The Misery of Legalism

The following video is fairly graphic, so if you're squeamish, you might want to pass on watching it.


This scene is from the movie, Misery, starring Kathy Bates and James Cann. Cann's character, Paul Sheldon has just completed his latest novel in the same Colorado lodge where he finishes all his books. As he is driving back to town along a desolate mountain road, a blizzard strikes, and his car hits a slippery patch and crashes down an embankment, turning over several times before resting upside down.

Luckily, Annie Wilkes, who lives on a nearby farm, witnesses the crash and pries Sheldon from the wreckage with a crowbar. A former nurse, she takes him home and splints his two shattered legs and broken arm. Throughout the rest of the movie, Sheldon is bed-ridden and crippled, which increases his peril and the film’s tension.

Annie Wilkes, she informs him, is his number one fan. She has read all his books, which center on a beautiful Southern belle named Misery Chastain. Wilkes feels blessed by God, because He sent her to rescue Sheldon so he can write more Misery books. He soon learns that all is not well as it appears to be at first. In this scene, Annie smashes his ankles with a large sledge hammer just after telling him that she loves him. (That's what this clip depicts.)

Some may think that I'm overstating my case, but I think this story is a good picture of what legalism does to people. Like Annie Wilkes "ministry" to Paul Sheldon, legalistic ministry typically exists in a culture of pseudo-love. Everything is done for the good of the one who is victimized. On the surface, it appears that they are being cared for when, in reality, they are being controlled.

If they should try to stray too far from conformity to "the rules of the house," they will be hobbled, all in the name of love. Many a Christian has suffered the religious abuse of legalistic ministry. As a result, they can't enjoy a grace walk anymore but have been crippled in the name of love.

I was talking to a lady recently who had been led to believe that she is rebellious because she dared to question those in her church who imagined that they had authority over her. Beware of religious control. We each have the Holy Spirit in us and He will cause us to sense when something isn't exactly right when we find ourselves in Annie Wilkes house. Don't be fooled by the syrupy smile and gentle voice. If you find yourself with Reverend Annie, run. Run now.

Grace Walk International Leaders Meeting

I just returned from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where our international leaders from Grace Walk met together. Our group came from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Argentina. We had a great time. I spoke to our GW team about "Radical Ministry" during the days together and it was a rewarding time as God strengthened the bond of friendship and further unified us in our ministry purpose.

Our meetings were on Friday and Saturday. Then, on Sunday, we went to church together where I spoke from Isaiah 61:1. It was a great time that we all enjoyed. I am so very thankful for the wonderful team the Lord has put together to share the grace walk message through this ministry. Each one is an exceptional person with a passion to spread the gospel of grace.

Rightly Dividing The Word

Not long ago, I was speaking in a church about how we need to understand that not everything Jesus said was directed to us. A man came to me after the meeting and was highly insulted that I should say such a thing. "I think you are wrong to teach that we should disregard the words of Jesus," he said.

"I never said we should disregard what Jesus said," I answered.

"Yes you did," he responded. You said that we didn't need to take seriously what he said about us not being forgiven by God unless we forgive others. Unlike you, I believe everything Jesus said is important."

"I believe what He said is important too," I answered. "In fact, I think His words are important enough that we need to respect them by putting them in the proper context. Surely you don't believe that you are to take every word Jesus said and apply it to your own life?" I asked.

"Of course, I do," he answered, "His words are truth and life!"

"Well," I said, leaning forward as if to look closely at him, "Jesus said that if we ever lust, we should pluck our eyes out and I can't help but notice you have two eyeballs in your skull. Can you explain why that's the case?"

"Oh, oh, oh!" the man responded, obviously angry.

"I don't know what that means," I said.

"You are twisting what Jesus said!" He answered.

"No, I'm not," I answered. "I am telling you that we had better know who Jesus was talking to, why He said what He did and what He meant when He said it," I answered.

Needless to say, I didn't convince the man. I suppose he still thinks I don't believe the words of Jesus, but I do.

That man failed to understand something very important in interpreting the Bible. We have to rightly divide the Word. When we read the Bible, we need to ask, "Who was speaking here? To whom was he speaking? When was he saying this -before or after the cross? What point was he making with the people to whom he spoke?"

These are important questions. If we fail to answer them as we read the Bible, we get ourselves into a world of confusion. Much of what Jesus said was directed to the self righteous. For instance, in Luke 18:28-33, when the rich young ruler asked Him how he might obtain eternal life, Jesus told him to keep the Law. The man responded by saying that he had already done that, so Jesus told him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor.

Would any Christian seriously think that because Jesus told one man that, the way to salvation is to keep the Law or to sell what we have and give the money to the poor? No, we know that He wasn't talking to us there. He was talking to a man who thought he was good enough to deserve salvation based on his own morality. Jesus was making the point that "you only think you have what it takes to save yourself" by lifting up the Law so that the man would come to see his sinfulness. In other words, Jesus was using the Law to do what the Law does -- "make sin exceedingly sinful."

That's how it is with many passages we read. Remember that Jesus ministered under the old covenant and, consequently, He used the Law to do what it was given to do - cause sin to increase. (See Romans 5:20) Why would he do that? For the very reason Paul gave in Galatians 3:23-24 -- so that the Law would cause men to see their sinfulness and their need for a Saviour.

If we don't rightly divide the word by understanding that the New Covenant (Testament) didn't begin with the birth of Jesus, but with His crucifixion, we will be confused about some of the things He said. The New Covenant became valid only when the One who made it died. (See Hebrews 9:16-17)

I love the words of Jesus. I love His words enough to refuse to be flippant about them, but instead to study them in order to know their context and true meaning. I encourage you to approach the Scripture knowing that the dividing line between the Old and New Covenant is the work of Christ at the cross. Knowing that can help us avoid much confusion in our understanding.

Ministry In Canada

I am in London, Ontario where I am speaking at the Grace Life Community Church. Pastor Sam Youngren is committed to seeing his congregation grow in the knowledge of who they are in Christ and what it means to walk in grace. It is encouraging to be with a pastor and church who are so enthusiastic about being a grace filled church.

I spoke yesterday morning, last night and will speak tonight. My theme is "The Gospel of Grace," taken from Acts 20:24. Yesterday I spoke about "Life In Grace" and last night my topic was "Liberty In Grace." Tonight the message will be about "Love in Grace."

I will spend part of the day today with Mike Zenker, our National Director for Grace Walk Canada. He and a small group of friends drove over for the service last night and will be there tonight too. Everytime I think of how the Lord brought Mike to work with Grace Walk, I am thankful. He really is a gifted man and I believe our Father is going to use him in great ways to spread the message of the grace walk.

I fly back to Atlanta tomorrow, then Melanie and I will drive back to Florida on Wednesday. We will be home a week before leaving for our Leadership Conference in Mexico the next week.

Thanks for your prayers while I'm here.

In The McVey Family

When I first began this blog, I wrote that I would also post personal things sometimes so that those who know our family can keep up with some of the things going on in our personal lives.

Our oldest daugher, Amy, recently received certification as a personal trainer. She has been into running for quite some time now, having run a half marathon last year. She is going to run a full marathon (26 miles) in January.

Melanie has also become interested in running. Yesterday morning she and Amy ran a 5K run together. It was the first for Melanie and she did a great job. Her goal is to run a 10k and she is training hard for it every day.

These photos are Melanie and Amy coming down the home stretch, celebrating the finish and my three beautiful girls and me.

Home From Argentina

While we were in Buenos Aries, we prayed for Jose Colacilli, our National Coordinator for Grace Walk Argentina. Jose is a humble man with a passion for sharing the gospel of grace with his country. Pray for him as he seeks to spread the message across Argentina!
This is Walter Sanchez, who also works with our ministry in Argentina. Right now, he is leading three Grace Walk Groups and is teaching each of them who they are in Christ.
Gerardo Vazques (Grace Walk Latin American Director) and I preached in three different churches during the weekend. It is such an encouragement to me to see how Gerardo has grown in these past seven years. God is using him to spread the message of the grace walk all over Latin America.






It was a real joy for me to be there with these guys. Gerardo and Craig Snyder (Grace Walk Director of Missions) have been to Argentina numerous times and have done a wonderful job laying the foundation there. It was a pleasure for me to see the fruit of their ministry. I am so pleased to be working together with these men.

Update From Argentina

I'm writing this blog from an Internet Cafe. The time here in Buenos Aires has been very enjoyable. Last night I preached at a church in the area on the topic of "Freedom From A Guity Conscience." I spoke about total forgivness and the congregation was very receptive to the message.

I met one man at the church who said he hears me on the radio from a station he is picking up all the way from Florida. I was amazed that a station from the states would reach this far, but was encouraged by his affirming remarks about how the message has already impacted him through my radio programs.

This morning I spoke at the church of Jose Colacilli, our National Coordinator for Grace Walk Argentina. I spoke from Hebrews about "Being Free From Sin Consciousness." I was pleased to preach in Jose's church. I also prayed publically for him and for Walter Sanchez and affirmed their ministry to the congregation.

Thanks for your prayers while I've been here. It is always a pleasure for me to minister with my dear friend and disciple in the grace walk, Gerardo Vazquez. I am encouraged by what the Lord is doing through him every time we are together.

I hope to post some photos from Argentina on this blog after I'm back home. Thanks again for praying. The message of the grace walk is taking root in Argentina!

Ministry in Argentina

I am writing this blog from Buenos Aries, Argentina, where Gerardo Vasquez (Grace Walk Latin America Director) and I are speaking this weekend. Yesterday we met with Jose Colacilli, who leads Grace Walk Argentina and with Walter Sanchez, the newest member of the Grace Walk team in this country. Both of these men are passionate about impacting their country with the grace walk. They are fine men and I am so proud to work with them.

Last night, Gerardo and I preached at the Reencounter Baptist Church. Gerardo spoke first on the subject of our identity in Christ. He is one of the most gifted teachers of God´s grace in the world. It was in the year 2000 when I met him and began to disciple him in the message. We have walked together through the valleys and the mountaintops in his life during these years. I have seen him grow so much in his own life and have seen God give him an international ministry that has surpassed anything he ever imagined. I´m not at all surprised.

Gerardo´s wife, Gloria, is a godly woman who is completely excited about reaching the world with the gospel of grace. They have two children and live in Guadalajara, where our Grace Walk Mexico office is located.

After he spoke last night, I preached on the topic "Ministers of a New Covenant." The people were receptive to the message and it was a joy to share with them.

Buenos Aries is a beautiful city with more of a Eurpoean flair than a Latin American one. The architectural style here reminds me of the buildings in my favorite city, London, England. As you can see from the map, Argentina is getting down closer to the equator, so it is winter here right now. I am really enjoying the cold weather. We are going to walk around town this morning, then meet again with our Grace Walk workers this afternoon and speak tonight in another church.

Remember us in prayer while we are here. I will get back to the states on Monday and be in Alanta for the rest of the week before heading to Canada next weekend.

The Cost of Freedom

It is amazing how relentlessly Christians often want to fight for the right to live under legalism. I recently wrote a blog about how readily many Christians become angry when they're told the best news they could ever hope to hear - namely, that we don't have to live by religious rules anymore. Rules we never could keep anyway.

Pastors, be advised: There is a price to pay for teaching people that they are free. Some have lived inside, what my friend Paul Anderson-Walsh calls, "St. Shawshanks" for so long that the thought of freedom outrages them.

I've been reading Grace In Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life by Paul Zahl. Here are his on-target thoughts on the matter:

Whenever I say "the law has no future: or observe the impotence of the law to create the virtues it requires, including for Christians, objections start to fly. These objections claim that such a negative gloss on law as I am suggesting is antinomian. "Antinomianism" is the formal word for any teaching that is critical of law or undermines or overturns the law. Antinomianism is regarded as the opposite of of law and order, which would turn a religion such as Christianity into an excuse for "license," which usually means sexual libertinism and promiscuity, not to mention drug use, thievery, casual violence 'a la Mad Max, "Girls Gone Wild," and a total breakdown of law and order. It is safe to say that whenever grace is preached in relation to the law, preachers of grace are -- wrongly -- labeled "antinomian." Ironically, being accused of antinomianism is a sort of badge of honor for those who preach the doctrine of grace, because this reaction means that the doctrine of grace is hitting home. The accusation means that grace is making law-bound people uncomfortable.

To suggest that the Law is faulty, as I recently did in another blog raises the ire of some, despite the fact that Hebrews 8:7 plainly says it is faulty. It is important to understand that "grace teachers" aren't saying the law is faulty in content. God's Law is perfect in content. The fault of the Law lies in its capability. Its assessment of our shortcomings are right on the mark, but its ability to lift a finger to help us is at zero.

For that reason, the Law is yesterday's news. Grace publishes the good news that the whole rules-keeping, impress-God-by-what-you-do game has ended. The Referee got tired of the whole thing and abruptly called off the whole game. Now it's time for the post game party, where the winners (and we all are) celebrate.

Freedom -- turn that word over in your mind again and again. Ironically, our freedom cost Somebody a great price. I refuse to insult Him by downplaying the efficacy of His payment. The value of our freedom is directly commensurate to the price He paid. So "stand firm in freedom" and don't let any sniveling, wrinkle-browed, pointy-fingered, Reverend Ebenezer steal what you've been given.

You're free. Free to live in abandon to Him. Free to run barefoot through the fields of grace. Free to be yourself without self-consciousness about how you look to others. Do it. Just do it.

Things I Never Said

Someone came to me recently after I had spoken about our freedom in Christ and said, "I don't agree with you that it isn't important to read the Bible and pray." "I never said that reading the Bible and praying isn't important," I responded. "I said that when we turn those things into laws, we rob ourselves of the blessings we can know from the Bible and prayer."

It always amazes me to see the capacity people possess to misunderstand the teaching of grace. It really shouldn't come as a surpise though. Everybody who has every taught the pure, undilluted grace of God has been misunderstood.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come"? Paul never said that we should do evil so that good can come from it, but he apparently taught grace in such a strong way that some people thought that's what he was saying.

Others thought he taught that sin didn't matter and that since grace covers it all anyway, it was okay to go ahead and sin. He answered that one in Romans 6:1 when he said, "What shall we say then? Shall we keep on sinning since grace abounds? Perish the thought! How shall we who died to sin keep doing that very thing???"

The great Bible expositor, Martyn Lloyd Jones wrote:

The true preaching of the gospel of salvation by grace alone always leads to the possibility of this charge being brought against it. There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than this, that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this, that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the gospel.

Whew! I'm glad to read that a man of his stature said that! It encourages me to stay the course, knowing that I'm not alone in the misunderstandings I've experienced through these past 17 years I have been teaching this amazing and radical grace of God.

It seems that the most common misunderstandings that have been "slanderously reported" against me are that I am teaching:

1. It doesn't matter how we behave.
I've never said such a thing because I don't believe that statement to be true. It does matter how we behave, but our behavior must flow from the indwelling Christ. Anything else is just "dead works" regardless of whether we are preaching sermons or getting drunk. It's not the activity that defines its value; it's the source of that activity that makes all the difference.

2. The Old Testmanent Law is bad and grace is good. Antinomianism is a word often used by those who studied somewhere just beyond the point of Sunday School and think they've nailed those who teach grace. It means to be "against the Law" and I'm not. I've never said the Law is bad. I have said that the Old Covenant of the Law is now obsolete, but I'm not the first one to say that. Hebrews 8:13 says, "When [God] said, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear" (emphasis added)..

The Law is out and grace is in! That's what God's Word says! Furthermore, the Apostle Paul said, "you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ". Was he lying? Of course not. The Law isn't bad, it's just faulty.

That's right - it is faulty. I have no doubt that if a person trapped in legalism reads this, he will be breaking out in a rash about now. But, wait. Do we believe the Bible or not??? If so, please read this verse and tell me what it means:

Hebrews 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says, 'Behold, days are coming,' says the Lord, 'when I will effect a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.'

The whole book of Hebrews is about how the new covenant is better than the Law.

3. The grace walk is a passive lifestyle. When people have accused me of teaching this I find it laughable, considering the schedule I keep. The grace walk isn't a lazy lifestyle. It is an active one, but our activity is animated by Him and not by hyper-active, religious flesh. What the legalist calls motion is often nothing more than religious commotion. I have done more under grace than I ever did living as a legalist, but it's not me, but Christ who lives in me who has done it. I could never have made happen the things He has done through me. No, the grace walk isn't passive, but it can appear that way to those who are afflicted with the chronic-Christian-convulsion syndrome they believe they need in order to prove their "commitment to God."

4. Because of grace, we need to be "soft on sin." I've never said anything of the sort. Sin is why Jesus died. I've never said we should be soft on sin, but I have said that we should be soft on people who have sinned. By that, I mean that we should be long on compassion and short on criticism. I have never said that it is never appropriate to confront sin in the lives of other people. I have said that if we do confront their sin, it should be with tears of love that overwhelm them. I have said that, except for rare occassions, we should have earned the right to speak into their lives. I have said that we should realize that they have done nothing we aren't capable of doing too, apart from the protecting grace of God in our own lives.

Do you know what the worst sin is? Somebody elses. Of course, I'm using sarcasm here to make a point and the point it this: "Let him that thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall." Be careful what you say and how you act toward those who have sinned. It might come back to bite you one day.

Our default setting needs to be to love people who have sinned. That doesn't mean we love sin, just that we are being Christ to those who have.

Those are a few things I never said. Are there others you have been falsely accused of saying as you have shared the message of the grace walk? Don't be discouraged. The accusations prove that we are on-track and are declaring God's grace in its glory.

Watering Down The Gospel

Perhaps the worst aspect of legalistic preaching is the way it waters down the gospel of Jesus Christ. The word gospel means "good news" and nothing could be further from being good news than the message that we have some part in either entering into salvation or living the life once we have become a Christian. We can only live the Life in the same way we entered, by trusting Christ.

Paul wrote to the Galatian Christians to address the matter of how we are to live the Christian life. Some people think Galatians was written to defend the truth of salvation by grace and not by works. That isn't why the book was written. The Galatians were already Christians. How could they be confused about what that meant? Their confusion was about how to live the Christian life now that they were believers.

A group of Judaizers had come into the church telling these saints that, while they were indeed saved and on their way to heaven, they had to do their part in the meantime. Their part, said these legalists, began by being circumcised.

Paul wrote the church and called them idiots (see Galatisns 3:1) for falling for such foolishness. He asked them, "Have you had some sort of spell cast on you? You became a Christian without doing a single thing, but now you think that what you do is an important part of growing in your life in Christ? Did you become a Christian by anything you did or didn't do? No? Then what makes you think that now you are a Christian, what you do has anything at all to do with receiving God's blessings?? Does God work in and among you because of what you do or because you simply trust Him?" (You can read this challenge from Paul in Galatians 3:3-5.)

The gospel is the fantastic news that you and I have been made righteous because of what Christ has done. We don't have to do anything - just believe it! Paul wrote in Romans 1:16-17 that the gospel is the power of God to salvation and that in it the righteousness of God is revealed. For anybody to preach that there is something we must do before or after we become a Christian in order to be righteous is to water down the pure gospel of Jesus Christ and to insult His finished work at the cross. The righteousness of God is a gift, not a goal we have in life. (See Romans 5:17)

To think that we can become more righteous by doing all "the right things" is to "nullify the grace of God," according to the Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:21. In fact he says that a person makes Christ Himself of no effect by thinking that what we do has anything to do with the gospel at all. (See Galatians 5:4)

The next time you hear a preacher saying that there is something you need to do to become more righteous, I hope an alarm goes off in your heart. Not everybody who says they believe the Bible is preaching it. Legalism is very subtle at times. Remember that a diluted gospel is a polluted gospel, which is no gospel (good news) at all. Don't fall for a watered down gospel being preached by those who claim to believe the Bible.

The gospel is the good news that you are 100% righteous because of what He has done, not because of anything you need to do. You don't have to do anything. You will find that you want to do some things, but that is a different story altogether.

Ministry at America's Keswick

I am speaking this week at America's Keswick in Whiting, New Jersey. America's Keswick has been here for 110 years and is known for its focus on experiencing the victorious Christian life by relying on the indwelling Christ. It started in the Keswick area of England, then was established here over a century ago.

Hudson Taylor, F.B. Myer, Alan Redpath,and others revered speakers on the subject of grace have ministered at Keswick. One of my favorites who was a big part of the early days was Charles Trumbull, who wrote the little book Victory in Christ. I must have given away a hundred of those books when I began to understand my identity in Christ.

The theme for the week is "Think Victory." On Sunday night I spoke on the topic, "Victory Is A Gift, Not A Goal." Then Monday, my topic was "Victory Comes From Living In the New Covenant and Not The Old Covenant." Last night, I talked about "Accepting Grace and Rejecting Guilt" as I shared the message of total forgiveness.

In addtion to the conference ministry, American's Keswick also has an addiction recovery program called Colony of Mercy. I spoke to the men there early yesterday morning. I always enjoy speaking in that kind of environment because I know the guys have reached bottom and are ready to receive truth.

Last night, after the service, I met with a group of about ten ladies in their seventies and eighties. They have met together for several months, studing through Grace Walk. It was so encouraging to me to hear their stories of how their lives have been transformed by the message of who we are in Christ. One lady said she had been coming here to America's Keswick for sixty years and that my message is the one she heard taught here when she was a young girl.

The grandson of the founder of Keswick is here. He is 83 years old. I was told that he said what I'm teaching this week is "right on target" with the historical teachings of Keswick. That was an encouragement to me, since I've long respected the Keswick movement.

I leave here on Friday and will go to Atlanta, where we will visit with our children and grandchildren. We will all be together on Sunday. It's been quite a while since our whole family has been able to get together, so I'm looking forward to that.

On another note, I will soon be posting information about the plan for reaching into Swaziland. Things are coming together there.

Does Grace Encourage Sin?

The message of grace is a scandal to the religious mind. The idea that the unrighteous can get off scot-free galls the self righteous. After speaking in a church about the truth that the sins of our lifetime have been completely forgiven, somebody said to me, “I believe that kind of thinking will weaken people’s love for Christ and cause them to not take sin seriously.”

Her viewpoint isn’t uncommon in the modern church. Grace scares people. “Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.” The fear is that pure grace is dangerous. After all, if people get the idea that all their sins have been completely put away, won’t that encourage them to become carnal? Not according to Jesus.

There is a passage in Luke 7 that teaches the truth about the power of complete forgiveness. Jesus is eating in the home of a Pharisee when a woman known to have a bad reputation comes to Him. She brings a box of perfume and, as she weeps, takes her hair and washes His feet with the perfume.

The Pharisee sees this and thinks to himself, “If Jesus was really a man of God, he would know what kind of woman this is and he wouldn’t allow it.” Knowing what the man was thinking, Jesus said to him, “A moneylender had two debtors. One owed him ten times as much as the other. Neither could repay, so the man forgave them both. Which of them will love him more?”

“The one whom he forgave the most,” the man answered.

“You are exactly right,” Jesus said, “and the same is true of this woman. I entered your house and you didn’t wash my feet, but she has washed my feet with tears and wiped them with her hair. You haven’t kissed me once, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet” (Luke 7:44-46).

Then Jesus answered this Pharisee and every other person who thinks that pure grace encourages sin. He said, “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little” (7:47). What caused this woman to love Jesus much? It was the realization of how much she had been forgiven.

The greater the forgiveness, the greater the love. That’s what Jesus said. So to teach people that all the sins of their lifetime have been forgiven will not cause them to sin. It will cause them to love Jesus more! We don’t have to be afraid that grace encourages sin because it doesn’t. (See Titus 2:11-12)

The sins of your whole lifetime have been forgiven. (See Colossians 2:13-14) The idea that the sins we haven’t even committed yet have been forgiven is an offense to some people because they’re afraid it will encourage a careless lifestyle, but that isn’t what the Bible teaches. As Jesus said, the greater our understanding of forgiveness the greater the love.

The obstacle that most people have trouble getting past in accepting the reality that all their sins have been forgiven is the idea that future sins could already be dealt with, even before we commit them. I remind you though that when Christ died for our sins, He died for all of them and we hadn’t even been born yet. If Christ could take every sin we would commit upon Himself at the cross before we had committed a single one of them, why couldn’t he forgive them in the same way? He can and He did. Your sins are forgiven. Not just some of them, but all of them.

What if every sin of our lifetime is already forgiven? What difference would that make in how we lived from day-to-day? I can tell you the difference: it would free us to take our eyes off ourselves and put them on Christ and on others. It would deliver us from self-consciousness and sin-consciousness.

The fact is that our sins have all been forgiven. That won’t cause anybody to run wild. The Apostle Paul answered that objection when he said, “If all this about grace is true, does that mean we just sin like crazy because we know it’s all covered by grace?” He answered his own question, “God forbid! How can we live in sin if we have already died to it? Or don’t you understand that every one of us who have been placed into Jesus Christ were with Him when He died? The reality is that when somebody dies, they are free from sin and we died!” (See Romans 6:1-7)

We can relax when it comes to the fear that grace will cause people to sin. It won’t do that. Instead it will cause those who understand the scope of forgiveness to love Jesus more and to take their eyes off themselves and live freely in grace.

Kick The Law Out!

I was recently listening to a teaching by Åge Åleskjær, my friend in Norway (and pastor at Oslo Christian Center) and heard him teach about Sarah and Hagar. I have spoken from that text many times, but Åge pointed out a truth that I had never seen which really needs to be understood in the modern church world.

You remember that in Galatians 4:24, the Apostle Paul said that that Sarah and Hagar's lives are allegories that teach us about law and grace. Isaac is the promised son, miraculously provided by grace, and Ishmael was a son of the flesh, produced by Abraham's own self effort.

In Genesis 21:10, Sarah told Abraham concerning Hagar: "Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac." The NT lesson here is obvious - law and grace cannot live peaceably in the same house (life or church). There will always be conflict between the two.

The interesting aspect of this passage that I hadn't seen is the timing of it all. Two verses prior to Sarah's admonition for Abraham to "kick that mother out, and send her son with her" the Scripture tells that "the child [Isaac] grew and was weaned." When he reached the place where he stopped needing milk and could now eat solid food, it was time for Hagar and Ismael to go.

The implication is that when a person matures to the place where he advances from milk to "the meat of the Word," he will understand that the Law must be totally driven out of his way of living. The word cast ("Cast out the bondwoman.") means to hurl with great force. There can be no tolerance or patience with legalism in our lives.

Sadly, those trapped in legalism see themselves as having reached a level of maturity that the rest of us haven't achieved. The truth is that they are still babies. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:25 that we don't need the Law as a "nanny" anymore. We have Christ and He is enough!

We can determine something about the level of our Christian maturity by how connected we still are to religious rules in our lifestyle. When I was a young child, I had to be told to brush my teeth and bathe. Nobody has to tell me that now. The same is true as we mature spiritually. Some churches are nothing more than child-care nurseries where Christians are treated like babies, being told exactly what they should do and not do in every area of life.

It's time for us to grow up and start acting like who we are. We have only one mother and her name is Grace. It's time to kick Mrs. Law and her obnoxious son (the works of the flesh) out of our lives.

When Isaac was weaned, they had a big party. (See Genesis 21:8) Moving from the babyhood of legalism to the maturity of grace is a reason to celebrate. Kick the Law out of your life and live in grace. God knows it's time.

What Do You See When You Look In The Mirror?

Mickey sees his creator. Is that what you see? We have been created in our Father's image, but many don't see their true identity. Instead, they see somebody else, who has been defined by the opinion of others, by their present circumstances, past experiences, etc. You are who God says you are. We can see ourselves as He sees us, because that's who we are!

Pray About the Fire In Swaziland

I just got off the phone with Bill Mial, my friend in Johannesburg, who told me that a raging fire in Swaziland has destroyed 8% of the country this week. People were literally running for their lives. High winds caused 80% of the country to be severely affected by heavy smoke even if it wasn't burned.

Please pray for the people there. I found the article below on the Internet by googling "fire in Swaziland."

We are still working on the plan for the Grace Loves initiative there. I'll provide you with details as we finalize them.


Johannesburg - South African fire fighters may cross the border into Swaziland to help their counterparts battling a forest fire fuelled by strong winds, Working on Fire said on Friday.

Co-ordinator Val Charlton said the South African fire fighters had been called to help fight a three-day forest fire that had gutted a plantation near Piggs Peak in the northwest part of Swaziland.

"Ground-based crews are on standby at Nelspruit, waiting authority from South African immigration officials to cross the border," she said.

South African fire fighters would use fixed wing aircraft and helicopters to help their counterparts in Swaziland, she said.

The manager of Peak Timbers, Zama Kunene, said the fire started this week and had been fanned by high winds.

Meanwhile, Working on Fire crews were fighting a fire near the central Drakensberg town of Winterton.

Provincial co-ordinator Carol Hudson said the fire was threatening local settlements.

Firefighters were using helicopters to put out the blaze, she said.

The Re-Release of "A Divine Invitation"

I wrote A Divine Invitation in 2002. I am about to release a second edition of the book with a new cover and two additional chapters, bringing the book from ten to twelve chapters. The following is an excerpt from one of the addiontal chapters in the soon-to-be-released edition... Please note that the book is not available yet. We are in the production process now. Watch the web site to see when the book is in stock.


How, then, does it look when mature grace-walkers bring the presence of Christ into their environment? What does it look like when we are as He is in this world? In a word – love. God doesn’t just love. He is love (See 1 John 4:8), so when our lives are an expression of the union we share with Him, what will be expressed will be a supernatural, unequivocal, unconditional, irrevocable, and indiscriminate outpouring of love on everybody else.

The truths in the other chapters of this book are vital because it is only when you understand how deeply you are loved that you will be released to pour out agape on others. 1 John 4:19 says “we love because He first loved us.” We don’t just love Him for that reason. We love everybody for that reason. When my grandchildren visit our home and dip their beach pail into the Gulf of Mexico, the pail can’t contain the Gulf so the water spills over the edge on every side. That’s how it is when we have received God’s love. It’s just too much for us, so everybody around us gets wet too.

This is where grace becomes practical. When we have fully experienced the loving grace of God, we will faithfully express it. As He is, so are we in this world. Jesus loved. He loved the down-and-outers (the Samaritan woman) and the up-and-outers (Matthew). He loved the unrighteous (Zaccheus) and the self-righteous (Saul of Tarsus). He loved the rogues (Peter) and the religious (Nicodemus.) He loved the horribly immoral (the woman taken in adultery) and the highly moral (the rich young ruler). Jesus just loved. He said, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). He shares the same DNA as the One who is love. What else could he do?

Peter says that you have now become a participant in that same divine nature. (See 2 Peter 1:4). To love profusely is the normal way of life for a grace-walker. Jesus said that it is “by this [that] all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:25). If you have the spiritual DNA of Jesus Christ and His is the same as His Father’s DNA, and if the very essence of God is love . . . you get the point. It isn’t hard to connect the dots here. It is your nature to love. It’s that simple.

The focus of most churches today is on how to live, but the focus in the modern church needs to be learning to love. Empty religion is preoccupied with right behavior defined by doing the right things and avoiding the wrong ones. The lifeblood of an authentic expression of faith in Christ is loving people the way He does. Behavior can be elevated no higher than that.

Melanie's Thoughts On Swaziland

I'm in contact with people in Africa to determine how to best move forward toward helping with the great needs there. The note below was written by my wife, Melanie. As you can see, her heart was stirred deeply by our experiences there.




I am a mother. I’ve been a mother now for over 32 years and have been a grandmother for almost 10 years. I have enjoyed all the benefits and trials that come along with being a mother and a grandmother, and it has been the joy of my life. I have seen to the needs of my family as best I could. They have had my unfailing love.

I have kissed away thousands of hurts and have soothed countless fevered brows. I have cooked their favorite foods. We’ve had birthday parties and wonderful family holiday time. I have bought their clothes and coached them in their studies. I have been their advocate and supporter. I saw to it that they had a decent place to live that was clean and healthy, a place where they could grow into maturity. I gave them a sanctuary where they would always be loved and always be safe.In June, this mother visited South Africa and Swaziland and I will never be the same. I looked into the faces of hungry children and I knew that these were my children too. I touched their faces and smiled into their eyes and inwardly promised that they would know that love was more than words.
In Swaziland, we visited the village of Mafutsini. With only a few hours notice, they were able to bring to us over 300 children who are orphaned by the AIDS pandemic.

Swaziland has the highest concentration of HIV/ AIDS in the world. 42% of the whole country has been infected with HIV and 20,000 a year dying because of AIDS, and that number is rapidly growing. The hospitals there are only equipped to handle about 2000 of those. The rest are left to deal with their illnesses alone without any medical help to ease their pain and journey toward death. The life expectancy now stands at 32 years old.

I looked into the eyes of these babies and wondered, “Will this one survive?” “Will this one live long enough to see adulthood?” As I hugged them to me, I couldn’t help but think, “If they do grow up, how long will they live. What will be their quality of life?” It is estimated that 60% of these children are infected with HIV. Already, many of the children, 12 and 13 years old, have assumed adult roles in caring for the needs of their siblings since losing both of their parents to AIDS.

God has given me the gift of motherhood. The thing that I see now is that there is a world of orphans out there who need someone to care for them. They, too need food and shelter. They need education. They need someone to care enough that their needs will be met. They need someone to care enough to offer them the chance to have a future.

I have felt compassion in the past. I have been moved by the needs of others when I have seen programs on television, but not enough to become fully involved. Through this trip to Swaziland, my family has been expanded. I can be a mother to hurting children. I can offer medical aid to children who are already dying because of AIDS, through no fault of their own. For others, I can offer them an education. I can clothe them and feed them. In short, I can offer them a chance in life. A person cannot see what I have seen and remain idle and uninvolved. I want these children to know the love of our heavenly Father but it is my opinion that they will begin to know His love by seeing mine.

I want to involve my whole family in this. I want to involve you in this. We, who are so blessed, have the opportunity to share our love, our Father’s love, in action. I don’t want to simply have warm fuzzy feelings. I don’t want to send out prayers that these children will “be warmed and filled.” I want to put love and faith into action. I have been there. I have seen their faces. I have kissed them. I have touched them. They have touched me. I am their mother … and so are you.

Photos from Table Mountain and Cape Point

A Brief Word About Future Plans

I can hardly stand the anticipation I feel! Just writing these blogs and looking back at all my pictures has my heart churning and my imagination running wild again. Here's something for you to pray about with me.

I want to adopt a village of people in Swaziland. It's the village of Mafutseni, where we met with the chief and the orphans and others. I am praying and will be gathering information about what it would take to meet serious needs in this village of 1000+ families.

It's bizarre, I know. I'm not a rich man -- trust me, but I think I hear God's voice, calling me to call others to join me so that we can do the impossible together. Melanie hears the same voice, saying the same thing.

I do know some rich people. You know who you are. You'll be hearing from me :) And I know many, many people who aren't rich, but who could join together to give a future to some people who absolutely don't have one unless God intervenes. To quote the Minister of Health in Swaziland, with whom I met, "Our nation will become extinct unless God does a miracle."

None of us can help everybody, but we can help somebody! I'm going to do it. And I'm going to ask you to do it too. I'm going to be bold because lives are at stake.

Do you know how hollow words can sound when you're telling 350 children that they have a Father who loves them and then walk away and do nothing knowing that they don't even have food and shelter? I can't do it. I won't do it. I'm going to share and show God's love to some kids I've met who have no home. . . and to some Christians whose families have swollen to 12-15 people because they have taken in children whose parents have died from AIDS . . . and to people like the man I prayed with, who is dying from AIDS and who could be made comfortable as he dies -- for mere pennies.

I'll tell you more soon. Within the next week or so, I'm gathering information. When I have something concrete to share with you, I'll let you know more. Right now, just pray. Pray for them. Pray for yourself too. Ask God to open your heart of compassion.

Big plans are in the works. I want to share and to show grace to people who have no hope apart from caring Christians. It's not just about Africa either. There are some things going on in Brazil I will tell you about too. And these are just a start. I am not going to "grace talk." I'm going to grace walk. The bottom line is that "Grace Loves". It's that simple . . . more to come. Much more.