Staying On Point

Galatians 1:6-9, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

I was presented a list to follow that would assure any believer’s deliverance from the enemy. Looking at the list I began thinking to myself how everything in the steps to freedom could be done by an unbeliever. That being the case, how could the list be Christ-centered? Jesus was not mentioned in even one of the ten steps. Any list that calls for the flesh to do something to improve itself is ultimately doomed to failure. There may be initial success, but in the long term, there will be none. Steps taken in the power of the flesh would have to eradicate flesh, and the flesh will have none of that! It will not participate in destroying or hindering itself! (The odd thing about Satan is that he loves to stir the flesh, but he is at the same time an enemy of the flesh, since he is involved in every suicide and murder to destroy man.) In these times there are myriad methods for club growth, personal growth, financial growth, family growth, and spiritual growth. Be alert and ask the question, “Could this method apply to an unbeliever? Could an unbeliever follow the same steps?” If so, Christ has been left out and we are fixing to be sidetracked. Start with what He has already done for us, get a firm grasp of that, and then move to more of what He has done for us. It is a struggle. I often find myself headed down a track that I do not want to take. I get a check in my spirit and stop talking about the latest book, method, miracle, experience, and doctrine and move back to Him. I have prayed for the last thirty-seven years that God would be gracious to me and not allow me to move from Jesus, add to Jesus, subtract from Jesus, or stop lifting Him up. It is true that He is our sufficiency. I cannot count the programs that are going around today, and few ask why the last program did not produce what it promised it would when introduced two years ago. Why are those that were so involved in the latest “move” of God back in the same place? Let hearts and minds dwell on the Man who did everything and yet did nothing, for it was the Father doing it through Him. Then ask for testimonies of growth and God’s faithfulness at the end of two years of that.

The Dealer

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.” 2 Timothy 4:3

As a youth working in the inner city of Chicago, I was always mystified by the drug dealer. He would stand next to an expensive convertible, have on a fur coat and big hat, flash gold teeth, and usually be accompanied by more than one woman dressed to fit the motif. He exuded all the deeds of the flesh. There was always a demeaning air about him as he dealt with those lining up to make their purchases. He had something that they wanted (or had to have, in some cases), and that gave him the upper hand; he could be as rude as he wanted to be. It was vexing to watch the twisted, worn, and toothless come to make their purchases. Even then I knew that a lesser gave way to a greater, and the reason he so despised those pathetic creatures was because he needed them to maintain his lifestyle. Something in him knew that he was lesser and they the greater, and this he disliked. I am seeing something similar that is disturbing today. The “spiritual” dealer is nearly a mirror of the drug dealer. I have heard the sermon on “seed money” so many times from the “spiritual” dealer as he admonishes believers to give and it will come back to them. The “spiritual” dealer may own three twenty-million-dollar homes, a jet, designer clothes, a multitude of luxury cars, and jewelry. This is all justified, because Jesus deserves the best. But Jesus is not living in the houses. Jesus had a robe with no pockets for collecting things; His Kingdom was not of this earth. Yet believers line up to give to such foolishness, even though the “spiritual” dealer talks about his followers with disdain, due to the clear separation between “us and them.” I watched a hidden camera catching the  “spiritual” dealers sweep up the donations, put them in trash bags, laugh, and gad about town on a shopping spree. I have to say that these things are good, because God has permitted them for the revelation of many hearts. In the context of His will, He gives the desire of the heart; and if it is health, wealth, security, and fame, it may be given. However, if the heart’s desire is to know Him in this short life, that also will be given. We are not to peddle or promote ourselves, but Christ. The best way to stay away from a drug dealer is never to let what he has stir something in our flesh. The best way to avoid the “spiritual” dealer is never to let his appearance stir some flesh in us. Finally, we can ask for the grace of God to accomplish, in this life, our never being sidetracked by giving attention to something that surrounds Him, but is not Him.

Sidetracked In The Wilderness (Latvian .doc)

Sidetracked In The Wilderness (Spanish .doc)

Sidetracked In The Wilderness (Russian .doc)

Sidetracked In The Wilderness (Korean .rtf file)

Sidetracked In The Wilderness (Portuguese .doc

Attraction vs Respect