The Freedom Hour Blog

Resurrection lessons from Bill Dallas

2009-04-18T23:47:00.000-07:00

Bill Dallas had to experience his own resurrection in order to live his purpose-filled life God had planned for him.

But wait. Is this rare? Do only a few have to experience this "resurrection thing?"

No! We ALL have to experience a death and resurrection of our own life through the power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Maybe you have "said THAT prayer." Maybe you attended an Easter service a few weekends ago as Christian churches all across America celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ! This is our favorite holiday. Our favorite celebration. This is more special than Christmas! This celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is every single thing the Christian walk is all about. One of the main things that sets Christianity apart from all other religions - we don't serve a dead God! No other religion claims to have a resurrected God. Our Lord is Risen! He conquered sin and death for us!

For we know know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. Romans 6:9
When you say THAT prayer - that sinners prayer, that prayer of salvation, you are saved!
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

So, what is this resurrection experience I am talking about? Jesus died, Jesus rose. I don't have to do anything other than say that prayer, the Bible tells me so. Yes, while this is true, I would ask you to consider a few more things. Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that He came to give us an abundant life. According to dictionary.com, abundant means:

1. present in great quantity; more than adequate; oversufficient 2. well supplied; abounding 3. richly supplied
Consider the synonyms for abundant - abounding, ample, bountiful, brimming, copious, exuberant, fertile, fruitful, galore, generous, lavish, lush. Of these synonyms, my favorite is exuberant. Let's take a look at the meaning of exuberant so that I can get us where we are going here...

1. effusively and almost uninhibitedly enthusiastic; lavishly abundant 2. abounding in vitality; extremely joyful and vigorous 3. extremely good; overflowing 4. profuse in growth or production; luxuriant; superabundant

Let's laser focus on that word, and more importantly on the meaning of that word. Remember this word, exuberant, is a synonym of abundant. Remember, Jesus came to give us an abundant life. He said so Himself in John 10:10. The Amplified Bible says, "...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." For you Old Schoolers - the King James reads, "..."I came that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." More abundantly than what? More abundantly than anyone has life without Christ! That is the what! But, back to the laser focus of exuberant, forgive my ADHD - it is difficult to have laser focus even when I am the one writing. If we take what Jesus said to us literally, that He came to give us life more abundantly, then that means he came to give us a life of exuberance! I challenge anyone reading this to find a negative connotation to the word exuberant! You can't! There is nothing negative about the word exuberant.

Living an exuberant life means to live an extremely good life overflowing in effusive and almost uninhibited enthusiasm, abounding in vitality, extremely joyful and vigorous and lavishly abundant, superabundant, luxuriant, profuse in growth and production! Does this describe your life? If it does not, then something is wrong. You said THAT prayer. Did you mean it? Okay, yes, you meant it. So, what is the problem? Why is your life no different than it was? Why is your life no different than those who haven't said THAT prayer? May I suggest that it might just be because you haven't died yet? Died? Does that mean we don't get this abundant life until heaven? No!! It means maybe you haven't died to some things here on earth yet. AND, if you haven't died to those things then you haven't had a resurrection experience.

What do you need to die to? Well, we all need to "die to ourselves." But that sounds like one of those church phrases you have no idea of what it is talking about. You figure you must have had to grow up in church to get that one. Well, it isn't that difficult. Let's take it down a bit and see if we can throw out some ideas that grab your attention, better yet, let's see if we can throw out some ideas that grab your conviction! What do you really need to die to?

Your career?
Your addictions?

That forbidden relationship?

Sex outside of marriage?

Your goals? Your dreams?

Your foul language?

The

thing

you

allow

your eyes

to look

upon?

Your friends who continue to pull

you away from your relationship

with your Lord and Savior?

Your hobbies? Your pride?

Yes! You need to die to anything on the above list that might be a part of your profile. Anything that is hindering you from living this abundant life Jesus told you He came to give you. The beginning of that verse, John 10:10, Jesus tells us our enemy, that Devil of old, comes only as a thief to steal and kill and destroy. The enemy is using all of the things on that list as well as many other temptations to do just that in your life. He is out to steal your abundant life! He is out to kill your exuberance, your overflowing life of joy! He is out to destroy your witness! If you said THAT prayer, he can't take your soul, he no longer has claim to it and there is no access for him to get to it, BUT he wants to keep you from taking anyone to heaven with you. Your job is to take as many people as are placed in your path to heaven with you! The war is on!

Jesus didn't come to give us an abundant life so we could just live one big party on earth. And, by the way, there is nowhere in scripture claiming that Jesus came so we could be happy all the time! Happiness and joy are two different things. Living a "happy-go-lucky" life is not the same as living an abundant life. Jesus came to give us this abundant life because He knew it was the most effective tool we could place in our ministry bags! He knows that if we walk out our relationship with Him in total abundant living then the people placed in our paths will want to know who this Jesus is. What is it that makes us so joyful all the time. What is it that makes us so exuberant, so vigorous, so enthusiastic? Our goal is to create a desire in others to want what we have.

If we are living out our relationship with Jesus Christ in constant negativity - grumbling, complaining, fear, anxiety, aimlessness, envy, strife, anger, bitterness then what kind of witness is that? Who wants that? You don't have to say any special prayer to live like that . What good is this Jesus and His abundant life offering if that is the end result? I can live like that all on my own, thank you very much.

If we are living out our relationship with Jesus Christ in a morose, sullen, down-trodden, gloomy manner then again, who does that attract? Where is the joy in that? Where is the abundant living?

The most important definition of exuberant is profuse in growth or production. As a Christ follower, we are to produce fruit. That is the evidence of our faith. That is the evidence of having said THAT prayer. The fruit we are to profuse in growth, to produce is the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) If we are allowing the enemy to steal our abundant life then we are producing fruit that is rotten to the core,

fruit of his hellish orchard. Those specific fruits can be found in a few earlier verses, Galatians 5:19-21. I'll let you go look those up for yourself, but they range from sexual immorality to selfish ambition and discord.

So, you said THAT prayer and you certainly aren't producing some of those hellish fruits mentioned, but you are producing a few - anger, jealousy, dissensions, then still a death needs to happen in your life.

You still need to

die to yourself.

You are still the center of your world.

================================================
While the death is painful, the thought of it, the anticipation of it frightening and anxiety filling, the next step is the most beautiful thing you will ever experience!

The death and burial of Bill Dallas, his dawn at San Quentin, his own resurrection through Jesus!

If you have not, listen to the story of Bill Dallas, a clear and amazing example of this resurrected, abundant life!

If you have not, read Bill's story, Lessons from San Quentin, so you may hear every juicy detail, every twist and turn, every mind-blowing work of God in Bill's life.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Resurrection!

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4

In this eternal life in Christ Jesus - He is Risen!

We are risen! We can be made alive in Him to live life abundantly!! When you allow yourself to die to your way of living, to your own vain, ambitious plans, God will raise you to a life abundant, a life of joy and peace like you have never lived! People will want to know what is going on in your life! They will want what you have! Jesus died to set you free! He will set you free of sin, free of guilt and condemnation, free to live abundantly! He has a purpose and a plan for you in this new freedom, and He will restore things in your life in a way you never could. He will restore your hopes and dreams, but He will restore them for His purpose, the ultimate purpose, the perfect purpose. And those dreams will be wilder and more abundant than you could have ever accomplished on your own! Jesus came to give you abundant life! Take it!!

Freedom + Purpose + Restoration = Abundant Life!

Sources cited:
"abundant." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 12 Apr. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abundant>.
"exuberant." The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 12 Apr. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/exuberant>.

New Beginnings

2009-04-05T11:45:00.001-07:00

New Beginnings Originally uploaded by honokana.balansu

I spent the last hour of my work day Friday listening to the recording of The Freedom Hour with guest Marcus Hill. I was able to listen and get some much needed paper clutter taken care of. Nice way to end the week. A rare and precious gift in my world of chaos. Thank you Abba, Father! Listening to Marcus's testimony again was just as inspiring to me as the first few times I heard him give his testimony live as well as the day we sat in the recording studio to record this episode last September. Isn't it so cool that God can make our testimonies so alive with His Word that it can be new each time it is heard? This time, although Marcus only briefly touches on this at the end of the recording, my thoughts were very pulled by his testimony of New Beginnings. It lingered in my mind all weekend. I have been following Christ for fourteen years. I have tripped, stumbled, bumbled, fumbled, fallen, moved backward, forward, sideways, derailed, jumped the tracks, and crash landed time and time again. I have also moved forward, danced, laughed, loved, floated, slid into home plate just before the out, leapt over the wall, and most importantly I have learned and grown. Mercy doesn't stop at the moment of salvation, thank God! His mercies are new every single day! In the midst of Jeremiah's lamenting of God's chosen people and their sufferings, he still praises God for this continually renewing mercy. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV) This is such a comfort for me. I am one of those people who really lives life out loud and many times in doing so..... I run ahead of where the Lord and I are walking together. Each time, because I am running on my own terms and in my own energy, I don't have the necessary fuel to carry me that far. I stop, in the middle of where I am, too tired to move another step.

I awake to feel more tired still, not refreshed and I am faced with the reality that I am once again at the end of myself.

I collapse in a heap, frozen in exhaustion and fear of my own failures repeating themselves over and over. I spend time in non-productive paralysis. Guilt moves over me like an electric blanket on a freezing cold morning and I cannot get up and get on with the business of life.

Time after time though, the Lord patiently walks back and extends His hand to help me up; reminding me that God's mercies are new every day. I don't need to wallow about the past mistakes, not even yesterday's mistakes! I need to just get up and move along on my journey.

I need to walk in my freedom, purpose, and new restoration all bought with His blood. I need to get back to the business of the Abundant Living He came to give to me. I continually reevaluate my life. Many times I am fearful I am not living in God's will for my life. Listening to Marcus share his journey reminds me again that today is a New Beginning! As I seek to live in Purposed Freedom, today I have the grace sufficient for me in my journey. Another, and more important, rare and precious gift in my world of chaos! Thank you Abba, Father!

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

The Cool Blue Made Jay Dan Sweat

2009-03-28T17:06:00.001-07:00

Cool Blue
Originally uploaded by zebthepilot

As he stood staring at the blue cooler filled with beer, his heart beat in his young teenage chest. Sweat broke out through his pores. Just staring at the cooler he knew he was on the brink of a life altering decision. It was just beer, no big deal. For Jay Dan, somewhere in his soul, somewhere in the recesses of his spirit, he knew it was a big deal. He knew he was standing on the edge of the teenage peer pressure cliff. He knew if he put one foot out, he would fall into that temptation and it would only spiral out of control from there.
So many parents think Jay Dan's story won't happen to their kids, won't happen to their family. Jay Dan grew up in a wonderful Christian home. He attended a private Christian school where his mother was employed as a teacher. He was a gifted athlete and his abilities carried him through a few college years playing football and baseball. Everything we hear, everything given to us as some recipe for the perfect child that will never fall into the trap of drugs and alcohol or crime, all of those ingredients were in the mix of Jay Dan Gumm. Still, he went from gateway drugs (that blue cooler full of beer) to Jack Daniels to involvement with crystal meth. The enemy is out to kill, steal and destroy. Period. There is no recipe that guarantees us our children are safe from that. They are not. The enemy knows no boundaries - he does not discriminate at all, not race, not gender, not economics, not age, and not church denomination. He comes after every soul! John 10:10a states it as clear as crystal - "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy..." (NIV). To make this point more aptly consider 1 Peter 5:8, "Be self-controlled and ALERT. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Now that's scary stuff people! And it's real. And it's relevant. Those are not just God-breathed words for the men and women of the first century A.D. Those words are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We must know the enemy is after us and he is even more focused on going after our kids. If he can knock out our kids then we all fall like dominoes. It is like he works his way to our throats through our hearts, that place where our children live so fully. The answer to this recipe disaster can be found in James 5:16, Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. THE EFFECTUAL FERVANT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH. We have all seen that beautiful print in today's Christian book store. You know the one where the dad is stretched over his young son's bed at night or the mom is stretched over the daughters bed and in the background of either of these prints you see some ominous, dark, scary looking evil demon hovering just outside the giant bedroom window! What a wonderful depiction of this reality. The enemy, our enemy, is out to kill, steal, and destroy. He roams about looking for whom he may devour. He prowls around looking for his next kill. Parents - the only defense we have is the blood of the Lamb. The only weapons we have in this war are prayer and God's Word. We need to use them both fervently, righteously, and frequently! If you listen to Jay Dan's story, I have not doubt the outcome was because the effectual fervent prayers of his parents availed much and our God who is so merciful, so gracious, and so forgiving heard those prayers and continued to call on his prodigal son Jay Dan!

Cotton Picking Grace

2009-03-10T21:36:00.001-07:00

CoTTon ... !! Originally uploaded by BaLLYoOo

Talk about Amazing Grace!!! If you missed 60 Minutes last Sunday, you must watch the video below. Part 2 below talks further about the memory inaccuracies of eye witnesses.
Watch CBS Videos Online
Watch CBS Videos Online

The Mod Squad and The Jonahs Brothers

2009-03-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe it sounds weird to you, but those are the two things that came to my mind when I listened to the recording of this week's Freedom Hour. My first thought was The Mod Squad. Remember that old show? As a kid, I never missed the weekly capers of Pete, Link, and Julie. One internet source describes the trio as "three young people in trouble with the law who can avoid jail by infiltrating the counter culture and exposing bad guys who prey on other kids." On some weird level, where my dramatic mind always wonders, I felt some sort of identity with this. Jail has touched the lives of Chuck Adair, Mike Riley and me in very different, but equally impactful ways. Because of that common bond, we work to infiltrate the counter-culture that is inside the prison to bring to them the even more radical counter-culture of Jesus Christ! We are trying to expose the Baddest Guy - the enemy who is out to kill, steal, devour and destroy lives all over this world by bringing them the Truth and showing them love and compassion, grace and mercy.

It was just sort of surreal sitting in the studio with Chuck and Mike. The way God had infiltrated all three of our lives and had orchestrated bringing us together is so amazing to me. As we talked about on the show, it is just more evidence that God is in every detail of our lives! When my uncle Mike talks about his anger at God because he lost his older brother, what we didn't tell you is that his older brother was my father. I was almost 2 when my father died; my baby sister was still on her way (she was born six months after our father's death). A few years later, my father's best friend married my mother and adopted my sister and me. It would take a book (someday) to tell you all that happened in between and the point of that book would be to show God's amazing sovereignty as well as His endless mercy and grace.

As I visited with Mike and Chuck before we recorded the show, it struck me that if God had not allowed my father to depart this earth in 1965, there is a good chance we would not have been recording this show. We would not have become so intrinsically involved in this crazy, amazing mission we call prison ministry. God works all things together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose! (Romans 8:28) There is no mission I would rather be involved in than prison ministry; I think I can say the same for Chuck and Mike. I would like to think of us as God's Mod Squad! : )

So, that's the Mod Squad, now for those Jonah's brothers! Did you hear the resistance to God's calling in these two men?? Not to say I haven't resisted God, but this isn't about me - shew!! This is about Chuck and Mike! I am so glad God drug them kicking and whining into this great ministry! The Texas prisons are a better place because of the work God is doing through these two very amazing men! After they got the whale vomit all cleaned off, that is! ; )

Rain drops in the spider web

2009-02-28T13:44:00.001-08:00

Rain drops in the spider web Originally uploaded by marlenells

When I blog about my Freedom Hour guests, I love to peruse Flickr for some really cool, avant-garde photo that will capture something I felt about the guest. It's totally subjective and sometimes may have you wondering what in the world the connection is. Don't work your brain too hard, I'm just trying to be artsy! I struggled to capture Cynthia Harris. I don't know why. I have searched for just that right photo for two days now. Then I found this one and it seemed so appropriate for her story all the way from the beginning - a delicate, yet tough rain drop trapped in a spider web. What God created for His purpose the enemy trapped in his web of lies and deceit. But as Cynthia will tell you, she was arrescued! No, that is not a typo - just listen to the show and you will know what I am referring to. Cynthia is an electric being of energy and aliveness. I sensed that about her the first time I saw her when we met face to face in the lobby of Dawson State jail. I have met many people in that lobby, said hello with my eyes or a word or two, but meeting Cynthia was different. I could sense she had a story! I could sense she lived that Abundant Life that Christ came to give all of us. Her joy was evident and it took shape in the form of an energy that was electric and filled the room. Okay, for those of you who get nervous when you read words like energy, please don't misunderstand me. I do not mean that in any kind of "new-agey" sense. I just don't know a better way to describe Miss Cynthia Harris. She is a ball of fire for the Lord! Your must listen to her story. Now, let's talk about the transformation of Cynthia Harris. See for yourself! These are before and after pictures that clearly point to a 2 Corinthians 5:17 transformation: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Isaiah 61:3 also comes to mind: ...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

Again, please listen to the show (see the podcast to the right). Cynthia has great words of wisdom to share with anyone who needs to better understand the drug culture and how quickly our children are taken from us by that web of deceit. Cynthia truly lives in freedom, purpose, and restoration! She is not only happy to help you, but she is CALLED to help you if you are struggling with addiction, don't know what to do about a loved one you sense is struggling with addiction, or are in need of The Overcomers ministry she leads at DFW New Beginnings. You may also find Cynthia by viewing her profile on MySpace.

Identity – Jason and The Serpent

2008-11-23T21:16:00.000-08:00

IDENTITY - Who am I? Am I the fat kid the kids make fun of? Am I that ugly? Am I the dumb one? Does anyone see me? Do I blend in and disappear? I want to be different, but in a good way. Who am I?

That was the theme of Jason's heart-matter. That was Jason's Achilles heel that the devil knew to run after and attack. I have always felt that insecurity is one of the core issues in our rebellion. I know I certainly struggled with it most of my life. I never realized that it could be such a core issue for the male species, I always assumed it was a "girl thang." Listening to Jason's story makes me realize it is a human thing! For as long as we are apart from the vine, we are lost. Apart from Christ we can do nothing, so basically we are nothing! (John 15:5)

If we are lost, we have no identity so we go looking for it in all the wrong places! We look for our identity in our family first, the school playground second. If we are struggling with our identity then danger kicks in - if we are immensely insecure then the devil loves to lure us into those groups, gangs, and relationships that will accept us with open arms only to beat the hell out of us later! We seek our identity in sports, cliques, girlfriends, boyfriends, drugs, sex, work, money, clothes, looks. Here, there, everywhere we look for this lost in space identity and the harder we seek the further we fall. Then we are trapped in the whirlpool (or cesspool) of the places we sought for identity that actually brought on more pain, shame, and guilt so we have to look in deeper, darker holes to cover up the identity we are gaining because we do not like this identity. Insecurity and pride - all the same thing, wrong identity!

God tells us to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). When we get still and know who He is He begins to show us who we are. He created us in His image! (Genesis 1:17) He wired and designed each of us in a special and beautiful way to fulfill a God-given task, a God-given purpose. The enemy knows this and he spends OUR lives attacking that identity and throwing us off course. The serpent and the apple - the bait and switch, the lure and the hook.

Are you struggling with your identity? Do you struggle with deep insecurities? If you didn't hear Jason's story, please go and listen! Look at the section Our Shows and go to "Jason - God's Extreme Makeover. "

Pray, ask God to show you who you are! Are you alone? Seek wise counsel! Get into a good church. If you have no one, email the show and we will give you some phone numbers where you can find help!

Freedom + Purpose + Restoration = Abundant Life!

The F Bomb with Grace

2008-11-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

As a member of Fellowship Church I listened to Ed Young teach us about the Real F word awhile back. As I listened to the recording of this week's show that was all I could think about - that series of messages. Grace's story is such an amazing example of the real F word, the F bomb I'll say - forgiveness.

The F Bomb - that is exactly what it is. Once you truly act on this f word, it sets off a bomb! This bomb will cleanse the house of your soul from the inside out! The apostle Paul tells us we are to let go of all bitterness and malice, rage and anger and to forgive others as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Are you struggling with bitterness toward someone? Anger? Malice? Maybe even rage? Are you housing some age old anger toward someone? Maybe in the world your anger and malice is fully justifiable. Maybe someone did something to you that is despicable and they have never done one thing to ask your forgiveness or even show any kind of remorse. Forgiveness, according to God, is not contingent upon the actions of someone else. It is contingent upon YOU! The truth is, whatever bitterness and resentment you are harboring, it is hurting that person. Let's get real, you probably don't even see that person or those people that hurt you so deeply so they have no idea you are living life with this unforgiveness. Forgiveness will set YOU free - the F bomb will cleanse YOUR life!!

Devon Drove Somewhere Over The Rainbow

2008-10-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

What woman my age (won't mention the age - but you can guess) hasn't grown up loving that song? From Judy Garland to Patti LaBelle to American Idol's Kimberly Locke; every version is chilling and beautiful. I couldn't help but think of that song all week long after my interview with Devon Wallace. If you missed the radio show - you MUST listen to it on the website! Gosh, Devon's testimony hits so many levels from the misuse of little league sports to topless clubs, we ran the gamut this week! What a precious man Devon Wallace is today. He is a big teddy bear, the kind that would give you the shirt off his back. He is such a servant of the Lord, such a soldier in the Lord's army. Setbacks. What a topic that is and yes we talked about that, too. I'm telling you I don't think we left a stone unturned. But back to setbacks. One of my favorite parts of Devon's story is when he tells about the huge setback he had AFTER he had not only been walking with the Lord, but authentically leading others to the Lord. He was as sincere and authentic in his faith in Jesus Christ before this setback as he is today. That is what makes that part of his testimony so very important!!! It shows us that the devil goes after everyone, no one is on safe! Remember playing those games as kids and you had a "safe base?" If you made it to safe base no one could tag you or haunt you or whatever else was going on in the game. Well, Christians are not safe from the devil. Although - we do have a safe base - on our knees in humble prayer and along side others that we will be open and honest with so we can be held accountable! This is a very busy season for Christians. There is so much going on right now, so much work to do - such a huge harvest to work. WE must take care of one another and hold each other up and accountable! When you see your brother or sister, ask them how they are and mean it and be prepared to listen to them!!

Halloween. Oh what a dreadful and divisive little holiday. Christians, should we participate at all or should we not? That's another blog, but this is our Halloween show - why? Well, listen and find out. October is a crazy month for Devon and Halloween, or we'll just say October 31st became a special day for him. What the devil means for harm God works for good for His glory!!! Amen?!