Alternative View - September 8, 2017

Yielding to Jesus will break every form of slavery in any human life.  —Oswald Chambers

Adolescent male elephants have been running wild, attacking one another, other animals, and humans. Elephant aggression has become a big problem in many parts of the world in recent decades. As scientists have tried to figure out why, they’ve determined that elephant social structure has been destroyed, mostly due to poaching. Elder elephants are missing, especially adult male bulls, who are favorite targets of poachers. When South African park rangers flew in some adult male elephants, they flapped their ears, raised their trunks, and bellowed for days—and they restored order. The young males got in line and stopped their destruction.

The same is true of humans. When men are absent or fail to lead, society erodes. It’s why nearly all the inmates at the prison I visit came from homes where the father was absent, neglectful, or abusive. It’s why overwhelming percentages of prisoners and high-school dropouts had absent fathers. Society’s problems are not just society’s problems. They are the church’s problems. They are our problems.

Jesus proclaimed, “He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives” (Luke 4:18). Men, this begins in our own manhood, in our lives, in our families, and in our communities. A kingdom man finds freedom in Christ and spreads it within his realm.

Application

1. How have you been held captive? How has Christ set you free?

2. Where in your domain can you be more present?

3. To whom in your realm of influence can you bring kingdom freedom?

Prayer

God, bring healing freedom into my life. Make me a source of healing and liberation to those in my domain. Amen.

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