Something to Think About

imageI want you to think about something as we head into a new year. Will you look more like Jesus after 2013 than you did after 2012? You’ll look more like someone or something in a year. The question is who or what? Like you or Jesus? Like the world and it’s system or Jesus? You will be transformed/molded by a biblical worldview or Satan’s worldview. The only question will be is, which one? It’s your choice, no one else’s.
People are watching our lives. It’s my prayer that they’ll be seeing more of Jesus in us in the coming days. This will take learning to hear His voice, which is primarily done through reading His Word. Take the 2013 challenge to read through the Bible in a year. Learn to just read and listen to Him, not understand everything you read. As you do this you will definitely learn how to listen to Him throughout your day in order to do what He shows you, which means you’ll be more like Jesus. You know, this is how He lived live (Jn. 5:19).
S“E”t Free Nowww

Peace Comes Through War

peace through warThere’s nothing nice about warfare; but we must be trained for it nonetheless. David writes in Psalm 144:1, “Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”
The Bible reveals that part of the battle we face takes place in our minds (2 Cor. 10:3-5) and that we’ve been given some pretty hefty weapons with which to fight this battle. We’ve been given a new mind, Christ’s (1 Cor. 2:16), so we can think correctly. We’ve also been given a new nature, Christ’s (2 Pet. 1:4), so we can act correctly. The battle now for the believer is will we choose to do the right thing/righteousness in our every day life?
Peace in real life doesn’t come without a price and neither does life change for the believer. The price the believer must pay is surrendering their will. Jesus said that we’re to deny ourselves by not doing things our way and to follow Him by doing life His way.
Our will is the frontlines of the battle. A soldier can’t quit in the midst of the battle or he and/or his fellow soldiers will die. The believer can’t quit this battle or they’ll head back into bondage, their drug of choice (Gal. 5:1).
I encourage you to keep fighting. This war has been won; but you’re going to continually need new ammunition, new truths, to fight the lie-based messages that make you want to quit. Get this much needed ammo by keep listening to Jesus in His Word. I challenge you to make a commitment to read through the Bible in a year for the first time or once again in 2013.
Set Free “N”owww

I See You

peek-a-booI was on my prayer walk last week when I saw a truck parked along my path up the road. The closer I got to the truck I could see movement in the front seat. When I was about five feet away I saw it was a couple making out. As I tried to nonchalantly walk by the truck’s open window, the gentleman said hello while the gal had her head buried in his chest. She didn’t want to be “seen” by this stranger. When I saw this I was reminded of the Peek-a-Boo game I played with my small children. Just because they put their hands over their eyes, didn’t mean I wasn’t there or couldn’t “see” them.
We’re just like my kids or this gal when we don’t get into the Word of God to listen to Jesus. We think that by ignoring Jesus He can’t see us. We believe that by not reading His Word He can’t talk with us. Jesus is God. He can see everything, including what’s in your heart! Ready or not, He is ready to talk to you. He loves you. He wants to draw you closer to Him by removing what’s between you and Him – your drug of choice.
Take the challenge to daily read through the Word of God in 2013. Download the Read the Bible in a Year chart in Resources and get started listening to Jesus. He knows exactly what you need to hear and how to say it.
S“E”t Free Nowww

Are You Sure?

reallyI recently came across this quote in our local newspaper. “Three-fourths of the mistakes a man makes are made because he does not really know what he thinks he knows.” I couldn’t agree more. I like to say it a little different. We only know what we know when we know it. Are you sure what you know is right? We will act consistently with how we think. Thus, if we want to see our behavior changed, our drugs of choice removed, we must change the way we think (Rom. 12:2).
In changing how we think, we must have a source outside ourselves to match our current thinking with in order to see if it’s right or not. This is where reading the Bible to hear Jesus is crucial. We don’t read it because it’s what “good Christians” do. We read and listen to it because it’s the Source of truth to measure our thinking against.
Again, let me challenge you to make a commitment to listening to Jesus by reading through the Word of God in 2013. Download the Read the Bible in a Year chart in Resources and get started. As you do, you’ll begin to your see your mistakes become fewer and fewer and your joy become greater and greater. Are you sure what you know is right? Check it out with the Word.
S“E”t Free Nowww

God Is With You

immanuelI want to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas. Yes, this is probably not the day Jesus was born. Yes, there are a lot of traditions that have been built up around it that are not biblical.
The truth of today is still true. “For God the Father chose us in Jesus before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” Jesus was coming to that stable long before Adam and Eve ever blew it. “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.” God already had a name picked out for that kid born in a stable hundreds of years before He was born – Immanuel, God is with us.
God being you and me is not an after thought. It’s always been what the Father has wanted – a living, breathing, daily walk with us. This Christmas filter out the worthless worm thoughts about yourself. Insert the truth that God has always wanted to be with you. You are that important to Him.
“S”et Free Nowww