John 8:36 Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free [eleutheros] indeed.
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and do not again be held with the yoke of bondage.
In today’s culture, freedom is often defined as doing whatever you want—living without restrictions, chasing your happiness, and controlling your destiny. But when you dig into the Greek word eleutheros, meaning “free,” you discover that real freedom isn’t about cutting all ties—it’s about being connected to the right things. True freedom isn’t found in isolation, but in surrender to God.
Biblical freedom doesn’t come from the absence of rules but through the mastery of them. It’s like a skilled musician who can play freely because they understand the structure of music. In the same way, living within God’s design brings real freedom. It’s not chaos or rebellion—it’s life in step with the Spirit, guided by the wisdom and boundaries God gives. Freedom, in this sense, is not about being unrestrained, but about being rightly aligned.
Think of it like riding a bike. It’s frustrating and even painful when you don’t know how to ride. But once you’ve learned, the bike becomes a source of joy and freedom. God’s law works the same way. It never changes, and whether it brings blessing or struggle depends on how well we’ve learned to ride in rhythm with it. Yeshua didn’t toss the bike aside—He showed us how to ride it with grace and purpose. He fulfilled the law by living it perfectly and calling us to follow Him.
But without boundaries, what we call “freedom” can quickly turn into slavery. Someone might think they’re free by doing whatever they want, but if that leads to addiction, brokenness, or emptiness — it becomes a trap. Real freedom involves the wisdom to make choices that keep us free, not just for a moment, but for the long haul. That’s why discipline matters. Walking with Yeshua doesn’t take away our freedom—He restores it. His way protects it, His strength upholds it, and His presence helps it last.
The world tells us that freedom is about being in control of ourselves, answering to no one. But that kind of freedom is actually another form of bondage. The harder we try to be our own masters, the more burdened we become with the pressure to succeed, prove ourselves, and keep everything together. True freedom comes when we stop striving and surrender to Someone greater—Yeshua, who carries the weight we were never meant to bear.
That’s why Paul says in Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast.” He doesn’t mean to stand on your own strength or independence. He means stay grounded in the freedom Christ gives—the kind of freedom that comes through surrender, not control. In Him, we’re not just freed from something—we’re freed for something. We’re released from the tyranny of self so we can live a life of love, service, and purpose. The law wasn’t given to earn favor, but to show our need for grace. And now, as beloved sons and daughters, we follow not out of duty, but out of love — because we are free!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Rockets are flying through the skies of Israel and many are landing on the ground. Emails are also flying through cyberspace as people all over the world express support through prayer for us and our nation. Words cannot express our gratitude for your care and concern. In times like these the best and the worst are brought out in people: either the peace, confidence, and strength which come from faith, or the fear and panic which overwhelms the souls of worldly men.
Since moving to Israel we’ve been thrust into a Middle Eastern culture of “extreme hospitality”. The above parable from Luke takes place in a similar cultural context, and it powerfully illustrates how God wants us to approach Him.
Unless you’re up on your biology, you’re probably wondering, “What in the world is a coney?” I certainly was. After doing a little research, I discovered that a coney is a rock badger.
I ran across a profound story that shows what happens when the family structure breaks down — but this didn’t have to do with people — it had to do with elephants.
As some of you may know, a bomb exploded in a bus within blocks of our Jerusalem apartment when we first moved to Israel. That morning, my wife and I, along with our newborn baby, were heading to the city center to run a few errands when suddenly we heard the explosion. Within minutes, the sirens were screaming from every part of the city as officials quickly made their way to the scene. Later that month, the bus I was supposed to be on drove away as I watched it carry away the 50 or so people who would be critically injured and the 8 who would be dead seconds later, when that bus exploded before my very eyes. So, to put it mildly, we have seen firsthand how terrorism works and how it affects people.
We know a Christian woman who has struggled with her past for years. She rarely thinks or speaks of anything else. And as a result, her life has just spiraled downward, despite all our attempts to minister to her. It breaks our hearts to see.
Today marks Holocaust Memorial day here in Israel. At ten o’clock in the morning on this day, war sirens sound calling the entire Land to remembrance of the 6,000,000 Jews who died and many more who suffered under the Nazi regime during WW2. People in their homes and workplaces rise in silence; cars come to a halt, even on the highways; pedestrians stop where they are and pause… for one minute as the sirens wail, we remember.