Science again discovers the Bible knows what it’s talking about. I recently read an article on happiness where the author gave two methods that science has proven to bring happiness. One, filter out negative thinking; and two, connect with a higher power that brings both comfort and peace. Seems like a verse straight out of Scripture, doesn’t it? Well it is. “You (God) will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)
As you trust what Jesus (connecting with The Higher Power) says, put His truths into your brain and then actively filter out the negative thoughts vying for your attention using those truths peace will come.
Two especially damaging negative thoughts are called the “Damaged Goods Trap” and the “Mental Prison.” Both of these center around the lie that we’re damaged beyond repair by either our mistakes or what others have done to us. Therefore, we deserve this crummy life we’re living (i.e without peace), which keeps us imprisoned within our own minds, because we’re too ashamed to talk about our past, let alone receive God’s love to be freed from it.
These negative thoughts can only be filtered out with the truth that Jesus is a redeemer. He came to set you free and to repair your broken past. He knows about and died for everything that has happened, is happening, and will ever happen to and/or by you; and yet, He still loves and forgives you! He wants you in His presence where peace reigns. He isn’t called the Prince of Peace for nothing, you know.
No one, including you, is beyond repair or redemption! You can come home where peace reigns. You can be freed from your mental prisons, however small or big they might be, by using you get out of jail free card – Jesus and His Word.
“SE”t Free Nowww

Not if you’re Amish you don’t. Wow that seems rather harsh, but is it? One of the common misconceptions about the Amish is that they’re anti-technology, which is as far from the truth as one can get.
What they are is super pro-community and family. This value is not merely on their doctrinal statement, but it’s something actually applied throughout their daily lives. They believe that anything that will take family members away from each other or from the community is not to be used.
1 Corinthians 10:23 reads, “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me – but not everything is constructive.” The real issue is not whether or not you should own a bike, a TV, a cell phone, a car, a fill in the blank, but whether or not those things will draw you closer to or away from Jesus?
The Amish believed owning a bicycle would mean that families would live further apart from each other; thus, breaking down the family unit. This piece of technology would then hurt rather than help the family. Thus, after filtering their decision through their beliefs, they applied what came out the other end, which was not to own a bicycle.
Is your belief system a mere acknowledgment of biblical truths or will you actually apply those truths in the real world? Each decision will reveal what you truly believe. Healthy believers will first put biblical truths into their filter and then use that filter when it comes to the choices they make, even those that seem like no brainers.
To have or not have a bike is not the issue. The life changing issue is to use your biblical truth filter to allow the Spirit to transform your life into the image of Jesus.
S“E”t Free Nowww

Today’s entry comes from Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World.
“It’s true that the Amish are not free to do some things. However, they are free from many others. They are not free to buy the latest fashions, but they are free from the anxiety of what to wear and free from the habit of recreational shopping. They are not free to buy the latest flat-screen TV, but they are free from the influence of TV. They are not free to buy the latest car, but they are free from the temptation of purchasing a status symbol, including the debt that goes along with it.
“Although Amish women are not free to use makeup on their faces, they are free from the pressure to look ‘perfect’ or to fight normal aging or to be a size 2 when their body wants to be a size 10. The Amish are not free to accept Social Security checks, but they are free from worrying about who will care for them in their old age. They are free from trying to keep up with the Joneses, free from feeling inferior to others, free from competition among friends. They are free to be uncool.”
Isn’t it the very pressure of trying to be cool, worrying about what others think of us or what the future may hold, that at times drives us to our drug of choice? Kind of gives new meaning to less is more, doesn’t it? Secure children of God trust Jesus. Therefore, use your biblical filter to hear and follow His voice and you’ll reduce the negative influences/pressures in your life.
“S”et Free Nowww

W.E.B. Du Bois once said, “One of the most important things to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are, for what you might become.” The Lord desires us to be like Him not just for the sake of being like Him, but because it means we’re getting and staying closer to Him. (James 4:8)
This reminds me of a story I recently heard. This person reverted back to their old way of handling life. As they were relating their story, they realized that one of two things happened. As their enemy’s darts were flying, they either lowered their shield of faith or it was too small. Either way, the flaming lies hit and they reacted to the situation with their drug of choice.
Yeah their old way brought immediate gratification, but the fallout has been both painful and embarrassing. They now have to burn the latter of the two into their memories. Do they like the results of handling this situation their way?
If not, it’s time to process the situation through their biblical filters. If they want to be closer to Jesus, they need to ask the Spirit why they dropped their shield, truths that would have helped them keep listening to and following Jesus, or what truths are needed to make their shield bigger?
When the Spirit shows them the answer, they have a decision to make. Will they choose to remember how good it felt in the short term or embarrassing it felt in the long term when the next decision presents itself? If they want long term enjoyment it’s time to apply the truths the Spirit gave them. Remember: each situation can bring you closer to Jesus, the source of the long term feel good, by leaving you behind.
Set Free Now“W”w

A good friend of mine and I were talking early this morning (5:30AM ugh!) about how we live in a polluted world. We weren’t talking about the ecology either.
We live in a heavily sin stained world where we’re surrounded by lies, even rationally driven lies, but lies none-the-less.
This doesn’t change the moment we’re born again either. We’re simply brand new fish swimming in the same cesspool of lies called this “world” where our old thought patterns are reinforced, leaving our old behaviors room to operate. These lies must filtered out.
The Word of God is our filter. It allows us to swim in a very small bubble of pure water in a much polluted world. The truths of God’s word act like my email server’s spam filter. It keeps hundreds of useless and harmful ads/emails from ever entering my brain as my eyes simply never see them. God’s truth filters out the polluted water so I can drink in the good stuff – Jesus.
There are times when unauthorized emails get through this filter though. I can easily spot them, however, and unsubscribe. Again, the Word of God becomes the filter to spot those unwanted emails and then in the Spirit’s power unsubscribe from them so I don’t have deal with them again in the future.
We live in a polluted world where harmful messages surround us each day. We must have a biblical spam filter in place to filter out those messages. We must be listening to Jesus in the Word for the specific truths needed to filter out the junk of this world so we can swim in the pure living and refreshing water of Jesus. We also need lie-fighting truths to spot and delete the messages that somehow get through our spam filter.
Reading through the Bible in a year has been a huge help in forming that small bubble around me as I swim in this world’s polluted system. It’s uncanny how what I’m reading in the Word is exactly what I need to keep drinking in Jesus throughout my day. How’s your time in the Word been today?
S“E”t Free Nowww