I 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

Sports 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

The world scene is pretty crazy right now to say the least. And those who call themselves Christians are being affected, some killed, by what’s going on. One commentator said, “America has been given one big wake-up call.” What’s happening in Europe and the Middle East could be coming to the US.
How will you know how you’ll handle persecution? Take a look at the soil of your heart.
Jesus said in Mark 4 there are four soils or conditions of mankind’s heart. One of them is rocky soil. This person did great as long as there were good times and Jesus was bestowing blessings on them. Yet they wilted when hard times and persecution came.
The only way to stand strong during the heat of battle is to remember who Jesus is and what He has already done in your life. Romans 5:3-5 states that hope starts with suffering as it produces endurance that turns into character which ends in hope. If you let your roots go deeper into Jesus, which means exercising the truths Jesus gives you by faith Spirit empowered, your life will be changed.
First hand experience of a changed life is what will see you through persecution. You saw Him use hard times to make your life better before. He can do it again, even when the heat’s turned up. Use this wake-up call to your advantage. Believers are not immune to persecution, but they can be prepared for it.
Set Fre”E” Nowww

Being out on a limb is scary business, especially when your enemy has a saw in his hand! There. I said it. I’m a little nervous, maybe even a little afraid, at the moment.
I believe God has told me to wait upon Him to act. It’s deadline is fast approaching too. When He does I’m supposed to take a certain step. He even asked me to tell a few people the specifics, which means I’m out on that limb. What if I’m wrong? It feels a little lonely out here right now hanging in the wind.
It would have been no big deal if I had kept it to and simply prayed for it by myself. Who would have known if I was wrong or hadn’t heard? But Jesus had me crawl out onto this limb. Why? Faith is not faith without risk. Faith is not faith without action. Faith is not faith if it’s already reality. Faith is based in hope. At least that’s what Hebrews 11:1 says anyway.
I’m not afraid of being wrong. The Lord knows I’ve been wrong before! This time, however, my stupidity could be broadcasted before quite a few people, which I’m only expanding now. Ugg. But how could I not attempt to follow Jesus by taking His hand?
I’ve never done this before in this blog, but I’m doing it now. I guess I have to practice what I teach – walking with other believers. Fellow walkers, please pray for me to stay focused on Jesus’ hand and not the limb! You know, it’s a pretty tiny limb.
Set Free Noww“W”

Imagine an orange 5-gallon bucket. Now look inside that bucket to discover just one small drop of water on the very bottom hugging one of the sides. Nothing special about it, right? In fact, it’s pretty insignificant. This is you and me without Jesus.
Isaiah writes, “All men (sorry ladies, you’re included in that as well) are like grass, all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.” (40:6-8) Solomon wrote, “There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are youth to come will not be remembered by those who follow.” (Ecclesiastes 1:11)
The battle for the “I” is huge. Even Christ faced it in Gethsemane. Our opinions, our feelings, our thoughts, our dreams, our goals, our wants, our… goes on endlessly. We make ourselves to be the center of the world, and yet we are but one tiny drop in the vast universe that no one will remember tomorrow, let alone 100 or a 1,000 years from now.
What will be remembered for eternity, though, are Jesus’ thoughts, opinions and actions. True lasting significance comes as we surrender our will to Jesus and then choose to let His thoughts, words, actions, opinions, dreams become ours. As we then think and act upon them, what we do and say will last forever and be remembered into eternity because they are Jesus’.
Who cares about what you or I think or feel. We must filter ourselves through Word of God, Jesus Himself. And when we do, that seemingly insignificant drop of water can make a universe of difference in your and another person’s thirsty life.
S“E”t Free Nowww