I was on my prayer walk last week when I saw a truck parked along my path up the road. The closer I got to the truck I could see movement in the front seat. When I was about five feet away I saw it was a couple making out. As I tried to nonchalantly walk by the truck’s open window, the gentleman said hello while the gal had her head buried in his chest. She didn’t want to be “seen” by this stranger. When I saw this I was reminded of the Peek-a-Boo game I played with my small children. Just because they put their hands over their eyes, didn’t mean I wasn’t there or couldn’t “see” them.
We’re just like my kids or this gal when we don’t get into the Word of God to listen to Jesus. We think that by ignoring Jesus He can’t see us. We believe that by not reading His Word He can’t talk with us. Jesus is God. He can see everything, including what’s in your heart! Ready or not, He is ready to talk to you. He loves you. He wants to draw you closer to Him by removing what’s between you and Him – your drug of choice.
Take the challenge to daily read through the Word of God in 2013. Download the Read the Bible in a Year chart in Resources and get started listening to Jesus. He knows exactly what you need to hear and how to say it.
S“E”t Free Nowww

I recently came across this quote in our local newspaper. “Three-fourths of the mistakes a man makes are made because he does not really know what he thinks he knows.” I couldn’t agree more. I like to say it a little different. We only know what we know when we know it. Are you sure what you know is right? We will act consistently with how we think. Thus, if we want to see our behavior changed, our drugs of choice removed, we must change the way we think (Rom. 12:2).
In changing how we think, we must have a source outside ourselves to match our current thinking with in order to see if it’s right or not. This is where reading the Bible to hear Jesus is crucial. We don’t read it because it’s what “good Christians” do. We read and listen to it because it’s the Source of truth to measure our thinking against.
Again, let me challenge you to make a commitment to listening to Jesus by reading through the Word of God in 2013. Download the Read the Bible in a Year chart in Resources and get started. As you do, you’ll begin to your see your mistakes become fewer and fewer and your joy become greater and greater. Are you sure what you know is right? Check it out with the Word.
S“E”t Free Nowww

I want to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas. Yes, this is probably not the day Jesus was born. Yes, there are a lot of traditions that have been built up around it that are not biblical.
The truth of today is still true. “For God the Father chose us in Jesus before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” Jesus was coming to that stable long before Adam and Eve ever blew it. “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.” God already had a name picked out for that kid born in a stable hundreds of years before He was born – Immanuel, God is with us.
God being you and me is not an after thought. It’s always been what the Father has wanted – a living, breathing, daily walk with us. This Christmas filter out the worthless worm thoughts about yourself. Insert the truth that God has always wanted to be with you. You are that important to Him.
“S”et Free Nowww

Movies have three wisemen showing up right after Mary gives birth. Church Nativity scenes have three non-shepherds kneeling before baby Jesus, who’s in a manger. Christmas carols portray three kings with flowing robs and interesting hats bowing before a baby Jesus. So it must be true, right?
This is all Christian tradition, but it has nothing to do with the truth. Reread Matthew 2. In here you’ll find the truth of what happened. We have no idea how many magi there were, let alone if they were kings or not. Whoever they were, they arrived at a house not at a cave!
This is simply an example of where the beliefs of a Christian worldview do not match with the Word of God. If you want to live free from your drug of choice, you must have the truth not tradition. Jesus said in John 8 that putting His truths into practice would set you free. The only way to know whether something is tradition or truth is to Entertain the truth found in the Word of God. I challenge you to make the commitment to get into and read through the Source of Truth, the Bible, in 2013. (See Resources.) Let the Source of Truth, Jesus, talk to you and the Spirit of truth guide you into the truths you’ll need to live free of your drugs of choice.
S“E”t Free Nowww

My wife and I were ready to take our last run of the day. Our snowboarding instructor told us that we were ready for the next chair lift. It was simply a longer beginning run. We both were physically and mentally tired from the many falls and trips down the mountain we’d already taken. We looked at each other with a little apprehension, but decided to go for it anyway. It wasn’t the smartest of decisions.
This run was not just longer. It had more turns and shady covered areas, which meant more ice than the previous hill. Needless to say the more tired I became, the more I reverted back to my old way of thinking. This meant I fell a lot. We should have waited until we were fresh to take this new lift.
It’s the same with the process of becoming like Jesus. Until your brain has been fully retrained, which means you’re free from the drug of choice, you won’t automatically handle new situations like Jesus would, especially when you’re tired. This is part of what Jesus meant when He said to watch and pray so that you will not enter temptation (Matt. 26:41).
You’re ripe for enemy attack when you’re tired. So make sure your BIG partner is praying for you when you’re exhausted. Ask the Spirit to give you added strength to make a Christ-like choice if you’re worn down. This is one reason for the principle, “When you realize that you are weak, He can be strong for you.” Get your rest. But if you’re tired, acknowledge it and ask for help. It’s a sign of strength not weakness.
Set Free No“W”ww