Freedom

Morality     

Dr. Mike 2022 , , ,

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.  If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them,I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.  I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

Morality is the glue that allows humanity to function in freedom, to flourish, and find fulfillment in life. But morals built on human preferences rather than Godly character destroys lives and causes destruction between people and tribes and nations.

Morality is built upon values. When values become distorted and are rearranged in priority for a few elitists, harm falls upon the majority of remaining people. Healthy values are God-given and are objective for all people to adhere too.

The most life changing values ever expressed are found in the Bible. Initially the Old Testament reveals the Ten Commandments. These 10 values prioritize the boundaries and conditions of how people can best live independently and collectively for the sake of all. When one of these values are broken, people suffer. The sufferer may be an individual, a couple, a group, or a large community, but someone is always hurt when one of these values are ignored.

In the New Testament, Jesus expanded on these Ten with an emphasis on the attitude and spirit rather than just on the outer behavior.    

In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses wrote how keeping these Ten along with the policies and principles built from these Ten, one could successfully live within a culture and prosper as a family, tribe, and nation. Though this promise was to Israel when they were about to enter the promise land after 400 years of slavery, the same words apply today. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Whether you are a Gentile or Jew from birth, Jesus Christ has united us into one race – the human-to-become-eternal race.   

Let’s learn from the historical Biblical records of yesterday rather than repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Ignorance isn’t bliss when reality hits you in the face. The Biblical nation of Israel has a long history of demonstrating what policies work and don’t work to have a successful life. Maybe you and I can learn some of them to integrate into our lives to make this journey more productive and significant than it is today.

When you make God the central foundation of your life and follow HIS decrees, and your neighbor does likewise, you and they are going to enjoy life the way HE originally intended humanity to experience. God’s way allows each person to experience personal and collective freedom by mutually respecting each other’s boundaries. By building a foundation on the Triune God, and trusting HIS plan for humanity, you and I are now given the privilege to experience HIS same divine grace today.

So, why not put HIM to the test? Or what are you afraid to discover about yourself, others, or HIM?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Freedom Requires Moral Discipline

Dr. Mike Life Tools , , ,

1 Corinthians 15:33

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Moral discipline is the fuel for real freedom. Without moral discipline, freedom requires an overdose of law, attorneys, courts, large governments, and manpower for enforcement. As a nation accepts a lower level of moral discipline, justice becomes a historical relic of the past.

Moral discipline starts with an internal fortitude built upon a foundation of personal responsibility and acceptance of a higher Authority. The fact is nations whose governments are built upon Judaeo-Christian values experience a greater level of security, peace, and flourishment than others.

Real freedom is where people can speak their minds without fear of physical repercussion: a fruit of the people who appreciate and never take for granted the alternatives.

Real freedom is where people can choose their livelihood built upon their natural talents and abilities; these rights are quickly suppressed under nations whose governments dictate what is best for the people.

Real freedom is where people can worship the God of their choice without fear of penalty or job loss; again, a privilege which is typically forbidden under dictatorships and power elites.

Real freedom is where parents may have as large a family as they choose; another choice which  is lost amount countries whose governments plan the social structure of their nation.

To be free requires self-control and respect of others. The moral framework is developed through the teaching of parents and educators who understand the importance of character building and the instruction of best values. Ungodly people poo-poo the Bible yet the book shares experiences of multiple people throughout history and the chose and decisions they made. These outcomes highlight various values which allowed people to flourish and other values which destroyed nations. History repeats itself because human nature has the tenancy to do the same, stupid behavior over and over again. The names and places may be different, but the outcome is always the same.

The constant battle to forgo our harmful behavior becomes greater when the people we hang around with are pulling us away from doing the good. You may think of yourself as a “good person.” But when you are around bad company, why do you end up regretting your actions or words? To develop and maintain a solid foundation of moral character and the exercise of it requires an extreme amount of self-control. Most of us fall far short of what it takes. The solution?

It starts with surrendering ourselves to a higher power. His name is Jesus Christ. Under His tutelage, you will gain knowledge, understanding, and wisdom which leads to a more productive and flourishing life. He will empower you with His Spirit. The same Spirit that is working to transform lives into the divine image of your Maker. The fruit of Him living in you will give you the self-control and other tools to live out a moral, disciplined life. As you walk it out with Him, you will find yourself experiencing life the way God created you to enjoy.

A good God with good friends will help you build good morals; and good morals will lead you toward a more fulfilling life with real freedom.  Yes, its that simple, but not easy. It all begins when God is the real center of your life.   

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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Copyright 2013-2020 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

The Benefit of Capitalism

Dr. Mike Business & Faith , ,
Isaiah 48:17 ESV.
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.

Capitalism is simply an economic system that allows people who own something to trade with others without outside interference. The decision whether to buy or sell is between both parties. Each party owns something and exchanges the item at a price mutually acceptable by the other. There are no outside influences who have final say of the matter.

Today’s garage sale is a good example of a capitalistic system in action. The homeowner owns used clothes, toys, and tools that they no longer need. However, the items may still be valuable to someone else. Therefore,  they advertise in the weekly paper and hold an one day sales event selling their wares at the best price. In many cases, people negotiate a price acceptable for both sides.

Pure capitalism is rare. Most places where capitalism thrives, the government creates laws to allow it and the moral fiber of the people police it. The freedom it allows creates an environment for opportunity to be rewarded but also the naive and innocent to be harmed. The fruit of capitalism is generally a byproduct of the heart of its people.

With capitalism someone owns property or an idea and has the right to convert it into monetary results in exchange for services or products for the benefit of others. When people generally oppose capitalism, they most often are blaming the heart and moral fiber of a person rather than the system. The same issue arises with violence and guns, overdoses and drugs, and a host of other harmful acts conducted by people against themselves or others.

In a free economy astute people understand that labor leads to savings, savings builds capital, capital allows investment into businesses and ideas, and businesses and ideas produce wealth. Everyone in a free economy has the opportunity to work, save, and invest for a wealthy lifestyle. However, many choose to bypass the savings/investment and jump into debt so they may experience the “good life” now. The result is slavery to a lender, one’s possessions, and a bleak future.

What needs to change for a people to flourish is a matter of the heart. This is a subject politicians avoid, greedy business people exploit, and religious hypocrites deny the real solution. When the hard heart of a person melts in the hands of their Creator, capitalism becomes the ideal human method to bring about human flourishing for all parties – rich, poor, male, female, educated and uneducated. When capitalism is built upon the solid foundation of God’s Grace and Truth, the person grows, the family is provided, and the community experiences the richness of our Creator’s wealth. A capitalistic system just makes it easier for you and your neighbor to enjoy more of the fruits of your labor.

So don’t blame capitalism for our problems and think a better system would be socialism or another ism. Instead, focus on the Source who made every good and profitable system in the universe today. Connect with Him and allow your roots to be fed and nourished through Him. You will come to experience the richness and Shalom of life within Him and through Him.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

*  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
*  Great Business Emulates a Good God
*  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
*  Simply The Messenger
*  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2018 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved