I recently had someone tell me, “Chris, you’re a pastor. It’s supposed to work for you. You can’t expect everyone to experience God like you.”
My standard answer these days is this, “Is your way of living working for you?” If it is, there’s nothing I can say to change your mind. Keep living each day the way you think best. I can teach you about living with a BWV until I’m blue in the face, but if you are not ready to hear it, you’ll simply keep on living the way you do.
But if it isn’t working, I’m ready to share about how Jesus’ way of living does. Jesus knows how we were created to live on this planet and for ever. Who better to listen to than the Creator Himself? Proverbs 10:29 states, “The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous.” The more I hear His voice and do what He says (i.e. a BWV), the better I feel about life today and tomorrow. Living His way keeps me safe, secure and loved.
Because my way of living wasn’t working, I was ready to listen to Jesus: the need to daily filter every aspect of my life through Jesus and His Word. Sure, it’s taken time to retrain my brain in “how” to use the Word, not just “know” the Word, in everyday decisions. Yet because I do, I’m experiencing more of Jesus’ love than I have ever felt before.
Sure, you can choose to live any way you so desire. No one is going to stop you, surely not me the pastor. Do remember this, though. There is freedom in choices, but not in their consequences. If you decide to live any way other than how Jesus created you to live, you won’t be satisfied.
Jesus didn’t come to only set pastors free from their drugs of choice. He came to set everyone free. He came to not only give pastors significance, but to every believer in Him as well. It’s your choice. Are you filtering your daily life through your biblically-based truth filter? If not, how’s it working for you?

Se“T” Free Nowww

You’ve got your coffee cup in its holder. Your cell phone is in its cradle. And your hands are on the wheel. It’s a beautiful day as you drive to work. The sun is shinning. The skies are clear. You’re enjoying your drive. Yet you seem to be going in circles. No matter how hard you try, you always end up in the exact same spot – home.
Guess where you are? The Autopia ride at Disneyland! The reason you end up at the same place is because there’s a guide rail that runs between your tires. Though you can turn the wheel, it will only let you turn so far before your tires hit the rail keeping you on the “road.” Yes, you’re “driving” the car, but only where Disneyland wants you to go. Though you’re driving the car, they’re in control of your life while you’re on their ride. The only way to drive some where different is to remove the guide rail.
If you want to see your life changed, you must remove the old guide rails within your thinking. Someone once said, “The systems you currently have are perfectly designed to give you the results you’re now getting.” It’s the same with your brain. If you don’t input new data from another source, your brain will think the same thoughts over and over again, always bringing you to the same destination.
Where do you get that new data? From the only source guaranteed to set you free from your drugs of choice – the Word of God. Running your old thoughts through your BWV – listening to Jesus, the Word of God, and doing what He says – is the only way to experience something different – freedom. “Blessed are they who keep His statues and seek Him with all their hearts.” (Psalm 119:2) If you want more peace and joy, you must listen to and follow what’s in the Word of God. What other source can make such a guarantee?
If you want to experience freedom from your drugs of choice, you must change the way you think. Your current system is designed to take you to them, rather to freedom in Christ. If you want to freedom, a changed life, you must blow up your old thinking through daily contact with the Word. Sure it’s not easy. Yes it will take time. But wouldn’t seeing new territory be more rewarding and satisfying?

S“E”t Free Nowww

In the US, today is Memorial Day. It’s a time when Americans stop and say, “Thanks” to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms they enjoy.
Today, people all over the world are crying out for freedom; and yet, they are looking for it in the political arena. Governments can give and take freedom away; but only Jesus can set the person free from what truly enslaves them – their sin and their sinful choices. People can be free outwardly, but be in bondage inwardly. Jesus sets people free inwardly, regardless of what takes place outwardly – a freedom that can never be taken away by any government, person or situation.
Galatians 5:1 states, “It is for freedom that Christ has us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
True freedom starts in the heart and mind. Are you free today? If not, it is time to trust in the only One who can free you from the inward bondage you experience. Tell Jesus that you are a slave and cannot free yourself. Tell Him that you believe He died and rose from the grave to give you freedom. Right now, ask Him to be your God, Lord and Savior. Go ahead. Become free today.
If you are free, it’s time to give thanks to the One who paid the ultimate price to give you true freedom, Jesus Christ. Thank Him for not only setting you free, but for also giving you the power to live in freedom from your drugs of choice each and every day of the week, not just on Sunday.

“S”et Free Nowww

Ever been in this guy’s shoes? “The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
“Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, ‘God! How could you do this to me?’
“Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him. ‘How did you know I was here?’ asked the weary man of his rescuers. ‘We saw your smoke signal,’ they replied.”
As you end your week, did you face any burnt hut situations? Are you still processing them through your biblically-based truth filter or have you given in to discouragement? Or maybe, even picked up your drug of choice? Remember, as a child of God, your Father is big enough to work in your life using those supposed disastrous situations (Hebrews 12:5-11). If you let Him, He can use them to bring you closer to Jesus, the source of love, significance and security.
As you look back over your week, instead of saying, “Oh Lord, why did You let my hut burn down?” Ask, “Jesus, what are you trying to do in, for or through me because my hut burnt down?” Then wait upon Jesus, He’ll rescue you in ways you never expected.

“S”et Free Nowww

In one of the battle scenes in the movie Avengers, Hulk is battling Thor’s brother, Loki. Loki says, “I’m a god.” Then Hulk proceeds to toss Loki around like a rag doll and says, “Puny god.” The audience roared with laughter, as did I.
Then I processed this scene through my BWV. The Bible says in Jeremiah 2:5, “They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.” Think about this for a second. You become what you worship. Egypt worshiped over 1,500 gods, one of which was a dung beetle. You become what you worship. Picture yourself as a dung beetle doing what dung beetles do. You get the picture.
But you might say, “I’m not worshiping dung beetles.” True, but our gods are who or what we turn to in order to meet our needs. Who are your gods (drugs of choice) that you turn to in order to make yourself feel good about yourself? If you don’t turn to Jesus and His Word, picture what you’re becoming, anything like a dung beetle? If we want to be free from our drugs of choice, we must first stop seeing them as “not so bad.” Until we see all sin, all drugs of choice, as destroying our lives, we are lowering ourselves to becoming a dung beetle.
If you’ve placed your faith in Jesus, however, you are a child of God. You have a Loving Father, a Kingly Brother – Jesus, and a Heavenly Helper – the Spirit. Why lower yourself to some dung beetle or whatever else you choose to worship? You are a child of God, worship the king. And guess what? You become what you worship. Picture that One! Oh, how great freedom looks!

“S”et Free Nowww