Don't be a Glass Half Empty Christian

J. Lee Grady

Terrorist bombings. Middle East turmoil. $3.95 gas. Killer floods. Moral breakdown. Fragile economies.

No wonder Charlie Sheen is going crazy!

Seriously, there’s a lot of bad news out there. Negative headlines make people fearful, agitated, addicted or even sick. But from what I’ve read in my Bible, Christians should not freak out every time a gloomy cloud settles over us. We, of all people on earth, should be full of hope.

A few days ago a friend asked me what I thought about a prophecy from a well-known Christian leader. This man has predicted a financial collapse in the United States by sometime next year. Other Christians have foreseen terrorist attacks, assassinations, bread lines and even the total breakdown of society. My friend asked me: “What are you hearing from the Lord about the future?”

I’m not a fancy guy, and I don’t pretend to understand the intricacies of the federal deficit or the real meaning behind “climate change.” I’m not privy to what al-Qaida is doing inside the United States or who is pulling the strings behind the protests in Yemen, Libya or Bahrain. (And I’m not sure our lawmakers in Washington understand these things either.)

But I do know the Bible is a book of hope—and the last book of the Bible (which is often viewed as pure doom and gloom) is actually a message of triumph. Recently I’ve been finding comfort and encouragement in Revelation. Here’s what I know about the future based on the apostle John’s amazing vision:

1. Jesus will remain on His throne. Revelation opens with a glorious vision of the triune God on His throne (see 1:4-6) and it ends with a scene of the restored Eden—with a river flowing from God’s throne (see 22:1-2). The Bible does not end with gloom or destruction. It ends with restoration and grace. This is God’s ultimate plan for us.

Never lose sight of the throne. You can bank on it. It is solid and secure. No matter what the devil or sinful men devise—terror plots, nuclear bombs, stock market crashes—in the end Jesus overrules the wicked. And He has the last word: “Yes, I am coming quickly” (22:20).

2. His kingdom will continue to advance. I know many Christians who have a Chicken Little mentality. Like the faithless spies who were frightened by Canaan’s giants, Christian pessimists view the world with a glass-half-empty perspective. They focus on what the devil is doing rather than on how God is working by His Spirit.

I want to shake these people to wake them up. Look around! Missiologists believe China will be a Christian nation by 2035. Churches are growing at record rates in India and parts of Africa. Before long a wave of missionaries from the developing world will descend on every unevangelized region of the world. And I’m convinced one of the greatest spiritual awakenings in history will take place in the Middle East.

I’m not saying wicked people won’t get worse, or that banks won’t fail at times, or that we should adopt a Pollyanna worldview that ignores the threat of evil. But please read your Bible! We win!

God is not the kind of builder who starts a project and then leaves it unfinished. He was serious when He commissioned us to take the gospel to the whole world. He will supply the grace, the manpower, the strategy and the funds to get the job done. In the end, a “great multitude which no one could count” (7:9)—will be redeemed by Christ. This hope stirs my heart every day and gives me the strength to press on.

3. His grace will see us through every challenge. The first Christians who read John’s message in Revelation faced lions and gladiators in the coliseums of Rome. Throughout history, Christians have been beheaded, hanged, stoned, drawn-and-quartered, burned at the stake, tortured, starved in gulags, shot, banished to work camps and denied human rights. Yet these people appear in the book of Revelation. It says of them: “And they overcame [the devil] because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death” (12:11).

Please don’t abandon your hope. Don’t let the headlines—whether on CNN or Fox News—turn you into a Christian pessimist. If the martyrs of the ages can sing a victory song, surely we can maintain our joy when we face the uncertainties of our future.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma. You can find him on Twitter at leegrady.

Choose Faith Over Fear

Don Moen

In March of 2007 my band and I were in Ghana, West Africa, on a worship tour singing for crowds of up to 64,000. Before the trip, I was so busy as a music executive that I had very little time to prepare myself spiritually. Knowing that I should have contacted friends to cover us in prayer, I instead said a few hurried, solitary prayers while on the long flight to Africa.

Once on the ground, I quickly realized that the spiritual atmosphere in Ghana was intense and we desperately needed God’s power flowing through us to see real breakthroughs in people’s lives. So I called as many prayer teams around the U.S. as I could and asked them to intercede for us.

God was faithful and anointed our worship, and many people were healed. But after the trip, I felt like one of the disciples Jesus had to rebuke for a lack of faith and preparation.

Nearly all the musicians, including myself, battled serious illnesses. I cried out to God and repented for my sin, asking Him to help me find a way to put my call as a worship leader back into a place of primary importance in my life.

To be honest, I did not know how it would be possible given the demands of my job. I had responsibilities, and along with them came a paycheck, great benefits and stability for my family.

Walking away from a comfortable career at age 56 seemed completely irresponsible, and the thought of it produced tremendous anxiety in me. I had near-panic attacks and difficulty breathing.

I was so entrenched in my career that God had to shake things up for me to even contemplate a change. Through a series of unique circumstances, it became clear to me and my associates at Integrity Music that it was time for me to go. So I submitted my resignation and launched out into unknown waters as a self-employed worshiper.

I had a choice to make when I considered changing careers: to either resist God’s clear leading, or choose to trust Him and walk by faith. I chose the latter, but it wasn’t easy.

The biggest battle I’ve faced in believing God has more for me is the spirit of fear. The spirit of fear will paralyze us from stepping out in faith.

Since I became a follower of Jesus, I can honestly say that I have made every effort to live by faith. Some days I do much better than others. However, the biblical story of Caleb, who at age 85 still believed he had the strength to go into battle (see Josh. 14:10-11), inspires me to press ahead with the same vigor I had as a young man.

Why? Because God still has much more for me to do. He wants to complete the good work He began in my life many years ago by giving me tasks that will continue to mold me more closely into the image of Christ. So, in a spiritual sense, I don’t believe in retirement. Until my last breath, God will be at work in me, and His work will be what touches people for eternity.

Having walked through some significant storms in recent times, I still feel hopeful that God does have great things ahead. And this joyful hope is not just for me. It’s for all of us.

Everywhere I go, believing there is more is a theme that resonates with people. Around the world, folks are sensing that God has more for them to do. Even people who have been very successful are saying these words.

Many in the body of Christ are wondering where they are going with their lives. There are successful people out there wondering if God is finished with them.

I encourage you to choose faith over fear today. Choose to release all the reasons why you can’t do something. Choose to trust in God’s unfailing love and in His purposeful activity in your life. Choose to believe that He still has much more for you.

Don Moen is a platinum-selling recording artist, worship leader and prolific songwriter known for praise choruses such as “God Will Make a Way” and “God Is Good All the Time.” Moen is the founder of The Don Moen Company and a former president of Integrity Music. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Recovering the Lost Gift of True Friendship

J. Lee Grady

Last week one of my best friends, Chris Maxwell, organized a two-day prayer gathering for me in north Georgia, where he serves as the pastor of a Christian college. Chris had listened to me whine for months about how confused I was about my future. He took it upon himself to contact a group of my friends, and they agreed to take time off work to pray with me about some important decisions.

Chris not only gathered nine men for this prayer retreat, but he also solicited counsel from other friends who couldn't attend, and from my wife. When I sat down in that living room on the first night, they put me under a microscope and proceeded to meddle in all my business. It was 48 hours of probing questions, wise counsel, sober warnings, gushing encouragement, brotherly affection and in-your-face honesty.

Uncomfortable? Definitely. Embarrassing? At times. Humbling? Totally. But the pain was worth what I gained in the end.

One of the main things I gained was a renewed understanding of how important true friendship is. In this day of unprecedented social isolation (when many pastors admit they have no one to talk to) and in this season of tragic moral failure (when church leaders wait too late before they expose their weaknesses to anyone) I have learned that we cannot survive long without godly relationships. Here are three qualities we must reclaim:

1. True friendship requires sacrifice. I was blown away that nine guys from four states would take time out of their busy schedules to pray for me. One guy drove all the way from Pennsylvania; two others drove more than seven hours. When we were finished, several of the guys expressed amazement that Chris went to so much trouble. "Lee is so blessed to have a friend like you," one of them said.

Real friends do extravagant things to show their love. They don't just do what is expected—they go the second mile. Real friendship always cuts against the grain of selfishness. Jesus told his closest friends: "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13, NASB). A few hours after He said that, He was arrested, beaten and nailed to a cross.

2. True friendship requires transparency. Jonathan and David are models of friendship because they didn't allow their positions, titles or ambitions to separate them. Even though Jonathan was Saul's son, and the rightful heir to the throne, he recognized the call of God on his friend David and set aside his own agenda.

The Bible says in 1 Samuel 18:3-4: "Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt." Jonathan wasn't going through an airport security check; he took off his outer garment and weapons because these things represented his future status as a warrior king. He was signifying to David: "I'm putting you first." The same humility is required of us if we want genuine friendships.

At one point during our prayer retreat last week, the guys took turns sharing their most serious prayer concerns. Before we went around the circle we pledged not to divulge anyone's secrets. Then, with full confidence that no one was going to condemn anyone, we took our body armor off, let our force fields down and spilled our guts.

It wasn't long before the tears began to flow. I don't know if you've ever seen a group of grown men crying—but I can tell you it is one of the most beautiful sights on earth. One guy unashamedly offered a box of Kleenex to those who couldn't keep their emotions under control. We weren't worried about looking weak. We knew the Father was pleased that a group of guys had discovered that true manhood is about vulnerability, not about acting tough.

3. True friendship requires prayer. Ever since I became friends with Chris Maxwell in the late 1990s he has prayed for me faithfully. Often I get a simple text message from him that says: "PRAYING FOR YOU." It reminds me of the heart of the apostle Paul, who wrote to his spiritual son Timothy: "I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day" (2 Tim. 1:3).

It might be safe to say that our love for our friends and family can be measured by our prayers for them. True friends pray for each other. The prophet Samuel even wrote: "Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you" (1 Sam. 12:23).

Few of us would make an appointment with a friend for coffee and then nonchalantly forget to show up. But how many of us have told a friend, "I'll pray for you," and then forgotten to breathe one word of prayer for him or her? I've recently gone back to using a written list to help me remember my friends' prayer needs, and to record answers.

My life was changed last week because some friends cared enough about me to get in my face, hold my feet to the fire and offer biblical encouragement and counsel. If you don't have friends like that in your life, I pray you will find them soon. And more importantly, I pray you will be that kind of a friend to someone else.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma and author of the new book The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. Follow him on Twitter at leegrady.

We Need Another Jesus Movement

J. Lee Grady

In today’s hip, sophisticated churches, we often forget to preach about Jesus. Let’s get back to basics.

I became a serious Christian at the tail end of the Jesus movement. I was too young to remember the hippie beads, tie-dyed shirts and “Jesus Is Groovy” slogans, but the songs were still popular when I was in college (from musicians such as Andrae Crouch, Love Song and Barry McGuire), as were the movies (especially The Cross and the Switchblade.)

The Jesus movement was like a spiritual tsunami that washed over hundreds of thousands of young people in the late 1960s and early ‘70s and brought them into a personal relationship with Christ. Some of these kids had been drug addicts and social misfits; most were just average Joes and Janes who discovered that Jesus is a lot more exciting than traditional churches had led them to believe.

Because the movement was pioneered by untrained leaders it sometimes resulted in abuse. But despite its flaws, it gave rise to a new musical genre (contemporary Christian) and new denominations (Calvary Chapel, Vineyard). It also fueled organizations such as Bill Bright’s Campus Crusade for Christ and made it a powerhouse of evangelism for the next decade and beyond.

Lately I find myself waxing nostalgic for those days—not because I want to return to the awkward fashions and hairstyles of 1972, but because I miss the spiritual simplicity of that era. The Jesus movement was primarily focused on—surprise!—Jesus. Theology was not complicated, pastors weren’t trying to be hip or sophisticated or tech-savvy; and we hadn’t yet created a Christian subculture with its own celebrities and political power bases.

Today, we just don’t preach enough about Jesus. This is certainly true in many charismatic churches, where we’ve become experts on everything but basic Christian theology 101. In my travels this past year I’ve been horrified to learn that many Spirit-filled believers have given up the discipline of reading their Bibles even semi-regularly. They prefer a steady diet of culturally relevant, fast-paced, techno-theology that is a poor substitute for discipleship.

Many charismatics have developed the attitude that a simple focus on Christ isn’t enough. We’d rather go to a “prophetic encounter” to hear what Obama’s chances are in 2012, or experience some exotic spiritual manifestation (gold dust, gems falling out of the ceiling), or ask Rev. Flash-in-the-Pan to pray for us for the sixteenth time so we can receive yet another “special anointing” that we will probably never use.

In the midst of all this charismatic gobbledygook, where is Jesus? Am I the only one out there who is weary of this distraction?

Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve decided to get back to the basics of the faith. That’s why I am reading What Jesus Is All About?, a classic book written more than 50 years ago by Henrietta Mears, a Bible teacher who helped mentor both Billy Graham and Bill Bright in the 1940s.

Mears explains in her book how each of the four gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—give us a unique, four-dimensional portrait of the Savior. According to Mears:

Matthew was written to Jews to tell of a Promised Savior who is also a King—and it uses the word “kingdom” 55 times.

Mark was written to Gentiles to tell of a Powerful Savior—and it reports more miracles than any other gospel.

Luke was written by a Gentile to tell of a Perfect Savior—and it has the most references to Jesus’ humanity.

John was written by “the disciple whom Jesus loved” to tell of a Personal Savior—and it has the most references to Jesus’ divine nature.

The Holy Spirit who inspired the Bible knew we needed more than a one-, two- or three-dimensional look at Jesus. The Spirit gave us a four-dimensional view so that we could gaze at Him from all sides and become captivated by His magnificence—His supreme kingship, His compassionate mercy, His supernatural power, His perfect justice, His amazing humility and His love for sinners like you and me.

There’s so much more to Jesus than we realize. And there is so much more to say about Him than we are telling our generation. That’s why I’m spending most of my study time in the four gospels for the next few months. I want a fresh revelation of Jesus!

Perhaps another Jesus movement will be unleashed in our country when we discard our distractions and focus on Him again.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady.

The War for the Soul of the Millennial Generation

J Lee Grady

I know the battle I faced as a teenager. Today’s younger generation faces something more challenging.

It wasn’t easy for a guy to find pornography when I was a teenager. I remember giving into the temptation to buy a Hustler magazine when I was in high school. Inside the drug store I paced back and forth near the magazine rack for at least half an hour. My palms were sweaty. My heart was racing. I finally walked to the front of the store, put the magazine face down on the counter and avoided eye contact with the clerk as I forked over the cash.

I grew bolder in my sin when I graduated from high school. When I turned 18, I went to downtown Atlanta to visit an “adult bookstore” (a strange label, really, since the men who frequented these seedy establishments did not act like mature adults). In 1976, anyone who wanted to see hard-core porn had to visit these awful places with garish signs and painted-over windows.

As I pulled into the tiny parking lot off of Ponce de Leon Avenue, the heart palpitations returned. I rushed inside the shop with my head down so no one would see me on the street. Then, when I saw the graphic images on the magazines that lined the wall, I almost fainted from a combination of adrenaline, fear, nausea and guilt. I bought a thin magazine that didn’t cost much and literally ran out of that place.

As I was leaving I caught a glimpse of a bumper sticker I had put on my car a few months earlier, in response to some decisions I had made in a Baptist youth meeting. It said: “THE DIFFERENCE IN ME IS JESUS.” Suddenly I felt even sicker to my stomach. I was already convicted of my sexual sin; now I realized I was a hypocrite. All I wanted to do was get out of there. Before the night was over, the magazine I bought was in the trash and I felt miserable.

A few days later, while I was mowing my yard on a hot July day, I began to think about a Bible verse I had heard in church many times. I didn’t know the reference, but I was able to paraphrase it in my mind. It said: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14, NASB).

I had never experienced a vision before, but at that moment I could see a fork in the road in front of me. I knew I was approaching a crossroads. I could either be a committed Christian, or I could choose a life of compromise. God was showing me that I needed to choose the narrow way before I took any more steps in the wrong direction. I was hit by a terrifying sense of the fear of God, but I also recognized this as His protective love. Within a few days I had surrendered my life to the lordship of Christ.

I shared this embarrassing story last week when I spoke to a group of students at a Christian college in north Georgia. I knew many of them were at a spiritual crossroads. I also knew that in today’s cybersex world, they don’t have to go to drug stores or adult bookstores to see porn. The voice that lured me to downtown Atlanta in 1976 has become more brazen and aggressive today, making porn available 24/7—on the Web, TV and even phones.

Young people today—the so-called Millennial Generation—are continually assaulted by temptations that kids didn’t face in the 1970s. The war for a generation is on—and it is intense. Families are in shambles. Many kids are fatherless. Media has entirely rewritten our moral values in a few short years. Casual sex is considered a normal pastime for 14-year-olds. And many teenagers today haven’t been exposed to the gospel, so chances are slim that they might remember a Bible verse from childhood or feel the sting of guilt like I did years ago.

That’s why I’m devoting time this month to prayer for a spiritual awakening to touch the younger generation. The devil has claimed today’s youth, but the same God who averted disaster in my life can do it in theirs. As you thank Jesus for the grace He’s shown you, please ask Him to extend it to the millions of Millennials who are following the crowd down the wrong road.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. For more information about the Awakening America Alliance’s prayer and fasting campaign, being held Jan. 1-21, go to awakeningamerica.us/.

Are You Too Emotional?

Sheri Rose Shepherd

Charisma Chanel - Women

Have you ever been told that you're too emotional? Have you ever heard people say, "Emotions are unspiritual. You need to ignore your feelings and live by faith"? If they are right and we are supposed to ignore our emotions, then why did God give them to us in the first place?

I would like to assure you that there is nothing wrong with your emotions. Emotions were designed by God for a reason. God designed you to feel because you were created in His image—and God feels! More than 2,000 instances in the Bible refer to the emotions of God.

It seems obvious why a loving God would create positive emotions such as joy, peace, excitement and confidence. But why would unpleasant, negative emotions such as loneliness, grief, rejection, despair, anger and frustration be a part of His creative plan for us?

Emotions, both positive and negative, were created by God to reveal the condition of the human spirit. Negative emotions are a warning sign that something is wrong. Just as physical pain reveals that there is something wrong with our bodies, negative emotions signal that something requires attention in our spirits. They are evidence that damage has been done—whether by us or by someone else—and that we are in pain.

If you are suffering from emotional pain, pay attention to the six "don'ts" of emotional fitness:

1. Don't ignore it! Ignoring the warning signs will not make them go away any more than ignoring a gas gauge that registers "empty" will allow your car to continue to run.

2. Don't excuse it! Many of us make excuses for our emotional pain rather than looking at the problem that's causing it.

3. Don't decorate it! Many times we decorate our pain with pretty houses, pretty clothes and prestigious positions.

4. Don't cover it up! Many of us cover up with accomplishments and excessive activity.

5. Don't pretend it's not there! Many of us have no idea why we're feeling pain because we pretend that everything is OK.

6. Don't postpone dealing with it! If you put off dealing with your warning signs, they will eventually deal with you.

When a warning light comes on in a car, putting a piece of black tape over the light won't fix the car. When a car needs repair, it should be taken to a mechanic, someone who knows how the car works and understands how to fix it. Otherwise, it will eventually break down completely, leaving the driver stranded.

The same is true of our emotional states. If we deny our negative emotions, covering up the warning signals of our spirits, we will slowly die inwardly. God is a God of truth—and only the truth can set us free. We need to go to Him with our pain and allow Him to heal us.

It's time to get real with God. Voice to Him your bitterness, jealousy, envy, hatred and resentment. Invite Him into the dark places where you hide your pain. He promises to be your strength when you're weak. He will be a light in your darkness.

The woman with the issue of blood described in the fifth chapter of the gospel of Mark knew where to turn when she needed healing. "If I could just touch the hem of His garment, I would be healed," she said, referring to Jesus. She was determined to push through any obstacle to get to Him.

Jesus is your answer, too. He knows and understands your pain, and He loves and accepts you in your frail condition. When your little bit of faith lays hold of the power of Jesus, He is able to grant you peace and freedom—and in His time, healing.

Don't Get Stuck in Your Transition

J. Lee Grady

When moving from point A to point B, we sometimes feel trapped in between. Trust God to guide you to your destination.

A few months ago I passed through the tiny community of Between, Ga. With a population of only 148, the place is not much to write home about. (And besides, it doesn't even have its own zip code). The town got its name because it's halfway between Atlanta and Athens, Ga. But as I passed the local convenience store I couldn't help but imagine the strange reactions I'd get if I lived there.

"Where are you from?"

"I live in Between."

"In between what?"

"In Between, Georgia."

"In between Georgia and what?"

"Oh never mind."

I doubt I'll ever move to that town, but the truth is that many of us are living "in between"—because we are in the midst of a major transition. Some of us know where we're going but we feel we're stuck halfway. Or we may sense God is moving us into a new spiritual assignment, yet the process of getting there is inching forward about as fast as a Siberian glacier.

I'm in the midst of my own big changes in career and ministry, and I've been struggling with all the emotions that accompany a major transition. I've battled doubts ("Did God really promise this?"), fears ("What if He doesn't provide?"), confusion ("Last week I was sure; this week I'm not so sure") and impatience ("OK, Lord, I need some answers NOW!").

But as I navigate this journey, I'm discovering there are some things we can do to make the transition smoother.

1. Make sure you let go of the past. Sometimes we get stuck in spiritual limbo because we're holding on to memories, relationships or what is secure and comfortable. The unbelieving children of Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai for 40 years—and never completed their transition—because they were so homesick for Egypt. When Naomi felt called to return to Bethlehem, her daughter-in-law Orpah refused to go. She preferred what was culturally familiar. Leave nostalgia behind and embrace the new season.

2. Renounce your doubts. If we're not careful we can fall into the trap of double-mindedness. We say we want to go to our promised land, but we hesitate—and all such foot—dragging is doubt. We say we want to go forward, but we are like a moving car that has its parking brake engaged. Faith requires you to release the brake.

James warns the double-minded person: "For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:7, NASB). Doubt will stop you from shifting forward.

3. Welcome those God sends to help you. We're not supposed to make transitions on our own. God uses people to push us to the next level. The body of Christ has many members, and those who are gifted as prophets, intercessors, wise counselors and encouragers will always show up when you are in strategic moments of transition.

When Moses was weary of the battle and could barely find the strength to pray, God sent Aaron and Hur to lift up his arms (see Ex. 17:12). When Hezekiah was overwhelmed by the threat of Sennacherib's armies, Isaiah brought a word from the Lord that ignited faith for a miraculous victory (see 2 Kings 19). When Mary was perplexed by the daunting task of carrying the Messiah in her womb, Elizabeth released a prophetic blessing over her (see Luke 1:41-45).

Intercessors who are empowered by the Holy Spirit are like spiritual midwives who help us birth God's promise when we don't have the strength to deliver. Spiritual transition is a painful process, but certain people have an unusual grace from God to travail with us. Allow them to pray for you and speak into your situation.

4. Contend for your promise. Transition is a vulnerable time—and it requires spiritual warfare. The enemy is a thief and he wants to rob us of our inheritance. He does not want us to move forward in God, take new territory, assume new authority or advance into our spiritual callings. Satan is also an abortionist—he wants to devour your promise before it is born.

This is why we must wield God's promise as a weapon against our enemy. Paul wrote: "This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight" (1 Tim. 1:18). God gives us prophetic promises to literally pull us into our future. Declare them over your life, even when the darkness of discouragement is smothering you. God's Word will break satanic resistance.

5. Stay close to the Shepherd. Over the past month four people have given me the same promise from Psalm 32:8: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." It's comforting to know that the good Shepherd takes such special, up-close-and—personal care of us—especially during vulnerable times of transition when we don't know which way to turn.

Be assured that He knows your destination-and He is committed to guiding you, even if you have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death to get there. He will not leave you in the land of Between. With His rod and staff He will usher you into your promised territory.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. His most recent book is The Holy Spirit Is Not For Sale.

Say Goodbye to the Untouchable Preachers

J. Lee Grady

God is shaking His church and removing corruption. But we share the blame for giving charlatans a platform.

Al Capone once controlled all of Chicago. The notorious 1920s gangster bribed the city's mayor, bought the police and presided as king over an empire of casinos, speakeasies and smuggling operations. He dodged bullets for years and lived above the law—and earned the nickname "untouchable" because no one could bring him to justice.

Before Capone finally went to prison in 1932, he justified his crimes by saying: "All I do is satisfy a public demand." He didn't take responsibility for the pain he caused because he knew mayors, policemen, community leaders and bootleggers supported him the whole way.

I hate to compare any minister of God to a gangster. But the sad truth is that today there are a handful (well, maybe more) of unscrupulous preachers who share some of Capone's most disgusting traits. They are notoriously greedy. They are masters of deception and manipulation. They have bought their way into the charismatic religious subculture and used their uncanny hypnotic ability to control major Christian TV networks.

And, like Capone, their days are numbered. Justice will soon catch up with them.

These false prophets probably all started out with a genuine call from God, but success destroyed them. They were lured away from true faith by fame and money, and when their ministries mushroomed they resorted to compromise to keep their machines rolling. Now, in the midst of the Great Recession, God is closing in on them.

But before we rejoice that these imposters are being removed from their pulpits and yanked off the airwaves, let's hit the pause button and reflect. How did these false preachers ever achieve such fame? It couldn't have happened without help from us.

We were the gullible ones. When they said, "The Lord promises you untold wealth if you will simply give a thousand dollars right now," we went to the phones and put the donations on our credit cards. God forgive us.

We were the undiscerning ones. When they said, "I need your sacrificial gift today so I can repair my private jet," we didn't ask why a servant of God wasn't humble enough to fly coach class to a Third World nation. God forgive us.

We were the foolish ones. When it was revealed that they were living in immorality, mistreating their wives or populating cities with illegitimate children, we listened to their spin doctors instead of demanding that ministry leaders act like Christians. God forgive us.

We were the naïve ones. When they begged for $2 million more in donations because of a budget shortfall, we didn't feel comfortable asking why they needed that $10,000-a-night hotel suite. In fact, if we did question it, another Christian was quick to say, "Don't criticize! The Bible says, ‘Touch not the Lord's anointed!'" God forgive us.

We have treated these charlatans like Al Capone—as if they were untouchable—and as a result their corruption has spread throughout charismatic churches like a plague. Our movement is eaten up with materialism, pride, deception and sexual sin because we were afraid to call these Bozos what they really are—insecure, selfish, egotistical and emotionally dysfunctional.

If we had applied biblical discernment a long time ago we could have avoided this mess. There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives—while we applauded them and sent them money.

When well-meaning Christians quote 1 Chronicles 16:22 ("Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm," NASB) to cover up corruption or charlatanism, they do horrible injustice to Scripture. This passage does not require us to stay quiet when a leader is abusing power or deceiving people.

On the contrary, we are called to confront sin in a spirit of love and honesty—and we certainly aren't showing love to the church if we allow the charismatic Al Capones of our generation to corrupt it.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma.

Grace Is Not Cheap

Peter Tsukahira

It is true that grace is free. But beware of any message about grace that does not lead you to true discipleship.

I have learned by hard experience to be thankful for consumer reports about products offered on the Internet. Reading the customer reviews can save a potential buyer a lot of grief and money. Nowadays, because of the usefulness and availability of these reports few people would consider making a purchase of even something as small as a cell phone or an MP3 player without doing some due diligence in the form of research.

In today’s “marketplace” of spiritual messages, how much more careful should a Christian be about the words he or she allows to guide the inner person of the heart? Paul told his spiritual son Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15, NKJV).

The old message of cheap grace is experiencing a resurgence today among newer Christians who are not acquainted with its sad history or its downside and hidden costs. Cheap grace is a message that lowers the standards of God’s laws or casts scorn on the value of divine law as the way God governs His eternal kingdom.

Preachers of this message tell us the Old Testament is concerned with law but the New Testament with grace and that we have to choose between the two. In forcing us toward this false choice, we are told that the law means legalism, judgment and condemnation, but grace is all about love and mercy. This message says that Jesus paid the entire price for all our sins once and for all, therefore we are forever freed from the requirements of God’s law by the free gift of grace.

What’s wrong with that? Didn’t Jesus die to give us His salvation as a free gift? Doesn’t the New Testament teach that we are justified (made righteous before God) by faith in Him?

Yes this is true, but if we stop listening to God here without allowing Him to complete what He has to say, we are in danger of coming to the wrong conclusions about His purpose for saving us by grace.

God’s moral requirements in His laws define sin and convict us as sinners. Without God’s laws there is no need for grace at all. If God has high standards, then we need great grace to be declared by Him as righteous.

But if God has low standards, then His grace does not need to be that amazing or precious. Any message that overtly or subtly by suggestion reduces the requirements of God’s laws cheapens grace.

One fact about human nature is that we all love finding bargains. In the same way crowds swarm to a half-price sale in a shopping mall, a pastor or teacher who cheapens grace will find that, at least initially, a lot of people will be interested in attending his church. However, they may not be very interested in becoming disciples.

The Bible teaches that “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). That is true, but mercy never replaces judgment. Mercy has real value only when we know we deserve judgment. We receive mercy as a free gift of God’s grace, and we should appreciate it all the more because the Bible teaches that God always has and always will rule His kingdom by law.

What if there was a judge in a city who decided always and in every case to show mercy? Soon every serial killer, rapist, child molester and professional gangster would be lining up outside that judge’s courtroom. No one would be punished. No one would be compelled to change, and all would go free. Is that God’s kind of mercy, or is it simply injustice?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Christian pastor in Germany during the 1930s when Nazism was rising to power. In his book The Cost of Discipleship, he made the point that grace must always be the exception to the rule. It is Christ the King who Himself grants mercy solely as He desires.

God’s mercy is not meant to be applied to everyone as a doctrine but as a gift given personally and individually to those who are in His Son, Jesus. When God gives mercy He does not nullify or change His own laws. Therefore, the one who receives mercy must afterward seek to remain hidden in Christ, which means living in a way that meets the demands of God’s righteousness.

This process is called sanctification and results in discipleship. Bonhoeffer pointed out that justification by faith means that God justifies the sinner but not the sin.

When we fall into sin and then turn to God through faith in Jesus, we receive grace to be forgiven, and we are justified. God says: “You are OK now. Go and sin no more.” He never says: “Your sins are OK now. Don’t worry about it anymore.”

The laws of God’s kingdom define His reign as sovereign ruler. These laws give Christians moral authority and spiritual guidance to be personally changed and then to transform the nations and cultures of this world. When God’s kingdom is preached, sins embedded deep in culture such as corruption, abortion, racial prejudice and other social dysfunctions will yield to the power of His lawful reign. People are not only saved but also transformed by the gospel of the kingdom.

When Bonhoeffer served as a pastor in Germany, that nation was called the “cradle of the Reformation” and thought to be among the most Christian countries in Europe. However, the preaching of cheap grace had Christianized Germany but not transformed it.

Lutheran Germans believed they were saved but lacked the moral authority and personal integrity to resist Nazism. The devastation that resulted was the hidden cost of cheap grace.

When Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine the requirement of God’s laws did not change. What did change was that for the first time God’s requirements were satisfied—by the atoning sacrifice of His own Son.

Jesus was the only human to ever fully keep the laws of God. In doing so He opened the way for us, that by faith in Him and by abiding in Him (without Him we can do nothing) we can be declared righteous by God.

All this is given to us as a free gift of grace. We are now enabled by that amazing grace to pick up our own crosses and follow His example daily.

Peter Tsukahira is co-founder and a pastor of Kehilat HaCarmel congregation on Mount Carmel in Israel. He also directs the Or HaCarmel (“Light of Carmel”) Ministry Center and the Mount Carmel School of Ministry (mountcarmelsom.com), which seeks to impart in Christian leaders a vision for Israel.