The author of a recent Christian movie wrote, “I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time.” It’s true when you think about it. We waste more time than our enemy gets us to do bad or evil things. A TV show here, a movie there, a video/Facebook game now or long texts later can eat up our time.
This is why daily living with your biblical filter in the “On” position is crucial. If we listen to and do what Jesus says to do at any given moment, we will be doing the right thing and the good works He created us to do (Eph. 2:10); thus not wasting time.
Jesus took breaks and so can we. The question is, “Are we asking Him if that is what we should do?” If so, enjoy that video game!

S“E”t Free Noww

In my book, More Than a Sunday Faith, I show that a Christian worldview no longer works today because it’s becoming based more on pop culture rather than on Scripture. Here’s another lie-based message that has infiltrated the Church: “Being busy makes us feel like we’re good people. We must be; after all, look at everything we’re doing!” We’re good people simply because we’re busy doing something. This false mindset is seen in such statements as: “I have to go to church to be a good Christian that pleases God.” “I have to serve as an usher at church for God to love me.” “I have to stand on a street corner with a sign to get into heaven.”
This just isn’t true! Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, which makes our sacrifices (i.e. busyness) for God seem nonexistence in comparison. No, we don’t have to do anything for God to get what He’s already given us in Jesus – love, acceptance, significance and a home in heaven. We simply have to be in and with Him to experience peace and joy.
Ephesians 2:10 states, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are new creations in Christ and in Him we become somebody’s who can do something with the lives God gave us. It starts with being in and with Jesus, not doing for Him. This is foundational to a Biblical worldview.
I live with Jesus; therefore, I can listen to Jesus. And because I can listen to Jesus, He can tell me what to do in any and every situation I face throughout my day. And when by faith I do what He says to do, I’m doing the good works He created me to do, which includes hanging out with His people and using the gifts He’s given me in people’s lives. Busyness is not a good thing. Being with Jesus is.

S“E”t Free Noww

I was out on my prayer walk when I saw movement near a rock. The closer I got to the rock I noticed that it was a rabbit that had just come out of its hiding place. The rabbit stood completely still until I got to within a few feet of it and then ran into its hole under the rock. I was thinking, “If I was hungry, it wouldn’t be too hard to get that rabbit. Its hiding place isn’t too safe.”
This hiding place was the rabbit’s stronghold, the place where it went to feel safe. We humans have strongholds as well. What, where or who we turn to as our stronghold can either make us feel completely safe or leave us open for danger (2 Cor. 10:5).
In my entry yesterday I quoted an author who stated that people make themselves busy so they don’t have to face themselves. This busyness is a stronghold. It’s the safe place some people run too in order to feel good about themselves in order to avoid the thoughts, the challenges, and/or the issues in their lives. The problem with this approach is that the busy person has to stay busy, leaving themselves exhausted and open for danger (e.g. health issues, strained relationships, etc.)
A safe stronghold is God, who repeatedly describes Himself as a fortress, a rock, a stronghold, a refuge, etc. He wants to be the safe place we go to when we feel insecure, insignificant, and plain-old wore out. He wants to walk with us in dealing with any and all of the challenges we face.
The truth is that if we stay busy all we’re doing is pushing our problems down the road. They will have to be faced…one day. God says, “Let’s deal with them now so you can get off the treadmill that’s running you into the ground.” As we slow down and let the Spirit use the FREEdom process to get at, remove and replace the lies with specific truths, we can enjoy the journey to be like Jesus and the peace He promises.

Set “Free” Noww

One of the games we played as kids to pass the cool summer nights was hide ‘n seek. Before construction crews started tearing down the houses near our house and putting up apartments, we had some great hiding places to keep from being found.
It seems those who live in the West today have turned this children’s game into an art form in their daily lives. One author recently wrote, “We lead busy lives because we’re afraid to face ourselves. We lead busy lives because somehow, in our world, being busy makes us feel like we are good people. We must be; after all, look at everything we are doing!”
Is the reason we want to hide from ourselves is because we don’t like what we see? And is that because of what we’re currently doing, others have done to us or what we ourselves have done to mess up our lives? This is what Jesus came to fix! When we placed our faith in Jesus we became children of God. Our Father knows everything stored in our heart, soul, and mind (Heb. 4:13); and still says, “I love you!” Our God knows everything we have done, are doing and will do and shouts out, “I love you!”
There is no need to hide from such a God as we have! And it was this God who laid out the process to release us from our past and present so we can walk in freedom now and in the future. This process makes up the principles of a Biblical worldview.
Want to slow down and stop being afraid of looking in the mirror? By faith make the choice to start exercising the Set Free Nowww principles right now.

“Set Free Noww”

We love quick fixes. Our music states and solves a problem in 3-5 minutes. Our TV show heroines get in and out of trouble in 22 minutes. We hope one doctor prescribed pill will solve our physical challenges. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. This isn’t the real world you and I live in.
Yes, God can change our lives in the blink of an eye like a TV show producer. Yet, this is not the everyday real world process He uses. We must have faith in the process He laid out in Scripture to experience freedom – the FREEdom process, which doesn’t start with E, but F.
If we want to keep experiencing the freedom Jesus gave us, we must Freeze frame (stop and examine) every thought that comes into our heads so the Spirit can Expose the lie(s) and Exchange it with the truth. Now through the Spirit’s power we can Exercise the truth. We can’t exercise something we know nothing about! The Spirit will not help us exercise a lie that leads to sin. No, He will give us strength to exercise the truth once He’s washed our brains of the lies.
It’s like asking God to start your car when there’s no gas in the tank. You’re on empty if your brain has lies in it. At worst, you’re going no where but your drug of choice because that’s where all lies will lead you. At best, you’re life will become a white knuckle ride where you’ll hang on until you get to heaven as victory is totally be up to your will power. This is not what Jesus promised.
He came to and has set believers free. We can experience real life both now and when we get to heaven. The starting point for both is what’s rolling around in your head. God’s prescription is to trust Him everyday by processing your daily life through the FREEdom process using His Word.

Set “Free” Noww