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Handling Freedom PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Gaddy   
Sunday, 16 November 2008 04:12
We are indeed blessed in the United States of America with freedom of religion.  But whether we realize it or not, the freedom of religion is shrinking in this nation while political correctness and revisionists history grows.  If the Christians of this nation do not stand up for what they believe, then soon freedom of religion will be replaced with freedom from religion.  Many Christian faiths are accepting more sinful practices in the name of political correctness.  Preaching against homosexuality is now considered "hate speech", killing unborn children is called "a right to choose", and praying in schools is illegal (how's that for freedom).  But Christians are not standing up, instead we are self absorbed and complacent.  If we lose our freedom will we quit, hide, or die for Christ?  God could test us, it's happened before... to better servants than I.
  1. Examples of God's people during times of freedom - Apparently there is a trend among God's people when we get a little freedom... we abuse it.
    1. Adam – Flood (1656 yrs): What were people doing with their freedom to worship? Serving sin.
    2. Israel after the Exodus (890 yrs)
      1.  The Wilderness - Not even a year into their freedom they were worshipping a golden calf.
      2. David and Bathsheba - This man of God after a while was apparently sleeping the day away and lusting after others.  Idle hands and all.
      3. Jeroboam and the Northern Kingdom - Where were the tribes' devotion when they left the temple and Jerusalem to worship idols up north.
  2. Complacency and Political Correctness
    1. Heart position - Isaiah 29:13-16
    2. II Timothy 3:1-7 – Sound familiar? It should. Are we denying the power of God?
    3. II Timothy 2:15-16 – How many profane and vain babblings do we feed?
    4. Titus 1:14-16 – Do we deny Him with our works?
  3. Examples of God's people during times of oppression
    1. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah – Daniel 3
    2. Daniel's pet cats – Daniel 6
    3. Judas Maccabeaus stood up against a nation when Antiochus profaned the temple
    4. Christian martyrs.  How many guys have died in the Roman theatres or even at the hands of Church officials for what they believed.
  4. Tried by Fire
    1. We often talk of trials for Christ and reference our experiences of ridicule in the schools and workplaces. These are not real trials compared to what happened to those of old.
    2. Acts 14:22 - Much tribulation? Really?
    3. The enduring tree - Job 14:7-9
    4. Saints are appointed trials - I Thessolonians 3:3-5
    5. Joseph's insight - Genesis 50:20
    6. Children of Israel in the Wilderness - Deuteronomy 8:15:16
  5. What to do with our religious freedom
    1. Root ourselves – Matthew 13:6, 20-21
    2. I Thessolonians 5:16-22
    3. Revelation 3:1-6 – Do we have an ear? Then be strong and strengthen the things which remain.

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