Middle Eastern shepherds would bring their flocks together into one pen while one or two kept watch. This allowed the others to catch some valuable shuteye. This is the image behind Jesus’ words, “My sheep hear My voice and follow Me.” In the morning, each shepherd would call his sheep and they’d follow him.
Luke records that the shepherds were out in the fields watching over their sheep. They were working when all of a sudden an angel appears with blinding light saying, “Chill guys. I’ve got great news for you and everyone on this planet. Today God has fulfilled His promise. He sent the Savior, the Messiah to you. Rejoice. He’s in a cave lying in a cow’s feeding trough in Bethlehem. Get up and go see Him!”
They followed the advice of the angel and saw everything as the angel had told them. They encountered the living God and simply bubbled over with joy and peace to the point they couldn’t stop talking about what they saw.
Today, will you encounter the Living God? This is why Jesus came to the earth. He wants us to have a personal experience with Him every moment of the day, no matter where our day takes us. Keep in mind that these shepherds were at work, not at the synagogue! Jesus wants to put His fingerprints all over day. Will you let Him? Will you look for them? Go ahead. Have an encounter with your God today!
“S”et Free Nowww

We had quite a thunder and lightening storm a few days backs. I mentioned we had hail as long as an inch in some locations of our city. In fact, you could hear the hail hit the roof of my house with quite a bang. I was able to safely watch all of this because I choose to stay under my patio cover.
What if I decided to leave that covering? I would not only have gotten soaked to the bone from the large falling raindrops, but I could also have been seriously hurt depending on how many of those hailstones hit me. I used wisdom and stayed under the cover and watched nature do her thing.
1 Peter 5:4 talks about Jesus being the Chief Shepherd. He is our patio cover. When we choose to walk and talk with Him, He can protect us from serious hurt. This doesn’t mean we won’t face difficult times. It does mean, however, that we’re protected from self-inflicted hailstones falling on our heads! We’re also protected from unfiltered Father situations, much like Israel did when they continuously left His covering for the idols of the surrounding nations.
Here’s another friendly reminder. Straying from under God’s protection hurts. I know from experience. Today, choose to exercise the truths the Spirit has given you in His power to stay under the patio cover of the Father’s protection.
Set Fre“E” Nowww

“Dear friends, I have written as a reminder to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.” Peter was asking them to not let their thinking slip backward (2 Peter 3:1-2).
Sheep usually don’t run away. They slowly stray. Their heads are down as they eat grass and simply keep going until they’re full. This could be hundreds of yards away from the watchful eye of their loving and protective shepherd!
You don’t just fall! You let your thinking wander, a little today, a little more tomorrow and before you know it, you’re ready to fall into the pit of your drug of choice. Stimulate your thinking by remembering the truths God specifically gave you. If you’ve taken the weekend off from listening to Jesus in the Word, get back in it!
Those who fall stop doing the things Jesus gave them to do to be and stay free. Use today as friendly reminder to put your head up. Have you begun to stray into situations where you are vulnerable to repeating the sinful behavior the Spirit wants to replace with Christ-like character? If so, repent (turn around toward Jesus), ask forgiveness for the bad choices you made and then in the Spirit’s power obey the truths Jesus gave you.
Better to get back now, than stray greater and greater distances where even more trouble awaits.
Set Free No“W”ww

Shock and awe was a phrase used by the press to describe a military battle. In my hometown last week it took on an entirely new meaning – thunder and lightening. We had one of the best natural sound and light shows in my lifetime. We even had inch long hail to go with it!
Now, this was fun and exciting stuff to me. Yet, the same situation caused fear and trembling in many households throughout our area just like it could have in Noah’s. Neither he nor his family had ever seen rain before they entered the ark. These storm clouds could have had a few extra curricular activities in the sky going along with them. This experiential unknown lasted for 40 days! Shock and awe could have turned into fear and trembling if not for the truths God gave Noah. Noah put up his shield of faith in God’s promise that He would keep Noah alive and well through it all.
Now, what would happen in Noah’s household when it started to rain again? Don’t answer that just yet. Keep in mind, the only time they saw rain it was a destroying factor. Rain = Bad could be their thinking. Or they could choose to rewrite that equation: Rain = God keeps His promises. The first equation brings fear and trembling, shock and awe. The second brings peace and safety. What did God tell Noah to do? Focus on the second. In fact, God actually gave Noah a way to remember His promises as well, a rainbow.
It’s the same situation – stormy weather – with two entirely different results. Your victory and peace depends on where your focus will be. You can focus on the challenge or the solution. It’s your choice. Choose today to put up your shield of faith (the truths God gives you as you read His word) to re-write the equation for victory.
Set “FREE” Nowww

I heard this phrase today on sports radio. I know it sounds harsh, so let me explain. Let’s say your drug of choice is food. Then let’s say that your life is getting hard or your expectations are not getting met (see yesterday’s entry). Where will you turn to meet your expectations, an apple fritter?
Doesn’t that sound pretty dumb? It doesn’t, but at the same time it does. Psalm 115:4,8 states, “Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” Think about that. You become what you worship and you worship what or who you turn to when life disappoints you.
If you turn to the fritter to meet your need for fulfillment, the Bible says you will become like that donut. Your face starts turning a little lumpy. Your hair begins to have a glaze like shine. We must drive this picture into our brains – our bodies turning into an apple fritter! You become what you worship; and in this case, it’s an apple fritter.
Sounds stupid doesn’t it? The dictionary defines stupid as: slow to learn or understand, and making poor decisions or careless mistakes. When we forget what eating that donut did to us the last time we ate it and keep choosing it over exercising the truths of God’s Word, we become addicted to stupid. Why? We’re failing to learn! We’re repeating the same poor decision because an apple fritter cannot bring us what we’re looking for in life – love and fulfillment.
Exercising the truth in the Spirit’s power will set us free from the addiction to stupid. As we choose to trust Jesus and His Word, we become addicted to smart! Choosing Jesus to meet your needs is not always the easiest choice to make; but, in the end, it’s the smart and most fulfilling one. Unless of course, you love looking like an apple fritter.
S“E”t Fre“E” Nowww