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Liberty Worship Center

Tag: new life

  • The Great Unknown

    baby in white and green polka dot onesie lying on brown wicker basket

    The Great Unknown

    Hard Days

    If you could communicate with a baby while it is still in the womb, how would you describe what was about to happen? How could you convince this child that they were about to go through something very difficult, traumatic even, and everything would change? They would no longer be always warm and well-fed. They would not hear their mother’s relaxing heartbeat all the time. They would have to leave everything that they have ever know. It will be hard, but it is definitely worth it. How would you possibly convey this to the child?

    Life Plan

    Jeremiah 1:5 (NASB)

    5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

    God created everything, including time. He exists outside of time. He can see the beginning, the ending, and everything in between, yet He still allows us to make our own decisions, even though He has a plan for us.

    Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)

    10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

    God loves each one of us so much that He has prepared a special “roadmap” for each one of us, with tasks designed just for us. Even though He knows everything that we will do, He never forces us to do anything. We can always choose to follow His path, or to follow our own.

    True Riches

    Revelation 3:17-18 (NASB)

    17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
    18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

    Jesus told the church in Laodicea that because they were neither hot nor cold for Him, but actually lukewarm, He was going to vomit them out of His mouth. They thought that they were doing really well. They had plenty of money and good clothes. They even prided themselves on their spirituality. Jesus said that they needed something better – something far more valuable – something eternal.

    The Value of Your Soul

    Matthew 16:25-26 (NASB)

    25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
    26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

    Since we can’t see with our own eyes what actually happens after this life, we might be tempted to say that it doesn’t exist. A baby might think the same thing. They have never known anything other than their mother’s womb. It’s all going great now, so just enjoy it while it lasts.
    That might work for a baby, but God expects more from us.

    Earthly Treasure

    Luke 12:16-21 (NASB)

    16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.
    17 “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?
    18 “Then he said, This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
    19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”
    20 “But God said to him, You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?
    21 “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

    There’s nothing wrong with having plenty of money, but if that is your main focus, it’s like buying a candy bar and paying $10,000,000.00 (10 million dollars) for it. You could do it, but why?
    Your eternal life is priceless, worth more than you can even imagine. There is nothing on this earth that could even compare.

    Heavenly Treasure

    Matthew 6:19-21 (NASB)

    19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
    20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
    21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

    Jesus is saying that there is a way for us to store up treasures in heaven – like a heavenly bank account. We would all love to have a bank account where we could get money whenever we need to, as much as we need. How about a bank account in heaven that lasts forever? That sounds like a deal. How do we open this heavenly bank account?

    Heavenly Banking

    Matthew 6:33 (NASB)

    33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

    The Christian life is filled with paradoxes. If we want to live a truly abundant, joyful life, one that will last for eternity, we have to die to ourselves and our own selfish ways. If we want true riches, we need to diligently seek after what God wants, not what we want. That is how we make deposits to our eternal savings account.

    Forever Home

    John 14:1-3 (NASB)

    1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
    2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
    3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

    Ever since the Garden of Eden, God has wanted to spend time with us, to “hang out” with us. Jesus said that He went to prepare places for us to live with Him forever. This sounds like a great neighborhood!
    So, how do we get started?

    Forever Life

    Romans 10:9-10 (NASB)

    9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
    10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

    We have all made mistakes – so many mistakes that we could never make them right. Only Jesus, Who lived a perfect life, then died for our sins, could forgive them. He then overcame death, so that we could, too.
    Today, I invite you to start this new life, if you haven’t yet. If you have, remain strong in living for Jesus, enjoying each day that you have with Him, now and forever.

    You can start by praying this prayer right now:
    Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned and made mistakes. I know that You died to take my place on the cross. Please forgive me now and make me clean, so that I can live with You forever. Thank You for Your promise to do this. Thank You for Your love. Help me to live only for You and with You forever, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

    Let Us Know

    If you just made this commitment, or you recommitted your life today, please let us know. We would love to get to know you and encourage you. Click here to contact us.

    Contact Us

  • Dip Your Toes or Jump Right In

    Dip Your Toes or Jump Right In

    Test the Waters

    When we want to go swimming, but don’t know how cold the water is, we will usually dip our toes and test it. If the water is to our liking, we might dive in. If we’re not sure, we might go slowly and get used to it, first. It seems these days there are more and more people trying to scam us.

    • Email – “You have been chosen to help a prince who was unfairly cheated out of his money, and he will gladly give you part of it.” (just give us your bank account info, etc.)
    • Web sites – “Click here, or you will miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
    • Social media – This incredibly good-looking, perfect person wants to get to know you better (they have a great “investment” opportunity for you, also).
    • Radio/TV – “If you don’t buy our product, you’ll be sorry.”

    How do we know who or what to trust? Sometimes, we need to “test the waters.” Other times, we see the waters are good, so it’s time to go!

    Ezekiel was a prophet to the people of Judah who had been taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. The temple had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. God gave Ezekiel a very detailed vision of a new temple.
    Earlier in this vision, Ezekiel saw the Spirit of God entering the temple. Now, he sees a trickle of water coming out from under the south side of the temple, heading east. At first, the water was just a trickle.

    Ezekiel 47:1-5 (NASB)

    1 Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar.
    2 He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side.
    3 When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles.
    4 Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins.
    5 Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded.

    Deeper and Deeper Water

    The further they go, the deeper the water gets. The angel with Ezekiel shows him trees on the river bank that are being watered by this river.

    Ezekiel 47:8-9 (NASB)

    8 Then he said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh.
    9 “It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.

    Purifying Water

    This water brings life to everyone and everything it touches. In the Bible, water usually symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The further we are willing to go with God, the deeper the water gets. This water purifies us and fills us; it brings new life. Without the water, we will die of spiritual thirst.
    Ps.42:1 – “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.”

    Malachi 3:10 (NASB)

    10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

    The Test of Tithing

    Tithing is a big step for most people. God instructed His people in the Old Testament to give to Him (through the priests) the first 10% of their increase – possessions, income, etc. Most of us work hard for our money, and there never seems to be enough to do everything we want. Malachi 3:10 is the only place in the Bible where God says specifically to test Him. It’s interesting that it involves trusting Him with our money.
    This is another step getting us deeper.

    2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB)

    18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

    From Glory to Glory

    As we walk with Christ – in Christ – we are being changed.
    The further we go, the more we are cleansed.
    The further we go, the deeper we go.
    The further we go, the more like Jesus we become.
    Change is hard; sometimes, it hurts. Sometimes, it’s hard to trust God “one more time.” That was the case with a man who came to Jesus. His son was possessed by a demon. It was torturing his son, causing him to have fits.

    Mark 9:21-24 (NASB)

    21 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.
    22 “It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”
    23 And Jesus said to him, ” If You can? All things are possible to him who believes.”
    24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

    Believing One More Time

    Since the boy was a young child, this father had been trying everything. Nothing worked, no matter how hard he tried or how much he “believed.” This father heard about Jesus healing others. He was afraid to get his hopes up. He asked for Jesus to help his unbelief.
    He asked Jesus to help him take one step deeper.
    Jesus did help, and He healed his son.

    Luke 13:18-19 (NASB)

    18 So He was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it?
    19 “It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and THE BIRDS OF THE AIR NESTED IN ITS BRANCHES.”

    A Mustard Seed

    A mustard seed is very small. When it is planted and watered and gets enough sun, it grows into a full tree – many times larger than the small seed that was planted.

    John 12:24-25 (NASB)

    24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
    25 “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.

    Spiritual Death and Resurrection

    We have to die to ourselves, so we can live in Christ. We have to be willing to keep going deeper with Christ. If we do, we will grow and flourish. We will also see others around us benefit, and the kingdom of God will grow – eternally.

    Dip Your Toes or Jump Right In