Beliefs = Behavior = _______________

James speaks the truth when he says, "...faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17). The point he makes is very simple: What you believe should determine how you behave and how you behavior will produce something.

There have been many different writers to address this type of subject. Many of whom are much better equipped than I am to address the topic. Whether they are worldly philosophers, clinical psychologists, or Christian counselors - these men and women have come to the same conclusion: What you believe determines how you behave.

This is a fact of life that all of us need to grasp. Far too long we have focused on behavior modification. In other words, if we could just keep people from doing ____________ then we can stop ___________ from happening. The reality that so many are finally coming to understand is that I can't keep people from doing certain things unless I can first help them change their minds about it.

I'll give you a for instance:
Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. There's no gray area in that statement. However, if we view sin as the "fun thing that God won't let us do" rather than something that produces death in our lives then we will remain tied to it. The way most people handle the area of sin is to create accountability in their lives. You know...if I'm accountable to someone then I will be less likely to do it. The problem is that for the majority of people this approach in and of itself does not work.

So what needs to happen?
The answer is quite simple: We have to change the way we think.

That's why what James has to say about faith is important. If I say I have faith then that faith should produce something. There should be an abiding reality of what I believe manifest in how I behave. I don't have to work for it because it will be the bi-product of my life. This is true in every area. Well...every area where I have faith.

You see, what we believe is normally tied to the truth or to a lie. You have probably heard me say this before but it is so vital. If I am believing the truth about myself in Christ then that is what will be produced in my life. On the other hand, if I'm constantly believing the lies that the enemy or anyone else has spoken over me then that is what I will continually see fleshed out in my life. I see it in church life all the time. I have seen people shrink away from the presence of God because they have not allowed the truth of what God says affect how they behave. They continually see themselves as small, undeserving, or unworthy of God's goodness. The problem with that mindset is that I don't see it supported in Scripture. Some people quote John the Baptist and think that it is proper for today ("I must decrease but you must increase") but they fail to see the significance of what John was saying. It was just the realization that it was time for Jesus to take the stage. John had fulfilled his mission and the Lord no longer need a forerunner.

I don't believe for one minute that God wants less of you. I believe He wants all of you. He wants all of what you were created to become. He had less of you before you were saved. It's time for you to step to the front and allow the reality of Jesus to be manifest in your life.

How do I change what I believe so that I can see a different type of behavior?
You need to believe in the promises of God for you life.

The Bible is full of spiritual realities that you need to allow to take up residence in your heart. You need to see yourself in Christ. Not a "sinner saved by grace" but a child of the living God. And when you learn how to live as a much loved child of God, the behavior that comes out of that mindset will produce some amazing results. Not only will you see amazing results in your personal life but you will see amazing results in the atmosphere you create, the relationships around you, and the people you encounter on a daily basis.

Beliefs determine behavior which determines results.
Just make sure that what you believe is dictated by the truths of Scripture. Allow what you do to be determined by what you believe. And be in awe of all that God does in and through your life. It truly is an amazing journey. I have watched as God has transformed addicts, people who have been abused, and those who were shackled by religion. All of them transformed by this one simple act: The Renewal of Their Minds.

Romans 12:2, "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." [NLT]

Now Unto Him...

Allow me to share one of my favorite Bible verses: "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy" [Jude 24]

At the close of his letter to the church, Jude breaks into a wonderful doxology of the goodness and grace of God. His words are a powerful reminder of the keeping power of God.

God is able to keep you from stumbling...

What an incredible testimony of the grace of God. These words need to become powerful in your life. You need to embrace God's ability to empower you, to keep you, and to sustain you. You don't have to stumble. You don't have to fall away. You don't have to give up. And the good news, if you should, you have His grace to cover you.

...and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory...

The more you are able to see yourself in Christ, the more you will be able to rest in His unconditional love. God is able to present you blameless through Jesus. He was your offering. He is your righteousness. He is your sanctification. He is in you and you are in Him. REST in His unfailing love.

...with great joy

I don't think people truly understand the joy that God has in them. We are the trophies of God's grace. He paid an incredible price for us. He has provided everything we need for life and godliness. He looks forward to the time that we can stand in His presence. It is with great joy that our Savior (who has been interceding for us all along) will present us to the Father. What an incredible thought.

TAKE THIS PRAISE WITH YOU:
Sing this song of praise wherever you are.
Worship God in the beauty of His holiness.
Rejoice over the fact that God is able to keep you.
You do not have to live in fear, doubt, regret, guilt, or shame.
Get excited over all the possibilities of your life because of the God who is able to keep you.

Growing Up Into Him

It's great to be back with you. Taking a few days in Pennsylvania last week provided a huge refreshment to my soul. It's amazing what hanging out with Kingdom minded people can do for you. No agenda. No schedule. Just an encounter of the nature of Christ through brothers/sisters in Christ.

While I have several stories from my trip: people I met, places I visited, etc. The greatest thing that I brought back was a renewed passion to pursue the Lord in all things. It was the reminder that the life of a Christian is not about disciplines as much as it is about intimacy. I used that passion this past Sunday with our PBC Family. What that means is that I was willing to continue to push many people to the edge of their seat and challenge what religion considers the status quo of discipleship.

Ephesians 4:15 makes this statement: "we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the Head, into Christ". Now I don't know about you but this sounds very different than the way I was brought up in church. I was taught to grow up, to mature, and to become the best Christian that I could become. Nobody ever said anything about growing up into Him. The reason for that may be simply that no one had this understanding of faith in Christ. It's as if we read about "being conformed unto the image of the Son" and see it as some mystical, internal, or heavenly transformation. In other words, it's not something that we can expect right now but something that we will only see when we get to heaven. The problem with that mentality - it doesn't exist in the Bible.

Once again, we will look into Ephesians. This time in chapter 4 verse 13: "until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ". My challenge to the PBC folks was simple. Why doesn't Paul say that we would attain a full knowledge of the Bible? First of all, they didn't own a Bible. Secondly, we were not called into a relationship with a book but with a person. Please hear me out. I'm not degrading the Bible nor am I saying that the Bible is not important. However, we have elevated the Bible far above the relationship that we possess with the Son of God. The way in which we are equipped by the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds, and Teachers for the work of ministry and the building up of the Body of Christ should lead us to true unity in the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God (who is the true Word of God).

In the modern church, many of us have been brought up into a scholastic understanding of God. We have been taught how to read, how to apply, and how to discipline ourselves to maturity. What we have not been taught is the spiritual nature of our faith. The realization that we have the very nature of Christ dwelling inside of us. That we can walk in His goodness, His joy, His love, and so on. Walking in these things will develop in us the understanding of the nature of Christ within. It's growing into the person of Christ, the nature of Christ, and the fullness of Christ. It's coming to a place where head knowledge is not enough. And if we are honest, we know that we can know all that is contained in the Bible and still miss out on the fullness of Christ.

The journey of your life is to grow up into HIM. It's about knowing HIM. It's about experiencing HIM. IT ALWAYS WAS!!!

When this happens then we don't have to worry about being tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. He becomes our anchor.
When this takes place in our lives, we don't have to rely upon disciplines. His very nature is what guides us.
When you grab hold of this understanding, it will change your life forever. His presence becomes all you want. His nature becomes manifest through your life. His voice becomes the only thing that you will hear.

This is the challenge of my life. I will pray. I will read and study the Scriptures. I will be a witness of Christ in the earth. I will worship Him with reckless abandon. I will grow into the fullness of Christ. The Spirit of God is all too willing to take me on this journey. He is all too willing to do the same in you. Let's go for it. The grace of God will enable it. The mercy of God will sustain it. And the goodness of God will see to it that we make it.

Following...

I'm currently in Pennsylvania. Decided to take a few days to fellowship with a good friend. It's been an awesome journey so far and I'm looking forward to the next couple of days.

Some people will wonder what would possibly lead me to drive almost 5 hours away from home just to "hang out." My reply is very simple: I'm just following the Lord.

Following the Lord is the most natural thing we can do. It's why we were created. Anyone who offers you another dissertation on life is either filling you with religious jargon or humanism. When you read the creation story and you understand the heart of God in the Gospel, it has always been about relationship.

Religion will make it seem unnatural. The rules, regulations, and expectations approach will not bring you closer to the Lord. It will only serve to clone you into a their mold of Christianity. This mold speaks of relationship but really does not understand grace. What we miss out on is the opportunity to know Him. And knowing Him is much different than reciting a list of rules or maintaining a certain theological mindset.

Humanism provides a mindset where it's all about us. Our experiences in life, our pleasures, and our own pursuit of what we believe to be right and good. The humanistic approach may bring you to a better understanding of your own beliefs but will not help you experience the Lord. It should at least make you ask the question: Where is the balance?

The balance is found in following the Lord. It's allowing Him to speak to you through His Word. It's experiencing the reality of the Holy Spirit in your life. It is redeeming the time, the relationships, and the opportunities that the Lord has given you. It's discovering Him in the most insignificant places. And it's experiencing His nature through the people around you. That's why I'm in PA. I've found a friend who is leading a community of believers into the same experience. It's about being around people who are saturated in the love of God, passionate about His grace, and enjoying the journey of becoming all that God has created us to be.

We will not find this in a structured setting. Even if that setting may help us feel good about fulfilling some sort of moral obligation. I'm not saying that you will not experience God in that, I'm simply saying that God has so much more for you to experience. Follow Him. Pursuing Him in the same way He has pursued you will unlock your destiny. It will allow you to see life through His eyes. It will also help you feel good about life and yourself.

I don't know where the journey will take you but I do know that it is worth it. You may be misunderstood but that's o.k. You may be misrepresented but you can find security in Him. You may be misinterpreted by your questions, statements, and the challenges you present to others; just know that the Lord knows exactly who you are and exactly what you are after. Are you ready for the greatest adventure any of us could live in? You will find it in the following. Actually...you will find HIM!!!

Weekend Challenge

1 John 4:12, "No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us." [NLT]

I've been a little off on the blog this week so I thought I would use today to issue a weekend challenge.

Now...this is probably a challenge that each of us need to be willing to live up to every day. By the grace of God, we can start something in our lives that could radically change the people around us.

According to 1 John 4:12 (in the NLT), God's love is brought to full expression in us. While no one has ever seen God, if the church will walk in love toward one another, He becomes manifest in our lives.

THE CHALLENGE:
*In everything you do this weekend...
*In every relationship that you have...
*And with every person you come in contact with...
Ask the Lord to teach you how to walk in His love.

This will require some sensitivity to the Spirit of God. It will require that you learn to respond to situations rather than react in/through your emotions. However, this thought causes expectancy to rise up in my heart. We can bring others into an encounter with the manifest presence of God.

Let's do this. Let's love one another!!!

What Is Your Brand of Christianity?

Does it bother anyone else that there is a term for marketing the church? "Christian marketing" is a big deal these days. The sad part is that we feel we have to market everything from counseling to music. To quote Derek Webb, "The word 'christian,' when applied to anything other than a human being, is just a marketing term." I agree. The sad part about this kind of marketing is that we only experience a certain brand of Christianity.

Before my message this past Sunday, I shared a listing of the "15 Things Jesus Didn't Say" that I had come across last week. I think it goes well with the blog today. Depending on the "brand" of Christianity you have encountered, you may have run into one of these mindsets. Warning: If you have a religious bone in your body then this could be offensive.

15 things Jesus Didn't Say:

* “For God was so disgusted with the world and you that he gave his one and only Son.”

* “I have come to bring you a new religion.”

* “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have correct theology.”

* “If anyone would come after me, let him disparage all other religions and their followers.”

* “If you love me, you will regularly attend a church of your choice… within reason.”

* “Blessed are the tithers for they shall be called the children of God.”

* “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in Heaven after the earth goes up in flames and destroyed.”

* “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor,’ which means the people with whom you attend church and relate to in your Christian sub-culture.”

* “In my Father’s house there are a limited number of rooms. But no worries, there is plenty of room in Hell.”

* “The kingdom of God has come!… Well, not exactly. I mean, not completely. Let’s face it, the really-real kingdom comes after we die. Hang in there. It won’t be long.”

* “And you will know the truth and the truth will make you superior to all the other simpletons who never learned Greek or Hebrew.”

* “You are the light of the world… well… in a sinful-filthy-scum kind of way.”

* “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you a checklist of things to do and not do in order to remain in God’s favor.”

* “For God so loved the world… you know like theoretically… as in, God loves the big ‘W’-world. But when it come to you specifically, that are quite a few things that would need to change for God to actually and specifically love… or even like… YOU.”

* “He appeared to his disciples over a period of 40 days and spoke about how to incorporate his life and teaching as a 501(c)3, and go into all the earth to build mega-churches in his name.”

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It's time to recover the simplicity and authenticity of our faith. Let's get rid of the branding & marketing. The world needs the Body of Christ not just a particular branch off of the vine.