The Christian life is so simple that it can be summed up in thirteen words. In those 13 words I can tell you the goal of the Christian life, process of the Christian life, and the security of the Christian life. But, if I move away from the simple, simple, incredibly simple things into my own unbelief, then I find out why there is so much complex confusion.

I started out with something incredibly simple when I started out with Jesus, and shortly after ...

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So, what are the 13 words that describe the whole thing? What is the simple truth that needs to move from our heads to our hearts?

Gen. 5:24 "And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him."

Could it be that simple? Could the goal of Christianity be that we walk with God, and that when we walk with God we become a "not," and that as I BECOME NOTHING I find security in Him and then He takes me?

Did you know that for years I did not want to walk with God to be a "not?" I wanted to "become" ... "become something." I wanted to use God to build my image and my kingdom. I wanted to derive some elite status. I wanted God so that I would increase, but that is the opposite of the goal. God wants me to walk with Him, and be (a) "not."

Ever hear about a Stanley Steamer? This is a steam engine car that they made many years ago. The problem was that the steam would get going and then it would always run at the same speed. In reverse and forward, it would run at the same speed, and of course there was the problem that when you were out of control in reverse, you might crash, and then get burnt with all the pressurized steam. The car was great, but the engine was found to be inferior to the gas engine. What do you think they should do with a car like that? Destroy it all-together?

The answer was that they exchanged the motor and discarded the steam engine. The Stanley Steamers that got the most use were the ones that had a trnasplanted gas-fuel engine.

Christianity is unbelievably simple. We need an inner exchange.

So, I start-off with an outer life from my parents and an inner life from Adam, and it is the inner life that is the faulty motor. The trouble is found in the inner life. If I try to develop an image that I am intellectual, sweet, generous, spiritual, and everything nice, then I want to maintain that image. If I have a image that I am abused, worthless, ill-tempered, stingy, and whatever is unlovable I have a different problem, but instead of maintaining that image, I want to improve (change) it, and that makes me a slave. I need other people to validate my good image and tell me that I am not my poor image. Pretty soon, everything that I do centers around my image whether to change or maintain. I need you, to buy into the the good, and excuse the bad, all because my image. ... all because I want to "be" instead of a "not." So I can't live to God, I have to live to you. I become a pleaser of men, and assume the great burden of projecting the image that I want you to buy. If I can make you believe it one day, then every following day ... I have the burden of maintaining the image.

The goal of Christianity is Christ, and for Him to become your life, you have to walk with God and become a not.

Trust me, when you will become a "not" there is alot less friction, and heat in your dealings with others. You no longer have to control everything with anger and intimidation to make sure that nobody sees behind the mask.

My wife doesn't want to see "Trent" anymore anyway. She wants to see the "not." She wants to see more of Christ-in-me, and less of just me.

Walk as Enoch did with God - to be ... not.