Jesus Pure & Simple

When you cannot remember the 22 characteristics of a good wife, the 7 steps to authority, or the 9 ways of love ......
It's time to get back to Jesus.

When a speaker insists (again) that you need to stop your bad habits, increase your devotion, reduce your worry, augment your faith, or banish your fears ....
It's time to get back to Jesus.

When you're overwhelmed by testimonies of others praying all night, fasting forty days, raising the dead, and leading thousands to the Lord on their airplane rides home........
It's time to get back to Jesus.

When you've sat through your one hundred fifty millionth sermon about giving more, suffering more, doing more, or being more.........
It's time to get back to Jesus.

When you attend another hyped-up conference that promises to be the one that will reduce all your problems, and you buy all the books and CD's and try them out, but nothing is reduced except your savings account............
It's time to get back to Jesus.

When someone points a finger in your face and says, "Thus saith the Lord," but their advice contradicts someone else who shouted a different "Thus saith the Lord," and it sounds different from yet another "Thus saith the Lord"............
It's time to get back to Jesus.

When your mailbox is flooded with a multitude of letters, newsletters, and giving requests from a multitude of organizations with three-initial names..........
It's time to get back to Jesus.

It is time to hear His voice and simplify. It's time we get back to Jesus, pure and simple.

(adapted from Jim May, Living at His Place, 1995)

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his

craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the 

simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:3

Watched a documentary on Bonhoeffer last night.  I believe this is what he sought for the Church and himself - a "religiousless Christianity" that was not about rules but instead about the heart.  I pray that God would use me even half as much as He used Bonhoeffer - I would die a joyful, blessed follower of Jesus.  Amen.

Costly Grace

Having just read The Cost of Discipleship by Bonhoeffer, I found this article to be interesting and so true!  I dare say if Jesus were walking this earth today, his message would still shock many.  We like to think we are following him, but his message has been watered down, diluted and popularized for the masses.  Time to get back to true discipleship!

REAL DISCIPLES OR NOT?? - The Big Question-by LibertyWorld."Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring
repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without
confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace
is grace without discipleship, grace without the Cross, grace
without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it
a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great
price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the
kindly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye
which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which
the disciple leaves his nets and follows him."
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship.

(Hitler had Bonhoeffer shot because he chose to bow to Christ
rather than to the Gestapo.)

Matthew 28:19 reads "Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations..." R.S.V., and most versions. The Greek reads, "To
become a pupil." "Enroll as a scholar."Christ did not say to make
"converts," but rather to "make disciples." "Followers." In verse 20
He says, "Teaching them to 'observe' all things whatsoever I have
commanded you..." Again the Greek reads to "hold fast." How
very imperative it is to hold fast the teachings of the Lord Jesus
Christ!

The 'gospel' of our Lord Jesus Christ is not the gospel that is being
preached in most pulpits today! Today's gospel is "another gospel,"
it is not the gospel of the Scriptures! Generally speaking, the church
that provides the best and the most entertainment is the church
that garners the greatest number of attendants.

Much of today's gospel is a false gospel, built on false premises,
built on false teaching! Should any sincere Christian question this
statement, let this individual read Matthew chapter 7:13-28 and
verse 29 which says that those who heard Christ's teachings were
astonished. Can you imagine the astonishment of people today
also, if His message were being preached and taught in our pulpits!

And they of the church
And they of the world;
Walk hand and heart,
And only God who knoweth all
Can tell the two apart.

Hear what Dr. A. W. Tozer has to say on this matter, "Any
objections to the carrying on of our present golden-calf Christianity
is met with the triumphant reply, 'But we are winning them.' And
winning them to what? To true discipleship? To cross carrying? To
self-denial? To separation from the world? To crucifixion of the
flesh? To holy living? To nobility of character? To hard self-
discipline? To love for God? To total commitment to Christ? Of
course the answer to all these questions is 'No'." John Fletcher
said, "More is said from our pulpits in favor of sin than against it."

"No longer is the thundering message of the prophet of God
heralded from the sacred pulpit, warning against the wrath of a
holy and just God against sin" - Wesley Duewel.