Are We Free Yet?

Freedom, that is a word we in America seem to use loosely. But even more than that, we as Christians don't truly appreciate the freedom that comes with knowing Christ. So I ask, Are We Free Yet?

There are many celebrating Mexico's freedom today. It's Cinco De May!! We celebrate our freedom or independence on July 4th. But let me ask you this, When were you set free in Christ? Not when were you born again, or when did you accept Christ as your savior? For a few people, those might be the same day you were liberated from bondage, but for others your freedom date and your salvation date are two separete events in your life. 

There are so many that attend church but still experience some form of bondage. They enter the church building with issues of life plaguing them and leave with the same issues. even though while in service they feel liberated, that feeling does not stay with them.

So as a minister of the gospel it is up to me to point people to the way of freedom. What I have realized is that when we read the Bible, we don't always believe what we are reading. Many take the stories in the Bible as nice fairytales of a land so far away but never allowing the principles to be applied to their lives. 

Sometimes, we find it hard to believe that God wants what is best for us. We compare Him to our limitations. We find it hard to believe that He will not betray us, fail us, or leave us. We don't have a true understanding of what it means to experience his unconditional love. Some may even think that because they have done so many things terribly wrong in their lives that God is vindictive and vengeful, trying to destroy them and punish them.  We mostly feel undeserving. However, Let me share with you that freedom is what God wants for us. He gave his life so we can be free.

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."    --John 8:36

When we think of the words that God used to talk about our transformation into His Kingdom. He uses words like: Free, Liberty, Transformation, Change, Redemption, Reconciliation and the list goes on. It's no coincidence that these are the words. I mean we become saved by God's grace, it is our salvation and it is based on belief...faith...our free will to choose life and not death.

Yes, we go through trials and tribulations. No, it's not an easy road. God didn't say that it would be. We are to walk in freedom all the more. This world is not our home. So our thoughts have to change. Our mind has to be renewed. 

The answer is Yes, we are free. We must walk in that freedom. 



You are Bound No More. 

Pastor Linda Hillman 
(c) 2015 LAH Ministries International 
Booklindahillman@gmail.com 

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In The Meantime

Residue

Residue, what is residue?

First let's look at how the dictionary defines it. Residue is a small amount of something that remains after the main part has gone or been taken or used. So what got me thinking about residue is the PAM cooking spray commercial. You know the one with the ghost of food past. He basically describes himself as the definition found in the dictionary but with a twist. He says that you combines with the new food being cooked. So the residue from the old is now affecting the new.  Yes, someone just got that.

So what does it mean to us in our journey to be free and delivered from our past.. We have to apply the word of god to use and be washed thoroughly. no residue can remain. if it does we will be tainted from the past in every new situation, choice, and relationship. 

Have you ever asked yourself after an argument or an outburst: "Why did I do that or why did i say that?" or maybe it was "where did that come from?" or "I thought I was over that." these statements alone gives us a clue that residue is there. the Bible says:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

This weekend I learned from Evangelist Rein Johnson that to be IN Christ means to be encompassed (See clip below). In order for us to remove all residue we have to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. we have to allow the Word of God to change how we think. We have to forget the former things as Isaiah 43:18 says and move on the the newness that comes from being transformed. We have to press into the things of God and not allow what happened to us to hinder us. It's not pretending that it did not happened but it is sitting with a journal and allowing the truth of your situation and past to teach you the lessons you could not learn at the time.

It's freeing yourself, let liberty and redemption happen. It's forgiving yourself for thinking you could have done something different. For thinking you could have made a different choice or said something differently. It's understanding that you are who you are because of what you have gone through and that does not make you a bad person or less than. It's not getting over stuff and pretending it did not happen but it is understand that you went through it. In going through it you must let the word wash over over and cleanse you so when you step out one the other side you are a new creature.

Let me end with this. Getting rid of residue is a simple process. Let's take a look at a butterfly and the transformation that occurs when it is ready to covert from a caterpillar. 

First, the caterpillar digests itself, releasing enzymes to dissolve all of its tissues. If you were to cut open a cocoon or chrysalis at just the right time, caterpillar soup would ooze out. But the contents of the pupa are not entirely an amorphous mess. Certain highly organized groups of cells known as imaginal discs survive the digestive process. Before hatching, when a caterpillar is still developing inside its egg, it grows an imaginal disc for each of the adult body parts it will need as a mature butterfly —discs for its eyes, for its wings, its legs and so on. 
Once a caterpillar has disintegrated all of its tissues except for the imaginal discs, those discs use the protein-rich soup all around them to fuel the rapid cell division required to form the wings, antennae, legs, eyes, genitals and all the other features of an adult butterfly. 

This process is a natural look at what takes place supernaturally in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Everything that God needs for us to be whole and complete is already in us but we need to get wrapped in our cocoon called Christ and let him completely transform us to be NEW. He will then make sure that all residue is done away with. That you will become exactly what he intended you to be and all old ways are destroyed and done away with. No more Residue!

You are Bound No More.


Pastor Linda Hillman 
(c) 2014 Living Above Hurt Ministries
Pastorlindahillman@hotmail.com