Fighting For Freedom

There sits Simon,
so foolishly wise
proudly he's tending his nets
Then Jesus calls,
and the boats drift away
all that he owns he forgets
More than the nets
he abandoned that day,
he found that his pride was soon drifting away
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Matthew was mindful
of taking the tax,
pressing the people to pay
Hearing the call,
he responded in faith
followed the Light and the Way
Leaving the people
so puzzled he found,
the greed in his heart
was no longer around
-----------------------------

Every heart needs to be set free,
from posessions
that hold it so tight
'Cause freedom's not found in the things that we own,
It's the power
to do what is right
Jesus, our only posession,
giving becomes our delight
-----------------------------

We show a love for the world in our lives
by worshipping goods we posess
Jesus has laid all our treasures aside
"love God above all the rest"
'Cause when we say 'no'
to the things of the world
we open our hearts
to the love of the Lord
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Oh, and it's hard to imagine
the freedom we find
from the things
we leave behind
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Simon had pride, Matthew had greed. We all have our struggles! "But Oh, it's hard to imagine the freedom we find, from the things we leave behind!"

So now I'm engaged (to a beauty), and I find myself fighting for freedom. Not from her though :). A different freedom, a freedom from myself. My selfishness. I have new desires, new dreams, new expectations. But in those dreams and desires, there is no room for selfishness. I'm striving to be a good husband and a Godly head of the home. I'm learning new ways of loving, thanks to her, and desiring to love her like Christ loves the Church.

1 Corinthians Chapter 13

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

This is what I'm trying to learn. Without love, I'm nothing. It's not about me, her, or a wedding. It's about a marriage! A life, a lifestyle! And like William Wallace, I will fight for love AND freedom.

So, I want to encourage all the singles. Die to self NOW! There is no better time. Now is the time when you can become as close to God as you possible can with no distractions. Learn and grow, sacrifice. Your relationship with Christ will flurish, and you'll be way ahead for the future.

"But Oh, it's hard to imagine the freedom we find, from the things we leave behind!"

I love you all

New News

The future Mrs. Paul Grimm:

Elise Kaupp
from Gridley Illinois

The Lord has truely blessed us!!

Sorry for my resent lack of posting, I've been busy :D

A New Identity (long, but worth it)

Jesus had an uncanny knack for cutting through "small talk."

Nicdemus, an important member of the religious ruling class, came to Jesus late one night. Was he afraid to be seen with Jesus? Did he want to avoid the crowds? We don't know for sure. But when he began his conversation with a few polite remarks, Jesus cut right to the chase. His statement in St. John 3:3 can be loosely paraphrased, "Nicodemus, you're right about my spiritual position, but you're dead wrong about yours."

Jesus knew that Nicodemus didn't need a lot of tact- he needed truth.

Nicodemus's robes, his title, and his degrees impressed everyone in his religious circle. But Jesus saw right through those outer trappings. He knew that a human heart beat under all that finery- a struggling heart that was tired of carrying the weight, the responsibilities and the endless need to appear "in control" of his religious condition. So before Nicodemus could even formulate his question. Jesus gave the answer, telling him in effect, "What you need is a new start, Nicodemus. It's not too late."

If you, like Nicodemus, are counting on your accomplishments to lead to some sort of ultimate fulfillment or spiritual security, Jesus says the same thing to you.

Accomplishments can't be joy. Titles have no feelings. Degrees don't laugh. Even religion can get in the way of knowing God, because religion is mostly what we do. That's what was happening to Nicodemus, and what Jesus tried to address in their conversation. Life with God means becoming a "faith-follower" and "faithful follower," not trying to be a "do-gooder." Jesus knew that Nicodemus, a religious leader and teacher, didn't understand this basic truth.

Nicodemus needed to make a break with his religiously legalistic past, and to make a new spiritual start in his life, one that centered on a relationship with God based on truth and grace. Jesus called this new start being "born again."

Then Jesus made mention of something that happened centuries before, in Moses' day (verse. 14, from Numbers 21:4-9). When a plague of poisonous snakes killed many Israelites, Moses followed God's command to make a bronze snake and attach it to a pole. People who had been bitten didn't have to pray, go to the temple, try to drain the poison, or do any kind of "religious" act. They were simply told to take God at his word, look at the snake, and believe. Those who did were miraculously healed. Those who didn't died. (By the way, this biblical event is the origin of the snake on the pole in medical insignias.) By using this well-known story as a metaphor for his own crucifixion, Jesus knew that Nicodemus would get the point- God sent Jesus to earth so that people could believe in Him, trust Him, and have eternal life.

He further explained this principle in St. John 3:16-17, one of the most famous verses in the Bible. These verses contain the greatest message, from the greatest source, describing the greatest love, demonstrated by the greatest sacrifice ever given. It contains important news for everyone, especially those who think they have to "be religious" to get God's approval.

The bad new is that we can't do enough to gain God's approval. The good news is that God has already done it on our behalf.

What would prevent you from accepting Jesus' invitation to Nicodemus? Being born again isn't complicated. Simply agree with Jesus that you have a spiritual need that you'll never be able to fill through your own efforts. Then recognize that Jesus didn't come to condemn you, but to pay for your sins, forgive you, and to begin to remake you from the inside. Finally, come to Him as your rescuer and leader and ask Him to do what he said he was dying to do- give you eternal life. This is not a cheap gift; Jesus gave His very lifeblood to obtain it. But it is a free gift. And it's yours for the asking.

Note: Later in Jesus' ministry, Nicodemus defended Jesus when the religious leaders of his day condemned him unfairly (St. John 7:50-51). Nicodemus also showed up at Jesus' death, where he and another influential leader, Joseph of Arimathea, prepared Jesus' body for burial (St. John 19:38-42). Beyond that, we don't know anything about Nicodemus or his response to Jesus' invitation.

But God does.

-modified from The Journey

I love you all.