KISS - Keeping It Super Simple

If I had a nickel for every time someone said that biblical principle was TOO HARD to understand, never mind follow!  Well, I'd probably have a few nickels :)

Right now in this culture and social climate we are living in confusion reigns on the grandest scale!

People are confused about which "god" is the true God

People are confused about morality

People are confused about themselves; if they are boys or girls

People are confused about which bathroom to pee in

God is not the author of confusion.  He knows how frail we are, how prone to sin, how liable to choose the wrong thing even when the right thing has been clearly laid out for us.

2Timothy 2:22-25

Just three simple scriptures that speak volumes to us, if only we will listen; if only we will have ears to hear.

22: So flee youthful passions (when we were young, we were foolish, selfish, unwise)
and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace (Galatians 5:22 & Ephesians 5:9)
along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart (we don't stand alone, but in the Body!)

23: Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels (if we got this one thing right we would save ourselves so many unhappy moments in our lives!  NOTHING means nothing!  Do not engage in foolish, ignorant controversial conversations that lead no where!  Waste of time! Waste of effort! Waste of breath!)

SO WHAT ARE WE TO DO?

24 & 25:  And the Lords servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.

When we fuss, fight and argue with people about what is wrong and what is right, we teach them only the same confusion they are already heaped in!  

Paul goes on in his letter to Timothy in chapter 3 verse 16 to reveal that -
All scripture is given by God and profitable for teaching for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness.

It is not in participating in arguments or debates that confusion is dispelled and truth reigns; it is in speaking the truth in love and living out the scriptures in our lives so others can see and be inspired to desire the hope and peace and joy of the Lord for themselves.

Keeping it Super Simple; this is a fallen, lost, hopeless world of confusion and anger and fear and sin ruled by a dark evil who only hates and destroys.  We alone are uniquely chosen by the Creator to present the alternative to darkness:

His love and light and grace and mercy and righteousness and holiness and justice and peace.

We are His Ambassadors, shining His light and calling others to His table.  It is a great privilege and great responsibility to represent the One True God to a world that rejects His very existence and shuns His truth.

This task is difficult enough without making it harder.
We are not called to refute every lie and prove false every accusation.  
That kind of activity bears no fruit and simply distracts us from our calling, wasting our time.

Three simple steps will accomplish far more that we ever will engaging in long arguments we are not called to engage ourselves with.

1.  Grow up in Him and actively seek in fellowship with likeminded believers these things:
      RIGHTEOUSNESS
      FAITH
      LOVE
      PEACE

2.  Avoid and walk away from silly, useless arguments about what is or isn't truth

3.  Speak the truth with your actions and your words, which allows the Holy Spirit to convict and      
      transform hearts and lives far better than any argument we could ever make!

Are you searching for truth but uncertain what to believe?  There is One whose way leads to life everlasting and truth that brings peace to the heart.  We can't change your life, but He can!  There are no magic words, no special prayer; there is just a Savior who will answer if you will but call on His name.

ROMANS 10:13  Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved    

The Lord bless and keep you this day, the Lord cause His face to shine upon you. 

Speaking up, speaking out, speaking truth

Open the Eyes of my Heart, Lord.  Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You, I want to see You.


So goes a popular worship song, sang in many of our Evangelical churches.  We often sing without paying any attention to the words, being moved, greatly moved in our hearts even, by the melody or the feeling evoked.  Yet never really grasping the very words our lips are forming.  

Imagine if we actually received what we said, or sang.  Imagine if your eyes were truly opened to the Spiritual realm and you "saw" the Almighty God!  Would He be smiling benevolently?  Would the countenance of His face indicate that He was pleased with you, with what occurs in our world today?

I read recently that California passed a law which allows children, young children under the age of 18, to decide for themselves what "gender" they would like to emulate.  Boys are free to experiment, as are the girls, with behaviors and activities of either gender, in their dress, manner of action and usage of restrooms in the public schools.

WHAT?!?!  I hardly even know what to say to this.  In fact, my heart wants to shut my eyes to this and other abhorrent behaviors I see happening all around me.  I want to wrap myself in Gods truth and pretend these things don't affect me.  In essence, I fear this is what the Church of God, the Body of Christ, the fellowship of believers has done.  We've squeezed our eyes shut, as if, in not seeing, we don't have to acknowledge it, so we don't have to be concerned about it.

The Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Romans chapter 4 verse 15 that "whatsoever was written aforetime, was written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scripture might have hope."  The Old Testament has a lot to say to our world right now, today.  Though we do not live under Law, we can certainly learn from the Law.

Deuteronomy 28:67

In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see.

This scripture refers of course to the Jews, under the Law, who were suffering persecution from all around them.  But read those words.  When things are going SO WRONG, we find our hearts filled with dread and we wish that it were different than it is, that we wouldn't have to see the things we are seeing, experience what we are experiencing.

I find this is how I'm feeling, as I take a good look around me, and really SEE how the "way of the world" is going.  False idols, laws declaring sin is "legal", people deciding that snuffing out the life of other people is the humane thing to do, because they are in pain or their lives when compared to others is somehow less desirable.  Despicable acts of sin like adultery, fornication and lieing being tolerated in the lives of our leaders as if the consequences of these acts are of no more importance than squashing a bug.

Deuteronomy 4:9

Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them to thy sons, and thy sons' sons

Matthew 7:3-4

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

Verses like these can make us keep our mouths shut about speaking out,  for which of us has led a perfect life, that gives us ability to point at any other?  Not me, I can assure you.  My past is littered with my sin and error and foolishness.  For all my attempt to teach my own sons, the example of my life may keep them from repeating my mistakes, but it won't stop them from making their own.

We are a fallen world.  Many soften this by saying, "we live in a fallen world".  I prefer to state the obvious.  We ARE this fallen world.  I thank God that through Jesus, I am saved and delivered and have the opportunity to yield to Him in obedience and make every attempt to submit this sinful flesh to righteousness because I am washed in His blood and made clean.  The great sin I committed in ignorance and more often in arrogance is forgiven by God, and I am thankful.  By His grace, I am an overcomer.

But am I only responsible for myself?  Once set free, do I have an obligation to make this freedom known to others?Even others beyond just my family?  To more than just my friends?  I see from scripture that I am most certainly not original in my struggle.

Isaiah 6:10

Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

To make the heart "fat" indicates make it unteachable.  Heavy ears so they won't hear the truth, understand the need for salvation, ask for forgiveness, and BE HEALED.  Now there is a selfish and unloving attitude, not wanting to share what has so freely been given to us.

But that is exactly what we are commanded to do.  Preach the Gospel.  The good news of salvation through Jesus, by His sacrifice in giving His very life, allowing Himself to be nailed to a cross to pay the penalty for OUR SIN, the penalty of death, so you and I can be forgiven, healed and set free.  

And once free ourselves, we are to share that same gift of salvation with others.  What others?  ALL OTHERS.  Whoever you come in contact with.  My boss?  My neighbor?  The stranger out in public?  As you have opportunity - yes, yes and YES.  Begin by sharing with your own family, your friends and then all around you.  Tell them of the reason you have HOPE, though this world is gravely sick and depraved.  Tell why you, though once a slave to sin as they are, have the strength, and peace, and joy of salvation.  That even now, when you stumble, when you fall to sins temptations, you are healed and delivered and forgiven.  Whether they choose to hear, to believe or to receive Gods great gift is between them and the Lord.  But Jesus commanded us (Acts 1:8) to tell it.

TELL THE WORLD THAT GOD LOVES THEM AND MADE A WAY OUT OF SIN FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.