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Showing posts from June, 2013

Reflections on the text – Galatians 5

Read the text here: Galatians 5 Sing for Freedom For Freedom Christ has set us free… What does “freedom” mean to you?   There is always lots of talk about what “freedom” really is?   We hear people on all sides of the political spectrum using freedom as a point in debate – “we live in a free country!?”   But what does this really mean?   Does freedom mean that we can do whatever we want?   As we are coming close to July 4 th and our annual celebration of American freedom do we really want to hold the position that young men and women of our military for over 2 centuries have died so “I can do whatever I want?” No, I don’t think so.   Unrestrained “freedom” – that is doing whatever I want, with no boundaries is not really freedom, it is a kind of bondage. Perhaps bondage is the place to start.   So, what is bondage?   A simple definition would be that one is in bondage when one is compelled, forced or enslaved to another person, idea or institution.   207

Reflections on the text – I Kings 19:1-14

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Read the text here:  I Kings 19 Expecting the Unexpected Elijah had really had quite a series of spectacular successes – he had provided food for and then raised the dead son of the widow in Nain, he had courageously confronted King Ahab about unfortunate Naboth’s vineyard and he had entered into a contest and handily defeated the priests of Baal.   This last event had ended in violence and the priests of Baal had been killed.   When Queen Jezebel heard about it she was furious and sends her agents out to capture and kill Elijah.   Now we might expect Elijah to stand firm and confront them like he had done before.   But this time, he turns tail and runs for his life.   He escapes from the Northern Kingdom into the Southern Kingdom and keeps going until he gets into the wilderness.   And there he throws a pity party for himself.   “Look at everything I have done, and this is how I am repaid!” He complains to God that things had not turned out as he had expecte