Simplicity

I woke up Christmas morning feeling so very blessed. The snow was absolutely beautiful and I couldn't wait to get to my mom's house for the day of festivities. But first my sweet potato casserole had to be made. So I put my Christmas apron on, turned on the television and got busy in the kitchen. For you to understand what I'm about to tell you, I must first explain one little story. A few weeks ago I was visiting with a close friend about the teaching podcasts I love to watch. The amount of knowledge available to the believer today is mind blowing. I have a long list of favorites. I made the comment that Joel Osteen is a great speaker with a feel good message. His teachings are practical and he offers good advice on "living your best life now". But, I shamefully must tell you that I told my friend that I like a little more Word in my teachings. I like to go a little deeper. Well, guess who was preaching when my television powered up Christmas morning? You betcha! Joel Osteen was sharing a sermon and I had already started peeling potatoes. So I decided to listen. Three times in his message I began to cry. At one point I looked up to see Joel tearing up as well. And all of the sudden everything became so clear. I was changing and growing in a 20 minute message. Joel Osteen was oozing with "The Word". I'm not talking scripture, I'm talking Jesus. Jesus was pouring out of every crevice of this man's being. I suddenly felt like a modern day Pharisee. When Jesus came to this earth, He entered in by way of a common couple and a smelly manger. At the age of 30, His teachings began to be recorded. He showed love and compassion to those that most religious people would walk by and scoff. He chose fishermen and tax collectors to be his helpers. He slept and ate in the homes of the despised. He spoke to prostitutes and lepers without fear of rejection. Jesus was and is the Word. And the Word is Love. The Sadducee's and the Pharisees did not understand the simplicity of Christ's message. He confounded the wise. They were looking for something "deep" and yet they didn't even recognize the well of never ending supply that was standing before them. What does it mean to go "deep"? Is it bible knowledge? Is it knowing Greek and Hebrew translations? Is it possessing more gifts than your Sunday School teacher? Or could it be more simple than that? The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek it's own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never Fails!" Christ made it very clear how important love was to Him. I will probably spend my lifetime becoming love. I don't want to miss Jesus looking for knowledge. In everything I do and say I want to look to Him. Joel Osteen is preaching love to a world full of hate. He is changing lives one message at a time. Not because of who he is or what he is capable of doing. He is changing lives because he loves Jesus! And this love shines bright for all to see. Now that is deep.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Freedom!

This weekend God used a certain verse in Acts to speak to me and many others. It was an amazing story that has kept me smiling for the past couple of days. So this morning in my quiet time, I decided to go back and read Acts chapter 16 in its entirety. As soon as I began, something popped out that I had never understood before. By the way, this is not because of my own understanding. This is because the Holy Spirit points things out to me that without Him would seem like gibberish. He can do the same for you. Anyway, in the first few verses Paul and Silas have come to the town in which Timothy resides. And Paul has decided that he wants Timothy to come and go down the road with he and Silas. Now this is an awesome time for Timothy. He is being invited by one of the greatest missionaries and crusaders for Christ to go preach the gospel to the masses. I can't imagine what He must have been thinking. Pure elation would be my guess. But look at verse 3. "Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek." Now most days I would have just read this and moved on. But something struck me. I was reminded that in Galatians, Titus, who was also of Greek decent, refused to be circumcised before joining the journey with Paul to Jerusalem. He refused because he would not be put under the law by those who tried to argue his freedom. See many years earlier God called all men to be circumcised as a symbol of belonging to Him. But when Christ came, Paul discouraged circumcision because Jews continued to preach circumcision was a sign of salvation. Paul argued that you are not saved by works (circumcision) but by grace (Christ's blood). Circumcision had become a way for the Jews to hold their position over the heads of the Gentiles. Paul was called to preach salvation to the Gentiles and he refused to put law before grace. Not because of his own deciding but because of what Christ came to earth to teach. And in Romans 2:28 Paul says it best, "A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God." Meaning, God looks at the heart. You are saved because God paid the ultimate price. It is a free gift never to be earned by hard work or being good enough. Today many followers of Christ do the same thing that the Jews of Paul's day did. They judge your church attendance, your bible knowledge, your volunteer statistics, how you dress, how you talk, where you go and with who you go. The Bible says, "It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts."

So I say all this to explain what caught my attention. Timothy was circumcised and Titus was not. Why? Was it because of Law? NO! Was it because of tradition? NO! Did he want to fit in? NO! Timothy was circumcised because he knew the people he was going to be preaching the gospel to and circumcision mattered to them. He wanted to reach every last person possible without anything hindering God's mission. Why did Titus refuse circumcision? Was he rebellious? NO! Was he scared? NO! (I would have been). He refused because those under the law were trying to rob him of his freedom in Christ. In fact, Paul said in Galatians 2:7, "God does not judge by external appearance-those men added nothing to my message."

God is a personal God. He wants relationship with each one of us. Timothy had a heart to reach people and He heard God say that circumcision would help break the barrier in the hearts of those who would hear the gospel. Would you be willing to obey God in doing whatever He asked of you? Even if it was painful? So which man was wrong in his decision. Surely two men can't do the total opposite and be right. But the fact is, Titus and Timothy were both right. They were right because they had relationship with a loving God. He spoke and they obeyed. Don't put God in a box. Let Him speak "rhema" to you today. Others need to see the Jesus in you and nothing should be hiding the light that shines inside. Don't follow rules, follow Jesus!!!