Sep | 11 | Snake Oil and New T Shirts

Key Word:- REAL

Title:- Snake Oil and New T Shirts

Romans 1:3-6 
concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

The shop window was a dumping ground. Every thing you could imagine was packed into the display section and I mean everything! It was only through the smallest crack in the display that you could actually see inside the store and sure enough, that too was packed to the gunnels. The large sign on the window seemed to ring true, ‘If we don’t have it, you don’t need it!’

In the West, Christianity is once again having to compete in the market place of religion and that, not only when it “Super Wal-Mart’s” itself and competes against other large churches in the same area! No, postmodernism and post-Christendom seem to walk hand in hand and so a spiritual vacuum has been left and “hucksters” and “snake oil sellers” of every kind and description are on the rise and faring very well indeed. The disadvantage for the pseudo church, for that is what they are, is that their very own snake oil sellers, those heavily involved in the religious industry, will have to work that much harder. However, I do believe that time will show that Christian snake oil does not compare to that which other religions sell for in the end, frankly, Christian snake oil is just not that good, no, it’s just not efficious enough to do everything it says on the bottle. It’s a con. It’s a health, wealth and prosperity seeker sensitive con!

Now friends be encouraged, for the advantage for the real church in such a religious and competitive market place, is that we shall have to at last, come up with the real goods. It’s becoming a worn out word I know, but we shall have to prove ourselves, especially for these last generations, to be the actual authentic article. That takes integrity and in the market place of religion, we had better make sure our bottle contains what it says on the label.

What is “Christian authenticity” and how shall we know when we possess it? Well, may I say that to be an authentic Christian we need to manifest grace, truth, faith and power in the real world, rather than behind the closed doors of the sanctuary. Mind you, even the sanctuary would be a good place to start with those four fellas! Well, wouldn’t it?

Grace to forgive and embrace in enormous measure, grace to hope in the goodness and greatness of God, to make itself manifest amongst the mess of our communities. Truth about the real Jesus and not the Jesus of our own making. Truth about ourselves as individuals, truth about our communities, our nations, our race and our culture. Faith in God and His ability to redeem to the uttermost. Power to live, power to stand, power to testify, power to heal, power to deliver, power to provide, power to overcome and power to possess all that we are in Jesus Christ. That’s the good stuff!

When the authentic church arises, I tell you that they shall dare to walk anywhere in the market place of religion, loaded with heavenly goods, stacked to the gunnels and wearing newly printed t-shirts that bear the simple message: “If we don’t have it. You don’t need it!” We’ve a way to go that’s for sure, but this type of advertising needs to be seen and most importantly, needs to be backed by the reality of our possession of the same. “If we don’t have it. You don’t need it!” Imagine that.

Listen:- Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11,12

Pray:- Lord, I am not what I should be. Lord I fall far short of what I see in the Scriptures. Lord, forgive me, please heal me, deliver me and release me in such a way that Your grace, hope, truth, faith and power would be evidently manifest in my life. O Jesus, re-generate the regenerate today. Amen.