It is That Simple
with Larry Kutzler
The Simple Ideas of Profound Truths
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is the day for remembrance. In the United States, Memorial Day was established as a Federal Holiday in 1868, just three years following the Civil War. It was appropriate, since it was the deadliest war we have ever fought … estimated to be between 650,000 to 750,000 soldiers perished. The Holiday has expanded to commemorate all those who died defending the freedom our country, and those we have loved and lost. It is a good thing to remember the past … it brings the perspective of sacrifice into reality and service to remind us, someone died to give us our freedom. In the Bible, God talks a lot about remembering. God wanted His people to know what was done by Him in the past, that brought them their freedom. Jesus also gave us a remembrance … every time we take communion, we remember the price that He paid on our behalf for the wages of sin. It is That Simple.
Underdeveloped Faith
Evil has one main objective … destroy the family. I suppose it makes good strategy … destroy the family and it will affect everything else in society. A youth pastor I interviewed recently, told his story about his growing up in a pastor’s home, but that did not keep him from turning his back on the Church, his family, and his faith. When I asked him why it happened, he said, “I had underdeveloped faith.” I knew instantly his reason was why so many young Christians stray from Christ as they enter their college years. Going to Church, doing what is expected by the youth group and by your family is not faith … its participation. The result of participation is underdeveloped faith. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in defining Christianity said, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” Participation has no such calling. It is That Simple.
The Desert
I live in a desert, and it is always dry. There are seasons I too feel dry … withered by disappointment, unmet expectations, and a desire for more when I get less. I realize that God is never to blame, yet I wonder why this desert season in my soul is so real. Then I remember Jeremiah 3:14 “Return, O backsliding children," says the Lord; "for I am married to you." Then Job reminds me, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.” God is faithful in my desert, and even in this dry season there is life … and He is there. God says to look for the beauty and we will find it. God’s goodness is not temporary … nor is it taken away. The miracle of Jesus is my oasis in dry and dusty places. It is That Simple.
Wisdom Begins with God
I love the Proverbs … just plain common sense from the past. Wisdom says that it hates pride, arrogance, corruption, and perverse speech. In other words, the people who live in those descriptions are enemies of wisdom. The Philosophers Socrates, saw wisdom in a different light. Socrates said, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” Regardless how you define wisdom, real wisdom comes from Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Fearing God means to honor Him with substantial respect and importance. God is not to be treated as common, or with just a routine acknowledgment. The wisdom we receive from honoring Him, teaches us about our knowing nothing without Him. So, Socrates had a point. Wisdom is to know God. It is That Simple.
Seeking Answers? Or Finding God?
Which is greater … my plan for myself, or God’s plan for me? Are we looking for answers? Or, are we looking for God? Recently, I heard a sermon where the pastor talked about his young grandson who is autistic and unable to speak. He told how frustrating it can be when his grandson hurts, or wants something, and is unable to verbally speak it. The story broke my heart. Circumstances like this can test your faith, as it does for this grandfather. Yet, he concluded by acknowledging his grandson is a gift God has given to him, rather than answers that he wanted. Finding God is better than finding the answers. That sounds so cliché, but what is greater … my seeking answers or my finding God? Circumstances will always be there … and so will God. It is That Simple.
The Kingdom
What is God doing today? He is building His Kingdom in us. Jesus started His Kingdom on the Cross … it is there the construction begins, and it begins with a forgiveness that cannot be destroyed or removed. Sin was removed forever, so there is no condemnation now to those who are in Christ Jesus. We are not encumbered with restrictions and rules that obstruct His Kingdom from being built in us. The Holy Spirit now is representing Christ in us, and guides the process of building God’s Kingdom, transforming heart and mind, using the Word of God and Christ as the foundation. The Kingdom is not in buildings and organizations; it is being built within you. The Kingdom is within us, because the Holy Spirit is creating Himself in us. This is what God is doing today. It is That Simple.
The Personality of The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit has a desire to produce Himself in you as a believer in Christ. I believe the fruits mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 is how His personality is best known, and this is what He wants to produce in you. His character traits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control … all describe Him. So, when people want to know the personality of the Holy Spirit, here are 9 ways to know Him. Too often, the Holy Spirit is thought of as a sidekick to Jesus, someone who hovers around reminding people of what Jesus said. Even though He does remind us, there is much more to Him than being the reminding part of God. When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce Himself in us. He is the Christ within. It is That Simple.
The 666 World
Yesterday, I was living in the 666 World that the Bible speaks about in the Last Days. I live in Las Vegas, and the temperature reached 104 which caused an Internet outage to my house. It was a fried cable under the street with my name on it. Everything I do is tied into the Internet. My phone uses the Internet, I do podcast recording online, I shop online, pay my bills online, and lastly, I text and do emails online. However, when the Internet goes down it is hard to get help. Why? Because there is no Internet. Well, I was able to get it fixed, but the experience of helplessness was caused by me allowing the Internet to run my life. The 666 World is more real than we think. It is That Simple.
React or Reflect
We live in a world of noise. So much of the noise is designed to invoke a reaction. It seems we have lost the ability to think through the noise, to reflect on our own thoughts and prayers. Critical thinking is also becoming a lost art … we have replaced it with AI, Google, and other tech … all promoting a reaction to information. The Devil encourages us to react too. It has been said that the Internet is 60% misinformation, a perfect space for lies, yet, we use it religiously as if it were truth personified. We react rather than reflect. Culture wants us to react; God wants us to reflect … there is a difference. In reaction, there is emotion and often anger. In reflection, there is a response to God, that leans in His direction. It is That Simple.