“Shouldn’t we want to be close to God simply because we love Him? I mean, you talk about coming into His presence to meet your needs or to find “the good stuff.” Isn’t that a selfish reason to be with Jesus?”
These are great questions. My answer is both yes and no. Yes, we should come to Jesus simply because we love Him. No, it’s not selfish to come to Him to have our needs met. Jesus created us with three basic needs that only He could meet. This is important to realize. He put them in us. And only He can fulfill them.
The question now is, “Where will I go to have those God-given needs met?” Isn’t it true that when we turn our backs on Jesus (aka sin or choose to meet our needs our way) we destroy our lives? Therefore, isn’t also true that when we choose to stay in His presence (aka listen to and follow Him), we’ll experience real living, which is what He said He came to bring (Jn. 15:11)?
Jesus said that if we love Him we’ll obey Him (Jn. 14:15). This entire process of being able to love God was made possibly by Jesus at the cross, at the tomb, and coming back from that tomb. He made it possible for us to come into the presence real love, the Father, the one who makes us whole, which is also a partial definition of holiness.
The real question is, “Will I love Jesus enough to come to Him?” If I love Him, I will come to Him. If I come to Him, will trust Him enough to listen to and obey Him? If I obey Him, I will have my needs met. The entire process started with loving Him and ends with us being made whole again (i.e. our needs are met).
“S”et Free Nowww

“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” (Proverbs 27:12) Jesus said, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Matthew 26:41). “The one who sees everything sees nothing.” (Jewish proverb)
Consistent throughout the Bible on down through today is an important truth for victory, “Watch where you’re going!” We all know certain places and people we should avoid at this point in our lives if we want to walk in freedom. It’s easy to justify taking our drugs of choice once we face a certain situation. “Well, I’m here. I might has jump in.” Truth: you don’t just fall!
My friend, where or with whom do you need to be on extra alert today?
Set Free No“W”ww

“Don’t you turn your back to me!” What message does this send when we do? We’re done talking or we don’t want to hear another word of what the other person has to say (though we can still hear them talking). We don’t want to see their face or look into their eyes because either we’re angry with them or ashamed of what we’ve done.
The biblical phrase “before the Lord” or “in the presence of the Lord” literally means “in the faces of God.” We have the awesome privilege as believers in Jesus to gather all the love and comfort we need by looking into His eyes. We have the full attention of our God – the Father, the Son, and the Spirit – at all times. His loving eyes are focused on His children – you and me.
We’re the ones who choose to turn our face away from His every time we choose our drugs of choice. Once we do, we begin to focus on something or someone else, which only results in bringing more trouble into our lives. Truth: you will become what you focus on and what you focus on gets bigger.
Keep looking into the eyes of your Savior by focusing on a specific lie-fighting truth about Him no matter what you do or how you feel. He is your hope for a better life today and tomorrow.
“S”et Free Nowww

Is it, “I can’t do it” or “I won’t do it”? They may sound the same, but they are worlds apart when it comes to victory in Christ. One statement is about playing the victim card and the other is the victor card.
The “I can’t” statement leaves victory in another person’s hands. It says that someone else did something to me or is not doing something for me that keeps from me making a decision to be free from my drug of choice. Remember this truth: freedom in the hands of another is not freedom. Christ came to make you a victor, not keep you a victim. You can always choose to filter life using your biblical tools and experience freedom no matter what someone else does or doesn’t do. Jesus has given you control of your freedom by giving you a choice (Rom. 6:12-14).
The “I won’t” statement leaves victory in your hands. It says you know what to do, can do it, but you’re choosing to not to do it. This honestly lays the decision whether or not to take your drugs of choice squarely where it belongs … at your feet. That’s tremendously freeing! By switching from “I can’t” to “I won’t” you’re at least failing forward. You’re making a hopeless situation look a little brighter by grabbing control of the decision making process. You don’t have to wait on someone else to be free!
What card will you play today – the victim or the victor card?
S“E”t Free Nowww