I Can!

"I Can!".  That's a very short, little sentence.  But it is very powerful.  I can!  I wonder how many people heard something different as they were growing up?  Something like "You can't!".  You may be surprised at the number of people who heard "You can't!" more than they heard "You can!" growing up.  Many people today lack self confidence and self esteem because of those negative words.  However, the good news is that the Book says, "You can!"  (The Book is the Bible or the Scriptures.  I just like to refer to it as The Book because it is the manual for living life.) 

Philippians 4:13 (from The Book) says, "I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me."  Taken in total context this verse is very interesting.  What does it mean?  Let me first explain what it doesn't mean.  It doesn't mean you and I can do anything we want to through Christ who gives us the strength to do it.  For instance, I think it would actually be quite cool if I could fly!  No, not on an airplane (I love that too).  But I think it would be cool if I could just fly.  But God didn't engineer my body (at least in this life) to fly.  Just because Paul said he could do all things through Christ who strengthens him doesn't mean he could lift a car over his head either!  (Yep I know they didn't have cars back then but I'm just saying.)  To understand Philippians 4:13 in context we must look at some previous verses in the same chapter.  In verse 11 Paul says, "...for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am."  Then in verse 12, "I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  Paul follows with that famous verse (Philippians 4:13) by saying, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."  Paul is saying, "In thick and in thin, Christ gives me the strength to handle it, carry on, and make it through!"  

So often in the hard times we find it easy to say "I can't".  But the truth is...YOU CAN...through Christ.  He didn't come just to take all your problems away.  He also came to be with you in the middle of your struggles, to hold your hand, and perhaps even carry you through your struggles.  The bottom line is...through and in Christ we can face anything!  In Christ we can endure anything!  Through Christ you find the strength to rise above any circumstance even though you are in the midst of them.  We are definitely living in challenging times.  We've all had to make some adjustments and trust God even deeper.  But the bottom line is YOU CAN...even in the circumstances.  You will make it through!  But only as you find your strength in Jesus Christ and in His will for your life.  I'm telling you...YOU CAN!

You Don't Have To Start All Over Again - Again

As I was in God's presence this morning I was overwhelmed with not only His presence...but another realization of how deep His grace reaches.  This was special!  We must realize that His grace reaches so much farther than our introduction to Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  Yes, that's the beginning, but God has so much more for us - because after being known by Him since before time - we now know Him...by His grace!

Too often we feel unworthy of God's best because we struggle at times with sin and the flesh.  We allow evil voices whisper to us that since we've sinned as a Christian, we've blown it and in order to get back into His grace we must go back to square one.  But that is not the truth.  To think we have to start over and that we've blown it puts us under law...not grace.  Please understand that the very nature of God's grace is that it is abundantly available to be appropriated in this walk when we fail or sin as believers.  (See 1 John 1: 9)  By God's design we confess our sins to Him and we are forgiven.  And yes, grace is not a license to sin.  But appropriated it keeps us clean from sin and unrighteousness, no matter what we have done!  That's grace.

You are worthy of God's calling on your life.  God's call on your life is irrevocable according to the Word.  You didn't work to obtain it...and you cannot commit works to cause you to loose it.  You are a precious creation of God by His Spirit.  Appropriate His grace and mercy in your life.  Whatever you've done, simply and honestly confess it to Him.  The promise is that you will be forgiven and cleansed!  Then keep on keeping on as if it never happened!  It's grace and it is yours...in Jesus!

Christianity Goes Hollywood

My last post was about The Industry of Christianity.  It's amazing how many folks are "in the ministry" for personal gain.  Whether there is a true calling or not doesn't matter if you employ the ministry for personal gain, or to build your own kingdom.  How do you know if one is employing the ministry for personal gain or to build their own kingdom?  Simple...this ministry is built around them!  It's that simple!  If this person were removed...the ministry would fall apart!  It is built on their personality.  It exalts their name and image.  Don't get me wrong.  Having a ministry named after you is not wrong.  What's wrong is when that ministry and everything about it exalts you or someone other than Jesus Christ.

Now...on to this post.  Christianity goes Hollywood!  What does this mean?  Here we go.  Much of ministry today is built on sensationalism...just like Hollywood.  What is sensationalism in ministry?  It is simply methodologies used in ministry (by man) to spice up things to make it look like God did it...just like Hollywood.  However, the motivation is to impress man in order to attract more people.  More people are attracted (by man) so BIG buildings are constructed.  When people see the BIG building they assume God has done it all.  And they assume the minister is some sort of super-minister, above and beyond the norm.  Why?  Because everything is Big!  The truth is God is not impressed at all with BIG.  He is impressed with simple trust and obedience.  God shows Himself BIG through ordinary people who couldn't do anything without Him (and they know it.).  This is NOT an attack on big ministries.  There are many big churches and ministries today (by man's standard) that are born of God and operate by faith in God.  And this world would be a worse place without them. 

Whatever happened to the pure moving of the Holy Spirit?  I'm not old fashion.  Most of you who know me know that I love the cutting edge.  I love change.  I love adapting, etc.  Whatever it takes to move and flow with God in an ever-changing culture.  But one thing that has not changed, and never will, is man's total dependence on our God to accomplish His will on this planet.  We seem to have forgotten that we desperately need Him just to gather with one another to worship Him!  The truth is...God is sensational!  How can He not be?  He is incredibly BIG and nothing is impossible for Him!  When He is allowed to be the God that He truly is, REAL stuff happens!  It doesn't matter if you swallow goldfish or balance spinning plates on sticks.  I truly believe that if we're not careful we can all be sucked into the "Hollywood" syndrome in serving God.  We can be intrigued (in the wrong ways) by flashing lights, cameras, audiences (they used to be congregations), shows (which used to be services or gatherings), props, and a host of other things we've employed to be relevant to our culture.  

Finally, why do you do what you do?  Is it because everyone else doe it?  Or because it is the latest "form"?  Just asking.  Whatever we do needs to be born of God.  Even if you are the ONLY one doing it.  

The Industry of Christianity

I wonder what the Apostle Paul would think if he could see what television has done to Christianity these days.  He says, "For we are not like many, peddling the Word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God."  (II Co 2: 17)  What did he mean "peddling" the Word of God?  From the original language "peddling" means to "retail" or "adulterate" the Word of God.  Even in Paul's time folks were "retailing" and "adulterating" the Word of God.  In other words, they were using the Word of God for personal gain.  Somewhere along the way (in the beginning or on into it) they discovered that the ministry of the Gospel (the Word of God) could be employed for self-gain!

I recently saw a popular televangelist selling non-perishable food for future hard times @ over $1000 a shot.  It was his way of preparing Christians for hard times ahead...@ $1000 a pop.  Jesus said that if we seek FIRST God's kingdom, and His righteousness...all these THINGS will be added to us.  (Matt. 6: 33)  This same televangelist is offering other merchandise you cannot do without for donations of $100, $500, and $1000.  Now listen.  There's nothing wrong with selling stuff to help support you ministry.  It's the same as working a job to support your ministry.  Again, absolutely nothing wrong with that.  Times are tough today.  However, it's peddling (retailing, adulterating) God's Word I'm talking about.  I once saw another TV evangelist offering holy, anointing oil (from Jerusalem) for a stiff one-time gift.  "You give this amount and I'll give you this."  I just don't think it's right for some human to determine what my blessing will be as a result of my giving from a cheerful heart.  Shouldn't that be up to God?  You see, peddling God's Word is preaching it's blessings in order to inflate your own bank account.  It's being so engrossed in this stuff that marriages and families go down the drain because the ministry is so important.  Go ahead and open up an internet store and sell the stuff.  Support yourself, (that's really OK), but just don't adulterate the Word of God.

You see, all this makes believers look pretty dumb.  Sorry about that, but it's true.  A televangelist scams millions of people, goes to prison, is released and does it again?  Come on people!  Wake up!  The world is watching and they ain't so dumb!  (Pardon the grammar.)  The purpose of Christianity is to share and spread the love of Christ.  It's ALL about Christ, a good bit about other people, and not so much about you and me!  That may sound harsh, but that's what makes true Christianity go round!  That is what truly changes a life.

And finally, beware of so-call ministries that are continually marketing crisis.  Beware of ministries that are always offering something if you give something.  Beware of ministries that always promote their high-powered founders (at the expense of godly character).  You need to pray about whom you support.  You need to investigate whom you support.  They don't have to be perfect...but make sure they are walking in godly integrity and possessing godly character.  (Coming next "Christianity Goes Hollywood")