Jesus Changes You Not Your Circumstances

God really spoke to me through my BIG reading this morning. I was in the OT book of Habakkuk of all places where 3:17-19 reads, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.”
From a human perspective, this person was in big trouble. An agricultural society depended on all of these for their livelihood. In other words, this person was flat broke! Yet, He was rejoicing and secure about the next step he’d take in life. The reason is where his eyes were…on the LORD, not his circumstances. This person knew what their God could do despite the circumstances they faced. This is exactly what Paul states in Romans 8:31, “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
This is a beautiful illustration about how living with a Biblical worldview operates in the real world. We’ve all faced dire circumstances of one kind or another. We must come to grips with this reality. Life can be tough. Understand this, though, Jesus came to give you a better life, not the good life. He’s more concerned about exchanging your sin-stained character with His holy and victorious One than He is about the circumstances that helped this process this along.
Can your God come through in tight situations? If so, it’s time to trust Him by living with a Biblical worldview in the midst of your circumstances rather than by asking Him to change them.
Set “Free” Nowww

You Need Other Believers

In an old Indiana Jones movie there’s a great fight scene where “Indy” is trying to save the day. Then a friend of mine, who also saw the movie, asked me, “Hey, did see the part where Indy eats a fly?” I thought they were joking…until I re-watched the movie. Sure enough, one second there is a fly buzzing around Indy’s mouth and the next second it’s gone! I would have never noticed it had not a friend pointed it out to me. It’s the same with our walks with Jesus. We need other believers to see things that we just won’t see.
A few weeks back I was told through a common friend that I had eaten the fly by hurting another friend’s feelings. I was clueless as to what I had done so I called this person up to find out what I had done and to clear the air. Come to find out, they thought I didn’t like them because I raised my voice during a discussion a group of us were having. You have to know me, but when I get excited about something, the pitch and volume of my voice tends to rise. I’m not angry at all, just excited. When my friend told what I had done, I quickly asked for their forgiveness, which they did, and said that’s something the Spirit is working on in my life.
We can’t “see” everything in our lives. Sometimes the Spirit will point out flies all by Himself. Other times He will use other believers. If you’re going to live with a Biblical worldview and taste and see that your Lord is indeed good, you will need other believers to loving point out what you simply can’t see. I praise God for my friend who pointed out where I’d eaten the fly. Do you have someone who will apply James 5:16 with you? If so, are you in a Bible Impact with them? If not, it’s time you do. You’re eating flies and not even knowing it.

Set Free Noww“W”

Father Indeed Knows Best

I was out walking with my dog Lucky tonight at 8 PM, which was extraordinary in and of itself. Lucky is almost 13 years-old; yet he still thinks he’s a pup. He’s at the gate raring to go every time I head out for a walk. Though I’d love to take him with me every time, I just can’t. I can’t take him walking during the day because it’s too hot. I can’t take each day I head out because his hip wants to come out of joint. I can’t take him on long walks because he gets that look in his eyes, “Are we going home yet?” Though he wants to think he can do it, he just isn’t able to anymore. It’s up to me, as his owner, to take care of him.
This is what it means to be a child of God. We have a Father who acts just like I do with Lucky. He knows what we can and can’t handle. He knows the daily conditions we’ll face and how to navigate us through those conditions. He wants us to experience victory each day. The condition of victory is to listen to Him and do what He says throughout our day (i.e. a Biblical worldview); even when we think we can handle the situation ourselves or what He’s telling us to do doesn’t make sense.
I’ve had to return early from walks because Lucky simply thought he could handle more than he could. I should have known better than to let him trick me (jumping up and down like a puppy) into taking him with me. Our Father never makes that mistake. The question is two-fold. One, will we filter our life through Him? Two, will we do what He says to do? Our Father does know best. It’s time to listen to this Dad.

“S”et Free Nowww

Keeping Anchored

I noticed a bee getting a drink in our pool. While I swam to the other end of the pool, I saw another bee getting a drink, or so I thought. I commented to my son, “Man, we sure have a lot of bees in our pool.” After helping what I thought was the second bee out of the water, I went back to rescue the first bee. Lo and behold, the first bee was gone, or was it? No, there was a small breeze moving across the top of the water causing the first bee to drift from one end of the pool to the other.
This can happen in our walks with Jesus if don’t live with a Biblical worldview throughout our day. Most of the time we don’t choose to do wrong or take our drugs of choice in one huge leap. No, we usually get caught up in sin due to the small breezes of life, our small choices or simple neglect. Living with a Biblical worldview, clearing every thought through the Word of God, keeps us from drifting. If we listen to Jesus and do what He says throughout our day, we’ll never drift away from Him. Instead, we’ll stay anchored right where He wants us to be – in His presence where the good stuff is found.

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Some of God’s Thoughts About You

You have to want to be around Jesus and believe that He has your best interest in mind if you are to live with a Biblical worldview. Think about it. Why would you want to hang with someone who is at best indifferent towards you and at worst doesn’t even like you?
I believe the following thoughts accurately reflect what our Heavenly Father actually thinks about His children.
If God had a refrigerator, your artwork would be on it.
If God had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
If God had an iPhone, your number would be in His Favorites.
If you called God, you’d never be able to leave a Voicemail message as He’d always pick up.
If God had a GPS tracker, He’d know where you were every second of every day.
Your God is crazy in love with you! “God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”
As a child of God, He can give you something that is far better than your drug of choice: long-lasting peace, complete significance and a love that will never stop flowing towards you. Why wouldn’t you listen to Him and do what He says in your daily decisions?

“S”et Free Nowww