guess what.  HE IS STILL HOLY!!! He will draw you into a life where HE WILL bring you into a HOLINESS that is of HIM and NOT YOU.  HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!!!  Why do people get mad when someone is SET FREE from idols? Because in their heart, they have said “I WILL NOT GIVE THAT UP”.  They are in a religious box and they want to try to get you to stay in that box, too.  God have mercy on their souls! I am FREE and I am REDEEMED and I will SHOUT IT FROM THE HOUSETOPS!!!