BBD 07.03.09 Abuse of Freedom

#1 · July 3, 2009, 11:34 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on July 3, 2009, 11:34 pm
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more
than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is
made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at
www.theburningbush.net.

I'm now on twitter and you can find me at http://www.twitter.com/edwrather.

The Burning Bush Devotional

(A Devotional Classic from 2005)

Welcome to the 715 new subscribers since January 1, 2009

07.03.09

Abuse of Freedom

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are
lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. - 1
Corinthians 6:12.

The unanimous Declaration of Independence by the Thirteen Colonies in
Congress, July 4, 1776:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to
dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to
assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to
which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect
to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that
among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure
these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People
to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its
foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to
them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Recently, we took a trip, and as we did we passed across several state
lines. We were never stopped or harassed by police authorities. We did not
have to obtain a permit. We traveled during the daytime and at night. We
stayed at the hotel of our choosing and ate where we wanted. Our itinerary
changed at times and we did not have to ask permission to alter it. Freedom
is a wonderful thing!

We have freedom in this country, as do many other countries in the 21st
Century. However, the founding fathers of the United States would never have
dreamed of what some people would do with that freedom.

Many use their freedom to use alcohol in excess and their freedom allows
them easy access to illegal substances, which are harmful to them. There is
freedom to access pornography on the Internet and for years it has been
available on cable television. Not only do people watch this on their
computers and their television but also many go to clubs where there are
live performances. Adult merchandising of everything from lingerie to videos
is a booming business.

Of course, there are other abuses of freedom such as those who manipulate
their companies' accounting practices to enable themselves to become rich at
the expense of others. In Oklahoma, an attorney made a will for a woman four
days after she was ruled incompetent giving himself and his family a
substantial amount of the estate. When reported to the state bar association
the attorney claimed he did not know it was against the rules to make a will
for someone in which he or his family benefited. The state bar association
declined to reprimand this man!

As Christians, we have great freedom and our Lord's mercy is never ending to
those who have received Him as their Savior. The apostle Paul understood
this as he said, "All things are lawful for me." Paul may not have read 1
John 1:9, but he understood it. However, the apostle also knew that, ".all
things are not helpful." Paul then goes on to warn against sexual immorality
saying, ".Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and
the Lord for the body. .Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is
outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own
body (1 Corinthians 6:13c; 18)."

Yes, we have freedom through Christ but that freedom came at a great cost -
we are not our own (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Copyright © 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi, Cody, and Mica who are young boys
with cancer. Malachi is very ill and in much pain. He is paralyzed on one
side because of a tumor pressing on his brain. Many prayer needs are posted
at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post
your prayer requests there and they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush
Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The
devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can
leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks
designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach
those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me
reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on GodTube at:
www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist
Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST
www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more
than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is
made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at
http://www.theburningbush.net.

I'm now on twitter and you can find me at http://www.twitter.com/edwrather.

The Burning Bush Devotional

(A Devotional Classic from 2005)

Welcome to the 715 new subscribers since January 1, 2009

07.03.09

Abuse of Freedom

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are
lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. - 1
Corinthians 6:12.

The unanimous Declaration of Independence by the Thirteen Colonies in
Congress, July 4, 1776:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to
dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to
assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to
which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect
to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that
among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure
these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People
to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its
foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to
them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Recently, we took a trip, and as we did we passed across several state
lines. We were never stopped or harassed by police authorities. We did not
have to obtain a permit. We traveled during the daytime and at night. We
stayed at the hotel of our choosing and ate where we wanted. Our itinerary
changed at times and we did not have to ask permission to alter it. Freedom
is a wonderful thing!

We have freedom in this country, as do many other countries in the 21st
Century. However, the founding fathers of the United States would never have
dreamed of what some people would do with that freedom.

Many use their freedom to use alcohol in excess and their freedom allows
them easy access to illegal substances, which are harmful to them. There is
freedom to access pornography on the Internet and for years it has been
available on cable television. Not only do people watch this on their
computers and their television but also many go to clubs where there are
live performances. Adult merchandising of everything from lingerie to videos
is a booming business.

Of course, there are other abuses of freedom such as those who manipulate
their companies' accounting practices to enable themselves to become rich at
the expense of others. In Oklahoma, an attorney made a will for a woman four
days after she was ruled incompetent giving himself and his family a
substantial amount of the estate. When reported to the state bar association
the attorney claimed he did not know it was against the rules to make a will
for someone in which he or his family benefited. The state bar association
declined to reprimand this man!

As Christians, we have great freedom and our Lord's mercy is never ending to
those who have received Him as their Savior. The apostle Paul understood
this as he said, "All things are lawful for me." Paul may not have read 1
John 1:9, but he understood it. However, the apostle also knew that, ".all
things are not helpful." Paul then goes on to warn against sexual immorality
saying, ".Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and
the Lord for the body. .Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is
outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own
body (1 Corinthians 6:13c; 18)."

Yes, we have freedom through Christ but that freedom came at a great cost -
we are not our own (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Copyright © 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi, Cody, and Mica who are young boys
with cancer. Malachi is very ill and in much pain. He is paralyzed on one
side because of a tumor pressing on his brain. Many prayer needs are posted
at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post
your prayer requests there and they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush
Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The
devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can
leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks
designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach
those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me
reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on GodTube at:
http://www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist
Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST
http://www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.