I’m currently on a plane to the Land that produced the Mishna, which says, “The day is short, but there’s a lot of work.”
There are only 24 hours in each day and we can either make them count or waste them. People live beyond their time on this planet; thus, people count. Make your 24 hours count by choosing to listen to Jesus throughout your day no matter where you are, even flying on a plane, and choose to follow Him. Then be prepared to share how He’s touching your life with those around you. Then your life will count for not only today, but also for eternity as people live into eternity.
If we’re not touching lives for eternity, then our lives will be like footprints in the sand washed away by the waves of time.
“S”et Free Nowww

It’s an interesting truth through a thought provoking character. This TV character grew up poor with little education. She had a skill, but still felt trapped in her alleged destiny.
She never felt she could be or do anything more with her life, until the day she started reading books, going to museums, taking lessons from a teacher and talking with people who knew more than she. She realized how trapped she had become and now was angry at herself and life. She hated being trapped and simply wanted to fly to become all that she could be.
How many believers in Jesus are living in real life what this character portrayed on the small screen? As secure children of God, Jesus gave you the wings to fly. As secure children of God, Jesus gave you something to fly toward – Him through using each decision to become more like Him. As secure children of God, Jesus gave you a daily purpose to fly – the good works He created you to do.
Your are not a worm, but an awesome child of God who can fly. You are not a sinner, but a saint who can choose to fly. You are not the same old you, but a new creation (given His nature, mind and power) who can fly! Stop thinking that whatever state you’re in is all there is. Nope, Jesus set you free to fly, so fly already!
“S”et Free Nowww

I want to share a Jesus story from yesterday’s congregational service. It’s an example of how listening to and following Jesus every day everywhere is so relevant to your life…today.
Jesus is the message and He, at times, uses messengers to give His message. It is important, then, for the messenger to know how to listen to Jesus and then follow through on what Jesus says. He gave me the message for yesterday’s congregational gathering.
I was about three-fourths through it when I saw commotion taking place within the congregation. People were getting text messages, who relayed to me that a couple from our church who had just been in a head on collision were being taken to the hospital for emergency surgery. I stopped the message and we talked to Jesus for and about this couple. Now, what did that have to do with the message the Lord gave me?
One of our prayer leaders sent the following email prayer request to the entire congregation, which began as follows: “The message this morning was ‘Who is your God, and who IS your God”.’ My God is Jesus Christ, and He is an awesome Healer, Comforter, Peace Giver, Provider…just to name a few of His attributes. The message also said God gives us challenges in our lives that give us the opportunity to experience WHO He is, and the message was interrupted by this news of Don and Denise’s accident.”
Jesus knew what His people needed to hear. We had just read Acts 8:1-3 where it took persecution to get believers to follow what Jesus told them to do – go make disciples in Judea, Samaria and the rest of the planet; and yet, they were still in Jerusalem.
I shared that it took the death of Stephen to get the church to know who their God was. Then, bang, we were hit with this news. We often think that being a believer in Jesus will make all our pain and sorrow somehow magically go away. Wrong. What it does mean is that we have a God who will walk with us through that pain and sorrow as we continue to listen and follow Him.
Jesus works! As His secure children of God, He really does want to talk to and with you, if only you’d listen. He absolutely wants to walk with you through life’s daily challenges, if only you’d follow. Who is your God? And who IS your God? Hopefully, it’s the One who wants more than Sundays (Saturdays), but an every day walking and talking relationship with you.
In case you need to know how to do this, you can read another message He gave in A Personal Walk in the Presence of Your God. It will give you the necessary tools to experience Jesus in new and fresh ways. Get a copy. Read it. Then tell others who your God IS and what He’s doing in your life.
“S”et Free Nowww

In case you didn’t know it already, I have to share a very odd truth with you. Being like Jesus will feel weird at first. I know that sounds crazy, but let me explain.
Fish don’t know they’re wet. You only know what you know when you know it and you can’t know anything else until you’re exposed to something new. Normal is what you know and feel at the moment. It isn’t until you’re exposed to something new that the realization sets in that your normal isn’t healthy (i.e. sinful and separated from the source of real living – Jesus).
When this happens, you have two choices. One is to stay the same, even though you know there can be something better. And two is to change. Yet, with positive change comes a weird feeling because you’ve never felt that way before.
When you have an encounter with the Living God, you’ll be exposed to a new way of thinking, choosing and living. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” He is the normal that is fulfilling, satisfying and meaningful. When you choose to let Him change your life, this new normal will feel weird for awhile as it is just that…new. You’ve never felt that way before, which is why you came to Christ in the first place. You realized your way of thinking, choosing and living, though normal to you, wasn’t working.
Expect to feel weird when your life has been transformed into Christ’s image until the new normal sets in place.I know this is kind of weird, but that’s completely normal.
S“ET” Free Nowww

I sit here typing this entry with a literal painful reminder of a recently reinforced lesson. I love to surf and desire to get out every opportunity that presents itself, which isn’t too often these days. I recently was given a board that fits me perfectly due to my infrequent opportunities and current shoulder issues.
I was presented this past Friday night with a chance to surf with my son and his friend. I jumped at the opportunity. We checked the surf report and prepared for our way too early morning departure. Problem. I never asked the Lord about it.
The reason this is important is that He’s been trying to teach me: My schedule isn’t mine. It’s His. I need to retrain my brain as my drug of choice is to control my schedule by choosing what does and doesn’t go on it and in what order items get done.
I was given a fresh reminder of why His way is better than mine two days prior. I was given “divine appointments” to minister on His behalf because I was in the right place at the right time. This only happened because I let Him set my day’s agenda.
Well, I paid a price for this lesson reinforcement. Lets just say that the waves were a little too big. I lasted about an hour and half in the water, even though it took almost that long just to get to the beach! I paddled more than I surfed. Broke my leash and had to swim over 50 long exhausting yards through several crashing waves to get by board.
As I sat on shore, shoulder throbbing and pride bruised, I just smiled. “Lord, I get it.” He lovingly reinforced “it” all the way home until my friends Ibuprofen kicked in. Yeah, I’m still a little sore, but if it helps me to remember what He’s teaching me, it’s worth every ache. I thank Jesus for the truth: never give up yourself as He won’t. It takes time retrain the brain (aka renew the mind). Praise Jesus that He gives us this time.
It was a painful reminder, as all bad choices bring pain. But one I hopefully remember tonight when I…oops…He lays out my schedule for tomorrow.
Set Free No“W”ww