Hallelujah

I deeply enjoyed this.  I think you will too.

Three Words For Those Who Suffer

For those who suffer (as I do) from the stress and grief sometimes brimming over in our days, let me remind you that as insecure and insufficient and inept as it all seems, three other words are the gospel and power of God that rises in you and me:  everything we have because of Jesus—all of it!—is “imperishable” (it is ever-lasting and eternal), “un-spoiled” (it is untarnished and undefiled—there is no “Sell by” date!), and “fade-less” (the radiance of what you and I have will never diminish).  And all of it is secured, reserved and guarded for you by God Himself.  Nobody can touch it—not you, not me, not anyone, not any thing.  Nothing can change it.

1 Peter:1:2b Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

Imperishable
Un-spoiled
Fade-less

We are well and we are secure, even on whacked-out, crazy, stress-full planet earth. 

(This is a transcript of yesterday’s video, “Three Words For Those Who Suffer,” and is for those who might rather read than watch.  To see the video, click http://youtu.be/xh7h6fupHb8, or simply scroll down this page.)

Three Words For Those Who Suffer

Got 2.5 minutes?  If stress and grief visit with you as they do with me, consider these three God-given words intended to encourage you in your days.

A Devastating Cover-Up

Here’s a heads up, an important one, about a cover-up that’s really hurting you. 

From the apostle Paul to the Colossians in chapter 1: 

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant (Colossians 1:21-23, italics mine).

Satan’s goal is to move the church away from the gospel of reconciliation.  “Reconciliation” means:  to have been put into complete harmony with God; to have been made entirely compatible with Him.

Satan works to get us to believe that we have not been made holy and without blemish, as verse 22 tells us we have.  He suggests in lots of ways that we’ve not been reconciled.  If he can seduce us into believing anything less than the gospel (if he can get us to believe, for example, that at our core we’re 75% holy and 53% without fault), then we, the people of the gospel, won’t believe the good news.  There’s no way around that.  Instead, we’ll believe that God’s gift of righteousness and holiness and redemption (and all the other incredible gifts we’ve received through Christ) have either not been given to us or have been sullied, dirtied, and perhaps taken from us.  Now what do we do?   So, moved away from the gospel (which Paul warned us against), we will no longer be free from accusation.  Is that clear?  Read over the passage if it isn’t.  Moved away from the gospel, we’ll take a pounding!  And it will hurt.  We’ll believe suggestions like, “You’re an idiot!”  “You’re stupid!”  “You’re a terrible Christian!”  “You’re a sinner!”  “You’re bad!”

So to stop the pain, we’ll cover up.  We won’t live by faith and we won’t trust God.  We can’t.  We don’t know what He’s done.  We don’t believe He’s finished the job—not with us, at least.

But because our days and lives go on, we’ll turn on our personal image projection system.  After all, now there’s work to be done.  In a terribly twisted way, we’ll believe that we have to earn what has been and will always be a gift.  We’ve got to manage ourselves and make ourselves better, because God actually didn’t.  Just look at the evidence.  Then we’ll measure ourselves and others by how we’re looking and by how we’re really getting ourselves together now.  Really.  But that’s not Christian living.

This is the primary misery plaguing the church.  We’re horribly cheated when we go for the image we can perform instead of the revival and life of faith and grace that the church is supposed to assist us with.  Of course, I don’t mean the building church, I mean you and me—all of us.  It’s what we’re equipped to do, it’s what’s natural to us now; to assist each other with reconciliation, that we’re well with God.

To see if you’ve been affected, I want to ask you a question:  If people suddenly knew that you sometimes got sloppy drunk, were in an affair, were lately looking at pornography, or were about to have an abortion, who would you be most afraid of meeting:  a roomful of Christians from your church, or a room full of people you didn’t know?

If you responded, “I’d be most afraid of a roomful of Christians,” you have something in common with me and with 90% of the people who have previously answered the question.  Think for a moment about what that means.  The implications are devastating.  We’re a church that doesn’t like or trust each other—not really.  How can we have fellowship on the grand scale befitting the bride of Christ—the redeemed—if we don’t know and value what we have in common?

Since God’s revelation about my own cover-up, the most difficult people for me to be around have been Christians.  Not rookie Christians and not those recently born anew, but some of the veteran and leader types, those who shepherd the flock.  They often don’t see the church for who it has already become in Christ (having been reconciled), so they work to make something of it, to push it somewhere and to make something better happen—a bigger church, for example.  They don’t actually see the dazzling church right in front of them.  That means the members have to be taught what to do, how to look, how to reach out, how to love, how to obey, how to fight and how to win.  WIN!  And get more people to come . . . and stay.  And get more people to come . . . and stay.

But because these leaders don’t know who they already are (new creations), the projection way of life remains, and their hearts are left bound up, blocked from view and blocked from life.  Their only hope is God and His reconcilers.

If we don’t help convince new believers who they now are, and if we don’t prove to them that they may walk among us without fear, safe and welcome because they’re actually part of us, then we’ve left them in the tangle of the grave clothes of their previous way of life—a way of living that was dead, when they didn’t have life.  We’ve got to tell them that they’re free and alive and new!  If we do not, then even as we tell everyone in Christ to run because they’re free, no one really will be.  Everyone will be impaired because everyone will be stumbling over the grave clothes we’ve not helped to remove.

Do you remember reading about when Lazarus was brought out of the tomb by Jesus’ command?  As far as we know, everyone just stood there at first, until Jesus said, “Hey!  Go make him free.  Take off his grave clothes.”  Well, what if they didn’t do it?  How long would it have been before Lazarus got tired of the embarrassing struggle outside the tomb, and sort of penguin-waddled his way back inside?  Who wouldn’t?  At least he could hide. 

This is what happens when we don’t assist people with reconciliation, and this is why church is mostly boring, given enough time.  We’re not truly impressed, and we’re not actually engaged with one another.  Not really.  Not with who we have become in Christ.  Imagine a sanctuary filled with mummies, and you’ve about got the picture.  This is what happens to believers when they’re still wearing their own grave clothes, when they don’t know they are truly dazzling, new creations in Christ, with new life and a new way of living.  It doesn’t matter whether they’re new or longtime Christians.  When they’re not relieved of living as they once did because they’ve been made new, they cannot help “falling away” or “backsliding” into hiding.

However, God “has committed to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:19).  It’s ours, and I’m deeply thankful for the sons and daughters of God who are noticing the urging of the Spirit in them toward assisting others.  This is why so many of us are involved on Facebook and in blogs and other social media, and why we’re writing books and making videos.  The profound message of reconciliation drives us.  So let’s go together.  There is no other way.

(This is a transcript of yesterday’s first-in-a-series video, “What happens if . . . we don’t believe we’re reconciled to God when we actually are?  A Devastating Cover-Up.”  This written version is for those who might rather read than watch.  To see the video, go to:  http://youtu.be/kkmuQaU2D9k.)

A Devastating Cover-Up (What if . . . #1)

This is the first video in an every-now-and-then series with the lead title, “What happens if . . .?”  I mean to look at things that hurt us and twist us, including today’s topic, “What happens if we don’t believe we’re reconciled to God when we actually are?”  It’s devastating.  No kidding.  But there’s hope.

God Is Lousy At Math

If my daughter’s school requirements are any indication, then it has to be said that God is lousy at mathematics.  He’s simply terrible at counting anybody’s sins, even if they’re particularly good at sin counting for themselves.  And if anybody could do it, He should be able, don’t you think?  With the knowledge and historical records that He has, He could easily be a math genius and blow us all away.

Nevertheless, whenever anyone recounts their sin while speaking with God, not only does He pay no attention to the records (at least not to yours or mine), He seems convinced that we didn’t do it.  While looking at us, He appears always to have Jesus’ record in mind, and He keeps assigning to us the same sin number:  Zero.  I think it’s His favorite number.

My point?  Don’t bother asking Jesus for help with your math homework.

(See 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Hebrews 10:17-18; John 3:17)

(This is a transcript of a crummy quality video from March 2013, “God Is Lousy At Math.” It's for those who might rather read than watch.  To see the video, go to http://youtu.be/P3fmZoATcwI.)

Convention 220

Here’s one of the events I’m looking forward to most this year! I know many of the speakers, and can’t wait to join them for this weekend that is essentially about the wonder of “Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Can you make it? I’d love to meet you.

For more information, go to: http://www.network220.org/events

Happy Valentines Day!

Sometimes my wife, Sarah, and I celebrate Valentines Day, but most often we don’t.  Some people like an annual celebration of their relationship, but we find it contrived.  To us, maybe the best part of V Day is knowing that there’s not one person who has the tiniest relationship with us that isn’t convinced that Sarah and I are bonkers about each other.  It’s obvious—to us and to them.  And we think that’s pretty wonderful.  I love my girl and she loves me. 

You know that, right?

The Lesser Things of Folderol

(This is a transcript from yesterday’s video, “The Lesser Things of Folderol,” and is for those who might rather read than watch . . . BUT YOU’D BE CRAZY BECAUSE THE VIDEO IS MUCH MORE FUN this time around.  To see the video, click http://youtu.be/WqyQykA1Bcc, or simply scroll down below.)

I have an unusual story today—a modern church parable. For those at a recent and very large conference belittling all things Charismatic (people and beliefs, many of them misrepresented in my view), for those who say, “all are included,” and for those who say, “Only those who receive,” for those who say one cannot lose salvation, and for those who say, “Oh, yes, you can,” and for everyone trying to build a house on only a small piece of the ground of Christianity, this is for you.
___________________________________________________

In the town of Folderol, lesser things sometimes become primary things.

Most everyone in the town knew Jesus, and often delighted in talking together about their experiences with Him. They were pretty thrilled with Him and oftentimes with each other as a result.

But on one crisp, sunny day in Folderol’s main square, a crowd gathered around Bob Bloviate. Bob thought it would be a good idea to honor Jesus during the next Christmas season by adorning the square’s pine trees with strings of clear lights. “The more the merrier, I say!” exclaimed Bob Bloviate. “Imagine how glorious it would be to walk in the light!” he extolled. “Why, it’s so obviously a perfect plan that I don’t know why we haven’t done it before,” he said. Mary Marvel, filled with zealous excitement, shouted, “Amen! It’s the right thing to do!” Nodding heads all around affirmed it to be so.

Until, that is, Fred Fanfare cautiously raised his hand. “Well, Fred,” said Bob Bloviate, “what is it you want to say?” Summoning his courage, Fred Fanfare said, “I like multicolored lights. I think it would be better to hang multicolored lights.” There were subtle coughs and slight winks amongst the crowd. “Really?” questioned Bob Bloviate. “Multicolored lights, Fred? I think we’re all in agreement that clear lights are more true to the holidays, you know, more in keeping with the glory of God. Am I right, everyone?” Everyone murmured that he was . . . everyone except Fred Fanfare.

Somewhat more determined, Fred Fanfare responded. “No, I believe multicolored lights would be more representative, more faithful to God’s character throughout history. He has chosen people from a multitude of nations, so I think mine is the better idea.” Suddenly, Bill Bandwagon spoke up. “You know what, Fred Fanfare has a point. I mean, when I look back through history, well, I have to say that God’s chosen people are sure a mixed-up bag of tricks!” Both Bill Bandwagon and Fred Fanfare chuckled, as did a few others in the crowd.

Feeling the tide turning against him, Bob Bloviate thundered his answer. “This isn’t about people, Fred, this is about God! If we’re going to be true to God, we’ve got to focus upon what brings glory to Him! And I say clear lights represent His power, purity, holiness, and eternal nature. What could be better than that? Right, folks?” Mary Marvel seemed to nearly lift off the ground in exuberant passion. “That’s right, Bob! It’s always been this way! Why, I can feel it in my heart—I just know clear lights are the way forward!”

Several in the crowd uttered support and even pumped their fists in the air. “Clear lights! Clear lights are the way to honor God!” exclaimed Tom Testify. “Everyone knows it. Come on, Fred! Can’t you see?” But Fred couldn’t see. Or wouldn’t.

“Now, wait just a minute,” cautioned Fred Fanfare. “I believe that if Jesus were here today, He’d confirm that multicolored lights are eternal reminders of His immutable character. He’s certainly no respecter of persons, and has no allegiance to any one tribe or tongue. Am I right? I can’t believe you people would put Him into such a tight box!” Bill Bandwagon shouted support, and Ginger Genuflect revealed that she, too, was on board by kneeling in prayer. “Oh, Lord, we know you have always been an inclusive God, and that multicolored lights are the perfect representation of your character. We just thank you for leading us today. . .”

Tom Testify interrupted: “Oh, Lord, do not harshly judge this wayward daughter, for she knows not what she says. Show her the truth, Lord, that she could repent.” Here and there a soft “Amen” could be heard from the clear light supporters, which had begun to draw away from the multicolored light proponents and sort themselves together.

Just then Nancy Needy, having left her ailing mother’s side moments before, strode into the opening left by the now divided throng. “Has anyone seen Jesus? Can anyone tell me where He is? I need Him.”

Betty Bluster, who only moments before had sided with the clear light gang, fairly hissed, “I can tell you where Jesus isn’t, that’s for sure!” When several people shouted “Amen!” and Bob Bloviate said, “Preach it, sister,” Fred Fanfare could take it no longer. “This meeting is over! All those of the multicolored lights, stand with me! We must separate ourselves from the clear lights heathen. Together we’ll see to it that truth prevails! You and you only are invited to my home for food and fellowship. I’ll provide the coffee! Who will bring dessert?” Ginger Genuflect raised her hands and said, “My brownies!” Arnie Argumentative offered, “My chocolate chip cookies are better than anybodies!” And Hank Hawkish laughed and said, “I’ll bring my appetite!”

The clear lights gang embraced each other with glee, and the multicolored lights supporters drew together as well. “’Bout time we had some clarity around here,” said Bob Bloviate. “Oh, thank God!” exclaimed Betty Bluster. “I’ve never felt such unity.” Feeling the passion of the moment, Connie Codswallop cried out, “I’ve been needing a cause to get me going! I’m committed to a community of clear lights!” Tom Testify offered a way forward. “Let’s get together at my house. I’ve got some paint and poster board, and my wife, Imma, would love to make some signs for us. She’ll be so glad to finally be using her gift!”

Almost forgotten by the gathering groups, was Nancy Needy. With a bewildered look on her face, she said, “Wait, will you? Lights are good and lights matter, but they don’t matter like this. And what about Jesus? Can you tell me where I might find Him?”

“He’s around somewhere,” replied Connie Codswallop. “Everyone knows He’s always around, right?” A bit of smugness lit her face. “But I wouldn’t bother asking anyone from the multicolored lights crowd. They’re clueless!”

“Oh, as if you know!” an angry Fred Fanfare replied. Feeling encouraged by his supportive group, Fred went on. “It’s obvious that you’ve never really known anything about Jesus. What else would explain your ridiculous beliefs?” Everyone in the multicolored lights group nodded and harrumphed happily. “Look, Nancy, I’m sure He’ll be here soon. Can’t you wait? What’s the rush? We’ve got plenty to do—why not join us?” asked Fred.

Before Nancy Needy could get a word in, Betty Bluster blurted, “You don’t want to be a part of that bunch, Nancy! They’re dangerous, and I’ve lost most any respect I ever had for them. I’ll be getting rid of any of their books I might have in my library, as well, and I’d advise you to do the same. Even a little bit of poison can kill you, right, Nancy?” Bob Bloviate weighed in. “I think I speak for all of us, Nancy, when I say you’d be welcome in our fellowship. I can tell you’re a discerning woman, and I’m sure you agree that clear lights are God’s best, right?”

Nancy Needy replied, “Oh, well, I don’t know exactly. Do I have to know? I mean, can I take a few days to think about it?”

“Sure, you can, Nancy!” beamed Bob, “And allow me to serve you by coming to my home where you can enjoy some fine coffee and dessert with people you’re sure to enjoy! People just like you!”

Mary Marvel suddenly whimpered. “Oh, I’m so confused. At first I thought decorating with clear lights was the way to honor God, but now I think multicolored lights might be better.” Jubilant, Fred Fanfare said, “Yes, Mary! I knew God was leading you to the truth. What a good decision you’ve made. It’s so good to live in the light, isn’t it? After all, no one wants to be lukewarm!” gushed Fred Fanfare.

“You’re either for us or against us, Mary Marvel!” countered Connie Codswallop. Clearing his throat and riveting his focus upon Mary, Tom Testify said, “You’re making a choice, Mary. It’s either clear or multicolored. Beware of back-sliding, because your eternal destiny depends upon it.”

“Jesus?” cried Nancy Needy. “Jesus? Are you near? I need you now, and I’m so confused by all this. I just want you . . . You.”

Fists clenched, Bill Bandwagon said sternly, “Nancy, you have to make a decision. Over there are the heretics. Do you really want to be led by them? Do you want to be a part of them? You need to be with us.”

Nancy Needy, her face pale and eyes wide, said, “But I’m not sure I want to be led by any of you. I just want Jesus. Can you tell me how I can find Him?”

“Look, Nancy,” said Bob Bloviate, “You have to be part of a community seeking truth, and that’s us. We’re Bible only. None of that humanistic liberalism will be found here. That’s over there.”

“Oh, that’s rich!” sneered Fred Fanfare. “Who set you up as high and mighty, you hypocrite? Why, I remember when you had a string of multicolored lights on your house at Christmas time! I even helped you put them up! That’s the truth!” Those of the multicolored lights group murmured their agreement.

Bob Bloviate simmered with anger. “How dare you throw my past sins in my face! I’ve grown! I’ve changed! I’ve seen the light, and it’s clear. Anyone with any maturity knows it. But I don’t expect that from you, Fanfare! You and all those with you are not on good terms with the truth. And that’s the truth!”

Straightening a bit and crossing her arms, Nancy Needy said, “But I don’t know if any of you have grasped the absolute truth, since that’s who Jesus is. I trust Him. My experience with Him is always completely safe and deeply loving. But I’m not getting any of that from any of you. I don’t think I’m going to find Jesus here.”

With that, the newly formed gangs, each filled with confidence in their knowledge of the truth, turned their backs to each other and began to follow their leaders to their sanctuaries.

“We’ll pray for you, Nancy,” a triumphant Bob Bloviate exclaimed. “We’ll pray that one day you’ll make the decision to join us. We’re going to build the best display of God-honoring clear lights anyone has ever seen! To God be the glory! Amen?” “Amen!” his members shouted in unison. It felt so natural and invigorating to them.

Fred Fanfare, his faithful following, said cheerfully, “We’ll get a multicolored lights fund started right away. With God on our side, we’ll build something so powerful that the glory will be evident for miles and miles around! Hallelujah!” “Hallelujah!” mimicked the faithful, reveling in unity.

As snow began to fall in the square of Folderol, Nancy Needy was left alone . . . but soon she wasn’t.

Valentine's Galore

 Here's today's post on Surrendered Image, a great blog and resource I introduced to you a week or so ago. I think you'll like it, especially in the light of Valentines Day. (Yes, I'm the author.)

Click on the link below:
 http://surrenderedimage.com/Blog/valentinesgalore-21386

The Lesser Things of Folderol (A Parable)

I have never produced a video remotely like this.  Serious, silly, fun, and meaningful with an important point, that’s what you’ll find in this modern church parable.  You may not agree with it, but that’s what you’ll find.

The Black Plague of 'But Nots'

A recurring plague amongst Christians is summed up by the confession: “I worry about how I’m doing with God.” Do you know that worry? While it doesn’t exactly kill us, still I think of it as something like the Christian version of the Black Plague of the 14th Century. It threatens and cripples a lot of us a lot of the time, darkening our hopes. But it doesn’t have to.

To see if you’ve got the plague, think for a moment on this question: “Can I, a Christian, sin up a storm and lose anything with God?” If you answered, “Yes,” then you’re sick.

When the apostle Paul wrote the following to the sin-crazed Corinthians, he wasn’t making something up in order to gain a following; he knew something foundationally important. “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify” (1 Corinthians 10:23). I’m concerned that the church today majors upon the “but not,” rather than upon the “All things are lawful, . . .” How about you? Which part gets your focus? Are you a “but not” person?

Oftentimes, we think of Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth as a “but not” letter. In other words, “You can do all kinds of stuff, but not _______________.” Indeed, there is a lot of corrective instruction for the Corinthians, but “correction” always brings one back to the truth. As you know, that’s especially important for a Christian, since he lives by and rests upon the foundational truth—the starting point—of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What is that truth? Well, it certainly is not that we mustn’t have divisions in the church (1 Corinthians 1-4), nor should there be immorality (chapter 5), nor lawsuits amongst brothers (chapter 6), nor freedom that takes advantage of another person (chapter 10). That’s ancillary truth, or truth that supplements and comes about because of the starting point. So it’s not the starting point.

The Corinthians were looking pretty lousy in the ugly light of those things, so Paul warns them against the lunacy of running “aimlessly” from their starting point. (See 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.) The Corinthian runners were not in danger of God taking anything away from them, but of not enjoying the benefits given to them at the start of the race.

In every one of Paul’s eleven letters to the church, he begins with the benefits of our foundation, the starting point truth of the New Covenant in Christ. Here it is: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, you have everything from God already and can relax in your race concerning Him, because Jesus has run it and won it for you already, setting the world record, and given you the gold medal as your own. Run as the champion you are.

This is not some obligatory salutation, a mandatory greeting to simply get out of the way so Paul can get onto the deeper doctrine. This is everything. In our correction of others (whether we’re giving a sermon to a room full of people, writing a note, making a video, or simply addressing ourselves in our own head), if we do not start at the start, as Paul always did, we will succumb to the “but not” plague. In the light of how we look in our race, we’ll believe we’ve gone off course and gotten lost, and might be in danger at the finish line.

Listen to Paul’s starting point with the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 1:4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

That is the everyday, every moment starting point for every runner in Christ. You have everything God could give you. You’ve lost nothing. That is the New Covenant. God took you out of having to ever earn anything of the everything He has already given you in Christ. You’re not part of the covenant equation—there’s no pressure upon you to keep it. You simply get all of the benefits. Forever. He has seen to it already.

You can run because of your beginning, which has taken care of your finish. This is how a Christian lives, by looking to his beginning point. “Ralph, you’re done. Look at Jesus—keep your eyes upon Him—because He is your reward before you run anywhere. To be sure, you will know some corrections on the course—some ‘but nots’—but you can do anything, Ralph—it’s all legal, it’s all lawful—because the race is won. Press on.”

Do you see what that does? Those who have stumbled, get up again. Those who are wearied are renewed in strength. Those who doubt they can make it to the end because of how they’re running, take heart because the secure and excellent end is not in doubt. “He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:8)

After assuring the Colossian Christians of their secure, New Covenant starting point, Paul writes:

Colossians 3:1-4 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

And what glory that is.

(This is a transcript of yesterday's video, "The Black Plague of 'But Nots,'" and is for those who might rather read than watch. To see the video, click on http://youtu.be/Ee9BWScuB3A.)

The Black Plague of 'But Nots'

A terrible mental plague amongst Christians is summed up by the confession:  “I worry about how I’m doing with God.”  Do you know that worry?  Then this little video is for you . . . and maybe someone you know.

God's 24/7 Menu

Could you imagine the Holy Spirit ever getting tired of His constant ministry of giving and producing righteousness?  By now you know about His 24 hour menu of serving you with right thinking, right loving, right longing, and right behavior—just like Christ. In fact, it’s all His.  And now it’s yours.  The Holy Spirit’s serving menu is the best ever. 

2 Corinthians 3:9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, (and the ministry of the Law was always on, 24/7, around the clock condemnation, in all of its forms, for all who tried to abide by it) how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!  (24/7, around the clock righteousness, in all of its forms, for all alive in Christ.)  (See 2 Corinthians 3:6-10.  Italics mine.)

So I guessing that your inner alarm would go off if you ever heard in your mind, “I’m sorry, Sue, Ron, Jim, Mary, Ralph. This whole ministry of righteousness is tiring . . . It’s wearing on me, you know?  I need a break, so I’m going to instead condemn you for a while.  Maybe just a day or two . . . We’ll see how it goes.”  That wouldn’t fool you, would it?  You wouldn’t listen, no matter where it came from, or from whom it came.  You wouldn’t, right?

Good.  I didn’t think so.

(This is a transcript of yesterday’s video, “God’s 24/7 Menu,” and is for those who might rather read than watch.  To see the video, click http://youtu.be/CVFToqXAaNs.)

Convention 220

I hope you can do this -- I wouldn't miss it. And since I'm one of the speakers, I can't. But still. From Andrew Farley:

IT'S HAPPENING!

What if 100+ grace-centered ministries from around the USA and beyond gathered for one huge event? And what if a dozen dynamic speakers - Ralph Harris, Bob Christopher, Preston Gillham, and many more - united to offer workshops on life-changing topics you really care about?

It's happening this March in Dallas. It's CONVENTION 220!

For more information and to register click: http://www.network220.org/events

God's 24/7 Menu

Got 3 minutes?  Have you ever wondered if the Holy Spirit takes a break from what He does with you?  What might that be like?  This should help you catch a liar if one’s been speaking to you.

Of Being With

One of the best gifts someone can give another is the pleasure of being with. Not with SO they can fix them. Not with SO they can get something from them. Just really WITH them . . . through anything and everything. Authentic. True. Sincere. Real. Able to hurt with. Able to laugh with. That’s true friendship, and it’s one of the greatest gifts given . . . and received.