Go for it!

Many years ago, in a galaxy far far away, there was a television commercial promoting beer.  The commercial featured several young people precariously perched on a catamaran sailing through the water.  As spray hit the lens of the camera, a dramatic voice announced, “You only go around once! Reach for all the gusto you can get.”  Then the ad encouraged the viewer to drink their beer.

The ad was brilliant and deceptive.

The ad was brilliant because it played on two truths that motivate every living human being.

1. We only have one life to live.
2. We want to live it with Gusto.

Both of those truths are proclaimed in scripture.

Hebrews 9:26 “Everyone has to die once.” MSG

John 10:10 I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.   MSG

The ad was deceptive because it claimed that beer would maximize the gusto in life.  The truth is, drinking beer won’t maximize life any more then eating watermelon.  The mis-use of beer or watermelon can actually minimize life.   (I will save “The Dangers of Watermelon Abuse” for another blog.)

The secret to living fully alive does not come from the consumption of any product.  The secret to living “Fully Alive” comes as a result of living out three principles that lead to abundant life.

1. Live with Nothing to Prove.

We waste so much time in life trying to prove our worth with the things we own, the power we yield and the circle of influence we have that we forget all of that can be taken in an instant.  None of it is a measure of worth.  I spent much of my early life trying to validate my worth with misguided athletic endeavors  (I have the hand eye coordination of a carp) and by selfishly motivated attempts to get people to like me.

I felt a surge of life when I finally started to believe that I was one of a kind, a rare work of art painted by the Creator of the universe.  I was made in His image with colors and texture and purpose like no one else.  Even more, my value was solidified when that Creator sacrificed His Son for me.  I cannot be discounted.  A rare painting sells for millions. A unique creation….. paid for by God’s Son….. Priceless!

He gave me worth. I have nothing to prove.

2.  Live with Nothing to Hide.

I have never seen destruction like that which comes when we try to live two lives.  When our energy, time and emotional effort are wasted keeping secret sins hidden from the people we love and the world we live in, everything eventually caves in.   A glance at news coverage of the public exposure of political, business, and even religious leaders who have lived with something to hide, reveals a wide path of collateral devastation strewn along life’s path

When we clean out the garbage in our lives and live an open life designed to honor our Creator, it’s like a breath of fresh air.  This is hard and painful work.  I know.  I have been there.  But how invigorating it is to open the windows, pull up the shades, and live with nothing to hide.

3. Live with Nothing to Lose

Life was never meant to be a waiting room for death, nor a waiting room for eternal life.  Eternal life starts the moment we began to trust Christ to lead us.

From that moment we can live with nothing to prove.

From that moment we are forgiven and given freedom to live with nothing to hide.

From that moment we are also given a hope that transcends death.

Paul said, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  NOTHING scared him.  Paul was ready to suffer and die for his cause.  He wanted to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.   He knew that every situation, no matter how threatening or difficult, had an ultimate out come for good.  He writes:  “Friends, don’t get me wrong.  By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.”  
TRANSLATION:

DVD

We only have one life to live.
We were designed to live it with Gusto

Aim HIGH! ——— No!  HIGHER!

Go For It!
To see my full presentation of these principles, check out my DVD, “Good News”,  available here.

www.newsbusters.org recently ran a blog that reminded us that at least for NBC ABC and CBS there is still no room at the inn. They pointed to a study by the Media Research Center’s Culture and Media Institute that shows that in their evening news coverage of “Christmas” in the two years from Oct. 1, 2008, to Sep 30, 2010  the networks almost completely neglected stories about family, religion, and the blessings that Americans enjoy.

Just seven stories out of 527 (1.3 percent) mentioned the deity in two years of network evening news coverage.  Evidently God and Jesus are forbidden words for the networks.

The study showed that in stories about Christmas, more words were spoken about Ping Pong than God and the Underwear Bomber got more coverage than Jesus.

All this is true in spite of the fact that more than 80% of Americans acknowledge Christmas as Christ’s birthday and are most likely NOT offended by the true meaning of Christmas.  I can only conclude that the major networks ARE either offended or ignorant of the true meaning of Christmas. Have they forgotten that in 1870, Congress officially declared December 25 a federal holiday, to give those who celebrate Christmas a day to reflect upon God’s gift to mankind in sending his son, Jesus Christ.

Have they forgotten that every time we glance  at a calendar or write the date on a check we acknowledge the birth of Christ? Will there be an effort in the future to eliminate that calendar?

I encourage you to read the entire fascinating blog here: http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/erin-brown/2010/12/16/christmas-without-christ

I might be tempted to be distraught over this whole issue if it weren’t for two facts.

1. Historically and prophetically the world has found little room for Jesus. Yet he went to extraordinary lengths to make room for us.
2. One day, “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Ya think that “every tongue” bit will include the networks?)

If you read my blogs, you know that I don’t concentrate much on political and media issues. But I will not succumb to the trend to take Christ out of Christmas. As for me and my family we intend to “Shout it from the Mountain top that Jesus Christ is born.”

Merry Christmas!

This morning I was privileged to be part of a conference call with Wess Stafford president of Compassion International, an organization we work with that has been in Haiti for 40 years.  I wept as I heard the stories of incredible loss and hope.  I was amazed at the stories of what the local church was doing in places where super powers were stymied.  None of this is meant to diminish the importance of the outpouring of support from around the world, only to say that what is happening in Haiti is evidence of how the church is suppose to work. It is a shining light of love in action and the world is watching.  Here is a link to the conference call I was part of.  Please take the time to listen. This will brighten your heart and ignite your hope.

You will hear evidence that the church being the church is making a powerful quiet difference in an unthinable situation. Where Governments are brought to their knees in confusion and hopelessness, the church is brought to it’s knees in hope.

When the news media and outside organizations lose interest, Compassion International and the local believers in Haiti will still be there. Compassion has been there for 40 years changing lives, building credibility and growing relationships. They are going to stay until the job is done. And the church will be there beyond that.

If you have wondered where you might find a trusted organization to send your gifts of help. A place where your gifts can most quickly reach the people you need it, look no further.  Listen to the conference call then go here and click on Haiti earthquake to contribute.

I am meeting with Compassion leaders next week to determine how I can help those suffering in Haiti.  I hope you will join us by sending your gift to Compassion International today. Thank you!

It’s Watercooler Wednesday.

Does creative art have any power to reveal truth about God? God himself, the most creative artist of all, reveals the answer in Romans 1:20

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

His eternal power??? His divine nature???

The supreme artist proclaimed that an enormous body of essential truth could be known from observing his art. This doesn’t excuse us from the responsibility of proclaiming propositional truth in spoken word, but we have no choice but to conclude that creative art has both inspirational and rational power to reveal truth about God.

If God had not trusted the power of his artistic creation to reveal truth, he would have engraved John 3:16 on the petal of each rose.

If he had, I doubt we would take a picture of it. According to Romans 1:20 the message is already there……it’s in the art.

Every year we hold a limited attendance conference called The Summit. This very personalized conference is designed to give speakers, comedians, and other gifted artists information that will help them develop a career using their gifts or enable them to take an existing career to a new level. Two frequently asked questions are what should I charge and what am I worth? Those are two different questions. Let me answer them one at a time.

What should I charge? It often comes as a shock to discover that the value of a presentation or talent is not determined by the performer and it is not determined by a booking agency. It is not even determined by how talented the performer is or how good their show is.

The buying market determines the value. It is the market that dictates what you can charge. If the buying audience knows about you and wants to see the show, the value they place on that show will be reflected in a higher honorarium or ticket price. If the market doesn’t know you exist or has no desire to see what you have to offer, no matter how good the show is, they will place little or no value on the ticket. The Summit helps talented young people learn how to build a program that appeals to the market, and build a market that wants what they have to offer.

BUT HERE’S THE PROBLEM.

Many artists confuse the market value of their talent with their personal value. It is true that a sometimes brutal and picky market determines what a particular talent package is worth, but the artists personal worth is determined by a different source altogether. The creator of the universe determined your personal value a long time ago when he sent His son to die on a crudely assembled cross. So whether no one is interested in seeing your performance or the tickets to your show are being scalped on the streets the most important truth remains unchanged.

A 30 minute presentation by a talented young speaker with a growing market might be worth $700
A 2 hour show by a well known television comedian could bring $20,000 or more.
A successful show business career is often worth millions.
A sinner saved by God’s Amazing Grace is PRICELESS.