What's the Secret to the Christian life?
Have you ever considered that question in terms of successfully navigating the often chaotic waters of your Christian walk? The world seems to be constantly posing this question about the secret of life in about anything that matters to people. In our churches today we have a lot of real questionable teaching about what success looks like and how living the victorious Christian life translates into reality in the here and now. In Africa where I spend a lot of my time teaching, I am constantly confronted with the health and wealth gospel. Amidst the African poverty which so often accompanies systemic government corruption, the common people fall easy prey to the preacher who promises that God is interested in giving them everything that life refuses them. That can mean just about anything, but most of the time that means wealth in spite of poverty, health despite chronic health issues such as HIV, AIDS, and a whole slew of common health risks associated with an impoverished lifestyle.
Within two-hundred yards of the compound where I just stayed last week is a ministry known all over Entebbe and beyond as a premier healing ministry. On the busy days of Sunday and Thursday, bus loads of Ugandans swarm the property of Pastor Ronny to bring the sick and dying for instantaneous healing. Upwards of three to five to thousand people can gather at any one service. Before the pastor offers his healing services, the victim's family members must pay an offering to warrant such benefits and receive the healing they desire. Then when the chronically sick or dying individuals perish during the extended services, the families are left penniless to transport the bodies back to their homes or conduct a reasonable funeral. Sound outlandish or incredibly evil? Welcome to the health and wealth gospel practitioners in Africa!
But what is the real secret to the Christian walk? Is it the incredible desires and expectations of the health and wealth gospel or is it something so different it is is almost unrecognizable to the normal believer? Let me offer a clue. In Philippians 4:6-9 Pauls offers the Philippian believers the key to maintaining a vital and successful Christian walk on a momentary, hourly, and daily level, twenty-four/seven and three-hundred sixty-five days a year.
Do you know what it is? Honestly, it's really a long shot away from the incredibly pernicious and circus-like promises of the over the top "Faith Healers" of our current age. Are you ready for this?
Paul says three basic things in his admonition to these Christians in this passage, and they are as plain as vanilla yogurt!
He says if you want the peace of God which passes all understanding and the God of peace to accompany you at all times, situations, and places you need to:
Pray right vs 6-7. Don't let anxiety control you but pray about everything instead!
Think right vs 8. Control your thoughts and decide to think in God's way bringing every thought in to captivity (2 Cor. 10:5). And........
Do right vs 9. What you have heard and learned on Sunday mornings and among godly Christian exmples--obey and do!
The results are worth writing home about! Try and it and see. It's value is far greater than the mega-millions jackpot!
Within two-hundred yards of the compound where I just stayed last week is a ministry known all over Entebbe and beyond as a premier healing ministry. On the busy days of Sunday and Thursday, bus loads of Ugandans swarm the property of Pastor Ronny to bring the sick and dying for instantaneous healing. Upwards of three to five to thousand people can gather at any one service. Before the pastor offers his healing services, the victim's family members must pay an offering to warrant such benefits and receive the healing they desire. Then when the chronically sick or dying individuals perish during the extended services, the families are left penniless to transport the bodies back to their homes or conduct a reasonable funeral. Sound outlandish or incredibly evil? Welcome to the health and wealth gospel practitioners in Africa!
But what is the real secret to the Christian walk? Is it the incredible desires and expectations of the health and wealth gospel or is it something so different it is is almost unrecognizable to the normal believer? Let me offer a clue. In Philippians 4:6-9 Pauls offers the Philippian believers the key to maintaining a vital and successful Christian walk on a momentary, hourly, and daily level, twenty-four/seven and three-hundred sixty-five days a year.
Do you know what it is? Honestly, it's really a long shot away from the incredibly pernicious and circus-like promises of the over the top "Faith Healers" of our current age. Are you ready for this?
Paul says three basic things in his admonition to these Christians in this passage, and they are as plain as vanilla yogurt!
He says if you want the peace of God which passes all understanding and the God of peace to accompany you at all times, situations, and places you need to:
Pray right vs 6-7. Don't let anxiety control you but pray about everything instead!
Think right vs 8. Control your thoughts and decide to think in God's way bringing every thought in to captivity (2 Cor. 10:5). And........
Do right vs 9. What you have heard and learned on Sunday mornings and among godly Christian exmples--obey and do!
The results are worth writing home about! Try and it and see. It's value is far greater than the mega-millions jackpot!
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