"TRUE FREEDOM IS FOUND IN FOLLOWING CHRIST."!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

MY MEMORIAL DAY THOUGHT IS "TRUE FREEDOM IS FOUND IN FOLLOWING CHRIST."

"FOLLOWING JESUS" FOR ME IS THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THE ESSENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. JESUS IS "THE AUTHOR AND PERFECTER OF MY FAITH.
THIS MEANS JESUS IS BOTH THE STARTING POINT AND THE CULMINATION OF MY SPIRITUAL RESCUE - A REALITY SECURED BY THE CROSS. THE CULMINATION OF MY SPIRITUAL RESCUE IS CHRIST RESTORED MY BIRTHRIGHT TO BE A SON OF GOD.

"ALL THINGS HAVE BEEN COMMITTED TO ME BY MY FATHER. NO ONE KNOWS THE SON EXCEPT THE FATHER, AND NO ONE KNOWS THE FATHER EXCEPT THE SON AND THOSE TO WHOM THE SON CHOOSES TO REVEAL THE FATHER. (Matthew 11:27)

YOU ARE ALL SONS OF GOD THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS, FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST HAVE CLOTHED YOURSELVES WITH CHRIST. THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, SLAVE NOR FREE, MALE NOR FEMALE, FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. IF YOU BELONG TO CHRIST, THEN YOU ARE ABRAHAM'S SEED, AND HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE. WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT AS LONG AS THE HEIR IS A CHILD, HE IS NO DIFFERENT FROM A SLAVE, ALTHOUGH HE OWNS THE WHOLE ESTATE. HE IS SUBJECT TO GUARDIANS AND TRUSTEES UNTIL THE TIME SET BY THE FATHER. SO ALSO, WHEN WE WERE CHILDRENS, WE WERE IN SLAVERY UNDER THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD. BUT WHEN THE TIME HAD FULLY COME, GOD SENT HIS SON, BORN OF A WOMAN, BORN UNDER LAW, THAT WE MIGHT RECIEVE THE FULL RIGHTS OF SONS. BECAUSE YOU ARE SONS, GOD SENT THE SPIRIT OF HIS SON INTO OUR HEARTS, THE SPIRIT WHO CALLS OUT, "ABBA, FATHER." SO YOU ARE NO LONGER A SLAVE, BUT A SON; AND SINCE YOU ARE A SON, GOD HAS MADE YOU ALSO AN HEIR. (Gal.3:26-4:7)

I KNOW THE FATHER BECAUSE CHRIST HAS REVEALED GOD TO ME. THE FATHER TEACHES ME THE WAYS OF THE SON, BECAUSE ONLY GOD KNOWS THE WAYS OF THE SON. "TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS." (Matt.11:29)

THE ONLY PART I PLAY IS TO PRAY THE PLAN GOD HAS FOR MY LIFE. GOD DOES THE REST.

MAY THE GOD OF PEACE, WHO THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE ETERNAL COVENANT BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THAT GREAT SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP, EQUIP ME WITH EVERYTHING GOOD FOR DOING GOD'S WILL, AND MAY GOD WORK IN ME WHAT IS PLEASING TO GOD, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, TO WHOM BE GLORY FOR EVER AND EVER." AMEN! (Heb.13:20-21)

"CHRIST IS THE PATTERN FOR MY LIFE, AND GOD IS TRANSFORMING ME TO THE PATTERN. SO I SAY THANKS BE TO GOD." AMEN!