What HE said.

Jesus reminds us, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32). Far too many in our society view the idea of absolute truth as confining, restrictive and legalistic. The idea that someone would suggest there is an absolute right or wrong, good or evil, truth or error is offensive to many.

For just a minute look at the end of this verse! The truth shall make you free. Freedom, liberty, release from the bondage and oppression that plagues our lives - now that is an appealing concept. Why do some death row inmates finally confess, just before their lives are taken? They are seeking freedom from the guilt, pain and in many cases looking for insurance against the unknown.

Consider the sports world. Andy Pettit confesses to using performance enhancing drugs and the country quickly forgives him. Roger Clemons on the other hand has lost the respect of many and may find himself serving time in a Federal Prison.

There is a clarity that comes when we acknowledge there is an absolute set of standards that we should live by. Understanding truth frees me from the worries of political correctness, religious ambiguity and moral terpitude. I don't have to apologize for how I live, for I walk according to a higher standard.

I believe what HE said! The Bible is the standard for absolute truth. It is not subject to the whims of society, or the imposition of governments. I don't view it as a book of thou shalts, or thou shalt nots - I see it as the key that unlocks the shackles of sin and made me free.

Bound & Loosed

Are we free in Christ, or bound by law?

Are we liberated in Christ, or slaves to righteousness?

Do we live by a code of thou shalt not, or by the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus?

Be careful before you answer too quickly. For those who are all law and no grace, Christianity isn't just a checklist of items to get us to heaven. We need to be cautious that we are not like the Pharisee who says, "'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get." (Luke 18:11, 12). Remember, this was not the man who left the temple justified that day.

On the other side of the equation,  our umbrella of grace shouldn't be so large that we disregard our obligation to follow the commands of God. "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1, 2). Disregard for the commands of God should be a fearful thing.

We live in an interesting era when old standards are being questioned and a new generation of believers are trying to find God in a biblical context. I hear a lot of my peers chastising this next generation because they don't automatically accept everything they hear from the pulpit. That is not a bad thing if their questions are raised from a biblical context. "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11)

I can see the positive and negatives of this "seeker" generation. They don't want to play by the old rules, some have issues with authority (a personal struggle of mine), and there are always those who just want change for change sakes. BUT, let's look at the upside for just a minute. Like any body of believers, we can cling to our traditions so tightly that we begin to bind them as law. We protect them like a lioness guards her newborn cub.

Challenges to our long held beliefs is a good thing. 1) It forces us to study and re-examine what we believe. While my core beliefs have not changed, I have had some significant paradigm shifts over the past decade. 2) We are strengthed when our faith is exercised. Resistance builds spiritual muscle mass.  3) We come to understand that some of our traditions are just that - traditions!!! That revelation and "AHA" moment allows us to move past archaic ideas that fail to reach the next generation.

Foundations of Freedom

As the celebration of our independence draws near I think it is important for us to remember why our founding fathers threw caution to the wind, "pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor," to this cause we call Liberty.

The American Revolution centered around one key principle, "throwing off the yoke of an oppressive government." The growth and prosperity of this new Republic was being threatened by a strong central government that imposed oppressive taxes and sought to control the freedoms and liberties of the people. We often forget that the threat these new colonies faced was from their own government (the primary reason we have the 2nd amendment - to protect us from our own government, not invading armies).

Today we are faced with the same threats. A strong central government that is taxing the life out of the citizenry, laying the burden of their own excesses on the backs of our children, while failing miserable with the most important mandate given to federal powers - protecting the citizens they serve. Terrorists and illegals flood across our borders, almost every month we hear of a new attempt by terrorists on our own soil and many of our leaders talk about the "rights" of our enemies.

Most of the signers of the Declaration of Independence did sacrifice their lives, their fortunes, but never their sacred honor. They fought and died for freedom. The spent their fortunes in defense of liberty. They honored their commitments to the greater good and the chorus of freedom and liberty spread across the globe.

As the sun was rising over Lexington, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775 the first shots of the revolution were fired. "The shots heard round the world." Our founding fathers were willing to fight and die for freedom from an oppressive government, they made personal sacrifices for the cause of liberty, they were committted to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

As our national day of independence rapidly approachs, the question is what will we sacrifice to fend off an oppressive government? What actions will we take to insure that the financial burdens of our nation are not thrust on the backs of our children? Who will join me in pledging their lives, fortunes and sacred honor in defense of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

Free at Last

I can't imagine what life was like for the former slaves following the Civil War. They had been set free from bondage, oppression and in many cases the harshest of conditions, but now what would they do? Where would they go? Where would they find work? How would they provide for their families and deal with the prejudice, anger and hatred of so many?

On the surface freedom sounds like a great thing, but it comes with a really high price. We watch our children struggle as we cut the apron strings and let them begin experiencing life on their own. They are thrust into a world of responsibility (for their jobs, their rent, their car payment,etc). Suddenly, the oppression of parents may look good compared to this new-found freedom.

Now draw that parallel to being free in Christ. Sounds great, the shackles of sin have been removed and I am free to live as I want.  Oops, not to live as I want, but as I should and as I must. Suddenly there are expectations for my life, I have to set an example, some of those who loved me most may even have unreal expectations for how I live. There are classes to teach, worship services to attend, the hungry to feed. WOW, maybe freedom isn't such a good thing after all. Those old chains of sin can start looking pretty appealing.

There is a gap that exists for many between the freedom they experience in Christ and their departure from the world. Just like our children who will crash land the first time they spread their wings to fly, so will our newly born brothers and sisters in Christ.

True freedom only comes when we understand the corresponding responsibility that goes with it.

Boundaries

Boundaries are those troublesome obstacles that we want other people to live by. We set boundaries for our children, establish "personal space" in relationships, and put up walls for those that irritate or annoy us. Walls, boundaries, establishing our territory is all fine until someone wants us to live within the confines of their rules.

This is one of those sticky topics where I don't have any clear answers. I never liked rules. I war against those who try to tell me what to do or how to live. Don't tread on me! Don't fence me in! Don't tell me what to do! My personality leans strongly in the direction of Libertarian ideology, but my sensibilities don't. I realize what chaos, anarchy and confusion there would be without rules.

So for now, I continue in that endless struggle of doing what is right and doing what I please. I guess the answer is bringing those two concepts into harmony with one another.

Embracing Freedom

At times our fight for freedom and liberty are collective efforts. We band together against an oppressive government, we lobby for the restoration of certain "inalienable rights," or we join a rally, political party or PAC.

The real embrace of freedom however is a personal choice in how we live. It is the difference in wanting to do a thing and having to do it. Most mornings I choose to get up and go to work because I love what I do - it makes a difference and helps people. For a good portion of my life I struggled to meet others expectations. I let other people put me in their little box and I tried to live accordingly.

One of the most liberating revelations I have had in my life is learning to say - NO! No, I don't have time right now. No, that isn't in my area of expertise. No, I just don't feel like it. That sounds a little indulgent, but I am afraid that all too often in life we err on the other side through surrender. I am worried about what people think if I don't serve. I am afraid I won't be held in the same esteem if I say no. I don't want to be viewed as selfish, or seeking my own needs.

Serving out of desire, out of passion for what you do not only gives you an individual sense of liberty and freedom, it also allows your greatest gifts to rise to the top. Your freedom is not bestowed on you by government,  your employer or even your family. Freedom comes when you choose to have an untethered mind, to know and understand who you are and live to your potential - not the potential or ideas others have defined for you.

Trent Wheeler

Freedom

"A free America... means just this: individual freedom for all, rich or poor, or else this system of government we call democracy is only an expedient to enslave man to the machine and make him like it." Frank Lloyd Wright

There is a lot of talk bantered around about "civil rights" and "constitutional rights." Part of the problem we face in this country is an over-emphasis on our rights and too little attention is given to our eroding freedoms. I don't have a right to health care, government subsidies for my housing, welfare checks, or employment. The government is supposed to provide me the freedom of opportunity, not a free ride.

• Opportunity to own land without the fear of imminent domain.
• Opportunity to enjoy the fruits of my labor without the government holding their hand out for a check they didn't earn.
• Opportunity to freely express my thoughts and ideas with having it called hate speech, or politically incorrect.
• Opportunity for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

As things stand now most working Americans spend nearly all of the first six months of the year enslaved to government. When you add up federal, state and local taxes, excise taxes, gas taxes, and all the hidden taxes referred to as fees, penalties and surcharges we work to support a growing social welfare system called the United States Governmenet.

Our founding fathers sought to free us from the burden of an over-reaching, over taxing, over-intruding government. It's time we reclaimed that freedom.

Trent Wheeler

Set yourself free

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."  Michelangelo

What do you see when you look at that massive slab of stone that is your human potential? Do you see a masterpiece? Do you see the next great writer, artists, orator or maybe it's just being the best parent you can be.

Our ability to achieve personal greatness (as we define it), comes from our ability to dream. Too often we allow the world to beat us down. We are discouraged from dreaming great dreams. We are told that our dreams are impractical, unrealistic, or just plain foolish.

Look for the angel in that slab of stone! Carve away till you set your own masterpiece free! Live your dreams, fulfill your potential, set yourself free!

Living without a Net

In the last few weeks I have attended several funerals of people I love. The only common denominator is that they are now gone. Some were very young, others had lived a full and rewarding life. Time is an indescriminate taskmaster. The days and hours tick away the same for each of us, but the end often comes unexpectedly. Death never asks if we have fulfilled our dreams, lived our lives to the fullest, or contributed anything of value to society.

So why not live life without a net? There may be a lot to be said for security, stability and cautious living, but the truth is we are all going to die in the end. Who is it that we most often admire in this world - its the risktakers. We long to be the cowboys in the untamed west, we revel in the achievements of those who tempt death to reach the peak of Mt. Everest or overcome the most adverse circumstances to succeed against all odds.

Untethered is defined as "unbound, without limits, to be freed from bondage." What is it in your life that holds you back from living your dreams? What obstacles, tethers or chains are confining you? I am convicned the greatest obstacles to living an untethered life are the contraints we place on ourselves. When I hear someone say, "I could never go whitewater rafting, or parachute out of plane," I simply ask, "Why?" Beyond the limitations in our own psyche - what's stopping you?

The Price of Freedom

William Paca - Maryland, Josiah Barlett - New Hampshire, Ceasar Rodney - Delaware, and Francis Hopkinson - New Jersey were just a few of the brave men we find who "pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor" to a Declaration of Independence from the oppression, taxation and the depravation of their mother country.


Most of us remember the names of John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson or John Adams, but there are 56 names that appear on the Declaration of Independence. We often forget that these men signed this document knowing the price they might have to pay. The British fleet was already anchored in New York harbor, John Hancock had a bounty of $500 on his head and Franklin stated clearly, "Indeed we must all hang together, otherwise we shall most assuredly hang separately." In most cases these were men of substantial means who understood the declaration to pledge their lives, fortunes and sacred honor were more than glowing words on fresh parchment - they were a pledge to die for their country, their freedom and their colonies.

What was the price these men paid for freedom from tyranny? Richard Morris a merchant from Philadelphia met General Washington's needs over and over depleting his personal fortune and losing a 150 merchant ships at sea in funding the revolution. William Ellery saw his home and property burned to the ground. Thomas Nelson ordered the revolutionary armies to fire on his own home and plantation to drive Cornwallis' headquarters from his estate. When he raised and pledged 2 million dollars to the cause, the newly formed government defaulted on his loans and he forfieted his personal wealth and died impoverished at age 50.

Of those 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine died of wounds or hardships during the war. Five were captured and imprisoned, in each case with brutal treatment. Several lost wives, sons or entire families. One lost his 13 children. Two wives were brutally treated. All at one time or another were the victims of manhunts and driven from their homes. Twelve signers had their homes completely burned to the ground. Seventeen lost everything they owned. Yet not one defected or went back on his pledged word. Their honor, and the nation they sacrificed so much to create, is still intact.

The question for us today is - what price do we put on our freedom? What sacrifices will we make to defend our country and our sacred honor? Do we have the courage, the resolve, that sense of sacred honor essential in defending our freedom. I believe those words penned centuries ago are relevant to us today, "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"

Liberty can never be taken from you.

All of the fumbling that is going on in Washington reminds of a great statement by Eugene McCarthy. "The only thing that saves us from bureaucracy is inefficiency. An efficient bureaucracy is the greatest threat to liberty." And for those who complain about gridlock - I see gridlock the way a doctor sees his Hypocratic Oath. "First do no harm..."  Wouldn't that be a novel approach to passing new legislation - apply the Hypocratic Oath to the Healthcare debate.

I do admit to taking a certain twisted delight in the misadventures of the Copenhagen Climate Summit, the continued babbling of Al Gore, and the inability to gain consensus on any real issues beyond Hillary promising to throw more money down a black hole.

We stand at risk of continuing to lose certain freedoms in this country, but my resolve is boolstered and optimism is rising because there are a growing number of Americans who refuse to surrender their liberty. We are fed up with tyrants who live by double standards. We are through allowing our elected officials to infringe on our freedoms, rob us of our hard earned money and threaten to restrict more and more of the rights guaranteed to us under the constitution.

That is the beauty of liberty. You may take my money, lock up my guns and try to silence me in a cold, dark prison somewhere, but you will never take from me my liberty. That is what makes the words of Patrick Henry so powerful, "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."