Jesus prayed in John 17:3, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” Eternal life is not a destination, it’s an eternal relationship. It’s not about what we get later, but about knowing Jesus and the Father right now and forever. It’s just not about life after we die, but living while we live. This is not head knowledge, but life experience. It begs the question, “Do I know my God in the real world in which I live?”
Jesus goes onto pray for His disciples, both then and now. What’s the connection? One of them is that we need other believers to know our God in the here and now. This process, however, will cause sparks to fly.
Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Knowing Jesus in community causes sparks to fly. This process can make believers want to separate from each other, which is why Jesus said that as we do the exact opposite, stay together despite the sparks, the world will know we belong to Him (17:23). Walking together in the midst of conflict is one of two ways those around us will see Jesus. And when this happens, guess who wins? We do, as we all get to know our God together!
Sparks are good! Let the heat forge you into a team experiencing eternal life now.
“S”et Free Noww“W”

It’s a full moon where I live and the dogs are going crazy. It seemed like every where I walked tonight, dogs barked at me. I heard one particular animal rushing towards me at full speed by the way their claws dug into the dirt. I knew it couldn’t hurt me, though, and kept right on walking.
Where did this peace come from? I knew there was a fence between me and that dog. No matter how fast it was going or mean it might be, it could only go so far – that chain link fence.
This is the power of belief. If I didn’t first know that fence was there and then believe it could protect me, I would have handled the situation much differently. But I could peacefully keep walking because I knew and believed in that fence.
We can know the truth, but peace only comes as we believe enough to act upon that knowledge or what I call, exercise the truth. What truths are you putting into your shield of faith today? Once you have them ask the Spirit to empower you to actually use them on your daily walk. There’s tremendous power in belief.
S“E”t Fre“E” Nowww

The Lord is trying to drill this into my head. Be fully where I am when I’m there, not where I’m going next. Yeah my body might be here, but my mind can already be thinking about the next item on my to-do list even while I’m doing what I’m doing; thus stealing my peace.
This mentality is based in a lie: I have to get a lot done for Jesus to be significant. He needs me to do xy and z, right now!
This lie leads to a schedule crammed full of activities that can never be finished in one day. This lie leads to a day arranged so tight that the least “unexpected” (life always has them; thus, they’re not really unexpected) interruption can cause anxiety, a path to my drugs of choice. This lie leads to pushing the limits of time, causing me to hurry from one thing or being late to the next thing causing stress, another path to my drugs of choice.
Truth: Jesus doesn’t need me to do anything for Him, but everything with Him. Truth: I’m already significant as a secure child of God this very second. Truth: I only have the moment, not the next minute, let alone the next day. Truth: Jesus is God, not me.
Therefore, I can relax and be fully present in the moment. It’s His job to take care of the next one, not me, which brings peace. I can be fully in the moment because I don’t have to put so much into my day to prove anything to anyone, which brings peace. I can relax, not rush, to the next activity while being with Jesus, who brings peace.
Life is not about doing for, but being with Jesus. Be fully present in the moment. Jesus will take care of the next one. Who knows, you just might touch another life for eternity in this moment.
“S”et Free Nowww

I’m so glad I don’t believe the lyrics to this song: “I’ve built walls/That none may penetrate/I have no need of friendship/Friendship causes pain/If I never loved/I never would have cried/I have my books/And my poetry to protect me/I am shielded in my armor/I touch no one and no one touches me/I am a rock/I am an island/And a rock feels no pain/And an island never cries.”
I was having coffee with a couple of friends this morning when I was asked how I was doing. I could’ve blown off their question with, “I’m fine.” Or, I could fess up and share how I was really doing. I chose the later by exercising the truth. They acknowledged my transparency with an approving nod.
Later in the conversation, as they were talking, it hit me. The Spirit just spoke into my life through my friends and they didn’t even know it! The Spirit strung together my blog entry from yesterday and this conversation with what He was trying to teach me. Peace rushed over my mind and heart as the pieces fell into place.
I am not a rock. I feel pain whether people are in my life or not. I want love even if people are not around. I cry while I’m reading books or being touched by a movie. I am not an island either. I feel pain even wearing my armor. I feel alone and cry behind my walls. I’d feel lost and unfocused even if I was on an island.
I am a human being who is also a secure child of God. I can either face life with all its joys and sorrows alone or walk with other believers. It’s my choice. It’s yours as well.
I’m so glad the Spirit of God gave me the strength to exercise the truth to be vulnerable and transparent enough to apply the truth of James 5:16. Because I did, I walked away much lighter this morning, even after a few large cups of coffee. I am not a rock…Jesus is!
“S”et Fre“E” Noww“W”

Why do we strive for things, move towards a goal, and attempt to make or wish things will happen? Is it that we want something we’ve already been given by Jesus?
Significance? Given by Jesus. Security? It’s ours. Love? Got it already. Acceptance? Done deal. Our attempts to meet these needs, when they’re already met, can lead us down paths that not only will leave us with an empty feeling in the pit of our stomachs, but can be very destructive as well. These paths can take us further away from Jesus.
It’s time to exercise the truth of God’s word and end our search for what’s already ours. Follow God’s advise when He says to “cease from striving and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10 NASB)
A.W. Tozer once said, “We must do worldly jobs, but if we do them with sanctified minds, they become offerings to God.” We already have significance whether we’re washing dishes or repairing someone’s car. Doing our everyday activities with Jesus, makes what is done in Him for Him, which pays eternal dividends both now and forever.
Set Fre“E” Nowww