Freedom

Happy 4th of July! I love today. I typically love Homewood Park on this day and 'Thunder on the Mountain' as we call our Redmountain Fireworks set to dramatic music - her in the Magic City. But today....I love some quiet time. No huge plans today until later....gotta love that. Last night we enjoyed a competitive game of Phase 10 with our friends that lasted from 7ish until well after midnight. Honestly....we were all pretty punchy right at that midnight hour when Nick said the strangest thing. I think his exact words were, "Oh yeah, I need to be at the Mosque by 1pm tomorrow". Literally all 4 adults sitting at that table....just paused and then kind of laughed. That was until we found he was serious. You see he has a Muslim friend who is on the football team with him that has invited him a time or two to visit the Mosque with him. My first mama reaction...was absolutely not. But, in Nicks rebuttal, he pretty calmly said, I don't see what's wrong with it, I'm not going to become Muslim and I think that this will help my friend agree to come visit my Wednesday night youth group. Ok...friends....how do you argue with that? The five of us then had a discussion on what is bad and good about going. I love what our friend and children's pastor then said.... "you just can't bow to any false god or idol". He mentioned going is one thing...but participating is another. Nick seems to get that and said he wouldn't participate he is just trying to find a way to get his friend to come with him. I love the passion there...but the process makes me nervous.

My other son, Scout has been invited several times to go to services at The Kingdom Hall with his friend from school. We've never allowed this. My feeling is that he is too young and too new in his walk with the Lord to understand the dynamics of that group. We love his friend and he comes around quite often. We've invited him...but of course, he is not allowed to go with us. But...we still enjoy him as our friend. Maybe one day.....Scout will be asking us to support his actions when trying to reach out to his friend. Oh....what will I do then?

This all reminds me of a day about 3 or 4 years ago when my husband let a couple of Mormon young men into our house. He offered a cool glass of water to them on a hot day while they pounded the pavement. (Mark 9:41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.) After they had been in our home a few moments and we had exchanged hellos....they were quick to ask.."So are ya'll LDS?". "No", we answered with a smile..."why do you ask?". (the obvious answer was that we were smiling and actually allowed them into our home....it was kinda clear by the attire who they were) We developed a relationship with these guys over a couple of weeks and though we never attended service with them...a story for a later date, when we talked about the differences in our faith...they agreed to come to a Friday night service we were having. I'll never forget the face of one of our pastors when we walked up that night with our Mormon Friends in their black and white attire...and Elder name tags. His face was priceless...and his words were something like.."in all my years in a Church of God...I don't think I've ever seen this". All of that to say, the experience allowed us to talk about our God...our Jesus and we know that made way for God to work in those men. We might not have seen the final result...but we were part of a plan because God's word never returns void! Am I right??

So...breaking this down, if I really want my kids to have a passion for winning souls - I guess that will mean at times....I have to trust God and the discernment the Holy Spirit gives to me. I know that Nick knows.....there is one God...one Jesus...named Jehovah Yahweh - I AM. So, our plans today....include Nick's visit to the Mosque at 1pm. This might not work for you....but in our life...it seems to fit with other examples that are pretty similar. What I mean is that I see and can hear God saying..."This is why you are here...to SHARE MY WAY". In fact, I see it all around us in the way our lives are changing with church in general. We all have different assignments here on this earth and we are all here to touch different people, even the Muslims....Jehovah loves them too.

Independence, freedom of religion....freedom in Christ. The dictionary defines freedom as the quality or state of being free,the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action, liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another.

Life in Christ is the ONLY spiritual life based upon freedom. Freedom to choose a life with Christ. He NEVER forces himself on us. He waits....He wishes to live and walk with us and enjoy life. How different for our Muslim friends. How beautiful.....if we can lead them to that true Freedom.

When was the last time you shared the opportunity of True Freedom with someone who needed it? I'm just asking.....I'm asking myself the same thing.

John 3:16-18 (The Message translation)

16-18"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.


2 Corinthians 3:16 - 18

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.