Year: 2014

Religiosity

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , , , ,

When one reviews the pages of the Bible focusing on relationships, it seems the people who God had the greatest animosity against are “religious people.” From the Old Testament patriarchs to the New Testament saints, people who seemed to get God’s emotions to tilt are religious people preventing others from having an authentic, meaningful relationship with Him.

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Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisees is a prime example. “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.” [Matt. 23:13 ESV] Jesus explodes with a verbal assault aimed directly at the Pharisees. They had become so self-righteous that they maintained a form of religion, but lack the power and love of God with it. They blinded themselves with a humanistic show of piety but the heart didn’t know God. They acted the part in form, but lacked the internal substance of genuine love. Whereas King David was a man after God’s own heart [Acts 13:22], the Pharisees were men after their idol’s heart.

The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 16:18 “For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” Throughout Paul’s ministry the struggle was with people who were deceived into believing an idol rather than the true God. For whatever one set’s their heart after that is not our Triune God is pursuing what the Bible defines as an idol; and idols have their followers and supporters.

Religiosity is simply the idol of mystical performance that looks sacred from the outside-in, but lacks the Spirit-filled heart that knows God and walks with God from the inside-out. Religiosity is the friend of humanism. It is designed to make man feel good, look good, and for a moment experience good. But the end result is another deceptive lie.

Jesus spoke about having a deep, meaningful relationship with Him. He didn’t act religious because God’s way involves being adopted into a family, a community, and a government built from the center of God’s heart, It is about everyday life; not a one-hour religious experience. It is expressing the love of God with your family members, work associates, and neighbors. The unity is not found in a bunch of do’s and don’ts [Col. 2:20], but in the Spirit of God within each person.

At the end of the day, one finds having a relationship with Jesus Christ is an adventurous journey through life with all the excitement of a Hollywood blockbuster movie. The difference though is you are not a spectator but a active participant in the plot and storyline. He assigns you a role that you were specifically designed to live and equips you for its fulfillment. It’s about everyday life: eating, sleeping, working, playing, dancing, singing, writing, loving and yes leading and serving others. When one discovers and experiences it, one quickly understands why Jesus became angry with the religious people of His day. You may want to take a hard look at oneself and ask in prayer: what religious games can I stop playing so we may draw closer to the living God?

OUR PRAYER

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Our Holy Father – Holy Lord – Holy Spirit: thank you for your honest feedback and merciful grace that strips us from our prideful acts of religious superiority. Thank you for making your home in us and patiently opening our eyes to see and ears to hear your wonderful life. Thank you for sharing your creation and your purpose and your plans with us.

Help us always to be authentic, honest, and generous to the people we meet. Help us to desist and you to exhibit your great power and love in us and through us. Let us not become a stumbling block for anyone but help us to lead and serve others in love with you. If they don’t know you, help us to gently and persuasively point them to you. Let your Spirit glow in the lives of your church.

Let everything we say, think, and do be done so in the love of Christ for the glory of Christ by the power of Christ.

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Consultant, Coach, Encourager
Author of Great Business Emulates A Good God

If You Are Seeking a Devotional Study, Check Out My New Book Be Radical…Follow Christ.

Because I Can

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , , , , , , , ,

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13 ESV

This morning I biked approximately twenty miles. When asked why I do it, my reply is simply, “because I can.” My wife mowed the lawn this past week. When our neighbors asked how come I don’t do it or hire it out, my reply is simply, “because she can.” When you asked my friend Frank, a paraplegic, why he rides his motorized wheel chair from his apartment to the local tavern (approximately 1 mile) for a beer, his reply is simply “because I can.”
Now someone else asked me the other day how come I don’t play professional racquetball. My reply, because I can’t. Time has passed up the season when I would have been able. Today, I simply play for pleasure; “because I can.”
A couple of weeks ago, a friend was involved in an auto accident. He was riding a motorbike perfectly following traffic regulations, wearing a helmet, and only one mile from his home when a person drove her car through an intersection and turned right into him. She claimed she didn’t see him. After multiple surgeries, the medical team believes he will walk again. However, the physical rehab is going to be long and strenuous. There is much he will miss this year – and in many cases his “because I can” opportunities will be limited. Yet as he states, there are things he will continue to do “because he can.”
As Christ-followers, we are blessed with the living God residing in us. As we desist and He increases, our faith, trust, and hope in Him is strengthen. We find ourselves listening more to his instructions and directions. We develop confidence in Him and look forward to the opportunities of living life for His glory. Every time we express a godly attribute, we recognize him more and more. Every time we accept a new challenge or take another adventurous journey with Him, our confidence and trust in Him becomes a force that breaks down fears, lies, and human pride. We find ourselves doing activities that are outside our normal sphere. When asked why, our reply is simply “because I can.”

OUR PRAYER

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Holy Father, Lord, and Spirit: thank you for calling us and giving us eternal life in Christ. Thank you for filling us with your Spirit. Thank you for giving us an attitude of “I can do all things in Christ.” Help us face the opportunities and challenges that life throws at us with a “because I can” attitude. But let it not be our pride or lust or desires that lead us. Instead, help us to desist and allow you to fully express yourself in us. Let your glory shine in us. Let your Spirit lead us. Let your fruit abide and grow in us. Wherever we go and whatever we do help us face life’s obstacles and roadblocks in Christ. Help us to come to know you and your life and your purposes. Let our expectations be your expectations. Help us not fool ourselves and blind ourselves. Instead help us always focus on you and your work in us. For it is only in you and through you and by you that we can say, “because I can.”

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Consultant, Coach, Encourager
Author of Great Business Emulates A Good God

Happy Birthday!

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , , , , , , , , ,

When the day of your birth rolls around another year, how do you celebrate it? Do you throw yourself a party? Do you invite a few friends over for dinner? Or are you fortunate to have friends or family members that throw a party on your behalf? However you celebrate your birthday, you may want to consider this: you didn’t give birth, but your mother did. So on your next birthday, why not take an intentional moment and celebrate your birth with the person who gave birth – your mother. In other words, technically it is not your birthday, but your Mother’s.
The other person you want to thank and celebrate the day with is the Author of life, the Triune God. Without Him, you and I would not be here today. In fact, He gives us life, breath, and purpose. We are not accidents, but planned living souls designed for His pleasure for all eternity. It all begins on the day your Mother gave birth and continues with His divine intervention on a daily basis.
So when your day comes, stop, thank your Mother, and celebrate your adventurous journey rooted in Jesus Christ with the Author of Life. What other way is better than this to celebrate and rejoice on your Birthday?

OUR PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, Lord, and Spirit: thank you for sharing your life with us. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to experience life. Thank you for your intervention into our life. Thank you for just knowing you.
Help us to celebrate this life with you; to rejoice with you; and to offer this life for your service. We pray for our Mothers; shower them with your Almighty love and grace. Bless them for their sacrifice and nurturing intentions in raising us and giving us the opportunities we now have. Though they are not perfect and didn’t raise us perfectly, they did the best they could under the circumstances of their life. Simply bless them and let us celebrate you and them throughout this day. Amen

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Consultant, Coach, Encourager
Author of Great Business Emulates A Good God

If You Are Seeking a Devotional Study, Check Out My New Book Be Radical…Follow Christ.