PREPARATION

Pastor Marcus is more than an observer of life; he is an interrupter who, with timeless wisdom, points us to spiritual depth. Without a second thought he dives, head first, into the deep.

"God developed all of human history," Marcus said, "in order to showcase HIS Son." In more ways than one, it's all about Jesus.

However, even during the coming "resurrection" weekend, believers around the world are more interested in observing Easter, then experiencing it timelessness. We may know the story, but forget our place in the plot. Are you just an observer? Have you forgotten?

One thing is for sure in life--we know how to forget. From the beginning, God knew we needed help to remember; in fact, the original Passover was ordained as an annual reminder of God's power over life and death. The blood of the lamb opened the door to a total new way of life. In a matter of speaking, the Hebrews went to sleep slaves and awoke free. Who could forget that? They could, and they did.

Freedom is an interesting concept. It is defined by the absence of restraint or not being imprisoned, or being unrestricted, or unbound. To truly be free, we must have, at some time, been under the control of someone or something else--We were slaves.

The ancient Book tells us that God called Moses to lead HIS trapped people into the new world, but it would take years for these freed slaves to understand and live out this new found freedom. They knew slavery, but freedom was foreign to them. 

In fact, before the ground settled on the path behind them, they complained about the water, the food, the misery. This wasn't what they had expected or wished for. Tent-life was free, but not easy. "We want to go back," they cried, "back to the misery we know, back to lives of slavery."

They were free to live in the Presence of I AM, but in their hearts they were still slaves. At least as slaves, life was hard and predicable. This freedom was hard and unpredictable. With freedom life had to be lived, not just talked about--lived by faith. Freedom is more like an adventure than a formula, more like a process than a concept. Don't forget it and don't give up on it.

They were living in the Presence of Almighty and wanted to give up, to go back and break into the prison they had just left.

Could life seem safer in prison?
 

INSPIRATION

Your body may be free, but if your heart's still trapped, freedom is not fun.

Sylvester Jiles was originally in prison for manslaughter. Once he was released on probation, it took him only three days before he came running back to the prison guards. On August 31 he begged them to let him back in.

Puzzled at the request, the guards at Brevard County Detention Center refused, so Jiles took matters into his own hands.

He tried to scale the barbed-wire fence back in to the prison yard, but got caught in the razor-sharp mesh. Guards cut him down and then escorted him in.

On March 23, 2010, the judge ruled the prison break-in was a violation of probation and sentenced the 25-year-old Jiles to 15 years behind bars.

Jiles told the judge he feared for his life on the outside. Apparently he is one of the few who has safety behind prison walls.

MOTIVATION

Is it possible to be set free and still be afraid? How can you live in the presence of Jesus and still be afraid? 

Finish this sentence: Because of God's great showcase, the gift of Jesus, I am free of _________.

Celebrate your freedom by choosing to "live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." We are "resurrection people." Let's live like.

Say it with me, "With faith in God's Showcase, I will not go backwards; I will live forward."