No. 1 Apr. 3, 1995 Absolutely Free

Martians land in New Jersey. On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles broadcast a news flash of Martians landing on earth, as though it actually happened. People went into a panic nationwide. But it was a hoax.

Could that happen again today? When you listen to the news on the radio, do you examine it, choosing to believe some parts, but not others? Or do you simply accept what you hear? Most people trust the media, and blindly accept it.

In 1938, those fooled, were the people who were tuned-in to that particular show. People who were tuned to a different frequency, weren't tricked. But the airways are filled with radio waves, and whether or not you get duped, depends on what frequency you're tuned-in to, and whether or not you believe what you hear.

That's kind of how religion works as well. The Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek. In both languages, the word "spirit" is synonymous or interchangeable with the word "wind," or "air." One of the titles the Bible gives us for the devil, is the "prince of the power of the air. (Eph 2:2)" So the picture here, is that the air is filled with spirits.

So like radios receive transmissions from the air, even though you can't see them; the human mind may be susceptible to receiving messages from invisible spirits as well. It's been estimated that your mind computes over 10,000 conscious thoughts a day. Could it be that some of them are received through the air, rather than generated?

When you listen to the radio, you have the option of choosing which station you tune-in to. So it is with spirits (Josh 24:15). Oh you hear the others as you go channel surfing, but when you hear the one that pleases you, or comes in the clearest, you leave your radio set to it. So what frequency is your mind set on?

The Bible tells us that some of the spirits are deceptive (1 Tim 4:1). It tells us to test the spirits, and how (1 John 4:1). It criticizes heeding every wind of doctrine (Eph 4:14), and admonishes us to grow to spiritual discernment (Heb 5:12-14). Just as anyone who has a radio can tune-in for free and be duped; so anyone, tuning-in to the life-giving gospel of Jesus, can know the truth (John 8:31+32), and be saved, Absolutely Free.

No. 2 Apr. 10, 1995 Absolutely Free

S.O.S. Three pilots get shot down over the ocean, during a war. Each of them ditch their planes in the water, and inflate their emergency rubber rafts. Then each of them discovers that there is a bullet hole in their raft, and it's sinking.

One of them says, "I might as well get it over with," and jumps over board. The next one says, "I'm going to keep my raft afloat!" Then he begins blowing into the bullet hole. The third one says, "I saw a light on the horizon, and according to my charts, it's a friendly outpost. I'm going to turn on my transponder, and hope that I can row within range of it." Then he started rowing.

This is a picture of righteousness: the condition of being right. If any of these guys were righteous: without sin; they would still be flying. But all have been shot down through temptation, and are sinking in sin. So each of us is one of them.

The guy who jumped overboard was unrighteous. Do you know anyone who feels like they're going to go to Hell anyway, and so dive on in, deeper into sin?

The guy who tried to re-inflate his raft was self-righteous. Do you know anyone who believes that they're going to be saved as a result of their own efforts? Good deeds don't erase past sins, so they're still sinking (Rom 3:19+20).

The guy that rowed toward the light, realized that he needed to call out for help to someone who could pull him from being engulfed in his sins: Jesus (1 Tim 1:15). His chart was the Holy Bible (2 Tim 3:16), and his transponder was prayer (Rom 10:13). Rowing toward the light is called repentance: turning from your sins (Luke 24:47).

This is accepting the righteousness that is of God (Rom 3:21-23)

Some people expect that Jesus will save them, but don't paddle, or turn on their transponder. No effort. That's self-righteous too: you're still right where you were, dead in the water (James 2:26). Once you've gone under, your equipment won't work. So send out your S.O.S. (Save Our Souls), and Jesus will rescue you, Absolutely Free.

No. 3 Apr. 17, 1995 Absolutely Free

What's in a name? What if, rather than simply being given a last name at birth, you had to earn your last name? Every time your name was spoken, it would conjure up images of what you are known for.

Suppose one day, you heard screaming coming from a nearby building. Without thinking, you rush in, and rescue 25 orphans from a raging fire. From then on, you become known as "Mr. or Ms. Courageous-Champion-of the-Helpless-and-Innocent."

Similarly, names in the Bible, depict the essence of the person named, rather than simply being a title that they answered to. Abraham means "Father of Multitudes." (Gen 17:5) He became the father of the nation of Israel. Moses means "Drawn out." (Ex 2:10) Through him, God drew the Israelites out of Egypt.

Jesus means "The Lord is Salvation," or "Savior." (Matt 1:21). Christ means "Messiah," or "Anointed One." In Jewish ritual, when a priest, king or prophet was ordained, they were anointed: oil was poured on them. The oil was symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and signified their being empowered by God to fulfill their office.

So the picture painted by the words "Jesus Christ," to those who know the language, is that of a man representing God, saturated with and empowered by the Holy Spirit of God, fulfilling the office of Savior. This is the meaning of His name.

The Bible tells us that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom 10:13). He was indeed God in the flesh (John 1:1+14). To say that you believe in the name of Jesus Christ means more than once upon a time there was a guy named Jesus. It means you believe that what His name says about Him is true.

When a cop uses the phrase, "in the name of the law," it means, "I represent the entire criminal justice system." Likewise, Christians have the authority to combat demons "in the name of Jesus" (Luke 10:17-19). It means, "I am backed-up by all of the angelic host of Heaven," because when you believe on the name of Jesus, He sends you His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) to saturate you as it did Him, Absolutely Free.

No. 4 Apr. 24, 1995 Absolutely Free

Hip-hip, cheerio, and all that rot. Suppose on your next vacation, you decide to visit the Congo. One day, as you're strolling near the jungle, some guy on an elephant, wearing one of those goofy safari outfits, rides up holding out a rifle.

With a classic British accent, he says, "Ahoy there I say! You might want to use this carbine, if you cherish your head." You respond with, "What for?"

"There's a jolly old lion in the grass over there, and it looks as though he fancies to have you for lunch." You look in the direction he points, but you don't see anything. So you begin to wonder what circus this clown escaped from. Just then, a lion jumps up, and starts charging in your direction. Now, will you accept the rifle or not?

Suddenly, Safari-Bob doesn't seem so silly anymore does he? He's like a lot of church people: many Christians get so church-ified, that their mannerisms and speech seem foreign to others. Many tend to believe that they can't relate to real life.

But in truth, they've just got a different angle on things. It's not that they're holier than anyone else, or smarter, or more worthy than anyone else. It's just that, like the Englishman on the elephant, if they're founded on the precepts of the Bible, there's a better view from where they sit.

They may talk about judgment and damnation (Rev 21:8), though you might not be able to see the threat. But the Bible tells us that there really is a lion stalking us (1 Pet 5:8), and to arm ourselves, to be able to withstand the attack (Eph 6:11). Our weapon is the Word of God (Eph 6:17), and Jesus shows us how to use it (Matt 4:3-11).

The lion comes against us with lies and deceit, trying to trick us into a vulnerable position with temptation, for his power of death is sin (1 Cor 15:56). If you'll submit to God, His word will have effect, when you wield it against the enemy (James 4:7).

But you have to accept the weapon before you can use it. So even though some church people might seem kind of screwy, they have something to offer that you can use. Ahoy, take this weapon if you cherish your soul; it's Absolutely Free.

No. 5, May 1, 1995 Absolutely Free

Gadzooks...Look at the head on that thing! Suppose that on your way home, you saw a little boy with a grotesquely malformed head.

Maybe you knew something about this boy: that his parents blamed him for their problems, and abused him. Suppose that he was retarded, and didn't understand why they were mean to him. What if as you looked, other children were ridiculing him, and he was crying. Wouldn't you say, "Oh I wish I could do something for him?"

Imagine that as soon as these words leave your lips, a pixie appears, sits on your dash board, and says, "I have come to grant your wish. All you have to do is trade places with the little boy, and he will be happy. But you will become as help-less as he is, and people will hate you and sneer at you for the rest of your life."

Take your time. Think it over. All you have to do is give up all that you have, and all that you are. Can you possibly conceive of going through with it?

Jesus did. And He did it for you. Before He left heaven and came to earth in the form of a man, He was getting along just fine (John 17:5). But out of compassion for us, He cast off His splendor and glory, to come here, and trade places with us (1 Tim 1:15). He took our place on the cross, accepting the scorn and shame that we deserved because of our sins (2 Cor 5:21). He chose to go through with it (Matt 26:53).

You might say, "Yeah, but it is different for Him, 'cause He knew that He would end up back in Heaven anyway." Bingo. To those who follow Him, He promises the same destiny (Rev 21:27). In fact, He says that anything you sacrifice for His sake, you will get back multiplied (Matt 19:29). So His situation was no different than yours.

Don't worry; the Bible doesn't tell us to go and trade places with people who have hideous genetic mutations. But we need to see Jesus for how compassionate He is. If we return that compassion toward others, Jesus says that we're doing it to Him (Matt 25:40). It's something simple that we can do to show our gratitude, Absolutely Free.

No. 6 May 8, 1995 Absolutely Free

Some assembly required. Imagine that you got the brilliant idea to build your own home entertainment system from a kit, with all the parts to a TV, VCR, and stereo. You follow all the directions, and when you're done, it looks perfect.

But it doesn't work. So you try to fix it. It still doesn't work. So you review the instructions to find what you might have done wrong. After weeks of trial and failure, you decide that you would enjoy using it for target practice.

As you're hauling it, and your shotgun outside, your spouse asks you to reconsider. They remind you of how much time and effort you have invested in it, and that, "People might say that you weren't smart enough to make it work."

After they calm you down, you take it back in the house, and reassemble it. As you do, you discover a faulty circuit. Upon fixing it, the whole system works just as it's supposed to. Now you invite people over so you can show it off.

If you can relate to this situation, then you can see how God feels sometimes about us: He's done everything right, yet we just don't seem to work the way He meant us to. But when He works the bugs out of one of us, and we begin functioning as intended, the angels in Heaven rejoice (Luke 15:10).

He likes to show off His creations when they work right (Job 1:8). But sometimes He gets frustrated when they don't, and opts to destroy them (Ex 32:9). Sometimes, there was no one to talk Him out of it (Eze 22:30). But when someone who pleased Him, would seek His mercy on those about to be punished, He would relent (Ex 32:11-14).

That's called intercession: making peace. Now that you can see that you actually can relate to How God feels, try to see that the whole reason that He became a man: Jesus; was to show that He can relate to us too. That's what He wants: a relationship.

It's His desire that all of us would work right (1 Tim 2:4). "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do," was what Jesus said as He interceded for us, while He was dying on the cross (Luke 23:34). He made peace for us, Absolutely Free.

No. 7 May 15, 1995 Absolutely Free

"Hello, you're on the air." Once a caller called in to a talk radio program, and asked for tax advice. The host told the man to hire a tax accountant. The man thought that he might be able to prepare them himself. The host asked, "What do you do for a living?" The man answered, "I'm a restaurant manager."

"Are you Good at what you do?"

"Well, yes I am. I'm very good at what I do."

"I have some dental work I need done. Will you fill my cavities?"

"I can't do that."

"Why not? You just told me that you were good at what you do."

He wasn't saying that the man was too stupid to be a dentist. He was pointing out that there are intricate details of any profession that require the insight of someone who specializes in their field. If the restaurant manager were to go back to school and learn dentistry, he would probably be a very capable dentist.

That's what Jesus meant when He said, "Verily , verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3)." He was saying that some things are spiritually perceived, rather than intellectually understood, and that for them, you need the insight of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:14).

He clarified His statement by saying, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit (John 3:5+6)."

So how do you become born again? How do you receive this Holy Spirit of God? By hearing the gospel of Jesus, and believing what you have heard (Rom 10:9+10). Then you will receive the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:2+3).

It's more than believing that there is a God. But unless you hear the rest of it, you're not going to be able to believe it (Rom 10:14), because faith comes through hearing the Word of God (Rom 10:17). So if you desire to know the things of God, hear it, believe it, and receive the Holy Spirit, Absolutely Free.

No. 8 May 22, 1995 Absolutely Free

Cubs Win! Cubs Win! There are different categories of Chicago Cub fans: bleacher bums, and box ticket holders; they even have a term for those fans who have weathered bad seasons, and still stick it out: "Die Hard" Cub fans. They don't love the Cubs only if they win. They love them simply because they're the Cubs: Loyal fans.

Suppose you visit Wrigley Field to watch them. You get decent seats, but some blow hard sits behind you, and shouts in your ear through half the game. Meanwhile some over-excited fan in front of you jumps up every play, and blocks your view. They might really love the Cubs, but they've ruined it for you.

People should go to church because they love God. Many don't, because they have been offended by pushy church people. Those church people might really love God, but their ways of demonstrating it have ruined it for other people.

Like ball fans, most Jesus fans are civilized and rational. In fact the obnoxious ones are just as irritating to them as they are to others. Of course, you don't have to go to church to get to Heaven. You can read about Jesus, and pray in His name.

You don't have to go to the game to be a baseball fan either. You can read the scores in the sports page. You can watch the game on TV. For that matter, you can watch church on TV. But in either circumstance, to really get caught up in the spirit of the occasion, there's nothing like being there.

To experience a richer relationship with God, you really do need to go to church (Heb 10:25). There is a spiritual opposing team (1 Pet 5:8), and we need each others' support (Ecc 4:9+10). There is strength in numbers (Ecc 4:12). You become like those you run with: run with winners and win, or run with losers and lose (Prov 13:20).

When Jesus showed up, some fans were being loud and pushy, and He chewed them out (Luke 11:42-46). He said that whores and thugs would enter heaven before them (Matt 21:31). So they're irritating to Him too. Isn't that great?

Be a die hard Jesus fan. Root for Him for who He is. There are plenty of churches closer than Wrigley Field, and admission is Absolutely Free.

No. 9 May 30, 1995 Absolutely Free

All you can eat buffet: Absolutely Free. Suppose you're rich, and build a cafe to feed the poor for free. Then you visit the homeless, and tell them that they no longer have to beg, and lead them to your place. After the ball is rolling, you take a vacation.

When you return, there's a crowd there, but no poor people. So again you visit the streets, and talk with people you recognize begging.

You find that the restaurant had become popular, because the food was so good. Now that clean-cut, sophisticated people go there, the homeless crowd feels out of place. Though they greatly admire and respect you, they wouldn't dream of embarrassing you, or worse, making you mad, by creating a scene with their shabby presence.

Wouldn't that be frustrating? Out of regard for you, they avoid your place, defeating it's purpose entirely. Jesus Christ came to save the sinners (1 Tim 1:15). If there's anywhere sinners feel out of place, it's church. Doesn't that defeat it's purpose?

There are people in our culture who, suspect whole-heartedly that Jesus Christ is what and who the Bible says He is, and fear, honor and respect Him. So much so in fact, that they would consider it sacrilegious if they were to set foot inside a church, because certain aspects of their life aren't square with Him.

The truth is, that they are more righteous in God's eyes than many church people, who are not aware that aspects of their lives aren't square with Him (Luke 18:10-14). It's when you stop feeling ashamed of your sinfulness before God, that you need to worry about your spiritual condition. None of us escape that category (1 John 1:8).

When He visited the streets down here, some folks ridiculed Him for hanging around with sinners (Matt 9:11). If you fit into that category, He came to hang around with you. He knows, and can relate to the temptations you have fallen subject to (Matt 4:1). He came to save sinners, not condemn them (John 3:17).

Don't avoid church out of reverence. On the menu is the Bread of Life for your soul (John 6:35), and it has been prepared for you, Absolutely Free.

No. 10, June 5, 1995 Absolutely Free

All ashore that's going ashore. Wouldn't it be great to win an all expense paid cruise on a luxury liner? What if it sank? Then would it be great?

Someone hauls you into a lifeboat and you spot your spouse, and your children. Your spouse gets in the boat. You call to your children. One swims to the side of the boat, and hangs on. The other says, "I'm OK, I'm wearing a lifejacket!

As you shout to them to swim for the boat, they insist that they're OK. Meanwhile they drift further out to sea. So now you start urging the child hanging on to the side of the boat, to climb on in. Yet they insist that they're OK too.

There is much ado about the phrase, "Once saved, always saved." Some believe it, some don't. But salvation is kind of like the illustration above. The sea is the world, and the sinful things of it. The ship is a completely sheltered and protected relationship with God. Adam and Eve sank that boat through sin.

You can experience a momentary spark of faith in Jesus. That's the kid with the lifejacket. Some people believe, and even attend church sometimes. They're hanging on to the side of the boat: Their life outside of church is still in the world.

But the promises of salvation in the bible are to those who are in the boat: in Christ (Eph 1:7). That entails developing a real relationship with God through prayer, and the reading of His word (John 15:4-6): two-way communication with His Spirit.

Outside, the sharks might eat your legs off, but you could still survive if you can hang on (1 Cor 3:11-15). To lose your salvation, you would have to jump completely out of the boat, and let go (Heb 6:4-6). If you're not hanging on, you're going to drift away like the lifejacket kid (Matt 13:22), and the sharks will get you (1 Pet 5:8).

The Bible promises that those who are in the boat will arrive safely on land (Eph 1:13+14). So climb in by learning about, believing in, and praying to Jesus; and take an all-expense-paid cruise to the promised land, Absolutely Free.

No. 11 June 12, 1995 Absolutely Free

The Cowboys vs. the Indians, starring John Wayne. As two men watch a John Wayne movie, one says, "Betcha $10 John Wayne is behind that rock, and he's gonna jump out and get that injun." The other man takes the bet.

Then John Wayne jumps out and gets the Indian. Then the man who made the bet says, "I can't take your money: I've seen this movie before." But the other guy says, "So did I, and I was sure the injun would know better this time."

Suppose you were watching your favorite movie on video tape. But because you don't like the scene where the dog dies, you fast-forward past that part. Then when you cut in, at a later point, the dog is still alive. The whole outcome of the movie changes because you fast-forwarded past some of the story line. Does it work that way?

Neither does it work that way with God. Some people believe that when you die, your soul sits somewhere waiting for judgment day. If that's the case, there are people who have been waiting a long time. But Jesus said to another man, as they were dying, "This day you shall be with me in Paradise (Luke 23:43)."

There are some people who believe that we have no say in where we wind up, because the Bible uses the word "predestination." You were pre-destined to go where you are going (Eph 1:5+11). But the Bible also speaks of foreknowledge (Rom 8:29). So God is only betting on John Wayne, because He has already seen the movie.

And just as man can fast-forward a video tape to the end of the movie, God can zip us up to the end of the picture when we pass out of this world. Time is a natural law, but God is super-natural. We know that spirits are not bound by the laws of nature. That's why some spirits can tell you what is going to happen in the future (Acts 16:16).

Sometimes God would fast-forward the tape in the Bible, and show men what was going to happen up the road. These men were called prophets (1 Sam 9:9). One guy, John, wrote down how the movie is going to end (Rev 1:1-3). God wins (Rev 20:9).

Fast forwarding doesn't change the outcome of the movie, so place your bets on Jesus. There's more at stake than $10, but the winnings are Absolutely Free.

No. 12 June 19, 1995 Absolutely Free

On the outside looking in. The industrial revolution took place in England from about 1750 to 1850. It created appalling social conditions, like children being left to fend for themselves in the streets: called "street urchins" or "gutter snipes."

These are those depicted in movies like "Oliver Twist" and "A Christmas Carol." There would be elaborate scenes of lavish ballroom feasts served to rich industrialists, while starving street urchins stood outside in the freezing cold, faces pressed against the window panes, watching the banquet, dying for just a scrap of food.

Jesus told a similar story with a twist: A very rich man held a banquet, and invited all of his rich friends. But all of them were too busy being rich, and catering to themselves, and each of them made excuses as to why they couldn't come (Luke 14:16-21).

That ticked the rich guy off. So, he told his servants to gather up the street urchins, the crippled and blind, and serve them. But there were still plenty of seats available, so he ordered that his servants go and invite anybody, with the exception of those who rejected the invitation to begin with. They were no longer welcome (Luke 14:21-24).

This is an illustration of the Old and New Testaments. The rich man is God. In the Old Testament, He made rules for the priests to follow. This was their invitation. They were the only ones allowed in His presence. But they blew it.

So He sent Jesus, who opened the door for anyone to dine with God (John 10:9). His servants: Christians, are supposed to be going about inviting everyone to sit with God (2 Cor 5:20). And although some of them are blowing it too (Matt 7:21-23), the invitation is still open you, to get to know God (Rev 22:17).

But it's not enough to be invited. In order to take part in the festivities, you have to accept the invitation, and show up (1 John 5:1+2).

Watching the movies, you would begin to despise the rich crowd; and think, "How would you like it if you were on the outside looking in?" This is exactly what happens, according to Jesus, because He traded places with us, Absolutely Free.

No. 13 June 26, 1995 Absolutely Free

The American Dream. Suppose on your way to work tomorrow, you get a brilliant idea: an invention. Then you begin spending your spare time perfecting the design, drawing up plans, and you get a patent. So, by the sweat of your own brow, you build a company that produces, and a store, that sells your invention.

They become immensely popular. But they are very costly to produce, and very expensive. You become very rich and powerful. One day, you're standing in the store overseeing the business. Many people come in and look, but can't afford it.

Then one of your children comes in, and says, "Can I have one?" Because you love them, you say, "Sure!" Does anyone else in the store have the right to get angry, because you have given away something that they can't afford? Whose stuff is it anyway?

You see this is where God sits. He created everything, with no help from anybody (Gen 1:1). He doesn't owe anything to anybody, and He's not accountable to anybody (Rom 9:15). Everybody wants His salvation: nobody wants to rot in Hell.

Some people try qualify for it by doing good things. But you can't do enough to deserve it (Rom 3:20). Yet God likes to give it to His children for free, when they ask for it (Matt 7:11). Opponents to Christianity; those who would like to take credit for their own salvation by virtue of their own goodness, resent this (Psalm 2:1-3).

Why? It's not like God told them, "No, you can't have any!" He said that anybody can become His child, by believing in the message of His love and grace being poured out upon us through Jesus Christ (John 1:12). Why would that make anybody mad?

It's as though a rich man went walking through an orphanage, and said, "Anybody who wants to be adopted, come with me." Then, when He adopts those who come with Him, He pours out His love upon them, regardless of what they may have done wrong in their past: and the ones who stayed behind say, "It's not fair!"

It's not fair. It's mercy. God wants to adopt you (Gal 4:4-7), and shower you with love and forgiveness. He wants to make you His child, Absolutely Free.

No. 14 July 5, 1995 Absolutely Free

Jalopy jamboree. Three men all drive to the store. One has a truck, that he has been customizing for 6 years. It's got roll bars, fog lights, huge tires, chrome everywhere, and sits 4 foot off the ground. The second man is driving a high-performance sports car. He retired a few years back. His kids are raised. His house is paid for. So he bought this little convertible coupe as a toy, because he has always wanted one.

The third man is still in high-school. He's only a year older than his car, that he bought for $150. Bumper stickers cover up rust. A coat hanger keeps the muffler from scraping the ground, and it uses 3 quarts of oil per tank-full of gas.

Although the first guy has a 4-wheeler, he's spent so much time shining it, that he drives it like it were made of glass.

Although the second guy has a car that could do 180 mph on the autobahn, he's getting old, and his eyesight is failing him. So he drives like he's old.

Although the third guy's car is held together with duct tape and baling wire, he flies over railroad crossings and doesn't slow down for corners. He can't hear that scrape when his car bottoms out, because he's jamming to his radio, and singing along.

Which of these guys is getting his money's worth out of his vehicle?

This is how people deal with God. Some people are so concerned about their image, that they won't do anything, for fear of scratching their paint (Rom 14:2, 1 Cor 5:9+10). Some are so unsure of their faith: not knowing what is acceptable before God, and what is not (Heb 5:12-14), that they aren't getting anywhere.

Some people get so exhilarated when they first discover that God is alive (Heb 4:12), and that He has a unique purpose especially for them (1 Cor 12:4-7, 1 Tim 2:4), that they run full-throttle for Jesus everywhere they go. That's better than someone who knows the Bible inside and out, but doesn't go anywhere with it (James 2:26).

You can go as fast and far with God as your faith will take you: no limits. If you're low on faith, pull into a Bible, and Jesus will fill you up, Absolutely Free.

No. 15 July 10, 1995 Absolutely Free

Yipee-kiyi-yipee-yipee-yea. Four men apply for work on a cattle ranch. All four get hired. The first one has a degree in veterinary medicine. The second one has been on 18 cattle drives before. The other two have no experience.

The first one gets hired as the company "Doc." He gets the premium salary that a college education demands. The second is made the official "Trail Boss." He gets the high salary that accompanies much responsibility. The third man is one of the official "Hired Hands." He gets just a little more than minimum wage.

The fourth man got a message from the company, that he had been hired, but he didn't believe it, so he never showed up for work. He got fired.

Each man applied and was accepted. But each of them received different payment for their positions based on their accomplishments prior to employment. That's how our eternal reward will be administered to us as well. You don't get saved based on what you have done. There is a distinction between your salvation, and your reward.

You get saved by the grace of God through faith, not by your works (Eph 2:8+9). If you refuse to believe the message of His grace, and don't respond, you'll be fired (John 3:18). But you are judged and rewarded according to your works (Rev 20:12).

Salvation is citizenship in Heaven. But your reward will determine the quality or intensity of your salvation experience. The more you do for God in this life, the greater your reward in Heaven (Matt 6:20). If you have done nothing for God, yet you believe in His son Jesus Christ, you can be saved, with no reward (Rom 4:4+5, 1 Cor 3:15).

It would be far better to be a toilet scrubber in Heaven, than a king in Hell. All who apply for positions in Heaven will be accepted (Rom 10:13). There's nothing you can do to deserve one: It's a gift that Jesus offers out to you, Absolutely Free.

No. 16 July 17, 1995 Absolutely Free

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo? In Shakespeare's classic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, young and daring Romeo invades a party thrown by a family that his family is feuding with. They were raised hating one another. But while he is at the party, he meets Juliet, of the enemy clan, and they fall instantly in love.

Later, as they express their love for one another, she points out that their romance can never be, because of their family names: Her family hates his, and visa-versa. He responds with, "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet."

It's easy to hate people as long as you can keep distance between you. For example, there are religious fanatics, and there are straight people. Straight people generally don't have a problem believing there is a God. But fanatics tend to assert that He is what they say He is, and will tolerate no deviation from their doctrine.

Straight people expect church people to be judgmental, and church people expect straight people to be sinners. But the word prejudice means pre-judge. So anyone who holds a prejudice is judgmental. Jesus commands against that (Matt 7:1).

He pioneered the concept of crossing ethnic lines to relate to others. He left the spirit realm, and joined us in the flesh (John 1:14). As a man, He was religious, but crossed the line, and socialized with sinners (Matt 9:10). And He pointed to non-religious people as examples of demonstrating great faith in God (Matt 16:28, Luke 7:9,).

Some of the non-religious crowd avoid God, not out of rebellion, but out of reverence. They wouldn't dare tempt God's wrath, entering His courts in their spiritual condition. But by keeping their distance, they can't discover that His word says that He wants to forgive (Eze 18:31+32).

We're all in the same boat (Rom 3:21-23). Cross the line and discover that not all church people are judgmental hypocrites. Prejudices never help anyone. Jesus crossed over for you, and invites you to mingle with Him, Absolutely Free.

No. 17, July 24, 1995 Absolutely Free

Conveniently located in your grocer's freezer. Have you ever gone to a shopping center, and seen those little stands set up where they give away free samples of some snack food; then as you walk away eating it, think to yourself, "Oh man, that was good. I'm gonna sneak back and get another;" but then you don't buy any?

That would involve commitment. You would have to make an investment in order to eat your fill of them. It's as though it's better to do something that you know isn't right, and remain unsatisfied, than make a commitment, and be filled.

The people that work those stands are only there to wet your appetite. The idea is that once you've tasted, you'll commit to an investment. That's all. That's what Christians have been hired to do. The "Great Commission" is, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15)."

That gospel is summed up in this: God loves you more than you can possibly imagine, and sent His only flesh begotten Son into the world to save you from dying for the sins that the devil has tricked you into committing (John 3:16).

Taste good? Try this: People don't plunge into debt for cars or houses or vacations because it's required to get into Heaven: They do it because they want them. Jesus wants you to want Him like that (Psa 34:8). Can you relate to that? If you would check Him out, You'd find that He's worth any commitment necessary to know Him.

But He doesn't want people moping around, saying, "I'm doing this because I have to." He calls that hypocrisy, not holiness (Matt 6:16). And we already owe Him all that we are anyway (Acts 17:28). And so the only commitment required is that you believe that He is who He says He is, and did what He says He did (John 5:24).

If you can believe that, you'll love Him. And if you love Him, you'll seek Him. And if you seek Him, you will find Him (Matt 7:7). So, try some more! Because just like this little sampling of the gospel, the whole package is Absolutely Free!

No. 18 July 31, 1995 Absolutely Free

Well it serves you right. Three people meet at the coffee machine .

People #1 says, "I feel terrible. I got arrested for drinking and driving, and spent the weekend in jail. Now I won't get my license back for at least a year."

People #2 says, "Man that sucks. I feel for you. If you'd like, I can start picking you up in the morning, now that you can't drive."

People #3 says, "Well it serves you right. What did you expect, getting all liquored-up and driving around? If you choose to be stupid, you deserve what you get."

Just then, a comet tears through the roof, hits the coffee machine, and explodes. The next thing they know, they're standing before a great white throne, having to account for their actions while they were alive on earth (Rev 20:12).

People #1 says, "Oh God have mercy on me, for I have no excuse. Yet I have prayed in Jesus' name for forgiveness." Then a voice replies, "Heard, and forgiven."

People #2 says, "I also have sinned Lord. But while I was alive, I put my trust in Christ to save me from those sins." The voice answers, "You trusted wisely."

People #3 says, "Well God, You know me. You saw me in church every week." But the voice answers, "I also saw you sinning."

"Yeah, but you can forgive me for that. Let's go inside now."

"Whoa there Spanky! What happened to, 'If you choose to be stupid, you deserve what you Get?'"

Not everybody Who calls Jesus, "Lord, Lord," is going to make it into Heaven (Matt 7:21). The one who confessed their sins was forgiven (1 John 1:9). The one who showed mercy, received mercy (Matt 5:7). And the one who passed judgment, received judgment, according to their own standards (Matt 7:1+2).

If you want forgiveness, you must forgive (Matt 6:14+15). Jesus said that if you will treat others the way you would like to be treated, you will have fulfilled the religious law in the Old Testament (Matt 7:12). So you can condemn others, and be condemned; or you can forgive others, trust Jesus to forgive you, and be Absolutely Free.

No. 19, Aug. 7, 1995 Absolutely Free

E=mc2. Einstein determined that energy, substance, and speed function in relation to one another; not independently. He called his findings the "Theory of Relativity." Relativity is where the condition of something depends on the condition of something else. For example, a basketball is relatively big to a pea, but relatively small to a car. So whether it is big or small, depends on what you relate it to.

Are you a nice person? Compared to Adolf Hitler, maybe so. Compared to Mother Teresa, maybe no. This is using relativity to assess the condition of your character. But then whether you are nice or not, depends on who you compare yourself to.

But what if there were an accurate standard that you could compare yourself with, to determine whether you are righteous, or unrighteous? There is. It's the account of Jesus found in the gospels. He always set a good example.

The only problem is, you will always come up unrighteous compared to Him. But the solution to that problem is not to find someone else to compare yourself to. Looking the other way doesn't change your spiritual status. It just denies it.

You see, God wants you to realize that you fall short of perfect (Rom 3:23). He wants you to realize that you need His help to improve (1 Tim 2:4). He wants to help you (Mal 3:10). That way, when He's done, you're new and improved (2 Cor 5:17), and you will tell people that He did it, not you (Luke 12:8). That will glorify Him.

This is all relative, or pertinent, to the topic at hand; because the Bible tells us that if you believe in Jesus Christ, you become a child of God (John 1:12). If you're His child, that makes you a relative of His. And everybody knows that relatives have more pull.

So as through the knowledge Einstein's Theory of Relativity, man has access to atomic power; through the knowledge of our relativity to God through Jesus Christ, we can have access to the power that created atoms, Einstein, and everything else.

In relativity, one thing depends upon another. So do we depend on Jesus to cleanse us from sin (1 John 1:7), allowing us into Heaven, Absolutely Free.

No. 20 Aug. 14, 1995 Absolutely Free

Two weeks notice. Suppose that you handle all your company's customer accounts. Then one day you get a letter that says, "You have been accused of handling our accounts foolishly. Get your things in order. You'll be fired in two weeks."

So you call all the customers and say things like: "According to my records, you owe my company $750,000. I'm going to change that number to $500,000. Is that OK with you? Good. Please change your records to match mine."

Now not only do they owe you a debt of gratitude, but you've got dirt on them: You know that they falsified their records. You shouldn't have a problem finding a job now. This is called being shrewd. Dishonest, but shrewd.

This story is in the Bible (Luke 16:1-8). Jesus told this story, and then basically said, "Do likewise (Luke 16:9)." He wasn't saying, "Be dishonest," He was saying "Evil people who know that something's going to happen, figure out where they want to be when it happens, and devise plans to make it turn out that way."

Do likewise. Jesus, has issued us written notice that life here is going to end (Rev 21:1). And at the judgment, people shall stand and accuse each other according to what they have done (Matt 12:41). Some cry out for vengeance (Rev 6:10).

Meanwhile, God provides us with more wealth than we need. But it belongs to Him (Hag 2:8). So He was saying to use our money, to prepare for what is coming up. So that on judgment day, rather than standing and accusing you, people will testify of your generosity. Rather than scream for vengeance, they'll forgive your debts.

He followed this story with another one about a guy who didn't do that, and fried in Hell (Luke 16:19-31). So be charitable. Don't be a dufus. If you believe you will never have to account for your actions in this life, you're mistaken. So consider your ways (Hag 1:6+7). The opportunity to correct them is Absolutely Free.

No. 21 Aug. 21, 1995 Absolutely Free

News flash: (your name here) has been taken hostage! Armed men in ski-masks jump into your car and throw a hood over your head. You are kept blindfolded, on a long airplane ride, and thrown into a dungeon, never seeing your captors.

Weeks go by. Does anybody know that you've been kidnapped? Is anybody doing anything about it? How long will you be held prisoner? Suddenly, an armed man stands at the door, and calls out your name. You answer, "Yes?" He says, "Come with me: I'm a US. Navy SEAL, and we've come to rescue you, let's go."

As your rescuer joins you aboard a helicopter, you're escorted by several helicopter gunships, to an aircraft carrier. You turn to your rescuer and say, "All this for me?" He laughs and says, "You ain't seen the half of it."

You later discover that an entire fleet was dispatched on your rescue mission. Battle lines had been drawn, the military deployed, and a full-scale war launched as a result of your abduction. This was going on, but you weren't aware of it, because you were kept in darkness. Wouldn't you feel humbled by all this effort on your behalf?

Well it's a true story. According to the Bible, you have been taken captive by the adversary, through sin (Rom 7:23), and kept in the dark (Eph 4:17+18). It's only through the knowledge of what Jesus did at the cross, that salvation from our captors is possible (John 14:6, Rom 10:17). With that knowledge, you can move from darkness into light.

Maybe you don't see it. You ain't seen the half of it: the angels of Heaven have been deployed expressly on your behalf (Heb 1:14), because the battle rages in the spirit realm (Eph 6:12). And every time your attention is drawn to the gospel, or church, or even a picture of Jesus; it's the very Creator of the universe Himself, God, standing at the door, calling out your name (Rev 3:20).

That knowledge should humble you more than any measly war on your behalf. So someone does know that you've been taken. They are doing something about it. But how long you will be held prisoner depends on you. As soon as you answer the Man who stands at the door, and follow Him, you'll be Absolutely Free.

No. 22 Aug. 28, 1995 Absolutely Free

"Yes I would do anything for love, but I won't do that." Meatloaf-1993.

Have you ever been in love with someone so desperately, that you told them, "I would do anything for you," like climb the highest mountain? What if they said, "OK: Sir Edmund Hillary planted a flag atop Mt. Everest. Get it for me?"

Huh? They weren't supposed to say that. But to stay true to your word, you go get it. It takes you 2 years. Then they sell it to Great Britain, as a national archive, take the money, marry someone else, and move to Rio de Janeiro.

So you fall in love with someone else, and say, "I would swim the deepest ocean for you." They respond with, "Great! Bring me the ship's bell from the Titanic." Wouldn't you re-think your commitment? You don't want to be a patsy.

This is where God stands. Jesus told us that if we would ask for anything in His name, we would get it (John 14:13+14). But sometimes we don't get, because we just want to spoil ourselves, not build a relationship with Him (James 4:3).

A relationship with us is what He wants (2 Cor 5:18+19). Jesus said that the most important thing we can do is love God with all our hearts. The second most important thing we can do is love others (Matt 22:37-39).

Now suppose that you ask Him for a zillion bucks. And He knows that once you get it, you'll spend it all on yourself, and never bother praying again. Wouldn't that defeat His own purpose? But suppose that He knew that you do love Him with all your heart, and you would spend it being charitable toward others, praying to Him constantly for guidance in that effort? That would glorify Him (John 15:7+8).

You would climb the highest mountain for someone you love, if you knew that they would be eternally grateful, and love you because of it, wouldn't you? Likewise, Jesus knows the outcome of everything. The promise of "Whatever you ask" is to those who follow and obey Him (1 John 3:22+23), not to just anybody.

Not only did Jesus say that He would do anything for you, but He said the greatest love a person could have, would be to die for their friends (John 15:13). Then He died for you. So there's nothing that He wouldn't do for you, Absolutely Free.

No. 23 Sept. 5, 1995 Absolutely Free

Throwing out the baby with the bath water. Ed and Sarah were so happy the day they brought their baby home from the hospital. Then Sarah screamed, "This child of yours has gone potty all over himself." Ed checked it out. Sure enough. "What do you have to say for yourself Jr.?" But the baby only said, "Ibbit abba dibbiduh."

"Don't you back talk me young man," Said Ed, "Now, clean this mess up, and go to your room," Ed demanded. But the baby didn't comply. So Ed and Sarah decided to put it up for adoption, lest it humiliate them in front of their friends. Does this sound realistic?

One term for coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ is being "born again (John 3:3)." And one of the instructions to Christians, is to "be transformed (Rom 12:2), conforming to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29)." So some people think that as soon as you decide to follow Christ, you need to immediately adhere to a list of rigid regulations.

But in the Greek, that the New Testament was written in, that word "transformed" is "metamorphose:" the same word from which we get "metamorphosis;" the process by which a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Does this happen overnight?

Science has discovered that if you cut a cocoon open, so that the butterfly can escape without struggling, it won't have enough strength to fly. It needs the struggle to develop it's strength. So realize that every time that a butterfly presses against the walls of it's cocoon, it is a failed attempt to escape. Wrestling free is a series of failures that build it's strength. No failures, no strength.

When a child is born, it's parents usually give it time before they require it to use silverware, flush the toilet, and speak properly. It could take that long for a person who has been born again to pick up on the habits of Christian life as well. You may experience strength building failures along the way (1 John 1:8-10).

Does that mean it's OK to sin? Is it OK for an adult to potty all over themselves? The Bible talks about spiritual childhood and adulthood (Heb 5:13+14). A Child is expected to act like a child, and an adult like an adult (1 Cor 13:11). Childhood is bondage (Gal 4:3). Seek Christ. He will help you grow up, and be Absolutely Free.

No. 24 Sept. 11, 1995 Absolutely Free

"It's not my responsibility." At break time, you, and some co-workers walk into the wash room, and discover that the toilet has over-flowed. There's a mop, a bucket and a plunger in the corner, and you have the time to clean up this stinky mess, because you're on break. But it's not your responsibility.

When people say, "It's not my responsibility," they mean "It's not my duty." But the word responsibility means "ability to respond." If you encounter a situation, and you have the ability to respond to it, you have responsibility, whether or not it's your duty.

When someone automatically assumes responsibility in a situation, even though it's not their duty; it demonstrates to their superiors that they are responsible individuals. That's a good way to gain acceptance in the eyes of management.

God gives each of us abilities. How we use those abilities determines whether we can be trusted with more, or if we should have some of our responsibility taken away (Matt 25:14-30). What we get is based on how we respond to our situation.

Likewise, getting to Heaven is based on how you respond. How to get there is clearly detailed in the scriptures (Acts 16:30+31). What you do with that knowledge will determine your eternal destination, regardless of what sins you may have committed (Rom 5:6-8).

Those who have never heard the gospel of salvation, will not be held responsible for responding to it (Luke 12:47+48). But those who have heard it, and do not respond, will not be able to escape judgment (Heb 2:3); because there are commandments in the scriptures (John 13:34), and upon receiving them, they become your duty.

Those who assume responsibilities, though they've never heard the gospel, are more apt to gain acceptance in the eyes of Upper-management (Rom 2:14+15).

Put yourself in God's shoes: you leave Heaven, come down here, suffer and die, as punishment for sin, so that the door to heaven can be opened to anyone; then you stand at that door, inviting people in. Wouldn't you be sort of miffed at the people who were aware of it, but didn't respond?

Respond: Believe in Jesus, and enter through the narrow way, Absolutely Free.

No. 25 Sept. 18, 1995 Absolutely Free

All ashore that's going ashore. Suppose a friend of yours invites you sailing on their boat. They heave-ho out to sea, and the two of you have a grand conversation. Until your friend says, "Which way is it back to land?"

"You don't know?" you ask.

"Heck no. Do you?"

"No. Have you lost your bearing?"

"Bearing, what bearing? I didn't bring a compass or chart."

At this point would you be happy, or unhappy with your friend? Suppose they knew how to read a compass and a chart, and even owned them, but just decided not to bring them. Would you say, "Oh well, it's not your fault?"

Well this is where a lot of people stand with God. They heave-ho out into life without ever getting their bearings. Maybe that's the best jungle natives can do, but in our culture, everyone has heard something about the Bible, and Jesus.

What will your excuse be, if for the best part of your years, you were fully aware that the tools to navigate your way to Heaven were at your disposal, and you blew it off? At this point, do you suppose God will be happy or unhappy?

Unhappy (Luke 16:27-31). As Jesus, He expressed frustration because people could recognize and forecast the weather, but they couldn't recognize the signs of the times (Matt 16:2+3). When He preached, some demanded proof. He called them wicked hypocrites, because the signs of the times were proof, and they refused to acknowledge them (Matt 16:4). Has anything changed? Who's fault would that be?

Would you give to a beggar, who was wearing fine clothes, outside a shop that had a "help-wanted" sign in the window? Neither would God (2 Thess 3:10). We'll have to take responsibility for the decisions that we made (Matt 16:27). There will be no excuses (Rom 1:20). Because no matter how lost you are, you can still find your bearings, by turning to Jesus, and seeking His guidance and direction (Rom 10:13).

Let Jesus be your chart and compass. When you're finished with this cruise, you'll pull safely into port in Heaven, Absolutely Free.

No. 26 Sept. 25, 1995 Absolutely Free

7:30 PM Movie: "Betrayed!" starring the man everyone loves to hate... If a movie is well made, you will actually grow to hate the villain. As the story develops, you might entertain thoughts like, "Somebody ought to blow that guy's brains out." And there is a deep feeling of satisfaction when he finally does get his in the end.

But did he really make you mad? An imaginary person isn't able to make you angry: they don't exist. The person who actually made you angry, was the author of the story. They intentionally arranged the events of the story, to incite your anger. And they direct your attention to someone on the screen, to focus that anger on.

It feels good to get angry doesn't it? Entertainment is simply a process of stimulating emotions, by exposing the audience to images. When people cry during a sad scene, it means the actors have done their job. The audience is played like a fiddle. And if they're entertained, they'll watch it over and over. Such is life.

According to the Bible, this is how we are influenced by spirits as well. Evil spirits try to deceive you into sin with temptation; stimulating your senses and emotions to sway the will of your mind (2 Cor 11:3). The Holy Spirit appeals to your spirit, and stimulates your sense of reason, to resist temptation, retaining control of the will of your mind (Gal 5:22+23). The battlefield is your mind (2 Cor 10:4+5).

Have you ever been fuming mad at someone, and done something in response, only to find out later that you were mistaken? You were played like a fiddle. Hell wins this battle. Now think about how good it felt to be angry. If you were entertained, you'll fall into the same trap over and over.

Just like in a movie, there are writers behind the scenes arranging events. If you've seen this movie before, change channels (Acts 2:38). Break free (John 8:36). Resist the temptation to fall into the same trap of sin over and over (2 Pet 2:22), by turning to God (James 4:7). Unlike cable TV, this service is Absolutely Free.

No. 27 Oct. 2, 1995 Absolutely Free

Revenge of the nerds. Try to remember what it is like to be in jr. high school: the most important thing in the world is being accepted by your peers.

One day you get stuck sitting next to a nerd on the bus. You discover that he's really an OK person, and the two of you have a lot in common. Uh-oh: you've given him the impression that you're his friend.

The next day, you're standing in the hall, looking cool with your friends, and here he comes; walking up to you as though the two of you were life long pals. Well you can do one of two things: 1. Yuk it up with him, like he's cool. 2. Act highly insulted that he could think you would associate with him, and humiliate him publicly.

OK, now it's 12 years later, and there's a position open at a booming company that everyone wants to work for; and you're qualified for the job. As you go in for the interview, who is interviewing the applicants? The nerd. So you think to yourself, "Oh man, I wonder if he remembers that day in the hall." If you do, he probably does too.

Jr. high kids are terrified of the stigma attached to hanging around with a nerd. If you befriend one, your cool friends are likely to reject you. For the same reason, many adults shun the idea of accepting Jesus, or going to church. The possibility is very real that if you do, you will lose your friends (John 17:14).

One day, we'll all be applying for positions in Heaven. None of us are qualified. But we can get in if we know the guy doing the interviewing (John 1:12). Jesus said that people would show up boasting about their qualifications, and He's going to say, "Beat it! I never knew you (Matt 7:23)." Knowing Him is eternal life (John 17:3).

Jesus calls those who follow Him His friends (John 15:14+15). Acknowledge Him before men, and He will acknowledge you Before God. Reject Him, and He will reject you (Matt 10:32+33). And if you suffer rejection from men because you have befriended Christ, He will reward you generously (Matt 5:11+12).

When applying for a position, it helps to have a friend in high places. Accept Christ's invitation to be His friend, and land a spot in Heaven, Absolutely Free.

No. 28, Oct. 9, 1995 Absolutely Free

Elvis Lives! One day at a coffee shop, you read an article in the paper, suggesting that Elvis Presley is still alive. So you comment, "Why don't they let him rest in peace?" But someone else at the table answers, "He is alive. I can prove it."

So you accept their invitation to meet Elvis, and they lead you to their home. Inside you find a shrine dedicated to "the King," with his picture framed, surrounded by newspaper and magazine clippings. They go on to tell you that they come to this altar daily, and talk with Elvis. Does this prove that Elvis is still alive?

Christians talk about developing a relationship with God. And members of other religions challenge that with, "I pray to Allah 5 times a day. How is that not a relationship with God?" You can pray to a picture of Mickey Mouse if you want to, but that doesn't mean that you have a relationship with anyone.

Suppose Elvis is alive. You approach him and say, "Hi, I know your friend, Ed Putterhandle." And Elvis says, "I don't know anyone named Ed Putterhandle." But you know that Ed worships a picture of Elvis, and even dresses like him.

Imitating someone doesn't mean that you know them. Talking at their image doesn't mean that you know them, or that they know you. That goes for Christianity as well. There are people who have been going to church for years, and don't have a relationship with Jesus (Matt 7:23). They don't even know what that means.

A relationship is 2-way communication. God is Spirit (John 4:24). He is holy, we are sinful, and so there is a separation between us. Jesus accepted the punishment for our sins, so that we wouldn't have to be separated from God (2 Cor 5:21). So He is the door that opens the way to God (John 10:9). He is the way (John 14:6). When you believe that, and decide to follow Him, He sends you His Spirit (John 14:15-17).

That's why preaching the gospel is called the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18+19). It's telling people that because of Jesus, they can have a personal relationship with God, by His Spirit Absolutely Free.

No. 29, Oct. 16, 1995 Absolutely Free

I want you for the US Army. Imagine that it's 1944, you're sitting alone in a field near the edge of a cliff. Suddenly, out of the woods come 15 Nazi storm troopers carrying sub-machine guns. They're on a mission to get you.

Now you're not completely defenseless: after all you are a soldier in the army, who has been trained for combat. That increases your odds of survival. And you have a Colt .45 pistol, so you're armed. Do you feel safer now?

How about this: you and your Colt are sitting inside a bullet-proof M-4A1 "Sherman" Tank, with 3 mounted machine guns, a cannon in the turret, enough ammo to last 3 years, and a radio to call for assistance? Better?

Well, in spiritual terms, this is the situation. The storm troopers are from Hell, and they're worse than Nazi's. And whether you are alone, or trained, carrying a sidearm, or protected on all sides and armed to the teeth, is up to you.

The Bible depicts a conflict going on in the spirit realm, over the dominion of your spirit, between the forces of good and evil (Eph 6:12). Each side has an army: angels or demons, and a commander; God or the devil. The evil army will attack you whether or not you ask it to. But the good army will not intrude on your privacy.

However you are free to enlist in it. Just as an army provides, protects, and arms those who are in it's ranks; so the promises of providence, protection, and armament to fight against evil in the Bible, are only to those who are in Christ (John 15:7). Yet His army is not exclusive: He calls to everyone (Matt 11:28-30).

The devil sends his minions out on a mission to get you, whether you're in God's army or not (1 Pet 5:8). If you're not, but know that you can be, it's like standing outside a tank, watching the storm troopers get closer and closer.

You could go to church and get trained (Eph 4:11+12), read the Bible and be armed (Eph 6:17), or enlist, submitting to the authority of God, accepting Christ as your savior, and climb on in the tank (John 1:12). Or surrender to the Gestapo. But God's army won't draft you. So the decision is yours to make, Absolutely Free.

No. 30 Oct. 23, 1995 Absolutely Free

Idiot: A severely stupid person, who possesses no value. In chemistry, there are 92 different elements. What makes them different is the number of protons in the nucleus of their atoms. Gold, one of the world's most precious metals has 79 protons in it's nucleus. Lead, one of the worlds cheapest metals has 82.

Suppose that by some bizarre fluke of circumstance, you discover how to change lead into gold. So you build a machine in your yard to process your lead/gold in. You are very proud of it. This is the greatest accomplishment of your life. But as you are building your machine, people who pass by begin to laugh at it.

One day, as you are in your garage getting some parts, you hear neighbors outside complaining about it, calling it a worthless piece of junk, and an eyesore. You know these people. They have no concept of what they're talking about.

A year later, these same people approach you: the richest person on the face of the earth, thinking that they're special because they know you. They want a favor. Oh, you are well able to grant their wishes, but you also remember their sneers. As a matter of principle, should they reap the benefits from the creation they despised?

The Bible says that if you call someone else a fool, you are in danger of hell-fire (Matt 5:22). Why? While it's OK to notice that someone has done something foolish, they are answerable to their Master (Rom 14:4). Unless that's you (and it's not), you have no business judging them, attaching a label to them.

You also attach the same label to yourself (Rom 2:5), because the Bible says that you do the same things (Rom 2:1). When you pass judgment, you demonstrate that you despise the patience and mercy of God (Rom 2:4). If you despise it for them, it wouldn't be right for you to have any, would it?

What's worse; when you judge a creation, you are judging it's Creator. Insult it, and you've insulted Him (James 4:10-12). That's why it's so important to overlook other peoples' shortcomings (Matt 7:1+2). Jesus is well able to turn lead into gold, to grant your wishes, and to overlook your sins, Absolutely Free.

No. 31 Oct. 30, 1995 Absolutely Free

Geronimo! Suppose one day you're on a flight to an exotic location to spend your vacation. As you strike up a conversation with the guy next to you, he tells you that he's a sky-diver. You comment that he must be very brave to practice such a risky sport. But he explains how safe the sport is.

He explains that hundreds of people across the country parachute regularly without incident, and lists the safety characteristics of the equipment. Then he says, "Once you become familiar with the gear, it's simply a matter of putting your trust in it. There's really no bravery involved. You simply must give it a try."

Then he says that he has equipment with him, and that he is vacationing at the same spot you are. He suggests that the two of you take a recreational jump together. Now you're on the spot. But before you can answer, the pilot bursts through the door to the cockpit, and shouts, "The plane's going down, you're all going to die!" Then he kicks out the emergency door, leaps out the opening, and parachutes to safety.

As your new-found buddy straps on his parachute, are you going to take him up on his offer or not? Every one on that plane is going to wind-up on the ground. Whether you land like a dove, or crash and burn, is up to you.

Seems like a pretty easy decision doesn't it? It's yours to make. The Bible tells us that we're all going to die (Heb 9:27), except for Christians who are present when the Lord returns (1 Cor 15:51+52). When this life comes to a screeching halt, your spirit is either going to land like a dove, or crash and burn (John 5:29).

There's no reason to wonder which it will be. Everything you need to know about spiritual parachuting is in the Bible. Once you become familiar with the gear, it's simply a matter of putting your trust in it (Rom 10:17, Eph 2:8). Although some skydivers do jump to their death, everyone who puts their trust in Christ will land safely (Rom 10:13). After a plane crashes, it's a little late to decide to jump.

Likewise, once you die, it is too late to decide that you want to trust in Jesus (Luke 16:25+26). It costs a lot of money to jump from the sky. But spiritual skydiving is jumping into the heavens, not from; and it's Absolutely Free.

No. 32 Nov. 6, 1993 Absolutely Free

You are here. Mall-walking, power walking through shopping malls to increase one's health, is a term unique to this generation. But if you visit a mall, you can identify several types of mall walking.

Some know exactly where they are going, and what they are looking for. Some are just browsing around, teasing themselves with all the temptations. Some wander aimlessly, without a clue of what they want, or where to get it. They drift across the flow of traffic, causing everyone else to detour around them.

Have you ever gotten lost in a huge mall? "Man, I think that I parked outside of Sears. Which way is Sears?" It's a very disquieting sensation isn't it? Most malls have those convenient directories posted that show you a layout of the mall, and where you are in it. As long as you can read one of those, you'll be OK.

But what if you were a child, separated from your parents, and unfamiliar with the mall that you're lost in? Terrifying, huh? Imagine being a parent, and realizing that your fragile child is somewhere out there terrified.

That's the way God feels (Matt 18:14). Jesus calls those who do not know the way of salvation, "the lost (Luke 19:10)." Jesus has compassion on the multitudes of unsaved people because they are like sheep without a shepherd (Matt 9:36).

Once they hear the Gospel, and come to faith in Jesus, they are found, and the angels of Heaven celebrate whenever that happens (Luke 15:9+10). God himself rejoices because until they were found, they were as good as dead, and He loves them and is concerned about them (Luke 15:20-24).

Some people in this life know exactly where they are going. Some browse around entertaining temptation. Some are clueless. But God owns this mall. His employees, Christians, are supposed to look for the lost (Matt 9:37-10:1), and tell them the Good News that they can get on good terms with God because of Christ (Mark 16:15), returning them to their Heavenly Father. It's a service of the mall, and it's Absolutely Free.

No. 33 Nov. 13, 1995 Absolutely Free

Last chance for gas. Suppose that you own a remote gas station out in the boondocks. A car pulls in, and the driver asks for directions to Bucketville. There are 4 ways to get there: 1. Across the tracks; 2. Through the woods; 3. Just up the road; or 4. Over the treacherous mountain pass and through Snake Valley on foot.

If you send them on route #4, They'll need a guide, and you're the only one available. And you know that when you get to Snake Valley, you'll have to throw yourself across a pit of deadly rattlers, so the tourists can walk over your body as a human bridge. Of course you'll die an agonizing, violent death, but they'll make it to Bucketville.

Of your 4 options, would you choose to send them that way? That would be stupid would it not? Yet many believe that's what Jesus did: they claim to believe that He is who He says He is: God (John 1:1+14); and did what He says He did: die an agonizing, violent death, to make a human bridge for us to reach Heaven (2 Cor 5:21).

But many of the same people who say that they believe this stuff, will say that they don't believe that you need to be a Christian to go to Heaven.

If that's true, then Christianity makes no sense at all. It means Jesus didn't have to suffer for us to go to Heaven. We could have just gone across the tracks, through the woods, or up the road. If that's true, doesn't that make Him look pretty stupid for choosing route # 4? You don't think Jesus is a buffoon do you?

If it weren't necessary, why do you suppose that on the night of His arrest, He sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44), praying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt" (Matt 26:39)?

It was necessary (Luke 24:26); the just dying for the unjust, that the unjust might be justified (1 Pet 3:18). Buddha didn't die for you. Neither did Mohammed or Ghandi or anyone but Jesus (Rom 5:6-8). Under any religion besides Christianity, or without faith in anything, you take the guilt of your sins to the grave with you.

But when you submit to Jesus Christ, accepting Him as your Lord and Savior, God forgives your sins, and accepts you as innocent, Absolutely Free.

No. 34 Nov. 20, 1995 Absolutely Free

Tourist trap. Suppose that you could take a tour of Europe, and afford any of the local delicacies. You visit a café that's famous for its wines. Finding someone to interpret the language, you order the most exotic wine on the menu.

After paying an outlandish bill, you board the bus. Noticing two of the other passengers chuckling, you ask them to let you in on what's so funny. Then you discover that most of the locals at the café could speak English.

The wine that you paid out the nose for, was the same table-wine that all of the locals enjoyed with their meals for free. But because so many American tourists are arrogant, the locals resent them. They feel justified in cheating you and making a mockery of you, simply because you're privileged, and they're not.

But suppose that you had studied up on their culture, and knew the difference between a fine-wine and a table-wine; even learned their language. Would they have been able to snow you? When they saw that you knew what was what, they wouldn't try to pull those stunts. In fact, they would respect you for trying to adapt to their world, because that showed respect for them.

According to the Bible, we are spiritual tourists on this earth (Heb 11:13+14), and there are lots of tourist traps (1 Pet 5:8). As we go through this life, we search for the delicacies of the spirit, and they offer counterfeits (1 Tim 4:1-5). Demons don't like us because we're privaledged, and they're not: salvation is available to us, not to spirits (1 Pet 1:12), so they try to cheat us out of it.

But suppose that you had studied up on the spirit realm, and knew the difference between solid and bogus doctrine? Would they be able to snow you? That's why it's so important to become familiar with the Bible (Matt 4:4). When you know what's what, they respect and cooperate with you (Luke 10:17).

The bogus salvation plans that false religions have to offer, contain stringent rules, making it seem very expensive, which appear to make sense (Col 2:21-23). But salvation is a gift, that Jesus wants you to accept from Him, Absolutely Free.

No. 35 Nov. 27, 1995 Absolutely Free

The war is over! After the close of World War II, lone Japanese soldiers, were found still manning solitary outposts, on remote islands in the pacific.

One, found in the mid-70's, refused to accept that the war was over, unless told so by his commander. They located his commander (an executive for an automotive company), and flew him out to officially relieve the soldier from his duty.

He was armed, dangerous, and considered a threat until he accepted that the war was over, and the people who discovered him weren't his enemies.

The language in the Bible implies that at one time we all knew God (Jer 1:5). But as we became more and more a part of this world, our concept of God became blurred (Rom 1:20+21). Many of us, being deceived by faulty reasoning, have even convinced ourselves to turn against God (Rom 1:28-32).

Jesus said that anyone who is not for Him is against Him (Matt 12:30). If you're not a Christian, that's you: Against God; a threat to those around you. But the instant you accept that He's real, that He isn't your enemy, and accept Him, you are no longer a threat: you join His family (John 1:12).

You may have heard this same message from several people, and still refuse to believe it: "I can't believe that anyone else is holier than me, simply because they made a prayer." But it's not a question of who's holier. Soldiers of opposing armies try to kill one another until one surrenders. Then the soldier who was just against him, is found feeding him, and providing him a place to sleep.

Or maybe you're like that Japanese soldier: you won't accept that you need to submit, until you hear it from your old Commander Himself, God. That's entirely possible. If you earnestly desire to know if He's real, and that the Gospel is true, tell Him so. He'll make Himself real to you. God draws near to those who draw near to Him (James 4:8). Seek Him, and you will find Him (2 Chron 15:2).

You can hold out, waiting for Him to surrender to you, but that's not going to happen. When you surrender to Him, you become Absolutely Free.

No. 36 Dec. 4, 1995 Absolutely Free

This week's exhibit: the Crown Jewels of Abbademia. One day you're looking over a display of royal treasure, and you mutter, "I wonder what a crown like that must be worth." Then the man next you says, "How much y'got?"

"Excuse me," you reply, "Who are you?"

"I'm the curator of this exhibit, and that crown's for sale."

"Oh, I couldn't afford anything like that."

"How do you know? Have you got any old food scraps that you'd be willing to part with, dirty kitty litter, empty bread bags, or pop cans?"

"Well yes, at home in my trash I suppose."

"Then bring them to me, and consider the crown yours."

Well, that sounds screwy. But out of curiosity, you grab an empty can from a nearby dumpster, come back, and say, "Hey bud, what'll y'give me for this?" After examining it, he unlocks the display case, and brings out a diamond tiara. He hands it over to the armed guard, who brings it to you. Next question?

A lot of people look at the jewels of Christianity; forgiveness, eternal life, etc.; and feel that they can't afford them; that they're insignificant to God. But they're wrong. When God showed up as Jesus, He didn't appear to Pharaoh, or Caesar, or any magistrate. He came to Mary and Joe. Average people of low estate.

Salvation is a gift (Eph 2:8). You don't have to give up anything to deserve it (Rom 5:8). But the more trash in your life that you give-up for Christ, the richer you will be in Him. You don't have to (1 Cor 3:15), but you can.

Paul said that his past accomplishments (which were many) amounted to dung, compared to knowing Christ (Phil 3:7+8). You see the more time you spend with Him, the more the things in your life that stink to Him, will begin to stink to you (Rom 8:29). Then you'll want to clean house. Want-to, not have-to.

Although salvation is worth sacrificing all your riches to obtain (Matt 13:45+46), the deal is that Jesus takes your trash: the guilt of your sins; and in exchange gives His riches: His righteousness; to you (2 Cor 5:21), Absolutely Free.

No. 37 Dec. 11, 1995 Absolutely Free

"Thanks Mom nothing! You owe me $4.62 for that pork chop." Suppose that you're a kid, and your mom is a real good cook. So you suggest that she turn the front dining room into a café. It becomes popular, and soon the whole downstairs is a restaurant. Whenever you get hungry, you just go downstairs.

Then she insists that you start paying. Now something's wrong isn't it? It's fine to charge the customers, but you're family. The rules should be different for you, shouldn't they? Isn't a mother expected to feed her kids?

If you can see how one set of rules applies to outsiders, but not to family, you can understand the whole biblical concept of salvation.

Everyone gets hungry. But not everyone is family. You've got your parents' blood in you (Heb 7:9+10). That's what makes you family. The rules are different for you. It's a birthright: yours at birth. They are expected to take care of you.

Likewise not everyone is in God's family. When you join God, by accepting Jesus as savior, and submitting to Him as Lord, God sends His Holy Spirit to dwell within you (Acts 2:38). That's called being "born again" (John 3:3).

Just as when you were born into your earthly family, you had your parent's flesh in you; when you're born again, you get God's Spirit in you: You join God's family. Now the rules change (John 3:6). It's your birthright.

Come Judgment Day, those who have not been born again, will be treated as customers: they'll be expected to pay according to what they've done (Rev 20:12+13). Yet those whose names are in the family register, will gain automatic acceptance into Heaven (Rev 21:27). Their stuff's already paid for (Gal 1:4).

At Christmas time, do you buy presents for each kid in the world, or just those in your family? If that's fair for you, isn't it fair for God as well? It's more fair for Him, because He invites anyone who will, to join His family, Absolutely Free.

No. 38 Dec. 18, 1995 Absolutely Free

Pardon me, but would you have any Grey Poupon? In 1993, massive starvation ravaged war-torn Somalia. This triggered global relief efforts. Many of the victims had been without food for so long, that their systems couldn't handle solid food. They had to be weaned back onto food gradually.

First they were given diluted milk, to restart their digestive tracts. Later they graduated to soupy, unseasoned rice-mush. Yum. For some, it was the best food they'd ever had. Suppose that you were part of that relief effort. After becoming friends with one of them, you offer to bring them home with you.

So they ask, "Do you eat this wonderful rice-slop over there?" You answer, "No." Then they say, "Why then would I want to go with you?"

They don't quite get it do they? The sumptuous chow that is available in western civilization, so surpasses that of 3rd world nations, they can't imagine it. But if they got used to it, they wouldn't want to return to their slop.

That's how it is in Heaven. Some people say, "If there ain't no beer in Heaven, I don't want to go," or, "If they don't have sex in Heaven, why bother?" As though in Hell there will be cold beer, and easy babes. Guess again (Rev 20:10).

If there's no sex in Heaven, whatever is there, will be so exquisite, that sex won't hold a candle to it. Hard to imagine? The Bible says that whatever joy awaits us is so over-whelming, that we can't imagine it (Eph 3:19+20). That means that if you can imagine the joy of sex, whatever is in Heaven is going to be better.

And are you sure that there won't be beer in Heaven? There'll be wine (Mark 14:25). There'll be responsibilities (1 Cor 6:2+3) and rewards (Matt 5:12), and no remorse (Rev 21:4). So to refuse to go there because you want to cling to the things of this world, would be like refusing to go to a banquet, so as to eat bitter slop.

That's what many will do (Matt 22:5). So the Bible says, "Many are called, but few are chosen." Called = invited. Whatever it is that is so fabulous that we can't imagine it, we are invited to enjoy, Absolutely Free.

No. 39 Dec. 26, 1995 Absolutely Free

Keep your elbows off the table. Do you say, "Excuse me," after you burp? Do you say, "Please" and "Thank you?" Why? Are you afraid you are going to rot in Hell If you're not polite? Are you a ninny?

If you respect someone, and they hate it when people bite their fingernails; and this is something that you do; wouldn't you make a conscious effort not to do it while you were around them? Why? Why don't you intentionally chew your nails around them, just to show that you refuse to be manipulated by anyone else?

Or could it be that you're not actually motivated by fear? Could it be that you're simply civilized; that you're willing to be considerate toward others, and appreciate it when others are considerate toward you?

So why is it, that when someone comes to faith in Jesus, and decides to make a conscious effort to be considerate toward Him, others often assume that this person is afraid to cuss, in superstitious fear of hell-fire and damnation?

Some converts to Christianity make a deliberate effort to use sailor-language around their old running-buddies, to demonstrate that church hasn't turned them into a panty-waist. But they don't use that same language in church.

Uh-oh. Two faces make a hypocrite. Furthermore, God is always around (Ps 139:7-10), so our behavior should be consistent, regardless of the crowd that we find ourselves in (James 2:1-9). Anyway, which is more important: impressing your buddies, or impressing God? 200 years from now, which will you wish you had done?

Jesus cried-out in frustration because people who knew that He was right, chose to be cool to their buddies, rather than to God (John 12:42-44). Some things in the bible are difficult to understand, but God makes very clear the things that make Him happy (Heb 11:6), and the things that make Him unhappy (Prov 6:16-19).

One of the things that scripture suggests we cut out, is filthy language (Col 3:8). And if people make fun of you, because you choose to be considerate toward God, you shall receive a reward for that, later (Matt 5:11+12). Would your buddies die for you? Jesus gives you the liberty to choose who your friends are, Absolutely Free.

No. 40 Jan. 2, 1996 Absolutely Free

It's alive... It's alive! Suppose that you were like Geppetto: the old man in the story about Pinochio. You had made a puppet, because you were lonely, and one day, you discovered that batteries would bring it to life.

So you decide to create a whole community of puppets, put batteries in them, and they would all live happily ever after. After decades of hand crafting each one just the way you want them to be, you put the batteries in.

Immediately, one of them begins beating on another, to take his stuff. Most of them start whining because they're hungry. So you feed them. They're not impressed. Some get outside, and the neighbor's dog decides that they're quite tasty. You can hear them screaming. You try to stop them, but they sneer at you.

Oops. God had this problem. So He wiped 'em out (Gen 7:23). But there was one who turned-out right: Noah, so He spared him, and started all over again. But the same thing happened again, and again, and again (Judg 2:11-19). Some of His creations worked correctly, but most went off and did their own thing.

What would you do? If you scrap the whole idea, you're right back where you started: lonely. And would it be fair to destroy the ones who turned out right?

Well, here's what God did: He realized that they couldn't relate to Him, because He wasn't like them. So He made some special ones, whom He had trained in His ways, by His Spirit (Deut 18:15-19). They were called prophets.

But they knew that the prophets weren't really God, only His messengers (Luke 20:9-19). So God created a Son who would look, act, talk, and think like Him, because He filled Him with His own Spirit, and actually was Him (John 10:30).

So they killed Him. But, not a mere creation, He got back up again, and made new rules: Everybody's batteries are going to run out. Then, He's going to put new batteries in them. Everyone (John 5:28-29). The ones who befriended His son, would live with Him in Heaven, and those who rejected Him, would be punished.

Is that fair? Or would it be better it we were all puppets: He could make us do His will by pulling our strings. No rewards, no punishments. Is that fair? You get to choose (Josh 24:15) which you want to receive, Absolutely Free.

No. 41 Jan. 8, 1996 Absolutely Free

This little piggy went to market. Imagine being a farmer, with 2 kids: a toddler, and a teen. You spend the day in town, and when you return home, the toddler is playing in the yard, and the teen is slopping the hogs.

As you get out of the car, the toddler squeals with delight to see you home. Then they come toddling across the yard to you with their arms open wide. You bend over, sweep them off the ground, and give them a big hug.

The teen sees you too. So they clomp over in rubber boots, layered in hog manure, a sweat-stained shirt, and slop-splattered overalls. Aren't you going to whirl them around, with a big hug? Why not? Don't you love them as much?

Then, after taking your herd to market and selling them, you buy the teen a pick-up truck that they can drive to school, and farm in. But wait a minute: aren't you going to buy one for the toddler too? Or, are you playing favorites?

Some people assume that if you're a Christian, you have to dress and act a certain way, and perform duties, or you're not a real Christian. God does want us to work His farm (Matt 9:36-38). But He doesn't want His toddlers trampled, or His teens sucking their thumbs (Heb 5:6:1). So He gives each gifts, and has a distinct purpose for us (1 Cor 12:4-7). God deals with us individually, in due season (Eccl 3:1-8).

Jesus called becoming a Christian, being "born again (John 3:3)." How many people do you know that were born fully grown, ready to work? No matter how old, intelligent, or mature you are, when you turn to God, and accept His forgiveness through Jesus Christ; you're starting all over again (2 Cor 5:17). A clean slate.

Some think that they have to straighten up before turning to God. But you'll never arrive at where you no longer sin. Even the best of Christians slip.

When you were little, did your parents kick you out of the house when you disobeyed? Or did they continue to care for you? By the same token, they punished you, yet you still love them. So is our relationship with God (Heb 12:9). It doesn't mean flawless living. It means growing up in Christ. Did you have to pay rent as a child? Likewise, being a child of God means living with Him in Heaven, Absolutely Free.

No. 42 Jan. 15, 1996 Absolutely Free

Job Security. The whole idea behind the public education system, is to provide kids with the tools required to get and hold a job. 100 years ago, schools taught that God created the universe (Gen 1:1). Everyone knew that one day you would be held accountable to that same God, for your actions (Rev 20:12).

In this century, we've been taught that we mutated arbitrarily from lower forms of life; which themselves were accidents. So people who desire to kill or rape, believe that they simply have strong animal instincts. It's not their fault. Simultaneously, we learned Freudian psychology: "You are a product of your environment." If you have hang-ups, it's not your fault: you came from a dysfunctional home.

So nothing is any body's fault anymore. Isn't that convenient? Now we have an unproductive work force that thinks the world owes them something. The world gave stuff to our forefathers. It's our turn. What do you expect? After all, we can't be held accountable for what we do, and we all deserve "equal opportunity."

But if a man builds an empire, he says, "Look what I have done with my own two hands." Which is it? Did he actually accomplish anything, or is his empire simply a product of a dysfunctional home? It can't be both.

While psychos teach that hardship is your excuse, the Bible teaches that hardship builds character, enabling you to accomplish great things (Heb 12:11). That's why people who have nothing, rise from poverty to greatness, but their children, having everything, accomplish little. No character building hardship.

If you go to a gym, and say to the trainer, "I wish I could lift heavy weights," he doesn't say, "Presto! You can lift 500 lb." He makes you lift more and more, over and over. It will hurt. And when you're done, you get your wish.

So don't be surprised if you say to God, "I wish I had more patience," and you meet frustration. It hurts. You're getting your wish (James 1:3). The Bible even says that we should rejoice, knowing that this is happening (James 1:2). That's why the greatest men in the Bible met the greatest adversity (Job, 2 Cor 11:23-33).

Which is more realistic: the world's philosophy, or how God says that it works? Learn from God, and secure a position in Heaven, Absolutely Free.

No. 43 Jan. 22, 1996 Absolutely Free

Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should. A church has to decide who is going to fill a new position as deacon. There are 2 choices.

The first is an influential banker with a nice suit and nice car. He has a grasp of the Bible, but occasionally roughs-up his wife. The other is a mechanic, who doesn't own a suit, but has a much deeper understanding of the Bible. But every Sunday, he is seen stomping his cigarette out, as he reaches for the church door.

Which of these 2 men do you suppose is most likely to get the position? Which would you choose? Did you get 2 different answers? Which do you suppose Jesus would choose? Well, according to the Bible, is it OK to beat your wife? No (1 Pet 3:7). But is it OK to smoke? What do you think? What does the Bible say?

Well plenty of Christians will be quick to tell you that you shouldn't defile your body, because it's the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16+17); meaning that you shouldn't smoke. But does smoking defile your body?

No. Jesus said that nothing that enters a man from outside can defile him, but only things that proceed from him defile him; then He listed evils that proceed from a man's heart (Mark 7:15-23). Paul tells us that nothing is unclean of itself (Rom 14:14). Both Jesus and Paul use the word "nothing." Furthermore, the Bible clearly says that the only sin you can commit against your body is sexual immorality (1 Cor 6:18).

So smoking doesn't defile the temple of the Holy Spirit. Unless of course, Jesus meant to say, "Nothing except tobacco, sodium, sugar, fat, cholesterol, artificial color and preservatives." How long do you want the list to go?

Suppose it were the year 1734, and you wanted to preach the gospel to the Indians. But the only way that they would listen to you, was if you smoked from a peace-pipe with them. Would it be a sin then? What's the difference?

So if you chose the mechanic, you probably made the same choice Jesus would have made (Jas 2:1-9). Maybe you and He have more in common than you thought. But even though it's not a sin to smoke, any kind of addiction is slavery. Jesus doesn't want you to be a slave (Luke 4:18). He wants to set you Absolutely Free.

No. 44 Jan. 29,1996 Absolutely Free

"Preacher-man talkin' on TV, puttin' down the rock & roll; wants me to send a donation, 'cause he's worried about my soul. A drunkard wants another drink of wine, and a politician wants a vote. I don't want much of nothin' at all, but I will take another toke..." Charlie Daniels; Long-Haired Country Boy.

Everybody wants something. And people will do what they want. Or at least they will find a way to get what they want. Why do you work where you work? Is it because you want to work there, or because you want the money? Here's a good test: If they didn't offer you money, would you still work there anyway?

So it's a matter of what you're willing to do to get what you want. The people who run the business where you work, want you to work. They have to determine how much money they are willing to pay, to get that work from you.

God wants things too. He wants all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:3+4). He doesn't want anyone to be lost (Matt 18:14). So all He has to do is determine what He's willing to do to get what He wants, or what He's willing to pay to get others to do what He wants.

He did. As Jesus, He left the splendor of Heaven (John 17:5), endured every hardship that man has encountered (Heb 4:15), and torture and death as the punishment for everyone else's sins (1 John 2:2). He paid it all. Then He rose again to collect what He wanted: our love, respect, gratitude, and loyalty.

Money can't buy those things. Doesn't your employer pay it's employees with money? How many of them love, and respect, or are grateful or loyal to the company? So what else can God do to get what He wants from you? Money won't do it.

People don't have those feelings for someone that they don't believe in. So what God wants most of all, is for you to believe in Him (Heb 11:6). Then those feelings will come naturally. You come to believe by hearing the Gospel (Rom 10:17).

Whatever happened to the Long-Haired-Country-Boy? Charlie Daniels became a Christian Recording artist. Being able to afford almost anything he could want, he found that what he needed, was what Jesus wanted, and offered, Absolutely Free.

No. 45 Feb. 5, 1996 Absolutely Free

What floor please? What if you read in the paper about a job opening that you were qualified for, that paid 10 times what you make now? Imagine reporting to the address in the ad, at the top of a huge skyscraper and being asked, "How did you get up here?" "I took the elevator," you reply.

"It cost this company $4,000,000 to install that elevator. Do you have $4,000,000?"

"No."

"Then you're not allowed to use it. You'll have to go back down."

So you head for the stairs. But they say, "Excuse me, but it cost this company $800,000 to build those stairs. Do you have $800,000?"

"No."

"Then you're not allowed to use them."

"So how am I supposed to get down?"

"2 of our employees will escort you to exit by the window."

You're sort of at their mercy, aren't you? After all, you didn't deserve a free ride up to the top. And you didn't earn the privilege of using their stairs. What if they gave you the option of joining the company? Then you could use company stuff.

Would you join, or die? That's kind of how it is with Christianity: You see salvation is God's elevator to Heaven for others to ride on. It cost Him dearly to build (John 3:16). So none of us deserve salvation (Rom 3:23). We didn't build it, Jesus did.

You can't earn a place in Heaven (Rom 4:1-4). You can only accept it as a gift from God (Eph 2:8), by joining in His company. If you refuse, you'll be thrown out (Matt 22:11-13). Justifiably so: you wouldn't allow any stranger who simply barges into your home to live there would you? They have no right to be there.

Trying to work your way to Heaven is like trying to take the stairs. Imagine how tired you would be about half-way up. And every time you sin, the sign at the next flight would say, "First Floor." But even the stairs belong to God (Ex 20:1-17).

Tired of climbing? No matter what floor you're on, you can sign-on with Jesus, by believing in Him (John 1:12), and accept the elevator ride, Absolutely Free.

No. 46 Feb. 12, 1996 Absolutely Free

What did you do during the war Gramps? As a child grows, Grampa wants him to know that he was a hero during the war. But because what he did in the war was technical, a child wouldn't understand.

Then one day, the boy grows up, and joins the Marines, just like Grampa. He comes home on leave, and they sit up until the sun rises, swapping stories about fighting in jungles, and bars, and sailing the sea. Now Grampa can tell him about the war in detail, and he will understand with a greater appreciation.

He goes back to his duty station and brags to his buddies that his grandfather fought alongside Chesty Puller at the "Frozen Chosen" in Korea: how knee-deep in blood, guts, and grenade pins, he saved his unit with his trusty bayonet.

Meanwhile, Grampa's face beams with pride while he tells the guys at the VFW, about the boy's exploits in the last conflict. The two have formed a common bond, and their pride in each other is evident to those around them.

This is what God wants with us. Angels can't provide that. They were created to be servants (Heb 1:13+14). He created us for companionship. Just as He created woman from man's flesh, as a companion for man (Gen 2:18-23), He created mankind in His image (Gen 1:27), to have His Spirit, as a companion for Him (Eph 5:29-32).

He longs to talk to each of us about the things He's done, but many of us are too spiritually immature to appreciate His ways (Heb 5:11-14). Like a woman who spends all week baby-sitting children, but starves for adult conversation. It's not that she doesn't love children; it's that she needs companionship from someone who can relate to her, and understand. That's what God needs.

How about you? Don't think that you don't qualify because of sin. God loves you in spite of your sins (Rom 5:8). The reason Jesus died for them, was so that they couldn't keep you from being God's companion (2 Cor 5:20+21). When you realize and accept that, you become a baby-Christian. He needs you grow in your faith.

He'll be glorified as your pride in each other becomes evident to those around you. He wants your friendship, and you can give it, Absolutely Free.

No. 47 Feb. 19, 1996 Absolutely Free

Where's the beef? Suppose that you were a child, and you were sitting at a table that had bowls full of candy; every kind imaginable. But just as you reach for your favorite type, one of your parents say, "Don't you eat any candy!"

OK. So you sit there. You want to be good, but there's all that candy right in front of you. And you notice that a lot of the time, your parents aren't even paying attention to you. Meanwhile, several days go by, and they don't feed you.

Eventually, you're going to eat some aren't you? This is how many people perceive God: It's like He's not even paying attention to us; but when He does, He says, "Hey! Don't you do that!" Yet nothing is provided to satisfy the hunger, so sin is inevitable, and futility accompanies the desire to please God. Why even bother?

That's why it was necessary for God to come to us as Jesus. The man Jesus was an earthly container of God's Holy Spirit (Matt 12:18). Once He accepted the guilt of our sins (2 Cor 5:21), and allowed us to kill Him; the container was broken, and the Spirit was poured out upon men (Acts 2:17). You can be filled with that Spirit (Eph 5:18). This option wasn't available to anyone before Jesus came to save us.

It's like a seed, dying, being planted in the ground, and the essence, or spirit of that seed producing a plant with thousands of identical seeds on it (John 12:24). So the reason God doesn't want us filling ourselves with sin is that He doesn't want us to ruin our spiritual appetite. Now there is something to satisfy the hunger.

You are made up of spirit, flesh, and soul (2 Thess 5:23). Your soul, or mind makes the decisions that you will be held accountable for. Your spirit, and your flesh war against one another for control of your mind. One illustration of how that works is two angry dogs fighting for something: which one will win? The one you feed the most.

But suppose your parents set you before the candy, and say, "Have at it! Eat to your heart's desire." After a couple years of sugar-rush hyperactivity, you would be diagnosed as a toothless diabetic. Is that love?

No. So where's the beef? It's in the Bible: living on Jesus, the Word of God, is meat indeed (John 6:55), and it's Absolutely Free.

No. 48 Feb. 26, 1996 Absolutely Free

It's all in your head. One day, a man talking to his neighbor in the driveway, says, "I have a confession to make: you're the sexiest woman I've ever met." She blushes, so he goes on; "You make me wish I wasn't married. In fact, when I'm alone with my wife, I secretly fantasize that I'm really with you."

"Is that so?" His wife's voice calls out from the garage.

Now do you suppose that she's going to be upset? But he's never actually slept with another woman. So does she have the right to be upset?

Suppose the neighbor was a centerfold-grade babe, and the wife was not. So the husband's excuse is, "I'm sorry Honey, but look at her. I'm not blind. I can't help noticing. I was just being honest." Should that make it OK?

No. According to the Bible, when you get married, you surrender the ownership of your body to your spouse (1 Cor 7:4). Suppose someone borrowed your car, and got 8 tickets for speeding, and running red lights. Wouldn't that make you angry? Now suppose they say, "Why are you upset? I didn't wreck it."

No, but they were dishonoring you, by doing things that you would disapprove of in your car. So, when you ogle some member of the opposite sex, you dishonor your spouse by doing things that they would disapprove of, in the body that is theirs.

Jesus said that if a man looks at a woman to lust after her, he's guilty of adultery (Matt 5:28). Don't get confused; it's not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted, yet never sinned (Heb 4:15). It's OK to notice an attractive body. But when you stare, and begin to fantasize about that body, you're stepping into sin.

How about, "I can't help it?" Is that true? For some people, yes. After having submitted to the temptation to entertain sexual fantasies, they are powerless to resist. You become a slave to whom you obey (Rom 6:16).

If you become uncomfortable knowing that you're a slave, know that Jesus came to release the slaves (Luke 4:18). The power to resist temptation, comes from submitting to God (James 4:7). Jesus can set you free (John 8:34). If you want to love your spouse absolutely, maybe it's time that you became Absolutely Free.

1Corinthians7:4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

No. 49 Mar. 4, 1996 Absolutely Free

Can a leopard change it's spots? Dirt. What can you do with it? Seems like pretty useless stuff doesn't it? But consider the ceramics industry. Look at what they've done with dirt. From clay ashtrays, to vases, to elaborate sculptures.

Bricks. One by itself doesn't look like much, but many of the most magnificent buildings in the world are made of them; held together with mud. Now technology seems to be re-discovering the marvels of ceramics. We make ceramic cutting tools that are harder than steel, and electrical super-conductors.

So from the most primitive peoples on the earth, using clay to make pottery, to the arts, to the construction industry, to the most advanced of the scientific community; we're finding out that there's not a whole lot you can't do with dirt.

So what is the greatest thing that has ever been made out of dirt? You are. According to the Bible, God made man out of dirt (Gen 2:7, 3:19). None of the achievements of science have come close to that one. No intricate piece of porcelain in the world matches the attention to detail, and care that God has poured into you. Consider the complexity of the human anatomy. Just studying it is a science in itself.

Have you ever made anything out of clay? Have you ever tried to, but what you ended up with, didn't even look like what you were trying to make? Depressing, isn't it? So, when you reflect on how you turned out, do you feel like an exquisite masterpiece, or a lump of mud? What do you suppose God sees?

Well, a leopard can't change it's spots, so you're stuck with what you've got, aren't you? No. God says that we are like clay. He is able to remold us (Jer 18:6). We can't change our spots, but He can. We just need to be moldable. It's difficult for God to work with someone who has a hard heart (Heb 3:7-11).

He sets before us the way of life, and the way of death (Jer 21:8). He admonishes us to choose the way of life (Jer 27:12), and says that He will straighten us out if we do (Jer 24:7). He's God. He can do that. But He wants you to be willing.

Jesus is the Way of life (John 14:6). Once you believe and accept the Gospel of His salvation, God will begin remodeling you, Absolutely Free.

No. 50 Mar. 11, 1996 Absolutely Free

Homophobia: fear of homosexuality. Also, a label tagged to people who don't accept homosexuality as appropriate behavior.

Hmm, that's odd. What if you're not afraid of it, but you don't agree that it's normal behavior? Why should you be labeled as someone who has a phobia: a mental condition of irrational fear? Is that fair?

For example, most people think that terrorism is wrong. Is that irrational terror-o-phobia? You might think that stealing is bad. Does that make you burglar-o-phobic? If you don't think that anyone should just be able to walk up to you, and punch you in the face, maybe you're a bloody-nose-o-phobe.

Homosexuality is wrong (Rom 1:26+27). In fact, the Bible explicitly says that there is no place in Heaven for homosexuals (1 Cor 6:9). But if you preach that today, you'll be considered a hate-filled hypocrite. After all, Christ accepts everyone (Rom 10:13), and He calls us to love one another (Mark 12:29-31); Yet Christians refuse to accept and acknowledge the homosexual lifestyle. Isn't that disobedience?

No. Let's say you have a relative who confesses to murder. Yet you still love them. Does that mean that murder is OK? God says that homosexuality is an abomination (Lev 18:22). He didn't say, "Unless of course you love a homosexual." It's not a genetic condition. It's a spiritual condition, and it's correctable.

So does that make them worse than any other kind of sinner? No. He also says that if you break one of His laws, you are guilty of breaking them all (James 2:10+11). The passage that says homos won't go to Heaven, also says neither will adulterers, thieves, drunks, or revilers. Another passage includes liars, kidnappers, whoremongers, and anything else that ain't right (1 Tim 1:10). Anyone feel left out?

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Uh, that would be Jesus. But He didn't come to condemn (John 3:17), He came to save. If you know someone who struggles with homosexuality, or any other habitual sin, know that Jesus came to, and can, rescue them from the power of that sin, and set them Absolutely Free.

No. 51 Mar. 18, 1996 Absolutely Free

"He who live in a glass house should not throw stones." Confucius.

Imagine watching a high school track event. As a kid on your team is running past where the opposing team stands, one of them trips him. Because of fatigue, he doesn't realize that he was tripped. He just thinks that he stumbled.

But sitting in the stands, you know that it's not his fault, and so you stand up and shout, "Get up! You can do it! Go go for it! It ain't over!" But he can't hear you for all the kids from the other team encircling him, jeering him.

They tell him that he's worthless, and they laugh at him and kick him. They call him names, and tell him that he has let his whole team down. And he believes them, and wants to cry, and he just wants to quit, and accept the shame.

The Bible tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, so we should cast off anything that could hinder us, and run our race (Heb 12:1). Who are they? The spirits of men and women of God who went before us (Heb 11).

For some, knowing that there is an audience watching them, is an opportunity to show off, and become a hero. But others are mortified that someone can see every time they fail. That's because the enemy tells them that they're failures.

Yes, they see every time that we fail. But they also see the enemy cheating. The Bible tells us that people don't just sin: they are lured into sin by temptation (2 Tim 2:26). They are tricked, and trapped, and then convinced that it's all their fault.

When you fail, the crowd is still cheering for you. They want you to get up. They're not disgusted by your weakness. They were weak too (Ps 51:3).

Feel like quitting, like you're less than God would have you be? It would be nice if you could see the crowd in the stands wouldn't it? But they're invisible (Col 1:15+16). So is the enemy (Eph 6:12). And the enemy is very busy distracting you from the truth of God's Word, with thoughts of discouragement (2 Cor 10:4+5).

They're lies. God never discouraged anyone from trying to do their best. And if we trip and fall, He's happy to forgive us, through Jesus, Absolutely Free.

No. 52 Mar. 25, 1996 Absolutely Free

"She blinded me with science!" Thomas Dolby, 1982. There are 2 types of scientific principles: Theory and Law. A theory is where someone says, "I think it works this way." When someone proves a theory, it becomes a law.

For example, Sir Isaac Newton figured out why planets orbit the sun, and called it gravitational pull. That was his theory anyway. Then he performed experiments, proving his theory, and science adopted the "Law of Gravity."

He didn't invent gravity, but proved it. He had to, because a mere theory doesn't prove anything. Let's look at the scientific laws of "Thermodynamics."

1. "In any process, the change in a system's internal energy is equal to the heat absorbed from the environment, minus the work done on the environment." Or, an ice cube in a bowl of hot water will melt because of heat absorbed. Energy isn't created or destroyed, but transferred as heat or work.

2. "In any system the entropy cannot decrease." For example, a burning match: the wood is fuel. The charcoal is entropy. As long as the match burns, it will only gain entropy, and lose fuel. Everything in the natural universe deteriorates.

3. "All bodies at absolute zero would have the same entropy." Absolute zero would be no heat produced, no energy exerted, no waste resulting. Or all heat expired, all energy transferred, everything is useless, or waste.

So the universe could not have always existed, it would have, eons ago, burned itself out. And it would defy the laws of nature for it to have created itself. So something that supersedes natural had to create it.

Voilá: Scientific proof of the existence of God. First, God created it (Gen 1:1). It was at "absolute zero" (Gen 1:2), and He lit it (Gen 1:3), and the laws of thermodynamics, are man's observation of it being in the process of burning out ever since.

Knowledge and wisdom are gifts from God. When you try to turn them against God, you become a fool (Rom 1:21+22), because "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Prov 1:7)." False wisdom is not true science (1 Tim 6:20). And if you ask, God will give you wisdom (James 1:5). Absolutely Free.