Obssessive Christianity Disorder

In his book, The Naked Gospel, my friend, Andrew Farley, writes about a debilitating disorder that is spreading among many Christians.  It's called by the same title as the first chapter of his book, Obsessive Christianity Disorder.  Let me share a few excerpts from that chapter.

MEDS, THERAPY, AND A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY - THESE WERE the solutions I was offered. One counselor suggested that my condition wouldn't change for the rest of my life and that I'd always need medication.  As desperate as I was, I just didn't buy it. There had to be some other answer to my problem.  After trying several Christian therapists, each of whom employed a different approach, no one could alter the patterned behaviors I was stuck in.

After all, obsessive Bible study and street evangelism are not your run-of-the-mill symptoms. (p 19)

Soon all of the exertion with no payoff took its toll. I began spiraling into a deep depression.  A few months later, I found myself lying on the floor of my apartment, sobbing for hours on end: "God, I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do, and I still don't feel any closer to you. In fact, I feel worse than ever!  How could this have gone so wrong? I can't see any way out.  Help me!"  (p 22) 

It's been seventeen years since I lay sobbing on the floor of that apartment. Today, I wouldn't trade my relationship with God for anything. In fact, I would wish my relationship with him on everyone! Through my desperation, my surrender to God for real answers, and my willingness to leave behind everything I had presumed before, I was introduced to the "naked" gospel. (p 23)

Maybe you can relate though your story may have different details.  It's a story we hear every week at Grace Life International. Christians living in a state of "have to Christianity" instead of "want to Christianity."  And the solution is that same "naked gospel" with no man-made additives.   We share this to help other Christians experience the internal rest God always wanted us to have from the start.  After all, we are human beings, not human doings!

Andrew Farley has written four other books, is a pastor, a nationally known respected teacher, and has his own radio program on Sirius XM radio.  He will be the keynote speaker at Grace Life International's 20th Anniversary Celebration on October 3rd.   I invite you to be our guest that evening.  You will not only hear him speak but will have great fun as well.

To sign up and for more information, Click Here

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Eat, Sing and Celebrate God’s Work at GLI’s 20th Anniversary

A little over 20 years ago, I found myself wrestling with terrible doubt and fear about starting Grace Life International in Charlotte, NC.  One of the ways the Enemy had controlled my life in years prior was to insert doubt into my mind whenever I made a big decision.  During that period, I was always worried that this doubt might be God telling me not to go forward with a decision.  It hadn’t happened in a long time but here it was again and I was paralyzed by it.

As I slept that night, I had a very vivid dream.  In it, I was standing in the kitchen of my mother-in-law, Joanne Taylor telling her about my debilitating doubts as to whether I should go to Charlotte to start this ministry.  She looked at me with a serious look in her steel blue eyes and said with conviction, “You know that’s just Satan, don’t you?”  When I awoke the next morning, I knew God was telling me that my doubts were from Satan and that He definitely wanted me to go to Charlotte.  I never looked back!   For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

My wife and I then began to make our plans to leave the Atlanta area with our young children in tow (ages 6, 5, 3 and 1) to start Grace Life International.  As those plans unfolded and I drove back and forth every month preparing for the start, I had this incredible sense of destiny deep in my heart which excited me.  Yet, this destiny was a mystery waiting to be revealed.

Now as I look back over these first 20 years, I realize more than ever that the destiny was all of the people He was going to heal, free and restore through sharing the freedom of the complete Gospel with Christians.  Let me be more specific about this.  This sense of destiny He placed in my heart included you!  He had you in mind when He led me to start Grace Life International.  Little did I know, He was going to grow us from four amazing people on staff to 40 fantabulous staff with local, national and international influence?

On this 20^th year, I want to invite you to celebrate with us on Saturday, October 3.  It is a free indoor/outdoor event which will include a pig-pickin, worship, personal stories and nationally known speaker, Andrew Farley  (www.AndrewFarley.org).   All of us really hope you will attend.   And if you can’t, you can still celebrate.  Just click the “I cannot attend but...”

To learn more about the event and how to register for free, click here http://glionline.givezooks.com/events/new-event-test-2

Warmly in Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Do You See Life in Monochrome or in Color?

Have you seen the video of the guy with colorblindness who receives a life changing birthday gift from his parents?  It is a pair of EnChroma Colorblindness Glasses invented by glass scientist Don McPherson.  He created them to help surgeons distinguish tissues and for eye protection against lasers.  Later, he accidentally discovered they gave people with colorblindness the ability to see life in color.

In the video, the moment the man places the glasses over his colorblind eyes, he immediately struggles to find the words to describe what he is seeing for the first time in his life (except for a few choice expletives which you can overlook).  Then this big tough guy starts shaking and crying at the joy and wonder of it all.  His life has just been changed forever.

We see this same response at GLI when we share in our counseling and teaching that God has provided new spiritual glasses called the New Covenant.  Many of them also see life in color for the first time.  When they do, they may cry, shake, laugh, shake their heads, and more.

Sadly, the majority of Christians have never experienced the joy of living from the New Covenant Gospel.  So, unfortunately they only see their Christianity in monochrome which they think is normal. That’s because most of their Christian friends do too.  This leaves their view of God, themselves, others, and how life works dim at best and very dark at worst.

Want to put on your New Covenant Glasses?  Here they are:

 1.  You have Jesus in you, not just on His throne in heaven.

However, you need a revelation from God so you can go beyond this fact of Him in you, to living by faith in Christ in you.  See Ephesians 3:14-21.  You are wearing these glasses if you enjoy fellowship with Christ in you and are asking Him to live His life through you?

2.  You are under grace, not the 10 Commandments.

When you wear these glasses, you realize you have two things which are much better.  You have Jesus in you to live through you in the power of the Spirit. (Romans 7:4)  And, you have the law written on your heart, i.e. you have a perfect identity in Christ according to Hebrews 10:16-17. 

3.  You are a saint, not a sinner.

       When you wear these glasses, though you sin, you still see yourself as a saint, not a sinner.  Romans 5:19 makes this incredibly easy to see in full color. 

4.  You are already forgiven for all sins, not forgiven one by one. 

       When you wear these glasses, you understand you are already forgiven before you ever sin according to Colossians 2:13 and Ephesians 1:7. 

5.  God accepts you unconditionally, not just because He is kind. 
        

       Wearing these glasses helps you see that God has placed His righteousness in your identity in Christ.  This has made you unconditionally acceptable to God. You can’t mess it up! See 2 Corinthians 5:17&21.

God wants you to see in full color!  And, so do we at GLI. 

We can help you put on these glasses just by attending a Grace Life Conference.  The next one is September 11-12 and you can attend in person or virtually.  Sign up on our website at www.GraceLifeInternational.com.  Pastors and spouses come free.

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

God's Cure for a Shame-based Identity

Have you ever heard that little voice in your head saying "There must be something wrong with me."  It usually speaks to us after a mistake, a sin, or a rejection from someone.  It's the lying voice of the enemy of course, but it sounds a whole lot like our own.  John 8:44c says about Satan, Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

That thought, that voice, that accusation is the spirit of shame.  It's not the same as being ashamed of something I did.  This is different because this is about who I am.  This kind of shame is a gnawing feeling, deep down that says "I am defective."

It's very closely related to condemnation. Condemnation whispers to us that because of what we did, we are messed up in the core of who we are.  When we sin, the Holy Spirit points out to us that we didn't live like who we are in Christ.  On the other hand, condemnation is relentless in trying to convince us that our identity is fatally flawed. It leads us away from the truth of our identity in Christ to an identity defined by failure.  If we listen to it long enough, it will eventually tell us that we are probably not a Christian at all!

That is why we all love Romans 8:1: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  It's fascinating that this verse follows a chapter in which the Apostle Paul shared with us how much sin defeated him, even though he hated doing it every single time!  Now that's encouraging.

We are not under condemnation because God crucified our shame-based identity in Adam which genuinely was defective and messed up.  Then He buried it in the grave forever with Jesus according to Romans 6:6. Knowing this that our old self was crucified that we should no longer be slaves to sin.  Then He resurrected us as new creations, with a grace-based identity in Christ. God says we are now perfect according to Hebrews 10:14. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

No way does this mean we will live sinless lives.  It does mean that our sin, mistakes, upbringing, abuse, or anything else cannot define us.

Do you operate from a shame-based identity because of your past? 

Do you operate from a shame-based identity because of your family? 

Do you operate from a shame-based identity because of that sin you can't stop doing?

Do you operate from a shame-based identity because you are divorced?

Do you operate from a shame-based identity because (you fill in the blank)?

God has crucified your shame-based identity and exchanged it for a grace-based identity in Christ.  Galatians 2:20 speaks to this, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Why don't you pray right now and tell God that you are choosing to believe that your shame-based identity died on the cross with Jesus and you are now embracing your grace-based identity. Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.  (2nd Corinthians 5:17)

And as always, we are here to help in person or virtually.  Why don't you at least have a consultation with us?  Life is way too short to live under the oppression of a shame-based identity.

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

How to Create a Personal Mission Statement

We often read the mission statements of businesses and churches.  They help us understand their purpose and why they do what they do.  For example, the mission statement of Chick-fil-A is "To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A."  To be honest, I thought their mission statement was to make the most awesome chicken sandwich for me to eat once a month!

 

At Grace Life International, we go over our mission every time we meet together as a staff and in our leadership meetings.  Our mission is "To glorify God by sharing Jesus Christ and both sides of His cross so that people may experience intimacy with God and life transformation."  Simply said, we are all about "Sharing the Gospel with Christians".  Most of our staff could recite this in their sleep and they believe it and live it.

 

I also believe that God has a personal mission for individuals, not just organizations. How about you?  Have you ever considered that God created you with a personal mission to fulfill during your sojourn of this short life on terra firma?  He did. How do I know?  Because Ephesians 2:10 tells us about this divine design. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.  (NLT)  He came to live in you so He could love you and live through you to fulfill His purpose for your life.

 

When we are living out the purpose for which He created us, He is glorified, others are blessed and we are fulfilled.  That purpose is not exactly the same for everyone.  For example, God gave the Apostle Peter the mission to take the Gospel to the Jews but He gave to Paul the mission of taking the Gospel to the Gentiles.  For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles.

Galatians 2:8

 

Are you personally interested in discovering your God-given mission for your own life?  Let me see if I can help you get there.

 

Let's define the idea.  A personal mission statement is a clear concise statement as to how Jesus desires to live through you to fulfill your God-given purpose.  It gives you "tracks" to guide the direction of your life. It may be something you do for a job or not.

 

Prayerfully ask God to show you the answers to these questions: 

1. What activities do I find myself drawn to over and over?  It could be feeding the poor, teaching, painting, accounting, technology, health, evangelism, counseling, etc.
2. What am I passionate about as far as what motivates me in life?  It could be more than one thing but one will rise above the others.
3. What are my governing values that guide my life?
4. What experiences have I had in my life?
5. What are my talents?
6. What are my spiritual gifts that I find myself enjoying the most?
7. What is my personality hardwiring?  Take the DISC profile for free online by searching for it.
8. What are my roles and responsibilities?
9.  If money weren't an issue, what would I spend the rest of my life doing?  Yea, I know, you may be thinking I'd go to a tropical island and swim in the ocean every day!  That's not quite what I mean, of course!
10. What are my goals in life? 

(If you need help, go to PLACE Ministries and for a mere $10, you can get a very thorough assessment of all of these.)

 

After you have answered these questions the best you can, not perfectly, prayerfully read them over a few times and then work on your personal mission statement.

 

Here are a couple of examples:

 

To glorify God by trusting Him to live through me to produce the best paintings I can so that I can show His creativity.

 

To glorify God by relying on Him to live through me to do a good job at my work so I can help the company succeed while making sure I provide for my family not only financially, but by time and leadership.

 

To glorify God by growing in my understanding, living, and communicating the New Covenant in all areas of my life, including my family, my work, my money, my friendships and my ministry.

 

I hope you will decide now that you are going to set aside some time this week to work on this.  It will help you more than you may know. 

  

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

Does Suffering Turn You Away From Jesus or Toward Jesus?

Several years ago, a young beloved police officer was gunned down in our city causing a flood of tears for many, especially his wife.  As anyone would, she deeply grieved over his death and her loss of him. She believed it was the worst thing that could ever happen to her as a young bride.  Soon, anger towards God began to swell in her soul. After the funeral, she set up a meeting with her pastor.

Through angry tears, she told him that she could no longer believe in Jesus because if He would let her husband be taken from her, then she wanted nothing to do with Him.  The pastor lovingly tried to convince her to change her mind but she was immovable.  She walked away from her faith in Jesus never to return.

In another story, a lady came to GLI to receive personal counseling for years of debilitating depression and discouragement.  God worked through the counselor to share with her the freedom found in the Gospel for Christians.  As she began to understand the overwhelming love of God for her, her years of depression and discouragement were replaced with great joy. 

Shortly afterwards, her husband also died without warning.  She was heartbroken, full of grief and anger towards God.  But her story ends very differently.  Because she understood that nothing could separate her from God’s amazing love for her, she released her anger and turned to Jesus in her for comfort and solace. 

The Apostle Paul wrote, For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39.

King David wrote that God’s love was better than anything in his life after his son, Absalom, had chased him out of the palace with vicious threats to murder him. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.  Psalms 63:3-4

When you truly begin to understand how much God loves you, no matter what comes at you in life, you eventually will turn toward a deeper trust and intimacy with Jesus rather than away from Him.  It may take some time for you to get there, but you will get there.

Are you convinced that God loves you no matter what happens?  Or do you look at good or bad circumstances as indicators of whether God loves you?  The first leads to freedom.  The latter leads to bondage.

I urge you to make a decision today, no matter how you feel or what life is throwing at you, that God loves you no matter what.  If you need help getting there call us at 704-522-9026 for a live or Skype consultation.  God does not want you to live feeling unloved by him for one more minute!  

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!

The New Testament Begins in Acts not Matthew

If you are like I used to be, you may be greatly confused when you read the Gospels.  They seem to contradict other New Testament Scripture.  Most of our confusion is because we think these teachings are part of the New Covenant (Testament).  However most of them are not.  The New Testament starts in Acts, not Matthew.  How do we know that?

When we are reading, we need to ask ourselves a question.  “Has Jesus died yet when this was written?”  If not, it’s Old Covenant, in most cases.  If He has died, it’s New Covenant writing.

When Jesus came to the earth, He came directly to the Jews who were still under the Old Covenant relationship with God. Want to get the gist of the Old Covenant?  Deuteronomy 28 spells it out very clearly.  If Israel obeyed God’s laws, there were12 verses of blessings He would give them.  (See 1-14)  If Israel disobeyed God’s laws, there were 52 verses of curses He would give them. (See 15-68)

Do you want to live in that kind of relationship with God?  I don’t!  Unfortunately, many Christians believe that is still how God treats them though we are under the New Covenant of grace.  So, Christianity is a burden instead of a blessing.

A lot of what Jesus taught was Old Covenant teaching to the Jews of His day.  And when He taught them, He was raising the bar of how perfect they needed to be accepted and blessed by God. Here are some examples: 

Unless you are more righteous than the strictest religious leaders in Jesus’s day, the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will not go to heaven.  Matthew 5:20

Calling someone an idiot or crazy because you are angry with them will send you to hell.  Matthew 5:22. 

Lust is adultery.  Matthew 5: 27-28

If you don’t forgive people who offend you, God will not forgive you.  Matthew 6:15

If you don’t forgive people who offend you, God will send you to hell.  Matthew 18:21-25

You must live a perfect life exactly the way God does.  Matthew 5:48

These teachings were aimed at showing the Jews of His day and anyone who reads them now that it is impossible to get God to accept you unconditionally by obeying the law.  He wanted to prepare them for how much they needed Him to be their Savior.

He was about to bring into existence the New Covenant and was preparing them and everyone else for it.  But the New Covenant did not begin until after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension.  See Hebrew 9:15.

Let’s compare what the New Covenant says about God and you as a Christ follower.

God has already forgiven you whether you forgive or not.  Colossians 2:13

God made you perfect in your identity in Christ.  Hebrews 10:14

God made you a saint (holy person) and not a lustful person in Christ.  1 Corinthians 1:2

God made you a patient person because you are complete in Christ.  Colossians 2:10

The Old Covenant was conditional based on man’s imperfect works.  The New Covenant is conditional based on faith in Jesus’ perfect work.

Read the New Testament with clarity today as you understand the New Testament starts in Acts, not Matthew.

Believe it! It's the Gospel.

Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder

www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2015 Mark Maulding but feel free to pass it on!