Wednesday, March 14, 2012

 

The Biggest Con in History

He was the best pastor of all time.  People who came to hear him preach left either mad or changed.  No matter where he went people were healed, delivered from oppressing spirits or even raised from the dead.  He has become the icon of love, wisdom and perfection.  His name was Jesus.

Still, someone on his staff got offended at the way he was running things.  Maybe decisions appeared too political or not political enough.  Perhaps it was about the way the money was being handled.  It could have been just pure pride and selfishness, but one tragic day the devil talked Judas into betraying Jesus.  It was the biggest con in history. The devil conned him by making him feel like he knew how things should be run even though Jesus ministry was the most miraculous and world-changing ministry of all times. Judas believed the biggest lie in history.  Note to reader: When the devil saw how beautifully that con worked he decided to make it a favorite.

The church is made up of heavenly things and earthly things. The heavenly things include God’s Word, anointed preaching and singing, healings, and godly fellowship.  The weakest link in church is the earthly element – humans.  There’s no way to have church without imperfect people, so that is often where the devil gets his foot in the door; that slimy life-destroyer gets people to focus on people and their shortcomings.  If you are mad at the church because of its humanity, you may have been conned into thinking along the same faulty lines that Judas was thinking.   

Although church leaders must be true to biblical doctrines and morals, one can’t expect them to be flawless.  Ironically it seems like the devil can talk people into being less tolerant with the church (one of their best allies) than with any other institution in the world. People don’t quit going to hospitals just because doctors make mistakes or because of all the red tape.  They don’t change governments because congress is grid-locked, or swear to give up the news because they find out that reporters are biased or politically influenced.  

The eventual goal of the devil, the king of cons, is to con people into believing that they are better than all the rest of the people who are trying to live in the church community.  They see a few flaws and assume that they are too good for the group – just like Judas. Jesus built in a safety measure to protect us from the con game; He commanded us to love one another.  If you see room for improvement and you are on God’s side, then you are the prime candidate to love your fellow church member until God is able to use that love to make them into a better Christian.  Cynicism, criticism, betrayal and abandonment are not noble, they are the characteristics of someone who is the victim of the biggest con in history.

As most people know, Judas committed suicide.  Evidently he eventually realized that he had been conned.  It was too late for him, but it is not too late for the living.  If you stopped going to church because you saw flaws in its earthly members, you owe it to yourself to go back and look for the powerful and wonderful blessings that come from the heavenly part.  The other eleven disciples saw that Jesus was actually doing things right.  Maybe more is right with the church than you were able to see. Or maybe you can get involved and help heaven improve the church.  One thing is certain, you don’t want to be conned by the same old trick he has been using ever since he got the first guy in Christian ministry to betray its founder, Jesus Christ.

Friday, March 09, 2012

 

What A Privilege

I sat at a dockside cafe in Newport RI wondering what it felt like to live the privileged life of the people who were stepping off their private yacht and heading toward a day of expensive shopping and exquisite dining. I wasn’t jealous, just curious. Then I reflected on how privileged I have been compared to much of the world.  I live in a free country, was raised in a loving, Christian home, had been given opportunities to go to school and work, and was allowed to choose the person I would marry.  But none of those privileges even remotely compares to the “underserved privilege” of being part of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.  Being born again of the water and the Spirit (see John 3:5) tops all lists.   

Believers are privileged in a way that is more valuable than money, power or fame. St Paul put it like this: “Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” (Romans 5:2 NLT)

How did I come by this privilege?  I simply obeyed God.  Baptism was my big break. It was the best decision I ever made. It was my way of saying to God that I wanted to side with Him and be a part of His Kingdom.  According to the Bible, when I was baptized my sins were eradicated, I was  declared righteous, I was made a son of God. The combination of water baptism and Spirit baptism insures that I have eternal life; that God has prepared a place prepared for me and that I will rule and reign with Christ forever!

Baptism is what I do to embrace the privileged life God offers to me.  Baptism in Jesus name was foreshadowed in Old Testament, modeled by Jesus, commanded by Jesus, Peter and Paul, and practiced by the first century church. The Interpreter’s Dictionary says it this way: “The evidence of Acts 2:38; 10:48 (cf. 8:16; 19:5), supported by Galatians 3:27, Romans 6:3, suggests that baptism in early Christianity was administered, not in the threefold name, but ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’ or ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus.’” 

Someone may be wondering, “If baptism is so great, what’s the catch?” The catch is that we must give up our puny plans and our hope that we can save ourselves and we join in His abundant life.  We have to give up our kingship so he can be King.  Again, St Paul expresses the sentiments of true believers when he writes: “Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),” (Philippians 3:8 AMP)

What does baptism accomplish? Here’s the short list:
            1.    We get to publicly declare obedience to Christ and His lordship
            2.    Our sins are washed away forever.
            3.    It is a rite of passage into God’s Kingdom.
            4.    Our obedience frees God to treat us like his own.
           5.    It gives us authority to use the family name.

 If you have not made your move, don’t pass up your chance. If you have been baptized in Jesus name, tell someone how it changed your life so they can have that same privilege.

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