It’s called Black Friday here in the States. It’s supposed to be the biggest retail savings days of the year. On this Friday, some retail stores will offer absurdly low prices on a few items to get you into their store. They want your hard earned “holiday” cash in their pockets.
You’ll see two prices for the item you want when you arrive, the full price and the marked down price. Your eye sees the difference and your brain goes, “Awesome deal! Let’s buy it now because this deal won’t be here tomorrow.” What some stores are doing, however, is repeating a deal they’ve already given earlier in the year or is their current online price. In other words, they are trying to deceive you into thinking you’re getting a good deal only on this day so you better get in line and buy it…now.
Your brain makes the decision based upon the information it received through your eyes. Yet, what you saw is not the great deal you thought you saw! This is where we must slow down to listen and follow Jesus everyday everywhere. The Spirit gives us an extra set of eyes to see through this deceptive scheme called discernment.
It works with all kinds of deception, especially with our drugs of choice. The Spirit gives us the ability to “see” through our wants and “needs,” which can lead us to our drugs of choice, to see Jesus, the only One who can meet our true needs for security, significance and safety.
Keep your eyes on Jesus this holiday season. He can not only save you some cash, but you give you victory as well.
Set Free Now“W”w

Catchy tunes stick in our heads, even when we don’t want them too. This morning, it was one I wanted to stick. I woke with a song in my head from the service on Sunday. It was Chris Tomlin’s song, Our God.
Some of the lyrics are, “And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what could stand against? Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God You are higher than any other. Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God! And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?” What sweet words of truth to help me stay focused on Jesus, rather than the struggles I face, during my waking hours.
The Lord instructs us repeatedly in the Psalms to sing songs to Him, even ones we make up (“a new song”). Songs are helpful aids in remembering the truths the Spirit has us put into our shields of faith to fight off the enemy’s lies. They can help us remember who Jesus is and what He can do in the situations we face throughout our day.
Who cares if you’re not the greatest singer in the world! Your music to the Lord is sweetness in His ears. He’s the only one who counts, especially as He uses them to make the great exchange – your character for Jesus’!
Put in a worship CD, turn to a worship station on the radio or plug your music device into your car’s stereo and sing to your Lord. I can almost guarantee that a smile will break out on your face!
S“E”t Free Nowww

Someone once said, “Never confuse motion with action.” Many believers are doing lots of things for Jesus as if He needs them to do anything for Him. They read their Bible because good Christians are supposed to do it. They go to services (notice I didn’t say “church”) because they believe that’s what they should do.
They are certainly in motion, but not putting their faith into action. Exercising the right truths at the right time by faith in the Spirit’s power is an action that will produce life change – the end result of faith actions.
Healthy believers don’t do “good things” simply to do them. This is motion. Healthy believers hear from Jesus what truths they need to put into action in order to draw closer to Him, the source of the good stuff.
Examine your life today. Were you just busy or busy putting your faith in action? They are not one and the same. Healthy believers learn the difference.
Set “FREE” Nowww

I heard it long before I saw it. I was driving home when I heard a siren blasting through the air. I started looking around to see where it was coming from and for a safe place to pull over.
There it was, coming at me from the left hand side of the road. It was a screaming ambulance trying to rapidly come to someone’s rescue. After it passed, I was able to continue on my journey home.
We, as believers, have an internal warning system called the Holy Spirit. He can see what’s ahead long before we do and can tell us how to slow down and safely pull over. Just as there are expensive fines for ignoring blaring sirens, there are consequences if we fall to heed the Spirit’s prompting.
You might slow down and examine the situation you’re in the next time you hear the voice in your head or the prompting of your heart telling you to pull over. It could be the Spirit saving you the huge expense of falling to your drug of choice or missing out on the blessing by failing to follow Jesus.
Set Free Now“W”w

Today I’ll let you into my real time world. I’m struggling with what I call the “slimes” as I write this entry. It’s where I feel gloomy for no apparent reason. It’s raining outside. I had a tough battle for my mind yesterday. Drugs of choice were flying off the shelf.
This is the time to stay focused on the truth, Jesus. His Word pleads with us to use times like this, especially times like these, to praise Him for who He is and what He’s done for and in me. If I choose to focus on the slime, I’ll want to take those drugs that are flying towards me. If I choose to focus on Jesus, I can choose a smile on my face as the drugs fly past me.
You might be having a rough day. You might even be getting slimmed as well. If not, still listen up. Where will your focus be – Jesus or the slime – when you’re feeling down? Though I’m still feeling a little gloomy, I’m choosing Jesus and the smile. How about you?
Set Free No“W”ww