Entangled In Barbed WIre

There are times I get caught up in the YouTube view loop. If you are not sure what that is, it’s when you watch a video that leads to another interesting video that leads to another vid and before you know it, you’ve lost an hour of your day. What’s even worse is when the boss is standing right behind you and is also captivated by that same loop. I quite enjoy watching those heartwarming videos from Dodo. The video I was watching had a deer caught up in a barbed wire fence by the horns. The more the deer struggled against its binds, the more entangled it became and, when the video was taken, the deer had basically become so tired that it had given over to the bonds had laid down, given up and given over to its fate. The deer had a bit of fight left in it when a group of men came by to help it out of the fence but it only lasted a short time and it let the men minister to him. They carefully adjusted the deer so as to untangle him, they cut away the wire that was stuck in the antlers and, when the deer was free from the binds that was holding him back, they let him loose and he took off for freedom only briefly looking back as if to say thanks.

Life is a lot like that. There are so many things in life that hold us and bind us. I am going to be very blunt and honest here so if you are offended, I am so sorry. There are people who bind us and keep us from knowing true freedom. We just had a video on Sunday about human trafficking and there are millions upon millions of people who are bound to serve people who profit from their suffering. There are people out there who are under the bondage of a harsh work environment who have no where else to go, they can’t complain lest they loose their job and, for some, their housing and benefits. Here is the big on as far as I am concerned. There are millions out there who are affected by sin and are under the bondage of embarrassment of being called on it or even being found out. Like the deer in the fence, many keep struggling and pulling back from it only to find the more they struggle, the more tangled they become. There comes a point where those tangled in the bondage of sin just give up and give into the fact they can’t get out of it. There is, however, a bright spot in this. Jesus gave up His life for us and cleanses us of our sins. In other words, He came to free us from the bonds of the barbed wire and sets us free from the certain death we would have faced in the ever-tightening bondage of sin. This is the truth and we can count on it.

Now for the part that may offend; church, it is our responsibility to be the ones helping to cut people free from the bondage. We are the messengers of His message, of this Truth. The church is not here to add more wire to the antlers but rather help people out of their predicament and help them find the freedom that is in Christ. Sin is universal. Why would we add to the binds of others when we, ourselves, have been set free by someone with a pair of wire cutters and a willing heart. I challenge those of faith in Christ, to be a part of the solution and not the one holding the cellphone, taking the pictures of the calamity, and judging the world through the lens of social media. It is time to unite under Christ’s banner and assist those around us to realize the freedom available to all.

This week we continue the series on “The Way, Truth and Life, Different Story, Same Need”. We invite you to join us this Sunday either in person or watch us online at 10:30 AM.

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We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.

Blessings,

Pastor Todd

www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.com