In continuing this week’s theme of calling people to come to Jesus, I want to share a story I heard a few months back. A gentleman by the name of “Art”, who lives out the truth of doing what he loves to do with those who don’t know Jesus, was telling the story. Among other things, Art loves to hike and ride mountain bikes and is always arranging trips to do these activities with others.
On one particular trip, there was a guy who was constantly trying to get Art to cuss. This guy was throwing out one bomb after another in hopes that Art would toss them back. Art never went down that trail. He said, “I couldn’t judge this guy because without Jesus, I’m just like him.”
For some reason, believers get in the habit of expecting prebelievers to act like Jesus. Folks, they can’t! They don’t know Jesus. And because they haven’t been radically changed by Jesus, why do we expect them to act like Jesus? They’re acting just like we did before we came to Jesus. So, let’s be Jesus around them so they can see Jesus in us and hopefully come to Jesus through us.
This will take being secure in who we are in Christ, a child of God. This is the foundation of living with a Biblical worldview. As we know who we are, we can be comfortable in our own skin. This means we don’t have to fit in for we are already do – into Jesus! As we get grounded in this truth, let’s “live as though Christ died yesterday, rose from the grave today, and is coming back tomorrow.” Those without Christ need to be around those like you.

“S”et Free Nowww

In yesterday’s blog entry I wrote about the Church calling the world to come to Jesus. This doesn’t mean we sit in our nice air conditioned buildings and wait for people to come to us. No, Jesus said to go and make disciples. He is asking us to go about our every day lives listening to and doing what Jesus says. As we do, we will come into contact with those who don’t know Jesus; and thus, we should “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15)
This can be very messy, though. Jesus prayed for the disciples in John 17 that the Father would not “take them out of the world” but rather that the Father would “protect them from the evil one” while they lived in the world. We are not to live like those around us, but we are to be a light while being in the midst of them. We are not to hole up in our buildings, hoping people will come to church. We are to enter the buildings of those who need Jesus and then invite them to come to Jesus.
This means we will be around people that among other things don’t look, act, or think like us. It also means we will come across evil, which is why Jesus is still praying for our protection today. This is why living with our biblically-based truth filter in the “On” position is so important. We have to use the FREEdom process to not only be unaffected by being in their buildings, but to also be ready for any and all opportunities to share our Jesus stories, the reason for your hope, while we are in the building. This past week I was ready on two occasions and on another I dropped the ball. I’m getting ready to head into another building, pray for me. It’s messy out there.

Set “FREE” Nowww

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” The Spirit and the Bride are saying, “Come!” Those who have heard this message say, “Come!” “Whoever is thirsty, let him come, and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (Matt. 11:28; Rev. 22:17)
Jesus, the Spirit, our future home Jerusalem and the Church are all saying, “Come on home!” The Church should be a safe haven to come to be perfect, not be a place where people must be perfect to come. Is your church fellowship an inviting place to come?
In order for it to be, every believer must realize they have a drug of choice from which Jesus wants to set them free. A drug of choice is anything, anyone and/or anyplace where you go to meet your needs other than to Jesus Christ. Yes, some drugs of choice have greater consequences on this earth; but all sin destroys our lives, no matter what it is – big or small, gross or societal accepted.
Since we all have sin in our lives (yes you do – 1 John 1:8!); we all have times when we are weary soldiers in need of rest; and, we all have burdens that need lifting, let’s be a safe haven for the Spirit to change our lives on His timetable in His way. A good friend of mine, who is a recovering alcoholic, once said to me, “I feel more accepted at an AA meeting than at most churches I’ve been too.” This should and cannot be if we are saying to the weary, the thirsty, and the burdened, “Come!”
The weary and thirsty want your place of fellowship to be a safe haven. This will only occur if we allow people to come as they are, messy or clean, whether they look or dress like us or not. This can only happen when believers realize they have drugs of choice as well, they’re just different.
Can people come while being in process or must they be perfect before they enter your fellowship? The church that learns to accept people where they are, though not liking everything they do, say or wear, and loves them while they process their drug of choice through the Word of God is going to be the kind of church that says, “Come!” and people will actually come.

Set Free No“W”ww

The movie, The Matrix, was very insightful into the human condition. It portrays a very important truth: what is seen is not real and what is not seen is real. What is real lasts forever and what is not real doesn’t.
C.S. Lewis spoke about this when he said, “You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” What is not seen should be our focus, not what is seen. The Word of God reiterates this thought in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day…So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
What will your focus be on this week, the inner or the outer person? Believers waste so much time worrying about how they look physically and how they appear to others. It’s a waste of time to focus on such things that don’t last forever! Every day, you can choose to use your biblically-based truth filter to stay focused on Jesus in each situation you face. With each decision you can allow the Spirit to build Christ-like eternal character within you. As you begin a new week make the decision to hear from Jesus and do what He says to do. If you do, you will build up your soul – the inner real you that will last forever, a healthy use of time.

Se“T” Free Nowww

As we head into the weekend, how was your personal time in the Word? Have a hard time making time to listen to Jesus? The following is a quote from Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s current Prime Minister, who holds weekly Bible studies in his home.
“The Bible is the foundation of our existence. It unites the Jewish people, as it has throughout the generations. It also serves not only as a foundation but also as a map and compass. The Bible is always relevant vis-à-vis today’s problems and challenges. It inspires, it is a source of life for our people and it is important to expand Bible study and love of the Bible among all parts of the nation.”
What an awesome understanding of the importance of the Word of God! He isn’t the first Israeli Prime Minister to do this either. Menachem Begin also held such studies when he was Israel’s Prime Minister.
There is even a wonderful story about Begin as it relates to the Bible. History records that President Jimmy Carter once called when Begin was holding a study. Begin wouldn’t leave it to take Carter’s call. This was the President of the United States on the line! Begin was doing something more important that couldn’t wait. Now, how is that for setting proper priorities?
If your time in the Word this week was sporadic at best or very little to none at worst, what kept you from listening to Jesus? Satan feeds us all kinds of excuses (some good, some better) as to why we can’t spend time with Jesus. Were your excuses, I mean reasons, as important as ignoring the US President? If you didn’t spend much quality time with the Word, have you processed the “why not” through the FREEdom principles? If you don’t, you’ll fall for the same excuses next week.
If your hectic life is keeping you from the Word, you can’t live a holy life: a life of experiencing the goodness of the Lord. It’s your choice – hectic or holy?

S“E”t Free Nowww