Dangerous minds

New thoughts vs. old truth

Recently I was in a christian bookstore searching for a new bible for my daughter. As always I started getting a little vexed the longer I was in there. I don't know, there is just something about those stores that doesn't feel right. Maybe it's the spin that the marketers put on the gospel that's so repulsive or the "new" thoughts on God people are trying to sell.

I like the NKJ version so we were looking for one appropriate for her. Well there was basically one shelf of bibles to choose from with very little variety. The NIV and other paraphrased versions however were on many shelves with all sorts of different kinds.

It's alarming how the most popular bibles and books are the ones with the most human influence and opinion. This got me thinking of how dangerous our own thoughts about God can be if they don't line up with the word.

Years ago I was speaking at a meeting and right before I got up to speak the worship leader said "I really feel like God is saying "this is the year our dreams are gonna come true"

Well the word I was bringing that night was basically this is the year we need to say "not my will but yours be done". I'm pretty sure mine was the right word because I was preaching the bible that night.

Truth is powerful but the more watered down it is, the less power it has to change lives. The gospel is powerful but the more we mix in our own thoughts and ideas the less affect it seems to have.

I remember years ago we were trying to help a young single mom. She had many problems and was mentally and spiritually very unstable. As we tried to help her she never seemed to make any progress, this went on for months. After a while she decided to move across the country to live with a relative, their church was more of a "tough love type of church" They radically preached truth and didn't apologize for it.

I talked to her on the phone months later and she was a different person. She was on fire, evidently they hadn't used the mushy enabling love that we were trying to help her with, they challenged her, didn't stroke her self pity and had her out on every outreach. This had an amazing effect on her life, they simply turned the gospel loose on her and let God do the rest.

God's thoughts are not our thoughts nor our ways his ways let's be careful we don't try to improve the gospel or re- interpret it in our attempt to help, we may be doing more harm than good!

Jesus always raised the standard

Many times in life we tend to lower our expectations. This is sometimes considered wisdom especially in relation to dealing with people. However we need to be careful this doesn't become the norm in our life. Yes people will disappoint us, yes Gods timing many times is not ours, but as believers were called to be like Jesus. What was He like?

He lived a lifestyle of expectation, a life of true living faith. He had the ability to believe His Father and also to believe in people. He wouldn't have died for humanity if He didn't.

In one account He told a woman to "go and sin no more" this wasn't just a catchy Jesus saying, it was living faith. When He said "he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also".

Again He's always challenging, always raising expectation, always believing. This is how we're called to live. Always believing God, always raising our expectation, always trusting the God that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

Always preaching Jesus is the way, always bringing the reality of the Kingdom of God in our midst!

Reality "the state of things as they actually exist"

I was recently thinking of some old friends of mine who's motto was "reality is for people who can't handle drugs". Not the brightest bulbs on the tree I'll admit, but they did have a creative way of twisting things.

Before I was a christian I was on a similar path trying my best to not face reality. At the same time I knew God was real, His kingdom was real, and if I didn't repent I was in big trouble. When I did give my life to the Lord one of my first revelations as a new believer was God calls us to dive headfirst into reality. His reality, any other mindset is really just fantasy.

Jesus said "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" Why? This world is at best a fleeting fantasy. "The world is passing away and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever."

Think of everything you've done, tasted, or experienced up to this moment. Where is it? It's gone, it's like chasing the wind, this life is at best a vapor.

The strategy of hell is to distract us from the will of God, from His purpose for our lives, which is to know him and advance His kingdom. The trick of the world, the flesh and the devil is to offer fantasy over reality. If were not walking in a revelation of the kingdom of God were living a "fantasy life". Even as a church goer or religious person.

One definition of fantasy is "imagination unrestricted by reality". I believe this is the lawlessness the bible warns of. Many today are trying their best to keep God out of their minds, cultures and yes even churches. The crazy thing is this, this is God's world, in Him we live and move and have our being, Jesus is the king, there is no escape.

Why do we feel the need to water down what Jesus actually says? Because it messes with our "fantasy life".

In Luke 8:37 is the most fearful prayer any of us could pray, it says "then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. This is the account of Jesus healing the demon possessed man.

He shook their fantasy life so much they asked Him to leave. What's even more fearful is His response to their prayer. He left!

Others

I was reading the account of the time William Booth sent out his annual Christmas encouragement to his workers. Times were tough and the ministry didn't have much money, he only had enough to send one word, he chose the word "others".

This got me thinking of where we are in our present day culture. The bible says in the last days men would be "lovers of themselves". In our quest to be relevant to our culture, I fear our culture may have more influence on us then we think.

Our Christian walk can easily turn into a self help program or worse a self love program. Jesus speaks in Mathew about this reality taking people by surprise at the judgement when he separates the sheep from the goats.

Our ministry to the lord is linked with our ministry to people, probably more than we think. It's very clear when Jesus judges the nations many will be shocked at the revelation that the heart of God is for "others" this really messes with our me Christianity that most have come to know.

Yes we are called to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling and yes we are to love God first, but Jesus spoke much about laying down our lives.

In the Iraq war re enlistment has always been way up. The media never mentions this but it's true. Why do they re-enlist?

They re-enlist for "others" they go back to help their fellow soldiers, they fight for each other. This really needs to happen again in the church. The bond that is formed in battle is one that's not easily broken. It's a committed love that produces courage and trust, I believe this only comes by laying our lives down for others, for the vision Jesus set before us.

In this "what's in it for me generation" of self lovers we are called to be different.

We are called to love, to sacrifice, to go the extra mile, called to reach out at the risk of looking foolish or being rejected.

The gospel is an escape from the coming judgement, yes it's wonderful to live for God but our freedom is for others. It's not so we can just shake our "ankles" for the lord. It's not so we can just have a happy life until Jesus comes.name=

I remember waiting for the Christmas parade to start in downtown Winston Salem this past December. Just before the parade a few thousand people lined both sides of fourth street eagerly awaiting the parade.

I couldn't help but think about preaching the Gospel at full volume in the middle of the street. I also couldn't help but think how inappropriate that would be.

Well that's the million dollar question isn't it. When is it appropriate to share the gospel? Are people really going to hell?

Did God really commission the Church to bring the good news miracles signs and wonders?

Is God really expecting us to penetrate this world with the Gospel?

I guess I would have to say it is absolutely appropriate. We tend to er on the side of caution more worried about how we come across or if this is the right time.

We listen to that voice of sophistication that says " oh that would be inappropriate."

Jesus said "today is the day of salvation" I know we really don't have much persecution in this country maybe it's because were so passive and cautious about bringing the truth.

Here's an account I found of how Timothy was martyred:

Timothy tried to halt a pagan procession of idols, ceremonies, and songs. In response to his preaching of the gospel, the angry pagans beat him, dragged him through the streets, andstoned him to death.

The Christmas parade we watched was probably just as bad as the one Timothy couldn't sit still for. Santa, a Homo float and one with a transvestite waving to all of us. Next time I need to be more bold.

Are we more worried about offending people then offending God?

Is there actually a godly tangible boldness, a cheerful courage available for us to walk in ?

I believe there is!

What are we seeking first?

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and happened to invite him to go on outreach with us. He responded by saying "hey maybe I will if I don't have anything else to do later".

I new we wouldn't see him because the reality is there is always "something to do later". This is one of the main strategies from hell to keep us distracted from the very heart of God.

Maybe his response just came out wrong, but it really got me thinking. This is the mindset in much of our Christian culture today. Jesus said seek first the kingdom and His righteousness but to many times we try to fit it in when we have time.

Our natural tendency is to take the best for ourselves and give God what's left. The default setting for our flesh is always the path of least resistance.

We purposely schedule our outreaches many times at the best time of the day to help break us out of our selfish mindset, because the reality is, we will never have the time, love will always challenge us to take the time. When we do, God always seams to heap on us much more than we could ever gather for ourselves.

What ever happened to good old fashioned giving God our best. I believe if we just got back to basic worship, things would radically change. Instead of giving God left overs what if we gave him our first fruits in every area.

What if what we gave him actually cost us something. "Ouch"( that's starting to hurt a bit) but seriously, What if a new culture is emerging where God gets the "prime time slot".

What if a new breed of Christians is emerging who won't love their lives unto death. A people sold on being followers and not just believers.

What if as the darkness covers the earth and deep darkness the people, the Lord arises over us and His glory is seen upon us.

I believe it's coming, it's here and I want in on it!

No guts no glory

Jesus warned of a wave of deception that would come in the times we live in. One of the dangers of our generation is that we are increasingly elevating image over reality. Think about it, with the introduction of the internet, many people today have much of their identity wrapped up in their online "image".

My space, face book even blogs can present an image that isn't exactly reality. Even our communication e-mail, texting etc...takes away some of the face to face accountability and reality of life.

Although these tools can be useful we need to be careful. Worshipping image over reality will be one of the greatest tests that comes upon the world. We are extremely vulnerable, if we don't hold to the truth we will be deceived.

Sadly many believers are caught up in this as well. Many of our websites, blogs, my space etc.. even our vision statements can be designed to impress and portray an image that isn't reality at all. Don't get me wrong I'm all for technology but we need to be careful we don't leave reality behind.

I began to think about this last year as I visited a church, they had a holiday outreach with a handbook to go with it. The pastor gave some of his testimony in the first part of the book and he prefaced it with an apology. He said he usually writes more academically, but so people could better understand, he would write more plainly. (I guess he was referring to us peasants and chickens.)

Well since I don't have as many letters in front of my name as this "highly intellectual" pastor, I went and looked up the word academic. Here's one of the definitions:

Theoretical or hypothetical; not practical,realistic ,or directly useful.

Bingo, that describes much of whats going on in these times. Much of what is preached today is very theoretical, not practical, realistic or directly useful at all. It's evident in a lot of christian bookstores where the christian fiction section is growing and growing and the applied truth section is shrinking. This breeds a comparing of ourselves among ourselves mentality and a false image based Christianity.

This type of deception is what Jesus warned us of. He also warned of the leaven of the Pharisees. He said do as they say but don't do as they do. They had a religion of image and not truth, sacrifice but not mercy.

The never ending search for another way will always be a temptation. There is a way that seems right, but it's end is the way of death.

Living for God will never be convenient, true love never is. Reaching the world with the gospel of the kingdom will never be easy it will always require courage and sacrifice.

The testimony for every follower of Jesus Christ will always be, he who endures to the end will be saved........No guts.......No glory!