No More Chains

November 14

(Acts 22:29 NIV) “Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.”

(Luke 4:18 NIV) “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,”

(Psalms 116:16 NIV) “O Lord, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.”

(Galatians 5:1 NIV) “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

In most nations, citizens have rights that non-citizens do not have. The Roman commander knew that he was not allowed to put a Roman citizen in chains without good cause. Citizens have rights. We who are citizens of the Kingdom also do not belong in chains. Jesus came to set us free, but many Christians remain in bondage. Their chains are not visible, but they are real. They are in bondage to regret, bitterness, anxiety, abuse, addiction, envy, un-forgiveness, and many other maladies. If you are a citizen of God’s Kingdom and still in chains, it is not some-thing God has willed. You may not have chosen your particular chains in the beginning, but you do have a choice about remaining in them. Do you want to be free? Jesus came to proclaim freedom for the prisoners! Cry out to Him, and when the chains fall off, do not return to them again. A citizen does not belong in chains. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day 

Becoming a Citizen

November 13

(Act 22:28 NIV) ““Then the commander said, "I had to pay a big price for my citizenship." "But I was born a citizen," Paul replied.””

(Ephesians 2:13-20 NIV) "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. {14} For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, {15} by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, {16} and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. {17} He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. {18} For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. {19} Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, {20} built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone."

Many of us were born citizens of our nation. We didn’t have to do anything. Perhaps that is why so many take their freedoms and privileges for granted. But for many, a citizen is something you must become. There are classes to take and oaths to swear. They must renounce all other allegiances, and swear to support, defend, and serve the nation. It works that way with God’s Kingdom. We aren’t born citizens, nor can we buy our citizenship. Someone else already bought it for us. His name is Jesus, and we are called to covenant with Him, renouncing all other allegiances, and promising our support and service. Many Christians neglect this today. We desire the privileges of citizenship, but reject the loyalty and the service. This produces a weak and self-serving church. God is looking for some people who will transfer their loyalty and become citizens of His Kingdom. Can He count on you? -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Transferred Loyalty

November 12

(Acts 22:26-27 NIV) ““When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "This man is a Roman citizen." {27} The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," he answered.””

(Philippians 3:18-20 NIV) “For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. {19} Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. {20} But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

A naturalized citizen has transferred their loyalty from one nation to another. In the past, the USA was a “melting pot”. People came from all over and melted together as citizens of one nation. Today, citizenship has been cheapened, and the nation is more like a “salad bowl” than a melting pot. Individualism reigns supreme. Assimilation is no longer necessary. Allegiance is no longer required, and loyalty has diminished. The same thing has happened in much of the church. We invite people to come join us, but “come as you are” has morphed into “remain as you are”. No change is required. No melting is necessary -- that would require heat, and we want to be seen as “cool”. Our Jesus offers a lot and demands very little. But this is not the Jesus or the church of Scripture. Citizenship in God’s Kingdom has requirements, discipleship is costly, and Christ commands a non-negotiable transfer of loyalty. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Citizenship Matters

November 11

(Acts 22:22-25 NIV) ““The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!" {23} As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, {24} the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. {25} As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?””

(Ephesians 2:11-13 NIV) ““Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)-- {12} remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. {13} But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”

(Ephesians 2:19 NIV) “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,”

Citizenship matters -- or at least it should! What many take for granted, others will risk death to obtain. It is that way with nations, and it should be that way with the Kingdom of God. Before we came to Christ, we were aliens to the Kingdom. We were outsiders. We were foreigners without hope. Then we became citizens of God’s kingdom, and when we did, we obtained not just the privileges of citizenship, but also the responsibilities of citizenship. We were no longer aliens. Once we lived far away, but then we were brought near. We found a new home. We began to learn a new language. We adopted the laws of the Kingdom as our own. People we formerly had no relationship with became like brothers and sisters to us. We began to behave as if we belonged, because our relationship had changed. We began to behave responsibly. Citizenship matters -- or at least it should! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day