May 17 HIS Truth WILL SET You Free! John 8:32
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
My mother used to say that “The truth is the truth, and it will stand when the world is on fire!” The fact is that the only thing that will make us free, is the truth of Jesus Christ. Boy oh boy, it was hard for me to face the truth, early in my life. I was shy, painfully shy, and insecure and there were times that I didn’t like me. I was in bondage! When I came to Jesus, the Holy Spirit began a “work in me,” and I began to realize that I am God’s creation and that He doesn’t make mistakes and through prayer, study, focus and the gradual dependence on the Holy Spirit, I came to like myself! Go Figure! So much of my life has been devoted to seeking approval from people. Every one of us want approval and validation of our existence, yet man is not the source of our eternal approval! My shyness was debilitating. This insecurity kept me from participating in most school and church activities and my youth was marked by this burden of fear of what people might think. I will make this story short. There was the day, in High School, that my dear mother spoke to me with power and intensity, when she told me to stop letting Satan dictate my life. Why would she say that? Sadly, she was right. I accepted the Grace of God, through Jesus Christ, when I was 12 years old and I had been growing, however slowly, since that day, yet I had not come to the fact that, as a New Creation, through Jesus, I was not under the bondage of shyness, and I am a Child of God and the only thing that matters is His approval. Amazingly, from that point, I began to “get out more,” and I began to interact with those that I thought were so much better than me and I found out that they were dealing with many of the same issues as me. Slowly, steadily, and most assuredly, God is still doing a work in my life, and I am grateful, and I am committed to continuing to grow in Him! The message for today is simple. “Life is a process, not an event,” so claim Jesus, keep growing and focus on serving God and DO NOT TRY TO IMPRESS MAN! So, here I am, 66 years old and still short and still plump and still balding and still struggle with crowds, and proudly claim the “Pillsbury Doughboy” title, yet I am truly comfortable in my own skin because of the Grace of God and the fact that I have God’s approval through Jesus, and I am still, a work in progress! Please do not allow the bondage of man’s approval to hamper your witness or your service for God. I could go on for days with this thought, however, I will leave you with this! Real Freedom is found in Jesus Christ! Our bondage is born of the sin that burdens every human being, yet God loved us enough to send Jesus to take our sins and make us acceptable and free, through His redeeming Blood! Be BOLD, Be STRONG, Be BRAVE and Live Your Life as a Reflection of His Grace and Power! THE BEST IS YET TO BE!