Who Cares?

bible listeningIt’s been said, “I claim the holy right to disappoint men in order to avoid disappointing God.” The moment we start caring more about what our God thinks of our thoughts, words and actions than others, past or present, is the moment we’ll start walking in the freedom Christ came to bring us.
If you want to know what God thinks, start by listening to Him while reading His Word, not just reading to understand or get it done.
S“E”t Free Nowww

The Road to Perfection is Excellence

walkingI read this quote after being in a perfect setting of eating an awesome Thanksgiving meal with my wonderful wife and kids: Perfection is unattainable, but the pursuit of perfection allows you to experience excellence.
Both sides of Scripture command and encourage us to be perfect. Yes, perfection this side of heaven is experientially unattainable. As we pursue perfection, though, we will become more and more like Jesus along the way, which is our desire, right?
As we make progress towards perfection we’ll see our lives transformed and our sin and the consequences (guilt, shame, embarrassment, insecurities, stupidity, etc.) of it further and further in our rearview mirror.
I was reminded of how thankful I should be as I read that quote. Jesus saved me, which makes perfection possible. He is saving me, which means I can make progress towards it. And, He will finish the job of saving me, which means I’ll no longer be broken but whole! I don’t know about you, but I often beat myself up over my inadequacies and failures; and yet praise the Lord that is not how God sees me.
Lord, help us to keep pursuing You with every step we take and praise You with every breath we draw. Because of You, we have a lot to for which to be thankful.
Set Free No“W”ww

Waiting’s Not Easy

wait“How much of or how badly do you want to experience the freedom and life Jesus came to give?” Slow down before you answer. It’s going to take waiting on Him to see both if you do. Isaiah writes, “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for Him.” (66:4)
You have the choice to do whatever you think is best how ever you think best to do it. Yet, there is a consequence to that mindset. Tozer wrote, “It is dangerous to be so busy that you have no time to wait on God.” It’s one thing to be busy doing something and quite another to be busy doing what Jesus would have you do, which is the only true way to feel alive.
How big do you want your God to be, one you can control or One who can control you? If you want to experience a God that’s bigger than your challenges, your drugs of choice, and you, you must first learn to slow down, listen to Him and then wait to act until He says, “Go for it.” It’s not easy, but freedom is simply worth the wait.
S“E”t Free Nowww

Get the Root!

weedI sure the love the fruit of my labors (pun intended). Sometimes, though, the work to get it is not so fun – weeding. Weeds suck up precious water and minerals from the soil that my fruit trees need to produce luscious and tasty fruit.
Sometimes I can pull the weed out by hand and other times I must use a hand tool. Why? There are times the weed breaks off in my hand leaving part of the root in the ground. This looks pretty good from an aesthetic point of view. I only see and smell the fragrant oranges. Yet, I know the weed will eventually return as part of the root remains.
This truth came home the other day. The Lord showed me I had stopped short in my thinking. I thought the Spirit had gotten to the root of a certain behavior, but it took additional failing to see the lie He was extracting from my brain. Praise Jesus for His love to go deeper! And I thank God for His grace and mercy that gave me room to fail forward.
Jesus didn’t come to add new behaviors to me, but to replace me with Him. Adding new behaviors only makes me look good for the moment. Replacing me with Him by removing the root thought lasts for eternity.
Instead of sweating the process, surrender to it. The tasty fruit is worth the effort.
Set “FREE” Nowww

Not All Voices Equal

voicesSports radio is covering the issue. Talk radio is debating it. Politicians throw it around like a beach ball. While university presidents must bow to it. What’s everyone talking about? It’s the belief that everyone has a voice; and thus, should be heard.
It doesn’t matter what one says, they should be heard, believed and acted on. Yet, I know this is going to cause some to cringe, but this belief is out and out false, a flat out lie. Think about it for a moment. Satan and his cohorts have voices. Should they be heard, let alone be listened to and acted on?
Yes, everyone has a voice. But is what they’re saying true? Anyone with an opinion and a willingness to loudly proclaim it has power in today’s age of political correctness. What if, however, their opinion is not based on fact, but instead on innuendo, assumption or worse deception (their stated facts are knowingly not facts)?
I bring this up for one reason. Those who make up Jesus’ church have a nasty habit of letting culture set their standard for belief and action rather than Jesus and His Word. Words and opinions not based in truth allowed to hang around in our brains can destroy our lives. You give power to those whom you listen.
Who are you giving power to – those who speak truth that lead to freedom or those who speak lies that lead to bondage? In Christ, you have the power to choose which voices have power in your life. Keep adding to and using your biblical filter to screen out all voices but Jesus’ – your Freedom Fighter and Redeemer. Only His voice has no equal.
S“E”t Free Nowww