There are many preconceived notions of what God is like and what He expects of us. He is sometimes (and very incorrectly!) portrayed as a demanding and judgmental being, ready to punish us for the slightest offense. Many churches are filled with rules and regulations about what is acceptable to God and what isn’t.

Jesus said of the Pharisees:

For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

Matthew 23:3-4

Sadly, today both the churched and the non-churched place burdens on Christians that we were never intended to bear.

Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?

I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.

In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.

Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:2-7;21-22

Stop trying to live according to the expectations of others. Walk in the Spirit and live in the freedom that Christ died to bring you.

The Liberty Bride
by MaryLu Tyndall

Series: Daughters of the Mayflower #6
Published by Barbour Books
Publication Date November 15, 2018
Genres: Historical Fiction, Action/Adventure, Christian Fiction, Clean Romance
Setting: Atlantic Ocean, Maryland Age of Reform - US - 1800 - 1840
Main Character Ages: 18-24, 25-34
Written for: Adults
Pages: 256

I would like to thank Barbour Books, Netgalley for giving me this copy of the book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.

Also in this series: The Mayflower Bride, The Pirate Bride, The Captured Bride, The Patriot Bride, The Cumberland Bride, The Alamo Bride

Poor Emeline was convinced that the bad things in her life were happening because she was not behaving as a proper lady should. That God was somehow punishing her for wanting to pursue her art instead of being trapped in a marriage of servitude. For not doing enough. For not being enough.

Despite serving in the British navy for eight years, Owen was still a rebel set on getting all the adventure in his life that he could. He scoffed at his friend Ben’s faith in God, convinced that if there was a God, He would do well to simply abandon mankind.

Oh my! It’s hard to know where to start. The Liberty Bride is full of adventure, humor, faith, and love. It was such an experience to be on the ship with Emeline as the British attacked it, feeling the ship rocking and reeling against the cannon blasts. And then caring for the sick and wounded and experiencing the fear that caused her to pretend she was something that she was not. . .

The author told such a beautiful story which fully engaged me. I loved the characters, the plot, and the spiritual journey. There was a funeral scene that was simply amazing. I don’t want to spoil anything, so that is all I’ll say about it. It was quite clever how she used Emeline’s concepts of what a proper lady would do throughout the story. The descriptions used for some of the people were delightful. Here are a few examples:

“she was definitely a fluffhead”

 

“he resembled more an old piece of rope than a man”

 

“the poor lieutenant was halfmast shy of a ship’s complement”

 

“with a bulbous nose, arms as thick as masts, and a whitecap of hair atop his head”.

It’s hard to believe this is already the sixth book in the exciting Daughters of the Mayflower series. While the characters in these books have common ancestors, each story stands alone. I have enjoyed each of them and am so looking forward to reading the rest as well.

MaryLu's Liberty Bride Pinterest Board

(click here to go directly to the board on Pinterest)

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