We like to refer to America as the land of the free. It is all too easy to take those freedoms for

granted and not recognize that those freedoms came at a cost. There is a spiritual parallel to this also. We have freedom in Christ that comes at a high price. Still, as with our freedom as Americans, we can become spiritually complacent and fail to take advantage of our freedom. We come to the house of God knowing that we need something and with the knowledge that God can and wants to meet that need, but we ask for something less because it is easier. God already knows what we want, yet we ask for something smaller that is not truly what we need. Another way this complacency shows up is by not taking advantage of God's presence. We have the attitude that "I can ask later. "While God can move then, why do we want to remain bound by whatever is holding us simply because we do not want to access God's blessing now?

So, while we have freedom, we fail to take advantage of it and remain bound.

In our text, the bible tells us that the demoniac broke chains and fetters placed on him. Chains did not bind him, but he was still not free because devils drove him.

Jesus drove out the devils, and the demoniac knew a freedom he had never known.

If we have access to true freedom, why do we remain bound?

It is the Father's great pleasure to bless us. We must come boldly and ask for what we truly need. Why wait? Why continue living in freedom but still not be free?

We like to refer to America as the land of the free. It is all too easy to take those freedoms for

granted and not recognize that those freedoms came at a cost. There is a spiritual parallel to this also. We have freedom in Christ that comes at a high price. Still, as with our freedom as Americans, we can become spiritually complacent and fail to take advantage of our freedom. We come to the house of God knowing that we need something and with the knowledge that God can and wants to meet that need, but we ask for something less because it is easier. God already knows what we want, yet we ask for something smaller that is not truly what we need. Another way this complacency shows up is by not taking advantage of God's presence. We have the attitude that "I can ask later. "While God can move then, why do we want to remain bound by whatever is holding us simply because we do not want to access God's blessing now?

So, while we have freedom, we fail to take advantage of it and remain bound.

In our text, the bible tells us that the demoniac broke chains and fetters placed on him. Chains did not bind him, but he was still not free because devils drove him.

Jesus drove out the devils, and the demoniac knew a freedom he had never known.

If we have access to true freedom, why do we remain bound?

It is the Father's great pleasure to bless us. We must come boldly and ask for what we truly need. Why wait? Why continue living in freedom but still not be free?

We like to refer to America as the land of the free. It is all too easy to take those freedoms for

granted and not recognize that those freedoms came at a cost. There is a spiritual parallel to this also. We have freedom in Christ that comes at a high price. Still, as with our freedom as Americans, we can become spiritually complacent and fail to take advantage of our freedom. We come to the house of God knowing that we need something and with the knowledge that God can and wants to meet that need, but we ask for something less because it is easier. God already knows what we want, yet we ask for something smaller that is not truly what we need. Another way this complacency shows up is by not taking advantage of God's presence. We have the attitude that "I can ask later. "While God can move then, why do we want to remain bound by whatever is holding us simply because we do not want to access God's blessing now?

So, while we have freedom, we fail to take advantage of it and remain bound.

In our text, the bible tells us that the demoniac broke chains and fetters placed on him. Chains did not bind him, but he was still not free because devils drove him.

Jesus drove out the devils, and the demoniac knew a freedom he had never known.

If we have access to true freedom, why do we remain bound?

It is the Father's great pleasure to bless us. We must come boldly and ask for what we truly need. Why wait? Why continue living in freedom but still not be free?

Newton observed the apple and stated the law of gravity, which says what goes up must come down. Proverbs tells us that a haughty spirit comes before a fall. That concept is more than the law of gravity; it is God's word. We do not like to be down and know we cannot always be up. Many people try to stay in the middle, but we cannot live there. Some people do just enough good to get by but do not want to give up what they know is bad. Often, these people wind up smudging the line between good and evil. Once that line is blurred, it is easier and easier to be on the wrong side of it. We must abstain from the things we know are wrong. God does not want us to live on the low side of life. He wants us to be up.

When we are down, God wants to pick us back up. The old song we used to sing as children says, "When you are only half-way up, you are neither up nor down." Newton observed the law of gravity with physical objects, but God has a different direction in a spiritual sense. Often, the things that bring us down in the spirit are the very things that God will use to lift us to a greater life. The enemy will try to bring us down. But we cannot stay there and be victorious. We may have come down but do not have to stay there.

In God's economy, what goes down must come back up.

Newton observed the apple and stated the law of gravity, which says what goes up must come down. Proverbs tells us that a haughty spirit comes before a fall. That concept is more than the law of gravity; it is God's word. We do not like to be down and know we cannot always be up. Many people try to stay in the middle, but we cannot live there. Some people do just enough good to get by but do not want to give up what they know is bad. Often, these people wind up smudging the line between good and evil. Once that line is blurred, it is easier and easier to be on the wrong side of it. We must abstain from the things we know are wrong. God does not want us to live on the low side of life. He wants us to be up.

When we are down, God wants to pick us back up. The old song we used to sing as children says, "When you are only half-way up, you are neither up nor down." Newton observed the law of gravity with physical objects, but God has a different direction in a spiritual sense. Often, the things that bring us down in the spirit are the very things that God will use to lift us to a greater life. The enemy will try to bring us down. But we cannot stay there and be victorious. We may have come down but do not have to stay there.

In God's economy, what goes down must come back up.

Newton observed the apple and stated the law of gravity, which says what goes up must come down. Proverbs tells us that a haughty spirit comes before a fall. That concept is more than the law of gravity; it is God's word. We do not like to be down and know we cannot always be up. Many people try to stay in the middle, but we cannot live there. Some people do just enough good to get by but do not want to give up what they know is bad. Often, these people wind up smudging the line between good and evil. Once that line is blurred, it is easier and easier to be on the wrong side of it. We must abstain from the things we know are wrong. God does not want us to live on the low side of life. He wants us to be up.

When we are down, God wants to pick us back up. The old song we used to sing as children says, "When you are only half-way up, you are neither up nor down." Newton observed the law of gravity with physical objects, but God has a different direction in a spiritual sense. Often, the things that bring us down in the spirit are the very things that God will use to lift us to a greater life. The enemy will try to bring us down. But we cannot stay there and be victorious. We may have come down but do not have to stay there.

In God's economy, what goes down must come back up.

The Book of Numbers is just that: numbers and statistics. However, looking past the raw numbers, one detail illustrates how decisions can change lives. Some did right in the lord's sight, but some did not. They made choices that influenced not only their lives but the lives of the people who followed them. We get to determine much about our lives and futures. Some of these kings, their parents did right, but they chose to do differently. Others decided to do evil; it affected multiple generations. In the end, we are all responsible for pleasing God. We have to do what is right.

It does not matter what the world thinks is right; it matters what God thinks is right. Some have lost their families and salvation while seeking the world's approval. In the end, the world's approval means nothing. All that matters is God's approval. The Kings that we skim past in numbers show a pattern. Some did right in the lord's sight but failed to remove the high places. Others also joined with those who did evil in the eye of the lord, or they did right in the sight of A lord, but they left the house of God.

Many did right, but…. They all had a but…

Finally, Hezekiah did right in the sight of the lord AND tore down the right places, but his son Manasseh built them back after his father's death. More than that, he built altars to Bale and brought graven images into the house of God. Manasseh's son Josiah, an 8-year-old king, reversed it and did right in the sight of the land. Josiah found the book of the law and realized how far they had fallen away.

Josiah returned to the ward and wanted to return to what he had said. Thirty-three kings, but only 4 did right in the sight of God.

The Book of Numbers is just that: numbers and statistics. However, looking past the raw numbers, one detail illustrates how decisions can change lives. Some did right in the lord's sight, but some did not. They made choices that influenced not only their lives but the lives of the people who followed them. We get to determine much about our lives and futures. Some of these kings, their parents did right, but they chose to do differently. Others decided to do evil; it affected multiple generations. In the end, we are all responsible for pleasing God. We have to do what is right.

It does not matter what the world thinks is right; it matters what God thinks is right. Some have lost their families and salvation while seeking the world's approval. In the end, the world's approval means nothing. All that matters is God's approval. The Kings that we skim past in numbers show a pattern. Some did right in the lord's sight but failed to remove the high places. Others also joined with those who did evil in the eye of the lord, or they did right in the sight of A lord, but they left the house of God.

Many did right, but…. They all had a but…

Finally, Hezekiah did right in the sight of the lord AND tore down the right places, but his son Manasseh built them back after his father's death. More than that, he built altars to Bale and brought graven images into the house of God. Manasseh's son Josiah, an 8-year-old king, reversed it and did right in the sight of the land. Josiah found the book of the law and realized how far they had fallen away.

Josiah returned to the ward and wanted to return to what he had said. Thirty-three kings, but only 4 did right in the sight of God.

The Book of Numbers is just that: numbers and statistics. However, looking past the raw numbers, one detail illustrates how decisions can change lives. Some did right in the lord's sight, but some did not. They made choices that influenced not only their lives but the lives of the people who followed them. We get to determine much about our lives and futures. Some of these kings, their parents did right, but they chose to do differently. Others decided to do evil; it affected multiple generations. In the end, we are all responsible for pleasing God. We have to do what is right.

It does not matter what the world thinks is right; it matters what God thinks is right. Some have lost their families and salvation while seeking the world's approval. In the end, the world's approval means nothing. All that matters is God's approval. The Kings that we skim past in numbers show a pattern. Some did right in the lord's sight but failed to remove the high places. Others also joined with those who did evil in the eye of the lord, or they did right in the sight of A lord, but they left the house of God.

Many did right, but…. They all had a but…

Finally, Hezekiah did right in the sight of the lord AND tore down the right places, but his son Manasseh built them back after his father's death. More than that, he built altars to Bale and brought graven images into the house of God. Manasseh's son Josiah, an 8-year-old king, reversed it and did right in the sight of the land. Josiah found the book of the law and realized how far they had fallen away.

Josiah returned to the ward and wanted to return to what he had said. Thirty-three kings, but only 4 did right in the sight of God.

Many people view their life as a series of struggles. Some may feel that their defeats outnumber their victories. God's word has encouragement for those people. In our text, Israel speaks to his sons as he prepares to die. His comments to his son Gad were bleak. Israel prophesied his son would face battle after battle, most of which he would lose. But Israel did not stop there; he finished with a word that is an encouragement to all of us. Israel told Gad he would overcome at the last. Brother Hughes comes today to tell someone who may be down that it does not have to end that way. Before becoming Israel, Jacob had many failures, but that is not how we remember him. Jacob had a tattered past, and until the night of wrestling with the Angel, his life was very different. That night, God changed his name and began writing a different story. The last has yet to come. There is time to write another chapter of the story; the pen is in our hands to write the next chapter. The enemy wants to make us believe we have failed, but we do not have to consent to failure. Our greatest glory is in getting back up after falling. Nothing is final until God says it is finished. We all have the opportunity to get back up. We may be unable to undo our past failures, but God allows us to do it right.