It is That Simple
with Larry Kutzler
The Simple Ideas of Profound Truths
The Cost of Forgiveness
I have spent time with folks who have a hard time forgiving others. Yet, as Christians, they know what Jesus taught about forgiveness and they know we are to forgive, just like God, with no strings attached. Jesus clarifies the qualifications for our personal forgiveness from God, which will only happen if we forgive others. So, when you think about those you can’t or won’t forgive, that is the price you are placing for your own forgiveness from God. Forgiveness was so important to God, that He was willing to spare His Son on a Cross to demonstrate that forgiveness comes with a price. The price for our forgiveness comes as we are forgiving others. The price not to forgive is paid in resentment, bitterness, and even hate. Forgiveness is a better deal. It is That Simple.
No Judgement … Ever
Did you know that the Bible teaches that there is no judgement against anyone who believes in Jesus? None! The only judgment that comes to anyone is because they do not believe in Jesus. There are so many people that feel condemned by what is preached to them about holiness. I know I did. Here is how it goes down. Jesus saves us, that means no judgement ever. Holiness is wanting to get closer to God, getting rid of stuff that smells bad to God. Holiness is not a rating system for anything … it is a desire to be a better human being and be pleasing to God. Holiness is an attribute of being a disciple of Jesus and discipleship is the onboarding into the Kingdom of God. Lastly, the Holy Spirit makes it all work. It is That Simple.
The Seriousness of Compromise
I love what Oswald Chambers says about sin. “If sin rules in me, the life of God in me will be killed.” The characteristics of the Last Days will silence sin and confuse the truth. The late David Wilkerson once said, “In the Last Days, you will not be able to distinguish good from evil, it will all blend together.” David Wilkerson’s ministry focused on exposing compromise, but today we don’t hear too much about the dangers of compromise. I can tell you that once you compromise an area in your life that you know is wrong, it will only be a matter of time until you lose interest in the things of God. Satan doesn’t need you to renounce your faith … just compromise it. Compromise will deteriorate your relationship with God. It is That Simple.
Time is Running Out
Is it ever too late for repentance? Most of us think it is never too late to repent. Yet, the Bible says that Esau sought be reconciled, but the Scripture says, “It’s too late to repent.” So, there is a possibility that repentance may not always be available, as we thought. The Five Foolish Virgins in Jesus’ Parable illustrate it. They thought they had lots of time to get more oil … but time ran out. Even after getting the oil for their lamps, the door the Five Wise Virgins entered was locked … it was too late. Simplify put, people think they have all the time in the world to get right with God. However, timing is unpredictable and time gets away from us. Get right with God today before it’s too late. It is That Simple.
Secret Sins
Over the years, we have seen how secret sins of leaders have killed successful ministries. These secret sins were embedded deep within the personal lives of what seemed to be faithful servants of the Lord. These kinds of sins the Bible calls besetting sins, because they are habitual. Secret sins are not honoring to God because they become more important than the Lord, and then you have just crossed over into idolatry. If your secret sin controls your life, you will not be right with the Lord. Jesus, without exception, demands you leave your besetting sin, confess it, repent from it, and submit yourself to God. This may not be easy, and you may need help from others to make a clean break, but it is essential. Secret sins will kill your life. It is that Simple.
Your Belief Matters
My pastor said, “What’s in your heart matters, so guard it well.” When we consider who influences this world, the Devil is out to destroy what we believe, so it must matter what you believe. The Proverb Writer says to guard our hearts because it will determine the course of our life. There have been periods in my life when I did not guard my heart against the benefits of being honored as a nice guy. Often, nice takes on a life of its own, and we become less likely to tell the truth because we like the attention that being nice creates. The bottom line, I wanted to be liked more than I wanted to share truth and be disliked. This is a slippery slope, so it matters to guard your heart. It is That Simple.
Racism is Simple
Racism is simple. If you hate a specific race, you essentially hate God. That may be too simple, but it is true. God created differences for His pleasure. So, if the creator varied His creation by DNA nuances, race as it is known, it was His creative idea. There is no better place to see God’s creative handiwork than in nature. There are so many differences in nature, and we appreciate all of them. Yet, when it comes to the differences in our human creation, we use it to hate. We attach to a race our prejudices which gives us reasons to distrust the whole racial group. Martin Luther King, Jr had the right idea … it’s the content of the heart, not the race that is bad. Race is God’s idea … don’t hate what is His. It is That Simple.
Removing What God Hates
People do not understand what it means to be separated from God. There is no consciousness in what they have been told about God, and certainly do not know that their sin is separating them from Him … nor do they care. The sad part of this unawareness is that Jesus removed sin from us as far as the East is from the West. In other words, He removed the barrier that kept us apart. There is nothing standing in the way of God approaching us, and us approaching Him. So, if what was separating us is now removed, why then are we still living in separation? Here is a little secret about God. He hates our separation, that is why Jesus came. Think of it this way, Jesus removed what God hated. Yeah Jesus. It is That Simple.
Hopelessness
You can always find Jesus in the middle of hopelessness; He does His best work there. As I process what this world has become, it feels hopeless … until I read about Jesus. He found Himself in many hopeless situations, but He always brought hope with Him. He raised the dead, cured sicknesses, cast out evil, and fed the hungry. Jesus wasn’t just about His Words … He was about restoring hope. James speaks of this by saying that faith without works is dead. Hopelessness in our world will always require more than words … there must be an infusion of hope. Nothing is more devastating to the human condition than a person living in hopelessness. That is why hopelessness requires a miracle and Jesus is that miracle. Jesus is more than words … He is our hope. It is That Simple.
Politicians or Prophets
The article caught my attention. A friend who retired from the Washington, D.C. media said recently, “It is not a time for politicians, it is a time for the Prophets.” I suspect what was meant by this statement was it is time for the Prophet to speak to both the Church and society. Prophets were mainly used to direct God’s People, but if the Prophet is speaking on behalf of God, a secondary audience rooted in the culture might benefit from a different perspective. I watch and listen to Christians pontificating about their political views, and I wonder if they are wasting time with arguing politics when God calls all of us to speak into culture. Politics will cease, but speaking Prophetically to our world will do more than arguing our opinions about President Trump. It is That Simple.
Darkness vs Light
The Bible talks about dark times, and it will continue until Jesus returns. Jesus told us in Matthew 24, that unless God intervenes in the affairs of men, humans will self-destruct. Recently in Minnesota, two State Legislators were murdered, apparently because of how they voted on an issue. Now, that is dark. Evil is not playing around … its agenda is to corrupt, distort, malign, manipulate, rob, steal, and destroy. Most of today’s issues all focus on the themes of distortion. We can’t identity gender, marriage is anything you want it to be, the unborn are discarded violently, and now we murder if the legislator doesn’t vote in our direction. Evil was defeated at the Cross, so our need is to proclaim it because the only thing darkness will respond to is the light. It is That Simple.
No One Stands with Israel
The latest news from the Middle East is that Israel bombed nuclear sites in Iran. This, of course, will escalate as Iran retaliates for the attack. The Prophet Zechariah tells us that God will bring all nations together to fight Jerusalem. In fact, all nations will be against Israel, and the one who stands with her will be the Lord. It will be God’s way of testifying against the world that He is God, and Israel are His people. Iran will retaliate but will not be successful in winning any war with Israel. We must remember God is moving the chess pieces to accommodate the second coming of Jesus Christ. Israel is God’s time piece with the Prophecies yet to be fulfilled. Israel has always been the testimony of God’s faithfulness to His promises. It is That Simple.
Giving Time to God Is Wise
The Psalmist tells us that God looks down from heaven to see if anyone is wise. The wisdom He is looking for is to see if anyone is seeking God. I’m convinced that we spend most of our time seeking to improve the conditions in our life. Most of us would say, “What’s wrong with that, isn’t that a good thing?” God said He looks for wisdom on earth, and that wisdom is not in the improvements being made to your life … the wisdom is in seeking God. I believe it’s like what Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all other things will be added to you.” God will only use what we give to Him, that is why He says seeking Him is wise. Giving God time is wisdom. It is That Simple.
Peace Conquers Violence
The Apostle Paul said violence in the Last Days will result from the turmoil in our hearts. The rioters in Los Angeles use deportations in the same way rioters used Black Lives Matter in Minneapolis in 2020, following the death of George Floyd. The looting, and the destruction was not cause driven … it was violence driven. When reporting on the violence in Los Angeles, our media escalates the tension by the bias in their reports. So, whether it’s the violence on the street, or the violent bias on the screen, Americans are demonstrating that our divisions have deeply divided us. However, violence is deeply engrained in American culture … it is who we have become, a culture of violence. Our only hope is the peace of Christ, only His peace will conquer the violence. It is That Simple.
Excuses or Execution
Excuses or execution … which do you most likely find yourself living out? One of the major revelations about my life was the realization I lived to make excuses. Most of my life, I made the excuse an art form … it never was my fault. I finally realized that an excuse was just a cover-up for my insecurities as an adult. I never felt good enough, nor smart enough, never excelling in anything. Yet, my excuse making was not how God created me … I made myself into an excuse maker, not God. However, as I read the Scriptures, I saw how people were executing on the promises of God and making a huge difference. No more excuses … excuses will never serve God. “I can do all things in Christ Jesus who strengthens me.” It is That Simple..
Invest in People
Relationships are both rewarding and painful. Jesus talked a lot about relationships throughout the Gospel accounts. What amazes me is how we violate relationships without blinking an eye. Not only do marriages end badly, but friendships do as well. It is easy to understand when there isn’t a common connection between people, but as Christians, our common thread is Christ. Yet, it has been the relationships in the Church that have been most painful for me. When you leave the fellowship of a Church, for any reason, you often feel dead to those left behind. The relationship was in Church but failed to have the investment of the heart of Christ. This is not a criticism … it is a challenge. Our job is to do relationships by investing in people and not Church attendance. It is That Simple.
The Heart of Restoration
I have always wondered why God allowed David to be King in the aftermath of his adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband. This is a classic case of how sin pursues its victim until there is a disastrous end. The desire, the adultery, and the murder all because King David was ruled by his appetite. Yet, God had a different plan, a plan that makes no sense in our modern-day views on justice and righteousness. God saw David in the light of a man whose heart pursued Him and provided him grace to repent and be restored. The lineage of the Messiah was flawed with men like David who did not deserve mercy, but got it anyway. God is first merciful before He is a judge and that works for me. It is That Simple.
Servanthood Exposed
Recently, I was made aware of a Christian music leader who is accused of sexual assault, grooming, and substance abuse. There are two things about all these stories of Christians failing to live the Christian life. First, no one is without sin, and our sin may not be specifically the type of sin this Christian music leader is accused of, but regardless, we are all vulnerable. Jesus forgave the woman at the well and told her to sin no more. That is grace … no one deserves it, God just gives it. Secondly, Christian leadership has become an idol that is subtlety disguised as servanthood. The problem is that servanthood starts and ends with, “Deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me.” What we are seeing is the violation of that mandate. It is That Simple.
God Loves Rebels
He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels. (Isaiah 53:12) That is me … a rebel, it has always been me, just ask my wife. I’m in my own little world of doing it my way. Yet, this Verse made me aware that Jesus saw all of us as rebels, and said, “I got this, these rebels are mine.” He died for the imperfection found in all of us, and for me it transformed my life. I live today with His perfection in me, reminding me, correcting me, and instilling in me that it is not my perfection but His that drives my life today. God’s best for my worst … now that’s such a deal. It is That Simple.
Awareness
Jesus compared His generation to children playing in the public square. These children were confused and did not participate in the games being played. Jesus also talked about cities that had experienced great miracles of God, yet choose not to believe in God. In another event, Jesus was in His hometown of Nazareth and could not do miracles because of the stubbornness of the unbelief of the people in Nazareth. In all these cases, they were totally unaware. Even the Prophets had one job … to call out the ignorance and unawareness about God. When unawareness is present it will lead people to idolatry, as it did in past generations. The less we know about God, the more vulnerable we become to making idols in our life. Jesus called His generation to be aware … and so should we. It is That Simple.
Meaningless Encouragement
Jesus was serious about discipleship. “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.” Recently, as I traveled across the country, I was listening to Christian radio, and I was amazed at the kind of banter I heard. It was meaningless chatter about nothing. The theme was always about encouragement, but it had little to do with Jesus. Encouragement instills hope. I’m sure some of you may push back on this, but I sense people who tune into Christian radio, don’t need to hear meaningless banter that is sweet, but has no power to instill hope in a discouraged life. Taking up the cross is not about light heartedness … it’s serious sacrifice and dependence on Jesus, because that is what changes lives. It is That Simple.
Insincerity
Recently, I had a conversation about insincerity with my medical professional son. He told me about a study conducted among medical doctors, that revealed patients responded better to recovery if their doctor showed compassion toward their wellbeing. They discovered that it took only 10 seconds of a compassionate comment or two that made all the difference in how the recovery went for the patient. Insincerity in any profession can be a game changer for outcomes. In the faith community, I find the results the same … an insincere reaction can make or break the interest in God. When our interest shifts from having compassion for people to focus only on the Church operations of nickels and noses, we lose the opportunity for having influence in the outcome of helping people come to know Christ. It is That Simple.
Stuff
We moved recently and realized that most of the stuff in our home we really didn’t need, so we sold or gave most of it away. It felt liberating not to be burdened with stuff, plus I no longer wondered where I put something because that something no longer had a place in our home. I think there is some truth to less is more in life. The Apostle Paul stated that greed of any kind was a form of idolatry. I had never thought about it in that manner before … that my obsession with getting more stuff could become an idol. I suppose that is why idol worship is so egregious to God because it replaces Him … with stuff. Learning to manage the stuff in your life also makes it easier to move. It is That Simple.
Complaining vs Conviction
“You cannot change what you don’t confront.” That’s what my pastor said on Sunday. It stirred something in me. It made me ask myself the question, “What don’t I confront in myself?” For example, I complain about a lot of stuff. You name it, and I’ve probably complained about it. At the same time, I usually don’t confront the issue … it seems I simply like complaining about it. I realized that there are two reasons why I don’t confront. Either I like to just complain, or I am fearful of the results if I do confront. So that got me to think about God and wondered if He ever complains. So, I asked God if He ever complains? His response was interesting, He said, “I don’t complain, I convict.” I got the point. It is That Simple.
Deliver Us From Evil
Jesus taught, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” There is so much evil in today’s world, but let me start with one of the biggest influencers of lies … the main media. The narrative in the George Floyd trial never was challenged until the production by Liz Collin in, “The Fall of Minneapolis.” In it is the other side of this story that was hidden from the public. The news media had no interest in looking for the truth, they were satisfied with what they were being told … without question. The media I grew up with questioned everything … that’s what made it journalism, by holding people in authority accountable. The lie rules this world by the father of lies, and we need to be delivered from it. “Deliver us from evil.” It is That Simple.
The Prayer of Jesus
When people pray, they reveal their concerns and desires. So, when Jesus prayed for us in John 17, He revealed His concerns and His desires for us. He prayed for protection from evil, prayed for God’s truth to be in us, prayed to keep us in unity in the same manner Jesus and God are one. Finally, He prayed that we would know the love of God. He didn’t pray for riches, and He didn’t pray that we would escape the corruption of the world … just protected from it. He prayed against our enemies of evil and division. He prayed for us to live out the truth in our lives, and to know the love of God. Jesus prayed this way because He wanted us to succeed in following Him. It is That Simple.
The Great Chase
I am convinced that if you take all the sages of time, all the philosophies, all the wisdom of leadership, all great inspiration, all the magnificent humanitarian organizations, and all the classic literature, it comes down to King Solomon’s words, “It’s all chasing the wind.” I wrote to my congress person about an issue, which resulted in a nice form letter … I was chasing the wind. I argue most weeks with computers with voices named AI as I try to reach a human being … again just chasing the wind. Commentary on social media are often just reflections from dissatisfied lives, who are ‘chasing the wind.’ Solomon’s solution to chasing the wind? "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." I hope you consider today what you are chasing. It is That Simple.
Disappointments Are Signs for Change
Have you ever tallied disappointments vs triumphs? I don’t know about you, but for me it’s like 10 to 1. I have had my battles with the Lord over disappointments. Things always seem to be going wrong in my life, decisions go bad, thinking gets confused, God doesn’t answer as I thought He would. Yet, it is in those disappointments where the soil is fertile for growth and change. Without disappointments, as humans, we get stuck, and disappointments are a wakeup call to get our attention to do something different. I have learned to trust God through the disappointments because it’s just a matter of time until He clears it all up. My conclusion? No disappointment will ever override God’s will in my life. In all disappointments, God will use it for something better. It is That Simple.
Box People
In society there are two kinds of thinkers. In the box, and outside the box. Most of us use the education we were taught from the box. It is safe, it is known, it is acceptable. But what about those outside the box? There are no rules, no measurements, or predictions. They rely on the language of the gut and intuition. Most of us like the box, because we know what to expect. Those outside box face the unknown, they are the visionaries. The box people love the sound of church bells, but the out of the box people like the challenge of the mission, yards from the gates of Hell. Jesus instructs us to get out of the box and “go into all the world.”
Excuses
There is a story Jesus told about a banquet where people were invited to attend, and all the invitees gave excuses not to attend. Some had business dealings, others were investing, chasing their dream, while others were getting married. However, at the end of the day, all made excuses as to why they could not attend. Jesus used this story to illustrate that many have been invited into His Kingdom, but few choose to come. God is still inviting people and He is still getting excuses from His invites. All of us make excuses for ourselves, but there is one excuse that could cost you eternity. No matter what your life is doing, when the invitation is given, by all means, do not make an excuse.
Saltiness
Jesus said, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” If we, the church is like salt, what happens when we lose or change our message? Jesus said, “if you lose your saltiness, you get thrown away.” I recently read about some Christians representing a group called “Progressive Christianity.” Here in part is what they believe. “They value compassion, justice, mercy, and tolerance, often through political activism. Often Progressive Christians will refer to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross as horrific or unnecessary.” I believe we face two kinds of churches, one a true salty church, and one worthy to be discarded. The gospel is salty, it was designed to stay that way.
Circumstances
“Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.” (Eccles 7:14) Now that is something that is not in our theology thinking today. This is one of those insightful wisdom verses that tells the prosperity gospel people that God cannot be manipulated to only prosper you. King Solomon goes on to say, “remember that nothing is certain in this life.” So, in short, God teaches us lessons in both prosperity and in the hard times, because God has created them both. Paul says, “I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” It’s not the circumstances, it is the Christ in those circumstances that matters.
Theology
Theology is important, I get that, however, some theology has become so important to people, that it has become an idol. It reminds me of how people treated the Sabbath in Jesus day: “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27) Sabbath was important, but it became so important it became an object of worship. Some theology is critically important, Soteriology, Pneumatology, and Eschatology, all have a place in the believer’s playbook of belief, but there is other theology that I would question. Calvinism, Supercessionism, Cessationism, Prosperity and Dominion theologies are all Biblically questionable and they have become more important than even the Lord Himself. In my latter years, the Bible is all I need, theology can get confusing.
Kindness
Annie Johnson was 101 years old when I first met her. She was physically weak, but her mind was strong. She lived through some of the most astounding events in history. World wars, inventions of the automobile, telephone, radio, tv, internet. So, I asked her what she had concluded about life in living so long. I thought I would get an answer like, “I was amazed at how advanced we had become.” Instead, what she said to me I will never forget. “I am amazed at how unkind and mean we have become to each other.” Wise words that echo’s God’s Word. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) Kindness never goes out of style.
Closets
We have seen a rash of high-profile clergy resign recently over moral failure. It is a good reminder that no one is beyond sin. One of the lessons we learn early in following Jesus is that everything is a temptation. Just because you are a successful pastor does not mean you’re beyond temptation. Given the right circumstances, and the wrong frame of mind, anyone can be seduced into sin. How about the skeletons in your closet? Everyone has a past and I am convinced all closets have skeletons. However, there is mercy for the sinner, repentance for the contrite, and the grace of God for those willing to face their closet. Remember, confession is always forgiven, and it is the best way to clean a closet.