Let the Chains Fall Away

This passed weekend was the Tulsa Workshop. It is always the highlight of my year. I always leave challenged and refreshed. I love to walk around the booths and see what ministries and missions there are around the world. I love to see old friends and catch up with what is going on in their lives. I especially love to attend the classes and hear great men of faith pour out God’s truth in a challenging and inspiring way.

This year’s theme was “Let the Chains Fall Away.” What a powerful message. So many chains seem to bind us as Christians. We are held in bondage by our traditions, our pride, our inferiority, our hypocrisy, our view of God, and the list could go on and on. Although I love the workshop and enjoyed each nights worship and keynote session, I have to confess that I was often distracted. I often find myself distracted. My mind wanders a thousand different directions and I find myself having to constantly refocus my thoughts. Friday night was one of those nights that I found myself distracted. I had spent the day at the workshop. Just Joshua and I went during the day and he was in child care. I was free to attend the classes and I loved it. I had the car and I knew Kellie and the boys wanted to come to the workshop for the night session. I left at 4:00 to get Kellie, Andrew, and Timothy. It took over an hour to get from Tulsa to Muskogee because of construction. We were hoping to make it to the Acappella concert at 6:00 before the evening worship at 7:00. Well, we didn’t make it until close to 6:40. We rushed inside and caught the last few songs. I was frustrated that it took so long to get back to Tulsa. I was distracted by all the kids running around throwing balls and toy cars while I was trying to get into the mode of praise and worship. It is then that I noticed him. A few rows away sat a young man who was obviously “intellectually delayed.” While everyone around him seemed to have a distracted look on their face because of the noise around them, this young man stood with his arms raised in the air, tears in his eyes, singing to his Lord. He was not held prisoner by the circumstances around him, he was just praising. We had a short break between the concert and the evening session, so we took the boys to their class and Kellie and I came back into the pavilion. We sat in a different area this time, but I could still see this young man. He had his arms raised in the air and I could see the emotion and gratitude in his demeanor as he worshiped. In that moment when my mind was racing and I was still watching the kids throw their toys and wondering why their parents were not doing anything to stop them, that God began to work on my heart. It was though He was saying, “See that guy right there? That is how I want you to live.” God wants me (and you) to live life free of the chains. The chains of pride, the chains of undiscipline, the chains a lukewarm life. God wants me to be free. Regardless of my surroundings, He is calling me to give Him the worship He is worthy of. When all the world want to distract me, He wants me to focus completely on Him. When the noise of this earthly life is loud, God offers me complete peace in Him.

I thanked God for His freedom. I thanked him for that young man God used to teach me. I am thankful for freedom in Christ. It is true freedom. Eternal freedom. this life on earth is but a vapor and if all freedoms were taken away, I can still have true freedom in Christ. It is a choice. Following God is a choice. Will I choose to follow Him and experience His freedom? … or am I content to live in chains because that is my comfort zone? What about you? What choice will you make? Will you allow the world to distract you and keep you chained … or will you choose to completely surrender to Christ and be free?

“If the Son set you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

Tulsa Reflections

Okay, so I'm late with this post. Sorry. Our family recently attended the Tulsa International Soul Winning Workshop. This is always my favorite weekend of the year. It was a great time of renewal. It was so good to see friends that we have not seen in such a long time and make new friends. The theme was centered around prayer - specifically the Lord's prayer. The speakers were great. Some of my favorites were Jeff Walling, Patrick Mead, Rick Atchley, Randy Harris, and Don McLaughlin.

One of the things about the Lord's prayer is that it is active and contains many elements. The opening of Our Father carries a great realization to it. What if we were able to truly view God as the perfect Father? The great Abba? What if people could learn that God is a father that is unlike earthly fathers? He is a father who does not leave; does not neglect; does not fail. He is God an our Father.

Hallowed be Your name is a great term of praise. What if we truly learned how to praise God for His holiness? What would our world look like?

What I get excited about is the statement, "Your kingdom come and Your will be done..." A lot of different thoughts come to mind with the word kingdom. Some view the kingdom as already being established; others view it as something that is yet to come. My thought is I agree. The kingdom came when Jesus ushered it in, but we have yet to fully realize it.

In association with prayer, what if we learned to pray for the kingdom to come? How exciting for God's kingdom to truly reign in the hearts of every man, woman, and child. I am learning to pray kingdom prayers. I have a long way to go, but I am learning. DO you have any thoughts concerning praying for the kingdom? What is your understanding of kingdom?