The Daily Walk Of Fire And Freedom

THE DAILY WALK OF FIRE AND FREEDOM

(March 2006)

OPENING SCRIPTURE:

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1).

OPENING PREAMBLE:

So many Christians experience the life-transforming power of God at camps and conferences, but have a hard time walking it out in their daily lives when they return home to the real world. God’s desire is that we would daily experience and walk in His fire and freedom!

Consider the story of one of the greatest men of God in the Bible - King David. He is the one who wrote, “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1). He was a giant-killer, mighty warrior, passionate lover of God… until one day...

THE STORY: David & Bathsheba

“It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, "I am with child.” (2 Samuel 11:1-5).

A LOOK AT THE STORY:

1. What is the season and backdrop for this story? When the kings go to war.

2. Where was David? At home doing nothing - being bored. Not fulfilling his destiny.

3. When did he fall? It was at night - in the darkness. That’s where the enemy works!

4. He saw a naked woman - something he shouldn’t have looked at.

5. But that wasn’t all - he sent and inquired about her, sent messengers, and took her

6. There were consequences for his sin - she got pregnant, great cover-up, killed her husband, lost the baby.

CLOSING APPLICATION:

“For these commands and this teaching are a lamp to light the way ahead of you. The correction of discipline is the way to life. These commands and this teaching will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of an adulterous woman. Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coyness seduce you. For a prostitute will bring you to poverty, and sleeping with another man’s wife may cost you your very life. Can a man scoop fire into his lap and not be burned?” (Prov. 6:23-27).

Stop playing with the fire of sin! As one preacher said once, "Sin will take you further than you want to go, it will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it’ll charge you more than you want to pay. It asks for very little in the beginning, but in the end, it will take your very life." The wages of sin is DEATH!

10 KEYS TO KEEP YOUR FREEDOM:

(Adapted & condensed from a handout by Pastor Craig Millar from Courtenay Foursquare Church)

1. Yield every area of your life to the Lordship of Christ. (John 1:11,12; John 12:31,32)

2. Maintain a daily prayer life. (Matt 6:11-13)

3. Develop a strong, dynamic faith. (Romans 10:17; Mark 4:24; Luke 8:18)

4. Live by the Word of God – confess it daily and let it transform and renew your mind. (Matt 4:4,7,11; Eph 6:17; Heb 3:1; Romans 12:1-2)

5. Be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit and pray in the Spirit daily. (Ephesians 5:18; Romans 8:13; Luke 11:13; Romans 8:26,27; 1 Cor 14:2,14,15; Jude 20)

6. Daily praise the Lord. (Isaiah 61:3; 60:18; Hebrews 13:15)

7. Walk in right relationships and be accountable to trustworthy people. Submit to the Lord and to one another in love and humility. (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 John 1:7; 2:9-11; James 5:16, 1 John 1:9; James 4:7;1 Peter 5:5-6)

8. Avoid people who are a bad influence on your life. (James 4:4)

9. Put on the whole armour of God; crucify the flesh and resist the devil. Guard your heart by watching what you put into it through the media. (Eph 6:10-18; Romans 6:6,11; Pr. 4:23)

10. Seek to obey the Lord in every area of your life. If you fail, make confession immediately. (1 John 1:9)