In my MiniChurch this past week we were discussing the book of John when we came across the phrase, “in Him was life.” I asked the group, “Ever heard of the walking dead?” Blank stares. I rephrased the question, “Have you ever seen a dead marriage?” Man, you should have seen the reaction. They were throwing out descriptions left and right. They got the point that some people are alive physically, but are not actually living.
Jesus came to give us life, not existence. We already have a heartbeat. Air is already coming in and out of our lungs. What is not readily apparent is whether we’re actually living. The following phrase rings true, “If you’re not busy living, you’re busy dying.”
Jesus describes Himself as The Life. We must walk with Him throughout our day in order to experience that life. How, you might ask? Use your biblically-based truth filter. Use the truths at the point of the lie you’ve garnered from the Word of God and zap those lies that lead you to death, your drugs of choice. Then ask the Spirit of God to give you the strength to exercise those truths in your daily decisions. You’ll experience life as you practice this FREEdom Process.
We all can show others the real Jesus by walking in life today, not be among the walking dead.
Set “Free” Nowww

Yesterday we learned that American believers have plenty of access to the Word of God, but fail to pick up, read and/or use it as their filter. One of the questions asked in Bible Impact is, “If you didn’t get into or finish your reading did you process the “why not” through the FREEdom principles?” Knowing what keeps us from the Word is just as important as what we heard Jesus say in the Word.
This is basically the question Jesus asked those disciples who remained with Him after many had left, “Why are you staying? Don’t you want to leave too?” Peter answers for the remaining disciples, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn. 6:60-69)
Those who left saw Jesus’ teaching as too difficult to not only grasp, but also to apply to their lives. Is that your excuse for not getting into the Word? Or maybe you’re using lack of time? I could list more excuses, but let’s be real here. They all have one thing in common … they’re excuses that keep us out of God’s presence.
The Bible is the source for the words of life. Words that can give you truths to defeat the lies in your head. Living words that can give you victory over whatever robs you of life or defeats you throughout your day. You can make whatever excuses you desire for not reading and using the Word to filter all your thoughts through to experience true living. You do so, though, at your own peril.
Reading the Bible is not a Christian thing to do. If that is why you’re in it, then don’t necessarily expect God to be smiling. We need it to be able to screen out all the other messages we’re hearing so we can hear the only voice that matters, Jesus’. If you heard Jesus in the Word today, praise God! Use it to continue listening to Him. If you didn’t, what’s your excuse? It’s time to filter that thought through the Freedom process so you can experience true living today.
S“E”t Free Nowww

I came across an article entitled, “Bible Tops America’s 10 Favorite Books of All Time”. It stated that “regardless of which demographic group they belong to – male-female, Republican-Democrat or young-old – Americans named the Bible as their favorite book of all time … research puts Bible ownership at an average of four per household.”
This is an average of four per every household in America, not just Christians. With so many Bibles laying around, you’d think American would be an ideal place to live and Christians would be making a difference in American life. The statistics don’t show this to be taking place.
The problem is not access to the Bible, but getting into and practicing it. 9 out of 10 “born again Christians” may read it, but are not filtering their life through it. Life will never be satisfying unless the No. 1 Book is read and used to listen to Jesus by picking up your biblically-based truth filter on a daily basis.
Are you part of the 90% of believers who leave their filter at church on Sunday or the 10% that filters every decision through it? If you’re the former, you’re deceiving yourself like the rest of Americans who have, but don’t use the book (James 1:22). If you’re the latter, practicing the Word of God will keep you free to enjoy the abundant life Jesus promises.
S“E”t Free Nowww

100 mph+ winds came whipping through the Devil’s Postpile section of the Eastern Sierra Mountains last fall. We were told by the Park Rangers that these winds lasted for more than four hours and literally ripped out tall trees by the roots. As I took pictures of these downed trees, I saw healthy green pine trees on the ground while dead pine trees were left standing. You can see this in the picture to the left. The downed tree is green. The brown tree in the center is standing tall.
From my perspective this just didn’t seem fair. Yet, this is exactly how Jesus describes life. The sun shines and the rains fall on both the righteous and wicked alike (Matt. 5:45). Life happens to everyone, especially to believers. We live in enemy territory where storms shouldn’t surprise us, but are to be expected (2 Tim. 3:12). You quite possibly might be saying to yourself, “That’s not fair. I love Jesus and follow Him throughout my day; and yet, I fall down and those who don’t love Him stand tall. What’s fair about that?”
My friend, understand the Bible never says, “Life will be fair.” It simply states that we can experience real living in the midst of life’s unfairness. We don’t have to let life’s storms destroy our peace. We walk with Jesus who calls Himself, “The Resurrection and the Life.” He can take a fallen tree and stand it upright again.
Therefore, you have two choices when life hits. You can continue to look to Jesus and achieve victory despite the strong winds or you can let your attitude go down with the trees and head to your drug of choice where your enemy wins again. Life might not be fair, but Jesus is. He can be strong for you when you’re weak and fallen down.

Set Free No“W”ww

There’s a scene in the movie, Love Comes Softly (yes I watch chick flicks with my wife…and love it!) where the lead character goes to “church.” This movie’s set in the American pioneer days. This meant that people tended to live further apart with fewer services, like going to a church, available to them.
In this particular scene the man sat a log overlooking a beautiful valley, sang a few hymns, read his Bible and talked with God. Throughout the movie, though, he was constantly seen in relationship with Jesus. Though he wanted and needed to be with other believers, his walk with Jesus wasn’t dependent upon it. He had a healthy faith.
The Walk with other believers principle is true. We can’t do church alone on some mountain top. We need other believers to help us become more like Jesus. Having said that, if you had to live as the main character, would you still have a healthy faith? Ask yourself, “Does my faith go up and down with what others do or don’t do or is it dependent simply on loving and being with Jesus throughout my day?” Loving Jesus through a healthy faith does come softly, one choice at a time.

“S”et Free Nowww