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

The Spirit has been bringing order to a chaotic world since before the beginning of human history (Gen. 1:2). Therefore, He’s got a proven track record that can be trusted when it comes to bringing order to a chaotic world.
When it comes to achieving order in the midst of chaos, Galatians 5:23 gives us important truths about self-control. First, you can’t bring control/order to your own life. As self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, it can only come as a natural byproduct of walking with the Spirit. Two, to gain self-control, you must recognize your world is out of control/chaotic and in need of being put in control/order. Three, keeping in step with the Spirit doesn’t give you control over other people’s lives, only yours. Finally, the Spirit doesn’t give you control over your circumstances, only you in the midst of those circumstances.
If we’re honest with ourselves, it’s when we feel out of our control that we desire to take our drugs of choice. We believe we must handle outside pressure our way in order to bring balance to our world. This is lie-based thinking. According to the above truths, our way of handling life can never give us the control we seek.
Self-control (an ordered mind and heart) in the midst of a chaotic world (pressure from outside sources and the junk already in our heads caused by previous outside sources) comes only through listening to and following Jesus in the midst of the chaotic world in which we live.
The Spirit brought order to chaos before. He can do it again. It’s time to trust the truths He’s given you (if you don’t have any, don’t you think it’s time you do?) from the Word of God (if you’re not in it, don’t you think it’s time you start?) and ask for His strength to walk in step with those truths.
Set Free Now“W”w

You are seeing a lit light bulb. You do, however, realize that the light bulb is not actually lit, right? It’s obvious that the sun is what is making the bulb appear lit when in reality it’s not.
On your journey to become more like Jesus, it will appear through our way of looking at life that nothing is happening or the Spirit is not working when in reality He actually is. It’s just that you can’t see it at the moment.
It’s at times like that that we often get discouraged. It doesn’t seem like a change life will ever happen. We think, “God where are You? I can’t see You here.” Thus, discouragement sets in that makes us want to handle life our way (aka take our drug of choice).
These are the circumstances when we’ve got to stop trusting our eyes and keep on trusting Jesus. Your God is a promise keeping God. The Spirit is always working to draw us closer to Jesus, even when it doesn’t appear that way to us. Don’t let what appears to be reality keep you from listening to and following what you know your God has already told you to do. In His time, the real reality will come to the surface with a whole of praise shouting along with it.
Set Free Now“W”w

This is a picture of a San Diego, California lighthouse. Notice how small the bulb is inside the glass enclosure. It’s not the size of the bulb, but the size of the magnifying class that allows the light to shine so bright.
The Spirit of God is the magnifying glass. As we allow Jesus to make even small changes in our lives, the Spirit can magnify that change to keep others from destroying themselves on the rocks of life.
I recently read a study that shows there is a growing interest in atheism among high school students. This was due to several factors, including disenchantment with organized religion because of recent scandals and the rise of the Internet, which gives young doubters a safe forum to ask questions.
These kids are not looking for theory or pontification. They’re asking, “Can Jesus really make a difference in my life?” They are looking for people who have an honest everyday faith that makes a difference in their everyday lives to ask their life questions.
Don’t underestimate the value of being a secure child of God. The Spirit of God can take even the small changes in our lives to make a big difference in the lives of those watching us.
“S”et Free Nowww