What does a healthy Living Church look like?

I used to think Living Church or a Church on Fire (as Charasmatics would call it in the 90's) was a busy local church. My church would have Cell Groups, Prayer meetings, Worship workshops, Sunday School training programs, Soaking Sessions, Friday Outreach, Youth Meetings, Youth Rallys, Feed the Poor outreach, Hospital Visitation Groups, Word Equipping Meetings and Staff Meetings happening all the time. (Eish - that is quite a mouthful!) "Wow! Things are happening here all right!" and "God's moving and we're just facilitating what He's doing in the city" were the mantras from our pastors.

 

Besides the Sunday morning and Sunday evening gatherings, there was a constant buzz amongst all of us...we were alive and kicking, but barely. What I didn't care to admit to myself (or anyone else for that matter) was that many of us were exhausted. "Come to Jesus and you can be free, just like us," we'd tell our unsaved audiences....except we weren't that free. Or happy. Physically and mentally, we were finished. It flipping was hard work. And I didn't even have kids at that stage...I can only imagine what my friends with children were going through with all the demands parenting come with.

 

The problem was that the local church I was part of was so busy organizing itself so it can run itself so it can be successful at living by itself was doing anything at reaching anyone else....it was servicing just US - the local church!!! By the time we were finished making each other better singers or Sunday School teachers...we had very little time and energy left for our own families. Let alone the lost and dying souls in our city? (and sport!)

 

I now believe a healthy living local church is one where each one who belongs to that local church is OUT doing what he or she has been given by the Lord to do. If someone in my local church has a desire to build up strong marriages and has a kick-ass marriage course....then he/she must take that OUTside the local church. If some in the local church feel they'd like to be part or join in...then so be it. But surely it can't just be the same 12 couples from that same local church that came last year. Do you get my point?

 

A living church might seem quiet - hardly any buzz - because the people are not bringing their energy and effort IN, but rather they are using it OUTside; each one doing what they believe God has put on their hearts to do....whether it involves cooking classes, piano training, marriage enrichment, dance and theatre...He has given us gifts and talents - not for us (or even just the local church) - it's not for you - it's for the glory of God - to make Him famous amongst those who don't know Him yet.

 

Happy living!!

(Disclaimer: I'm certainly not against staff meetings or theological Bible studies - but get the point. We can't just be about servicing ourselves. We have to be on about how to reach those outside of the local church with what God has put inside of us!)

An un-deferred Heart

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…” - Proverbs 13:12

Any part of your life in which you have no hope for, is under the influence of the devil.  The devil’s influence can’t exist in a space where there is faith and hope. Hope is a sure-footed, firm-rooted-standing on the concrete of what God has said and on what you are trusting for God to do in an area of your life.

There is nothing worse than a hopeless Christian. It stinks of unbelief. And it’s the opposite of the way He’s designed us and designed His Kingdom. He has created us to breathe the oxygen of hope and faith. It’s what fuels us.

A sick heart is a heart depressed; it’s a heart under a dark cloud of misery, pain and defeat. The greatest enemy to a believer is unbelief. When unbelief leaches onto the heart of a believer, it sucks out all hope and faith.

So I say again: Any part of your life in which you have no hope for, is under the influence of the devil.

What’s the opposite: Any part of your life in which you have dreams, hope and faith for, is not under the influence of the devil.

So, whether it be with your health or your finances or your marriage or your children or your job situation or your ministry or your purpose in life – every area of your life – ask yourself: Have you lost hope in what God can do in that area of your life?

So let me throw some faith and hope your way:

The Bible says that:

·         “We are hidden with Christ in God.” Eternally secure, forever safe and forever His. Our safety is ultimately due to His grip on us rather than our grip on Him. We are in His hands and nothing is able to snatch us out.

·         “Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.” We have an enemy on the outside; but we have an all-powerful King on the inside and there is nothing that can take Him by surprise.

·         “You are all sons of God, through faith.” By design, He has made me in His image. New creation, righteous heart, godly desires, kingdom dreams – this is who we are! We are like our Daddy in Heaven.

Transformation comes when the mind is renewed to God’s truth. The heart will become healthy again and lose all of the enemy’s influence when we deposit faith and hope into it. “No mind has seen or eye heard or mind conceived what God has planned for those who love Him.” As sons, we are His beloved and He has dreams and purposes for us! Let not your heart grow sick with fear and unbelief. Rise up. Shake of the dust. And stand firm in your God.

The Scandal continues...

When sharing Christ one-on-one with people, I invariably share what he's done for me and I share what He's made available for anyone who would just believe. Admittedly, the most common response is "Yes, I believe in Jesus. But I need to sort myself out first, get my mind right and then start going to church." #confusedlookonmyface

 

Did they not hear what I was saying? Or maybe it's their way of trying to end the awkward conversation?

 

Even after sharing the GOOD news of the FREE gift for those who would JUST believe, the default response is about their need to sort themselves out and turn their life around - almost as if they've been pre-conditioned to the stereotypical belief that before they come to Jesus asking for forgiveness, they need to stop sinning to some degree. I mean, lest we forget the old adage: God helps those who help themselves! (Still haven't found that one in the Bible.)

 

What makes the good news so good, is that actually God helps those who CAN'T help themselves. That's why it's called good News and not good Advice.

 

Let me tell you a story of how good this is: Suppose your life is represented by a white carpet in a bedroom. As time goes by, you spill all sorts of things on this white carpet. Over time the messy food and drinks, the red tomato sauce and the black shoe marks make this carpet shine like a Vegas neon light show! It's becomes anything but white. The problem, is that God expects white. And I mean really white; it must be a clear shining sparkling diamond pristine white!

So you and I resort to our default: A boer maak a plan! We get down on our knees with some good old fashioned Preen and carpet soap and we shampoo the hell out of that carpet. We scrub till our knees and elbows are purple. But alas, no clean shining sparkling diamond pristine white carpet. It's still a mess. Nothing you can do can make your carpet clean.

 

When the good news is believed and we surrender ourselves to trying to help ourselves in order for God to help us, He rocks up and doesn't whip out a special formula carpet shampoo folks. Not on your life!! You know what He does? He takes that carpet with his bare hands and rips it out of place and tosses it in the dump bin. He replaces your carpet with a brand new, never been seen before, ultra thick woolly clear shining sparkling diamond pristine white carpet. He gives you a brand new carpet! PLUS...this carpet is mess and stain resistant. No matter what falls on this thing, it can never be stained again. Wow!! (And I guarantee it's not made in China.)

 

We are unable to clean ourselves. And we're equally unable to keep ourselves clean. The good news is that God doesn't expect us too either. In Jesus, He has provided the perfect solution  to cleaning us up. He makes us brand new. He perfects us forever. He gives us a clean heart. He makes us righteous and even calls us righteous. He gives us the very righteousness of Jesus as a gift. And nothing can stain Jesus' righteousness; not even you! He doesn't do this for those who sort themselves out. He does this for those who realise they can't sort themselves out and that they desperately need HIM to do the sorting. This is the Gospel. This is Good News!

In my own experience, I have found the best way of sharing the Gospel is by using as little Christian-ese as possible and instead, tell a story (like I have above) to illustrate the Gospel of God's work on behalf of those who would believe.

 

So whether it's my hair dresser, customer or work mate; I've found that stories work best. I mean, after reading the above story - didn't it work better for you too?

Christ usurped

It's very easy for something to usurp Christ in one's heart. 

When one gets saved, the heart encounters Him. The journey of discovery, the singing of the worship songs, the reading of the scriptures, the unveiling of truths, the adventure in prayer....He becomes your everything. It's terrific. He's terrific. He truly does become your everything, your heart beat. Ask any Christian.

Then time goes by. The period is different for everyone. But after some time and many church meetings and cell groups and youth rallies and conferences and cd preaching and Christian television shows and and and...our Christianity can begin to revolve around something, anything, other than Him. It looks like Him. It points to Him. It extols Him. It's about Him. But...it's not Him. Ask Matt Redman about the time when "the singing about Jesus" usurped the person of Jesus. Worship had slowly turned to performance. Ask the guy who found more satisfaction in uncovering truths in the written Word in study than he did in encountering the living Word in intimacy. 

Something usurps the preeminence of Jesus in the heart. And it happens subtley too, not on purpose. I heard a preacher say the other day that a day came when he realized the he actually got to a point when he started to worship the worship more than he did worship the Lord. The actual music, the action, the time of singing to Him became of more importance and satisfaction to his soul that God himself. 

It takes humility to admit it. It takes an open heart to see it. 

"I'm coming back to the heart of worship, it's all about you, it's all about you JESUS." - Matt Redman, Heart of Worship (song)

Has a "Jesus" something usurped Jesus in your heart?

Motive: Surpise Surprise!

Motive is a powerful thing. It reveals the heart. It reveals intention.
 

As a young Christian, I was hungry to be used by the Lord to minister to people. And so I was encouraged to “seek His face”. The preacher would teach us that being with the Lord in prayer and spending time in His presence was the key to flowing in signs and wonders. The scripture encourages us to be “as bold as a lion” as we “walk by faith”, trusting the Holy Spirit to move as we believe. Praying for someone’s sprained ankle while in the queue at the store or praying for a blind person’s eye to be opened while they pass by in the mall; it’s no problem if you know it’s going to happen. So how do we make sure it happens? “Seek His face!” and  “Press into the supernatural by spending time in His presence” was what we were taught. 
 

Matt Redman wrote a song in the 1990’s called “Heart of Worship” and it’s a glimpse into the journey of him working out the motives of his own heart. In it he sings “I’m coming back to the heart of worship, its all about you, its all about you, Jesus.” For a time, Matt, who is an extraordinary musician and anointed in leading believers into the Presence, began to use worship as a means to an end. What was once times of intimacy and adoration, turned into something else. His goals changed over some time and so he then began using times of worshipping the Lord to become more skilled, more anointed and to (in his eyes) garner more favour from the Lord so that God would use him. A time came where Holy Spirit revealed his heart and showed him the folly of it. "Heart of Worship" became his song of repentance and constant reminder of what worship was to be all about.
 

 

Spending time with The Lord as a means to an end is the wrong motive. Is it wrong to desire to serve people with the gifts? No. Is it wrong to desire to be used by Him? Certainly not. Those are God-given ambitions. May all in the Church have these desires to be used to touch a lost and dying world! But they are secondary to your love relationship with Him. Intimacy with the King is priority number one. We spend time with Him because we love Him. No other reason. No other agenda attached. Him alone.  
 

 

So ask yourself: Do you spend time in prayer because you enjoy being with Him? Do you spend time in worship because you love to adore Him?
 

Or do you spend time in prayer and worship SO THAT you can be empowered to live a supernatural life or SO THAT you can be a better preacher or SO THAT                                (you fill in the blank)?
 

 

I admit it. Some time ago I fell into the same trap as Matt. I was reading my Bible, spending time in prayer and soaking in times of worship as a means to an end; until the Lord graciously showed me my motives.
 

 

Won’t you join me and let our hearts return to Heaven’s motive: “I’m coming back to a heart of worship. It’s all about you. It’s all about you, Jesus.”

Real Freedom

I write this as a Christian man and on behalf of Christian men. I write this as a Christian man who is tired of doing church. I've had enough of meetings. And I suspect, you have too. Other guys who've been saved as long as I have, echo these sentiments. We desire the real. We want to see God's real power displayed. We want to experience real freedom. We want to bless the world with real demonstration. We have grown tired of hearing what happened in so and so's church in Texas and in India and in Ghana. We want to experience it for ourselves! 

I'm tired of having to put up with theologies that explain why God isn't doing. But I'm also tired of defending my theology of why God should be doing. I'm tired of discussions and debates. When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he said he hadn't come to them with wise words or eloquent speech. He had come to preach Christ crucified and demonstrate the power of the Kingdom. Please God, can we get back to preaching the simplicity of the Gospel and demonstrating the real power of God to and amongst it's hearers. 

One of the pressing issues on my heart at the moment is Christian men's struggle with their lust for pornography. I desire to see men, who dearly love Jesus and who long to serve Him with everything they have, be totally and utterly freed of this sin. Will we forever be caught in Romans 7:15 or can the promise of Galatians 5:1 become a reality?

Please follow with me, and keep in mind the context of addiction to pornography:

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazereth with the Holy Spirit and power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him." - Acts 10:38

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." - James 5:16

The word "healing" (Acts 10:38) and "healed" (James 5:16) are the same Greek word. Both mean physical healing. The same word is used throughout the gospels describing the healing miracles JESUS performed. The point is this: Healing is a reality that scripture says we can walk in; here and now. Pornography is an oppression by the enemy, like sickness, and it can be healed! The brain can be rewired. The soul can be made whole. The pain that porn is being used to mask over can also be healed. Freedom IS possible. Healing IS possible! 

Men who are controlled by pornography and feel they are the only ones battling the way they are, are hugely mistaken. Did you know that 25% of all Google searches are porn related? It's an epidemic!! It's not just you my cuzzie. The problem is that with pornography comes the shameful and embarrassing stigma and men are wary about admitting what they do in secret, lest it comes out into the open. So men have been fighting it. For years. Alone. Is there freedom? If they are at all honest with themselves, they'll tell you, no. 

One of the keys that I've experienced to being free from porn is the decision to confess it. Having a pastor or a friend in whom you can get real with, is priceless. Confession of sin is bringing it out from the darkness and into the light. Sin doesn't have power in the light. It's exposed. It becomes unappealing and the mystery of it disappears. 

I believe that James understood this when he spoke about confession of sin. Healing, REAL healing (actual freedom, actual deliverance...the real deal) comes when we confess and are prayed for. The freedom that is available to the kids of the Kingdom is something we can experience and walk in. It's not just some pie in the sky that we will hopefully come into once we get to Heaven! No, sir. It's Heaven's reality that is available to us here on earth. Jesus was not lying when He said we can experience abundant life. That abundant life includes abundance of the soul. Freedom from pornography and the control of its lusts and evil desires. In my journey, a continued walk of confession and vulnerability with my Christian friend is important. Freedom from addiction doesn't equal never-sin-again. The flesh will always have its lustful appetites, but the confession of it in the light disarms it's appeal.

Yes my friend, with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible!

I'm challenging my fellow Christian men: Find a Christian friend you can trust with your heart. Open up to him. Confess your struggle with pornography. Pray together. Put James 5:16 into practice and believe God for the healing that brings freedom. We have an obligation to our sons and fellow men in our generation, to stand up against this epidemic that's destroying souls, ending marriages and polluting minds. May it begin with us. May it begin with us receiving and walking in the real demonstration of freedom so that we can be ministers of freedom to others.

Will the real men please stand up?

THE OFFENSE

The Gospel is more than just a scandal. It's an offense to every culture that has come. And it will continue to be an offense for many centuries to come. But say what you must, it is incredibly good news to the person who has come to the end of themselves. 

John wrote what would arguably be the most famous verse in the Bible: John 3:16. It is so, because it captures the heart of the Author and His love letter in one easy to understand sentence. It doesn't take a professor to interpret or a scholar to unpack it's truth. It's simple. God loved. Jesus came. Men believe. Eternal life is gifted. John expresses the ease in which one is rescued from eternal condemnation: Believe in God's one and only Son.  

But that should cause one to stop and ask a question, though. What does it mean to believe in Jesus? What exactly are we to believe about Jesus that grants the gift of eternal life to the believer? Let me summarize for you:

GOD

Many don't like the idea of an all knowing, all powerful and all present God who gives life and sustains life and that without Him, nothing would exist. He is righteous and He is holy. He is perfect in every way. He exists outside of time. He sees all and knows everything about everyone. Like it or not, He is God of all. Including you boet!

MAN

We are unholy. We are unable to save ourselves; if we indeed even believe there is an actual after life. We are rebels to the core. We are lost in our sins. We are worshippers of ourselves. We live to please ourselves. We are unable to please Him or know Him. We don't desire Him on any level. We are lost. Our destination is damnation. And the truth is, it's a just sentence. 

Because of this, we are in desperate need of a savior. 

Side note: A good doctor doesn't just give a sick man medicine. A good doctor whips out the x-rays. He displays pictures of the disease. He doesn't hold back. He calls a spade a spade and gives the sick man a blunt, open and honest diagnosis of how bad he really is, to the point where the sick man is almost begging for the remedy. The reason why men don't desire God's remedy (JESUS) is because they aren't aware of how sick they really are.

REMEDY

Jesus is God's remedy to a sick and dying world. He came to seek and save the lost. Jesus paid the penalty of every lost man's sin for all of time. He died for you! He took the full brunt of God's wrath towards sin upon Himself. He reconciled God to the world on the cross. He, who knew no sin, became sin, so that through Him, many would become the righteousness of God. He is the only way to God. He is the only remedy to a lost and dying world. 

MAN'S RESPONSE

The Holy Spirit downloads this amazing truth in such incredible revelation: God is holy. I am unholy. I need saving. Jesus made it possible for me to be saved. That's the message. The invitation is simple: BELIEVE. Church attendance is not a prerequisite. Neither is obeying the commandments or praying every day. "Quit smoking! Stop using foul language! Stop watching Internet porn!" is all good advice. But it's not the good news. Jesus is the good news. He lived the life we couldn't live. He died the death we all deserved to die in order to give us a salvation we could never earn. Grace is given to those who don't deserve it. That's you my friend! And so man's response is simple: just believe. Unwrap the gift and say thanks.

The Gospel is an affront to every culture. Lost men don't like to be told they are sustained by a Creator. Lost men don't like the idea of being told that they are not good enough. Lost men don't like the idea of being told that they need help. And even those who believe in a God somewhere up there, they don't like the idea that Jesus is the only way to Him. And when they cross that bridge, the thought that we owe Him no debt or payment in any form for this eternal gift is a scandal amongst them that actually belong to Jesus' family. It's too good to be true. But it's good because it is true. 

I will never stop enjoying this truth which I believe we've only scratched the surface of understanding.

He qualifies us

I saw a picture of two athletic tracks. They looked exactly the same but they ran (excuse the pun) off two diametrically opposed operating systems. One was running on law and the other grace. 

The track that ran on law was filled with athletes running their fastest and it seemed like they had been running forever. Some were cramping and some had blisters. It was clear, they were exhausted. Then the truth hit me between the eyes: the finish line didn't exist. These ailing athletes were running a race in which the end never comes.

The other track was different. The athletes were in their starting positions, just about to launch into their run. "On your marks...get set...GO!" As soon as they leapt out of their starting blocks they crossed the finishing tape with their chests instantaneously. Done. They had finished the race. They were victors. And yet, knowing this, many continued to run. Because that's what they were born to do. Runners run.

The enemy attacks Christians with the lie that we are disqualified by what we do. The lie parades itself: "Your giving qualifies you to be blessed." "Your right living qualifies you for God to answer your prayers." "Your prayer life qualifies you for God's intervention into your daily affairs." "Your Bible reading qualifies you for God to......!" The good news of the Gospel is that JESUS qualifies Christians. Not Christians. If it was left to us, we'd be disqualified. Every time. But thank God it's not left to us. God answers our prayers, blesses us with good things, grants us favour in our vocation, heals our bodies and fellowships with us whenever we need or want Him, not because we have gotten it right today or yesterday. It's because, in CHRIST, we have been qualified. Done. 

If God had to pick someone to join His team, he'd chose you. Why? Because Jesus qualified you. He made you good enough. He made you righteous enough. He has done it all. It's a one way transaction. You bring nothing to the table, except for your trust and belief in His goodness. Your effort, your obedience or your performance have nothing to do with it! Faith in Him does. Does this mean the "living" or the "doing" doesn't matter? In terms of our qualification in God's sight, no. But in terms of working out our lives in Him...YES! Runners run. In Christ, you are His workmanship....GO BIG! But when you fluff it...and we all do...never confuse that with disqualification. Your already on the team. You've already finished the race. You've crossed the winning tape. That's done. You're in and you're His. Jesus has done the qualifying.

Being qualified is based fully upon your trust in Christ, not on your obedience and performance.

Think about it.

He qualifies us.

A Friend. My Friend.

"What a friend who has found me. Closer than a brother. I have felt His touch. More intimate than lovers." - Matt Redman

 

He swam through the roughest oceans and He climbed the highest mountains to rescue me. Me? A wretch. A loser. A lost and lonely sinner who was so self absorbed; and who only cared about his god: himself. A degenerate who'd never give Him the time of day; on any day. 

 

But He came for me. He didn't care how dirty or cynical or evil I was. He came anyway. Such is His love. Such is His compassion. And He found me wondering off. He found me in the mud of my mess. The stench of my pride filled his nostrils, but He didn't care. And into my mud, He stepped in. He smiled at me with the most enormous grin I'd ever seen as though He'd found a long lost treasure. He took me by the hand and I felt His pulsating strength. Into His arms I surrendered. And He carried me out. He then washed me. He scrubbed me. He dried me. And He gave me His own crisp clean robe to wear. And we embraced. He sang songs over me and We danced. We ate and He fed me His choicest food. And He called me His friend.

 

I love Him today. And I love Him everyday. Impossible to ignore what He gave up for me. Forever My Lord. My King. My Husband. And He's my friend. My best Friend. My Jesus.

Treating others well

Treating others as God treats us. 

How you doing with that? 

And I'm not just talking about the people you get on with or your mates...

Haha! That's difficult sometimes. And they mates!! But what about others? How you doing with that?

If you like me. You probably stink at it. But this blog isn't to tell you how bad you doing. But rather to encourage you to look at our Lord. He's amazing at treating bad people well. Or rude people. Or vulgar speaking people. He does a lot better than us.

Read the following quote.

"In the natural world, we see many examples of this type of cycle. Water falls from the sky, and returns to the heavens by the process of evaporation. The moon does not generate its own light, but reflects the light of the sun in the night sky. The image in a mirror is nothing more than a reflection of the actual object. Likewise, our love for God is a reflection of His love for us. Love begins and ends with God.

We cannot love God on our own initiative, but we can give back that which He has bestowed on us. When the Father of Lights gives us a gift that touches our heart, it does something inside of us. We end up returning to God the very thing He has given us. To love God, we must be loved by God. It’s a wonderful thing to go through our entire lives being loved by God. We are condemned to be loved by Him forever. We can’t escape it. We have no alternative but to put up with it: this is who God is.

Parents know an example of this principle: when our children were growing up, and our birthday was approaching, most of us gave them money to buy us a present. How do we know how to do this? It is in our DNA. God is the same way; His love is the currency He gives us so that we can love Him more fully." 

I've learnt a secret. "We love because we've been loved. And we are loved." In the great scheme of things. We are the bad, ugly, rude and vulgar speaking people. But JESUS loves us. He has forgiven us. He carries on loving us. When we stop trying to love. But rather bask in HIS love, something kicks in on the inside. When we know He smiles over us. When we know He calls us His kid. When we know He accepts us and enjoys us. Yes, us? And if He pours that love into us, we have the love to love others...

Knowing His love for you is the only way to share that love with others.

#fact

An anointed thought

Are the lost saved when he preaches? 

Yes? Then he's an evangelist.

If they don't, then he's probably not. No matter what title he's got on his business card or ministry letter head.

Does she have the business acumen and ability to make money and run the company with ease? 

Yes? Then she's a business woman, an anointed one.

When he speaks, do others listen? When he walks, do others follow?

No? Then he ain't a leader. 

When you're anointed to do something, you'll be successful at it. And......(think about it).....you'll find much joy and fulfillment in what you doing! When you're anointed, it means you are gifted to do it. It's not something you have to try and make happen with a lot of elbow grease. It happens. Pretty much naturally.

So, what are you good at?

The Negotiator

I'm a negotiator. That's who I am. And it's what I do for a living. I get paid to do it. I've learned to harness the skill since my first job after school at age 20. I'm 35 today. I no longer sell water purifiers to passers-by for R750 a pop. But I still negotiate. Rather, it's now R1.2million truck loads of biscuits and tea. 

I still maintain that a negotiator is a negotiator. No matter if you selling bath plugs, airplanes or chocolates. You're still trying to convince someone to buy what you have at the price you asking. The better you become at your skill will then determine the worth of the stock you're given responsibility to move. 

I was given some great advice from one of the world's best salesmen way back in 2002. He said "People don't buy products. People buy people. Sell yourself. Don't sell things." There's much truth in that. If you can trust me and I prove that what I've got will add value to your life that outweighs the cost of it, you'll buy it. But you've got to trust me. You've got to trust that I'm not pulling a fast one on you. 

You've got to trust that I'm playing open cards on:

1. What I'm offering, 

2. What my competitors are offering 

3. The price that I'm asking you to pay for it. 

Once I've proven myself in those three areas, more than likely, I'll get the sale. Negotiation complete. Successful Transaction.

And don't think you aren't a negotiator. 

You are. Everyone is. Even your 5 year old. We all negotiate sometime during the day. The brand of Milk we think our wife should buy, to the restaurant we should eat at on Friday night or the movie I think we must get on Sunday evening. Why we must buy this car and not that car...

"Babes, trust me..." Tell me you've never used that line.

There is one person however, that we never need to negotiate with and that's God. He doesn't need you to prove your self worth or trust ability too. We lose every time. And funny thing is that He knows it. So He has provided. And it's independent of negotiations. He gave. Freely. He just asks that we embrace and trust Him. No long talks or discussions. 

The price was already set: God's life for yours. 

The transaction was accepted: JESUS rose from the dead as proof.

Eternal life and Union with Him is provided freely because of it.

And yet some are still trying to negotiate for it....

Are you?

Nothing but grace

Amazing grace.

How sweet the sound that saved

A wretch

Like me 

#ALLOFUS

#lost

#depraved

I once was lost

But now I'm found

Was blind 

But now I see

#rescued

#saved

#onlyJesus

No matter where I am in life. Whether things are going well or terribly. I come back to this song. I have to return to these words to gain the correct perspective. I sometimes go off on a tangent. #ithappens

But these words bring me right back. Focused. On JESUS. Appreciative. Grateful. Humble again. I am where I am because of God's grace. Nothing more. Him alone.

Grace: Being given what I didn't earn.

#salvation

#relationshipwithcreator

#foreverhisfriend

Pornography and the Gospel

Pornography. 

Boobs. Naked bodies. Images of sex. 

I have not met one Christian man who gives a thumbs up to porn. I have not men one Christian man who believes porn isn't disgusting, distasteful, damaging and destructive. We detest it. We reject it out right. But yet, the same men desire it. What's going on? 

Sinners in disguise?

Enemies of Christ?

Wife haters? Do they desire a sex-fueled sinners paradise?

No. NO. NOOOOO!! 

#christianshateporn

As a young boy who stumbled upon a pornographic magazine at age 10, I know all about the power of this drug. I used to say to myself (and to God): Can't porn be the same to me as alcohol, cocaine or smokes? If I was locked in a room by myself for one week with a bottle of Jack Daniels, a syringe of heroine, a box of Camel and a Hustler magazine, I wouldn't even bother with anything except the magazine. The other objects would be as desirable to me as bath plug. Nothing in me has ever wanted a drug, a fag or a drink. But porn...that's a different story. The more I looked, the more my body craved. The images that excited me today were boring tomorrow. I wanted...turned into...I needed. I needed more graphic. I needed a higher fix. 

Yes. Pornography is an addiction. #truth

Now listen closely...

For over the past decade, scientists have realized that pornagraphy IS as addictive as heroine. It might not be something a person sniffs, smokes or injects but the brain releases the SAME neuro-chemicals when porn is consumed. When a person experiences a heightened sense of pleasure for the very first time, their brain literally takes a snap shot, a picture if you will, and records this as something good. At the same time, the brain releases a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical released in the brain and it's associated with pleasure and highs! The brain is literally rewired so that it will make the body behave so that it can experience that same high or even better fix to that snapshot so that more dopamine is released. This is an addiction folks. 

I get worried when preachers point their boney fingers at the men in their congregations telling them that they are moral failures and that they need to start growing up into real men and stop watching pornography. 

"You must quit!" he demands.

What the preacher doesn't know, is that telling a guy, or a woman addict for that matter, to just stop doesn't help them. Similarly, telling a heroin addict to just stop isn't going to happen either. You are not dealing with weak willed people here. You are dealing with people whose brains have been rewired. No matter how much the heart and the will of a person wants to stop! If the brain is suffering withdrawal and is demanding dopamine to be released, the person literally has no control. None.

Ever wonder why an addict experiences sweaty hands or shaking when they trying to resist their addiction? It's because their brain is screaming at them to get a fix. NOW! The shaking is actually a sign of trauma. Have you ever seen someone whose survived a horrid car accident? They shake like a leave. It's the trauma of the accident on the brain which is being released in the body. An addict shaking is a traumatic sign of their will fighting against their brain. They don't want to consume it. But their brain is demanding otherwise. THEY DON'T WANT IT.

The sweaty palms is a sign of this traumatic experience between brain and will. Unfortunately, the condemning preacher doesn't understand this. What he thinks is weak spiritual power is actually a rewired brain. The guy needs a hug of mercy not a judging finger in his face.

This information should change the way you view a porn addict vs a drug addict. #perspective

Mercy has been shown to the druggie while shame, condemnation and embarrassment has been the porn addict's cross to bear. And it shouldn't be. He has as much control, or lack thereof, as the drug addict. Scientifically proven. It's a brain thing. Not a weak will or a moral failure. 

You are dealing with a man who doesn't want to do this any more. He wants the magazine to be like the drugs, the cigarette and the alcohol. He longs to please God. He longs to walk with his head held high again. He's tired of the shame. He doesn't want to carry the condemnation anymore. He has tried to stop, believe me. He desires it no more. Don't isolate him. Don't hate him. Understand him. And give the boy a hug...

May I offer some advice to my fellow Jesus lovers who are repulsed by this drug:

1. Clean out the house. Limit your access. If you have clips, DVDs or magazines anywhere. Chuck it out. Remove any porn stash you have. And do it today.

2. Tell someone. The biggest lie I believed was that I was alone in this fight. The truth is that you are far from alone. I promise, the man you tell isn't going to judge you. Tell someone who will help you, encourage you and pray with you. Be prepared to get honest with this person. You have make yourself vulnerable here. And let this relationship be a safe one. Share daily if your have too. But share.

3. Believe the gospel. Preach it to yourself. Listen to it. Think about it. Meditate on it. What is the gospel: As a believer, JESUS will never be grossed out at you. He is not angry or disappointed in your porn addiction. You are His. And He is yours. You are eternally secure. You are safe in His care. He has forgiven you of every time you listed and masturbated to pornography. He's forgotten. And He has forgiven you already of every future offense as well. You have been justified in the courtroom of Heaven. He has made you free. Your sinful nature is dead and He has made you new. He has overcome this addiction as you and for you already. You will get through this by grace alone, through faith alone because of CHRIST alone.

Remember, don't believe the lie that you are the only one who is fighting this battle. That's the devil's biggest lie to porn consumers. He makes you feel alone. Walk in the light guys. Talk about it with other men. Pray about it with other men. Share the struggle with other men of Christ. 

Keep trusting the Lord to HEAL your brain and to rewire it. As you believe the gospel and regularly hear the gospel, repentance comes. It brings a change in mind. Changing of the brain and how it thinks will be transformed. God heals cancer. He heals brains too. Wash it with truth. Trust him to deliver you and bring healing to you.

He loves you.

The Religious Spirit

I visited one of my clients last week at 8:20am. As I walked into his office he said "Just in time." I had stumbled upon their Tuesday prayer meeting. A guest preacher comes week after week to share "truth" and to pray with them. The guest preacher gave me a 'Salvation Pack' (I reckon he assumed I wasn't a believer). He preached for 40 minutes. We prayed for 1 minute. And that was that. Not sure why it's called a prayer meeting :-)

When I got home I decided to read through the pack he gave me and I was astonished at the material I was reading. Much of it was cut and paste stuff from previous gospel tracts I had read in the past. Then some of it was his own stuff. His major emphasis was about the FRUIT believers needed to show once they are Christians. And this fruit manifested in four Christian disciplines. By doing these four things a Christian is built up and becomes strong. If one fails too, then they become malnourished and they will die. The 4 things are...1) Attendance of a Weekly prayer meeting at ones church 2) Weekly Bible study at ones church 3) Weekly communion with fellow believers 4) Weekly Sunday service attendance. If one does these, then they will grow up into a strong Christian. If not, then the following things will happen: a) You will lose your holiness b) You will not be an effective minister of the Lord c) You will lose your salvation and burn in hell. And I'm quoting here...word for word. I was gobsmacked. I wrote to the guy. A really nice email I must say. I just asked some questions regarding this teaching and posed some questioned: How does one exactly become Un-born-again? Does God write a name in the Lambs Book of Life in pencil and then rub it out when a church meeting is missed? Is God's ability to keep someone saved dependent upon that person's church attendance? 

No matter which religion or cult you study, the religious spirit will rear his head with the following proposal: Are you doing enough? Your destiny in the after life is dependent upon your actions here on earth. If you do good, you get in. If you do bad, you don't get in. That is religion. And it's everywhere! 

And that is what makes the Gospel of Jesus Christ totally different from any other religious mantra. The destiny of our after life is not dependent upon what I do. It's dependent upon what JESUS has done. Jesus plus nothing. I contribute zero to my salvation. I do nothing to get it and I can do nothing to lose it. It's a gift. It's bought and paid for by Jesus' effort and performance, not my own. A religion will require you to die to self to be rescued by God. Christianity is all about God dying for us so we can be rescued. It's what makes Christianity different. You made no effort to get it and there is no effort required to keep it. CHRIST rescues us and He keeps us. It's a scandal to religion. It is the gospel.

My hope is that many well intentioned preachers receive the revelation of the gospel as I did. I can never forget that I was once in bondage to religion too. I was well intentioned in my preaching and sharing. But I was wrong. It brings fear, guilt and condemnation. And none of which is the inheritance of the believer. We were set free to live free. 

Peace folks!

The Paranoia with Angels

I find it funny how some Christians become so paranoid when another Christian speaks about Angels. Angels have become taboo within Christian circles even to the point where if one speaks about an experience or a sighting or even asks a question, the first words out of their mouths are "You got to be careful when it comes to Angels." But why say that? What is this fear to acknowledge or to speak about Angels; and God forbid, even to mention that you may have seen one.

The New Testament is riddled with believers seeing and interacting with Angels. It wasn't some voodoo mysterious thing that needed to be feared. It was rather common place in the church. Do a word study on "Angel" in the Book of Acts and you'll see what I mean. Even the testimonies that come out of church history reveal some startling angelic intervention stories where one can clearly see God's hand in protecting and providing for His people. I even have a story of my own. You want to hear it? 

Five years ago, I worked for a company that imported instant noodles. I had planned a "Taste Demo" of these noodles at a Spar store in Mdantsane. My assistant for the day was a Xhosa speaking lady who would translate to the hopeful crowd (If you didn't know, instant noodles was a new concept within lower income black families and so this was the market we were trying to penetrate.). I had no hope in heaven of communicating in Xhosa to the customers on why Instant Noodles made financial sense to their household or on how to prepare them. Hence, my Xhosa speaking lady was a make or break for my "Taste Demo". I transported my portable stove, my table, my electric leads, my pots and my instant noodles to the store. I was half way setting up when I received a call..."Ahh, Ross, hi there. I won't be able to come to your taste demo. I'm stuck in another meeting that won't be done for another three hours." And just like that...BAM! My Xhosa translator was not coming.

I called a brother of mine and explained the situation. He said "Don't stress. Let's pray." I was worried. I was panicking. I didn't pray much. He asked for angelic assistance in his prayer. I took no notice. I was more worried about how I was going to "wing" this.

I had everything set up. I was cooking my noodles. I was preparing my samples in little cups for customers to taste and the crowd was building. I began to give the samples out one by one while trying to explain what they were and how I was cooking them. I might as well have spoken Martian. They had no idea what I was saying. Just then, out the corner of my eye, I saw a elderly black woman come from the side. She looked at me dead in the eyes while smiling and confidently made her way to the front where I was standing. She took my hand while smiling at me and turned to the crowd of customers. She then began to speak in Xhosa and explain to them exactly what I was doing. I stepped back and carried on cooking my noodles and she carried on promoting for me. This carried on for just over half an hour. I didn't get her name. I didn't get to chat with her. I didn't even see where she went. As the crowd became less and less, she stepped down and disappeared. It was only a few minutes later did I realize that God had saved my hide. He had provided me with divine assistance. To this day, I believe this elderly lady who spoke for me was an Angel. Could she have just been a friendly person who saw the panic all over a young white guy and decided to help out? Could have. But I don't think so. 

The funny thing is that 90% of the Christians I tell this story to, don't buy it. But why not? Why are we so paranoid to believe that God would actually answer a prayer and send an Angel to serve one of His sons? Why do most Christians automatically default to unbelief in a divine intervention where Angels are concerned and rather rationalize it with a human answer? Are we scared of being deceived? Has too much New Age nonsense crept into the church that we'd rather side with conservatism when people share weird stories about supernatural beings? Cool. Fine. I understand that. Valid concerns. But let's admit it and understand why. 

The truth is no Christian denies Angels. But there is a tendency to avoid the subject because we just don't know what to believe. I get that. I really do. But let's admit our paranoia and talk. Let's chat about it. Let's openly talk about the reasons. Angels are real. They serve God's purposes. And one of those purposes is for them to assist the heirs of salvation. So they are around. Let's not be afraid of the fruit cakes who are obsessed with them. Let's talk openly, let's ask the questions and let's enjoy the gift - because that's what they are - let's praise God for sending His Angels to help and to protect as God's kids.

Let's quit the paranoia.

Co-Laboring with God 101

For my Christian friends who find it difficult to comprehend and understand the term "co-labouring with God", perhaps this will help...

The other day my tyre went flat. I got the jack, the wrench and other bits and bobs out the boot in order to fix it. I had them next to me as I sat and lay on the ground attempting to do the job of changing the tyre. My youngest son, Michael, came out and stood by me. His first question, "Dad, can I help you?" Now what dad could say no to his four year old trying to help. I figured he didn't have the strength to jack the car up (Duh!!!) so asking him to pass me the different tools would make his day. And it sure did. "Michael, pass me the nut. No boy, the nut. Aahhh, no Michael, THAT one, THAT one on the right....yes...give THAT to me." Did I need him to pass me the nuts? No. They were right beside me. But he was interested in my business and he wanted to help. So I included him. And it was a joy for me to do so! After the tyre was changed we went inside. Michael ran ahead of me and what were the first words out of his mouth? "Mom, Mom, guess what!! I changed Daddy's tyre!!" I smiled and encouraged him in front of her. "Mommy, you should of seen him. Passed me all the right tools. Good job my boy! Dad's so proud of you." Did he change the tyre? No. Did he help me? I helped him to help me. And I loved every moment of it. He co-labored with me in changing my tyre. 

God loves it when we "help" Him "change the tyres". It makes His heart glad when we are on about the same things as Him. It makes him glad when we when we desire the things He does. And loves to include us in what He's doing in changing people's lives. 

Happy tyre changing!!

Saved from Sin

Close your eyes. Create the following scenario in your mind: Imagine you were born into a dark, moist, eerie feeling prison. You are forever confined to a jail cell, 2m x 2m x 2m in size. You have never felt clothes touch your skin, fresh bread (or any other decent food) in your mouth or any drink other dirty water down your throat. You've never known a friendly smile, a ray of sunlight to hit your face or a conversation with any human being. All you know is the feeling of being naked, dirty, smelly, lonely, hungry, thirsty and....alone. Completely helpless. Totally lost. And trapped in this tiny metal cell. 

Then one day, someone you've never seen before, kicks down the entrance to the prison and yanks open your prison cell, and rescues you. He takes you to his glorious mansion. His servants clean you, wash you, give you brand new clothes to wear (with countless wardrobes full of more), give you a massive bedroom over looking the ocean with a king sized bed, your own 60-inch plasma connected to a PS4, your own fully stocked fridge and open access to all parts of the mansion; including the kitchen. The kitchen has every food that you can imagine with world class chefs waiting for you to place your order! There's an indoor pool, a movie theatre and mega games room. The mansion is filled with others. Friendly guys and gals who are available for friendship and company.This is your new home. This is your new forever. 

From chapters 5 to 8 in the book of Romans, Paul mentions the word "sin" 41 times. 40 times it's written as a noun. Noun = name, place or thing. Interesting. Think about that for a minute. Sin described as a PLACE. Not a doing word. But a PLACE. Thinking of sin the majority of the time as something we DO isn't theologically correct. That thinking will bring a lot of confusion to the understanding of sin in the Bible.

Christians are prisoners who were rescued from the prison cell of SIN. They have been placed into the mansion of their rescuer. They've been cleaned and bathed. They have been given all the toys, all the food and they have access to everything that belongs to their rescuer. He saved them through no effort of their own. It was all Him. They didn't impress Him. They didn't behave or perform any better than any other prisoners. But He rescued them. No matter if they were good or well behaved prisoners, they were still stinky, smelly, lonely and lost prisoners. Stuck in the cell of SIN. Now...they have been rescued, transferred and placed into the King's domain where no matter how much they eat, how much they mess or how much they spill beer on the carpets, they are still His. They are in Him. Forever.