It is That Simple
with Larry Kutzler
The Simple Ideas of Profound Truths
Those Dreaded Commercials
One of my irritations these days, are all the commercials we endure … they are everywhere. Even in Church, it’s commercial after commercial for events, activities, or opportunities … all zeroing in on my time and my attention. I know, it’s how the Church gets my attention for what they want from me, which is my attendance and participation. I am so glad that in the 66 Books of the Bible, there are no commercials. Just think, after each Book of the Bible, if the author took some time to advertise something about himself, you know, a commercial promoting something. The editor and main contributor of the Bible, the Holy Spirit, wouldn’t allow it. Thank you, Holy Spirit! I’m so glad we can read through the whole Bible without a commercial break to promote something other than God. It is That Simple.
God's Character is Redemption
Satan is described as an accuser. He accused Job of only being faithful because God gave Him stuff. In the Book of Revelation, Satan accuses us before God, day and night, but it is in Zechariah 3 that God responds to him, “I reject your accusations.” Satan was accusing the High Priest, but God said, “This priest is like a burning stick that was snatched from the fire.” This is how God sees us … we are all like burning sticks snatched from the fire because of Christ. God’s Character is based upon Redemption, and as He looks at His creation, He sees sticks in the fire of sin, and His reaction is to snatch them from the flame. God is a Redeemer … that is why Jesus came, not to condemn the world, but to save it. It is That Simple.
If You Seek God, You Will Find Him
I believe God made humans for relationships. Humans are happier and better adjusted when we have significant relationships in our lives. God created us in His image, which means relationships are important to God. Yet relationships take work as the Prophet Jeremiah wrote … you will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. Finding God starts with a search and ends in finding a relationship of great value. Jesus told the story of a man finding treasure in a field, he then sells all he has to buy that field. Seeking and finding God is like that man … once we realize what a treasure it is to discover God; we give everything to have it. There is great joy in Heaven over our finding this treasure, and it all starts with a search. It is That Simple.
Accountability is Critical
It is easy to get off track, right? We shift the direction we are on for another direction, and things can end up far from where they should be. When that happens to a Church or a Ministry, it is called ‘Mission Shift,’ an intentional move to a different emphasis. Recently, I heard of several ministries who are in trouble because of ‘Mission Shift.’ How did that happen? They had no accountability factors. The early Church organized around Elders and Deacons … one did the Ministry of the Word, the other did the Ministry of Acts of Service. One of those Acts of Service in today’s Church is management, which becomes the accountability factor for the leaders who lead. When leaders get off track, the cause is always ‘No Structure of Accountability.’ Accountability is as critical as the Ministry itself. It is That Simple.
Christianity is Historically Jewish
We call it Christianity, but Jesus never came to start a new religion. He came to fulfill the Promises of the Law and the Prophets that God made to Israel. Jeremiah 31:31-34 declares He came to bring a new Covenant to Israel which would affect the entire world. If you read those Scriptures carefully, this new Covenant was given to the Jews, but it was the fulfillment of God’s Promise of Salvation for all mankind. The problem with Christianity, for me, is that it has so many strains that think God made a religion just for them. Spoiler alert … all the roots of Christianity point back to the Promises and Covenants that God made with Israel. Remember, Gentiles were grafted into the original Promises made to Israel according to the Apostle Paul. Historically, Christianity is Jewish … pay attention Tucker Carlson.
Deception Starts With the Lies We Tell Ourselves
Oswald Chambers asks, “Do you have anything you are hiding from God?” It is impossible to hide anything from God. The question should be asked, “Are you hiding anything from yourself?” The Psalmist says, “Keep me from lying to myself,” which implies … don’t hide anything. We talk all the time about deception from the outside, but the greatest deception is what you tell yourself. Most of us suffer from having no self-awareness, and it is in this state of mind and presence that we find the greatest lies. It’s other people who are the problem … period. It is always our perception that lies to us. Why? We evaluate situations according to our standards and experience, instead of God’s Standards. Self-awareness starts with the humility that you are a sinner, saved by His Grace, and hiding nothing. It is That Simple.
The Liberation of Christ
Jesus came to do two things. First, to seek and to save the lost. That’s you and me. Second, He came to destroy the works of the Devil … that’s the destruction evil does to us. Simply put, Jesus came for the purpose of rescuing us from our sin and set a standard against evil. I am reminded of the Church of Laodicea who said, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” Then Jesus said, “But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” Perhaps our own prosperity has made us self-sufficient in need of nothing. Yet, we cannot overcome sin, death, and evil on our own. Our prosperity has us lost, poor, and beggarly without the work of Christ on the Cross. Jesus came to liberate us. It is That Simple.
Nothing Changes Without You Changing
You have heard it said, “If the heart doesn’t change, nothing will change.” I add to that, “If you don’t change, nothing around you will change either.” I believe Jesus was big on forgiveness, because it changes us. Forgiveness first changes you, and when given, it changes the recipient. Change must start with you. Remember when Jesus said, “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the Altar in the Temple, and you suddenly remember that someone has done something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the Altar. Go and be reconciled to that person.” The issue here is that someone is angry with you, but Jesus tells us to go fix it! Change means we start the process, even when it’s not our fault. Change is the optimum word in God’s Kingdom, and change must start with you. It is That Simple.
Religion Won't Get You to Heaven
I have been having an ongoing discussion with a friend, who, like most people, feel religion is good and I would say … wrong. The Jews had religion in the Old Testament, but it made them idolatrous. Religion in the New Testament was brought to a head with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a religious man, had the pedigree of being a man of God by all accounts. Yet, this righteous religious man was told by Jesus that he must be born again. No one will see Heaven if they are only religious, that was the lesson of Nicodemus. You can follow the creeds, be doctrinally correct, and follow the golden rule, but if you are not born again, as Jesus described to Nicodemus, you are fooling yourself … your religion has failed you. Jesus gets you to Heaven … not religion. It is That Simple.
No Soft Message About The Cross
When I first became a Christian in 1970, there were plenty of preachers who were the ‘Fire and Brimstone’ types that scared you into the Kingdom. This shifted with people like Tim Keller, Bill Hybels, and others who dropped the ‘Hell Sermons’ and took the soft approach of logic and reason. Most preachers today are counseling pastors who illustrate with stories of life events, making the case for a spiritual life. This soft approach seems to be how Churches are built today, but are we being truthful? The fact that your soul will land in one of two places for eternity is often sacrificed for crowd comfort, but being soft about The Cross is not honoring to the One who hung there. The Holy Spirit living within believers is firm … there’s no soft message about The Cross. It is That Simple.