| Recently, I shot out an eMail entitled, "JESUS: | | | | schedule; our busy schedules have us. You get |
| STILL HEALING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS." The | | | | the idea. Galatians 5:22 says one of the Fruits of |
| response was unexpectedly positive with many | | | | the Spirit - the evidence that God resides within |
| requesting the "7 Hindrances to Healing" that I | | | | and works through a Christian - is self-control. |
| offered at the end (just hit REPLY and type | | | | Too many people I know are simply |
| "HEAL" in your SUBJECT Bar). In the section | | | | out-of-control, slaves to their helter-skelter |
| entitled "Third World Miracles," I made reference | | | | calendars, careers and creditors. |
| to a book we've read in our House Church group | | | | Many moons ago, I penned a letter and sent a |
| called "Megashift" by Jim Rutz. | | | | copy to the President of WalMart, the Founder of |
| HIGHLY recommended! Two thumbs up! | | | | Chick-Fil-A and visited a wealthy local businessman |
| Today, March 20th, on the site, a wonderful | | | | who had a reputation for helping local churches. |
| article of his was published which included the | | | | The WalMart guy graciously responded with a |
| following excerpt that I thought was worth | | | | phone call. The Chicken Man was kind enough to |
| passing along. | | | | mail me an autographed book he'd written with a |
| He wrote: "I speak across the U.S. on miracles. My | | | | note attached, and the local guy selflessly spent |
| desk is swamped with credible reports of | | | | two hours with me, despite my popping in on him |
| astounding, totally "impossible" events worldwide. | | | | unannounced. In each case, my question was, |
| And always, the same question follows from my | | | | "What's it like to be wealthy and Christian?" |
| interviewer or audience, "So why don't more of | | | | Believe it or not, from what I gathered, it's tough. |
| these miracles happen here?" | | | | A sermon that I can recall hearing some 8 years |
| "Alas, I have to tell you the brutal truth: | | | | ago, lasted less than eleven minutes. It was |
| Compared to the on-fire, highly dedicated | | | | spoken by a joyful, very pleasant African |
| Christians in other lands, we're a bunch of | | | | Christian Bible School student who was leaving our |
| half-hearted, borderline agnostics. It's not that | | | | congregation and heading back home. He stole his |
| we're more evil than our foreign brethren, we're | | | | opening line from Paul's letter to the Galatians - |
| just distracted and wishy-washy. An Indian or | | | | kinda - by shouting, "You foolish Americans! Who |
| Chinese believer can take a bus to a different | | | | has bewitched you?" He went on to talk about |
| neighborhood, preach the gospel on a street | | | | the subtle manner in which Satan has deceived |
| corner and plant a house church in the time it | | | | and distracted us, causing us to mistake "good" |
| takes an American believer to water the lawn, | | | | things for "God" things. Having observed |
| waddle out to his car, take Junior to soccer | | | | witchcraft in action back home, he easily detected |
| practice, answer his e-mail and watch a couple of | | | | its warmed-over, Western counterpart. |
| TV programs. | | | | He was spot on. |
| "In other words, Joe American has drifted away | | | | In honor of that man's memorable 11-minute |
| from his forefathers' spiritual roots in the Bible." | | | | message, I'll keep this one short. |
| In Luke 18:25, Jesus said, "...it is easier for a camel | | | | Who has bewitched us? The lyrics for The Rolling |
| to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich | | | | Stones song "Sympathy for the devil" just came |
| man to enter the kingdom of God." Why's that? | | | | to mind. |
| We're too affluent. Our backs are burdened with | | | | Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man |
| too many "blessings" - so many, in fact, that we | | | | of wealth and taste |
| assume they are from God (anybody remember | | | | I've been around for a long, long year, stolen |
| Satan tempting Jesus with "all the kingdoms of | | | | many a man's soul and faith |
| the world and their splendor" in Matthew Chapter | | | | And I was around when Jesus Christ had His |
| 4? He said to the Lord, "All this I will give you if | | | | moment of doubt and pain |
| you will bow down and worship me"). | | | | Made [darn] sure that Pilate washed his hands and |
| Gulp. | | | | sealed His fate. |
| There's a fine line between having stuff and stuff | | | | Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name. |
| having us. Many of us don't merely have a busy | | | | Yes, I think we can ALL guess his name. |