God loves you, but so stinking what? You might be thinking, “Wow, that’s a harsh statement.” Yes, I know. Here’s why I make it.
91% of born again Christians know that God loves them. They hear it at church. They can even read the placards at football games. Yes, they are loved. Yet because of other held beliefs, it doesn’t translate into their everyday life; thus, they don’t live with a Biblical worldview.
Research shows that these Christians do not believe Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. Among other things, this means that Jesus made mistakes. They also hold the belief that God is not the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe who rules today. He is in-effect powerless to do anything in their universe.
No wonder Christianity is just a Sunday only faith to them. Their view of Jesus keeps them from turning to Him. He can’t help them because He messes up just like they do! They can go to Jesus when they need a hug, but not when it comes to daily decisions. He didn’t have the power to keep away from His own drugs of choice, let alone have the power to help them with theirs.
It’s also no wonder why their lives are so unsatisfying. They are trying to live each day in their own limited power. It’s no surprise as well that they go to church two to three times a month hoping their lives will get better, but to only end up “hanging in there” each day until Jesus comes. This is not the life Jesus promised to give those who follow Him!
Jesus came to give us freedom from our drugs of choice (Jn. 8:31-32). He can do this because He never sinned. Jesus also came to give us eternal life that starts today (Jn. 17:1-3). He can make this happen because He is God Almighty.
If you’re hanging in there without hope, maybe it’s time to examine and change what you believe about Jesus. What you believe does indeed affect how you live today, tomorrow and for eternity.

Se“T” Free Noww

One of the reasons we play music (i.e. worship songs) during our church service is they help us come into Jesus’ presence throughout the week, not just on Sunday. Right now the song How He Loves by the David Crowder Band is playing in my head.
Here’s a portion of the lyrics. “He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree/Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy/When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory/And I realize just how beautiful You are/And how great Your affections are for me/And oh, how He loves us so/Oh how He loves us/How He loves us all.”
We must come to grips with how much our God loves us if we are to walk down that new street toward Jesus and freedom. Once we realize that our path to living doesn’t satisfy, we must choose another path. There seem to be so many from which to choose. Which one will you walk down?
Life has its share of hurricanes that bend us like trees in its strong winds. In His great love for us God uses those strong winds to shape us into Jesus’ image, the only path to satisfaction. Hopefully, we’ll bend to His wind in order to choose His path on a daily basis. Once we make this decision we’ll see just how wonderful our God is. Our God loves like a hurricane. Bend to His will and you’ll find what you’re looking for in life – Jesus’ love.
“S”et Free Nowww

I was listening to talk radio today with my biblical filter switched on. What got through was an interesting statement made by a commencement speaker. This person said, “The only way to help yourself is to be selfless.” I changed it. “The more you want to improve yourself, the more selfless you must become.”
If life is all about you, you’re in big trouble for numerous reasons. I’ll give you two. The first one is who do you think you are? Are you God, who can see today’s decisions in light of tomorrow, and know what is best to do in any given situation? If life is all about you, you’ll have no need for Jesus, as you already have the answers. As you stop trusting yourself and start trusting the only God who does know what is best for you, you’ll see your drugs of choice go by the wayside.
Humanity’s “I” problem is the second reason. I think this is the best way to handle this situation. I feel this is the right thing to say. Do you see the problem here? “I” is in control. If you are in control of your life, guess who’s not (see reason one)? Thus, your ego is a huge stumbling block to growth. If you want to see your life changed, you must demolish “every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV) Jesus needs to be your first option when it comes to decision making, not your second or worse, your last.
As you rely on your self less and less, the more room there is for Jesus to take control of your life. The more you replace your “I” problem with Jesus, the more you will see your life improve.
Think about this today. How often will you talk with Jesus before you start a conversation or a new task? Your answer will reveal whether you’re becoming more selfless or more self-centered. Hopefully, life has taught you which one is better for you.

S“E”t Free Nowww

It’s the start of a new week. What choices will you make? I heard a great story that I’d like pass along.
It’s about a woman who was asked to describe her life in five chapters. She had to write one chapter per note card. This was done to keep her from being too wordy.
Chapter One: I went down a street. I saw a hole on the side of the road and fell into the hole. It wasn’t my fault that I fell into the hole. But it sure took me a long time to get out of the hole.
Chapter Two: I went down the same street. I saw a hole on the side of the road and fell into the hole. It wasn’t my fault that I fell into the hole. But it sure took me a long time to get out of the hole.
Chapter Three: I went down the same street. I saw a hole on the side of the road and fell into the hole. It wasn’t my fault that I fell into the hole. But it sure took me a long time to get out of the hole.
Chapter Four: I went down the same street. I saw a hole on the side of the road and fell into the hole. But it was my fault that I fell into the hole. It didn’t take me long to climb out of that hole.
Chapter Five: I went down a new street.
Albert Einstein once said, “We can’t solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Until we expose our brains to the truths in and from the Word of God, they will continue to lead us to the same broken thinking that made us walk down the street of defeat, disillusionment and destruction in the first place.
If you want to walk down a new street and experience Jesus show up in your life this week, make a plan to get into the Word of God and let Jesus speak into your life. Let Him expose the old street thinking, in order to replace it with the truths that will lead to a new way of thinking that leads to walking down a new street.
You are the choices you make. I pray that you choose to walk down the new street this week – the street of victory.

S“E”t Free Nowww

This truth is the basis for a Biblical worldview. Jesus changes us from the inside out; so stop focusing on how you look, your behavior, or what others think of you (past or present). This weekend stay focused on Jesus, the One who changes you from the inside out.