Friday, January 3, 2014

Day 258 - The Birth of Simplicity


Lee McDowell Christian Ministries                         LMCM
Nacogdoches, Texas                                                           Gal. 2:20 KJV

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 68


Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International
Littleton, Colorado
(303) 972-0859       almi@abidinglife.com
as you will read, this is being posted a week or so “late,” due to holiday travels, then internet problems…enjoy anyway!

Today we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  12/25/13.  Nothing stirs memories of Christmases past like the years of our childhood, or those of our own kid’s Christmas times.  Life as a kid…pretty simple.  Life as a Christian…pretty simple.

DAY 258

The Birth of Simplicity

I tell you the truth: Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. --Mark 10:15

Once when we had a small Christmas party, it was my privilege to bring the devotion. I asked God to give me a deeper insight into the birth of His Son. A still, small voice whispered, "It is the birth of Simplicity." It is said that every great discovery is a simplification.  The greatest discovery ever would also be the greatest simplification. Jesus is God simplified! Jesus is God comprehensible!

I find it interesting that evil is difficult as it entangles man; for instance, it takes effort and a good memory to be a liar. In contrast, good is always life reduced to its simplest form. Truth is straightforward; one can have a bad memory if living in truth, for a story will always be the same. Most countries where I travel use the bargaining system; the buyer offers half the asking price and then offers and counter-offers until he works his way up to one-third off. This drawn-out procedure consumes many hours of valuable time and often creates bad tempers. However, in the U. S. and Europe, there is a one-price system introduced by the Quakers in response to the simple command of Jesus to let our yes be yes and our no be no. He simplifies life.

Jesus reduced life to two rules: love God and love man. This is part of the genius of Jesus. True beauty is revealed in the absence of additions and pretense. Jesus must have been the most beautiful Man ever to live, for His presence was stripped of everything useless. He spoke the word to men (Mark 2:3). What was the Word? It was one Word among thousands. It simplified life! It was significant! He was asked thousands of questions, answered only the significant, and answered them quickly. "Are You the Son of God?"

"Yes."

"Are you the King of the Jews?" 

"Yes." Jesus is the simple Word, the simple answer. He teaches simplicity in all. "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all" (Mark 10:15). Only as we live in simplicity will we really live. 


Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory


It’s really simple, isn’t it?  The only thing Christian about any Christian is Christ.  Christ in us, our everything…our only hope.  Abiding Life Ministries for years has made life simple for thousands of Believers around the world.  Michael Wells gave his all for simplicity.
·         Abide in Christ…apart from Him we can do nothing.
·         To be Christian is natural and everything else is unnatural.
·         Any teaching that lands at my feet and tells me something I must do,
              is not the truth.  Any teaching that lands at the feet of Jesus and
              tells me what He will do for me is truth.
·         A lesser truth will always give way to a greater truth; Jesus is the greatest
    Truth and will possess all other Truths in Him.
·         God does not fight my problems, sin, the world, my failures, but God actually
    uses them.
·         There is nothing the nearness of Christ cannot overcome.
·         In Him I find everything else that I have looked for in vain.
·         You belong to Jesus; you are His, and He belongs to you.
·         We are created for the ONE, for Jesus, and Him we do not support; He
         is the ONE who supports us.
·         We must lose our righteousness daily to be able to accept the Lord’s.
·         We are the lesser people in this great time, the abiding people, the berries
    of high altitude, the fragrant aroma of the world.
·         If we are in Him, we will see exactly Jesus flowing from us.
·         As we abide, His anointing is teaching us; we actually will not need a teacher.
·         Every vine preaches and teaches Jesus.
·         In abiding we receive the Everything, Jesus.
·         AND THE LIST could go on for what would seem ages & ages…

It’s really amazing, isn’t it?  All from the birth of simplicity.  Thank you, Jesus. 

These days, Betty Wells is giving her all for simplicity.  I think many will pray often for Betty in 2014.  I think many will pray often for ALMI in 2014.  I think many will pray often for Karla Blanton & Hannah Morrell in 2014.  I think many will pray often for Tim Lester in 2014.  I think many will pray often for all the others around the world who are taking the message of simplicity to those whose hearts are receptive.

Thank the Lord for raising up messengers of His message:  “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

If you have any desire to interact with me on something Michael has written, and/or any of my thoughts, please note the email address just below my name at the bottom of this.

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital “C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com   Look to the top right hand side of the page, enter your email address in the box under “Follow,” then click on SUBMIT.  You will receive a “confirmation email,” and when you click on the link and “confirm,” you will receive all new posts via email.

NOTICE: beginning in January, 2014, a new blog on Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness.


Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
P. O. Box 633244    Nacogdoches, Tx 75963                                 936-559-5696

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