4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. ~Romans 15

4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. ~Romans 15

4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. ~Romans 15

4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. ~Romans 15

When you ask God for freedom, you are praying for something which is incredibly costly! (The Spiritual Forces which have kept you captive will not give you up without a fight.)

The prayer for freedom is often a prayer for discomfort so deep that you finally realize you would rather die than stay in bondage!

Being hated and scorned by people of this world, frees us from the belief that gaining their acceptance will satisfy our souls…

13“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you and you need only to be still.” ~Exodus 14

(The ultimate “getting out” is about crossing over by Grace.) 13“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you and you need only to be still.” ~Exodus 14 (The ultimate “getting out” is about crossing over by Grace.)

“All your other problems and hang ups are flea bites in comparison to being redeemed from the power and penalty of sin.” ~Timothy Keller

11was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert! ~Exodus 14

“We are redeemed from bondage with layers!” ~Timothy Keller

“We are redeemed from bondage with layers!” ~Timothy Keller (if you don’t pursue freedom in all its dimensions, with all its layers, it’s really just another form of slavery)

Get off the Merry-go-round

11Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. ~Judges 2

12They forsook the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the LORD’s anger 13because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. ~Judges 2

14In his anger against Israel the LORD gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. ~Judges 2

16Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the LORD’s commands. ~Judges 2

18Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. ~Judges 2

19But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. ~Judges 2

The “Judges Cycle” Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 6 Stage 3 Stage 5 Stage 4 The Israelites “do evil” in the eyes of the Lord God “gives them over” to their enemies The people “cry out” to God Salvation by God’s chosen “Judge” Peace during the Judge’s lifetime The Judge dies The “Judges Cycle” Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 6 Stage 3 Stage 5 Stage 4

“Human transformation always has two parts: A Crisis, followed by A Process. The Crisis comes when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain required to change.” ~James McDonald

“When you fail at the process, you must return to the crisis.” ~James McDonald

When you learn to love the process, your transformation takes care of itself!

Be Careful What You Wish For (God’s People Demand a King)

“19bWe want a king over us. 20Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” ~I Samuel 8

2Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else… ~I Samuel 9

23They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. 24Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!” ~I Samuel 10

23They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. 24Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!” ~I Samuel 10

Evil always attempts to destroy that which it cannot become…

Evil always attempts to destroy that which it cannot become… 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ~John 3:20

Be Careful What You Wish For...

Be Careful What You Wish For... Translated: “Fix Your Picker!”

Be Careful What You Wish For... Translated: “Fix Your Picker!” (Ask God to make His wish your desire.)