Grace Promises

True Love

2011-07-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

All are in God's Family

2011-07-17T12:55:00.001-07:00

Without getting into all the theology and resultant proof texting from "sacred" texts I think God sees all of humanity as His children. God gives us all life, sustains that life force and knows the best and worst about us and yet loves us far more than we earthly parents love our children and grandchildren.

If "God" cannot love us unconditionally while knowing our worst failures then such a "God" only deserves our disdain.

For some reason we cling to the one action that Adam & Eve did in one of the creation stories to cause us to think we are repulsive to God and ignore the life, teachings and supreme examples of love that Jesus (and others) accomplished to demonstrate how much God loves us. We don the filthy diapers of religion, systems, institutions, programs, piety and self-righteousness to hide our nakedness because we think we are too unlovable and unacceptable to live in the affection of God.

We are so wrong.

He created us to love us. He did not create us to demonstrate His superior morality, purity and power. He does not insist we attain a certain level of good behavior or discover and adopt correct thinking in order to gain His favor. In a thousand ways, through people and nature, God reaches out to us showing us His tender affections. Mostly we flee from those ministrations and even go as far as to suggest to other people that they must also behave or think a certain way in order to be worthy of love and acceptence.

Virtually all of our religions simply cannot comprehend such an amazing love so we reject that love or minimize it or add terms and conditions. We turn God's pure and unconditional love for us into rules, rituals and religion. Then, based on our flawed but attempted adherence to manmade rules, we define ourselves as included in God's family and define all others and excluded and outside of God's family.

Often we hear that God never changes, but proponents of a God who is angry and bent on punishment pick a time somewhere in the Old Testament when it appears that God was smiting and spreading pestilence. That vengeful, jealous "God", they say, is the God who never changes. I say the God who never changes is the one spoken of in Ephesians 1. From The Message,

"Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family"

Roots

2011-04-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

Advice from the Dogma Whisperer

2011-04-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

The Dogma Whisperer

This is a new blog I have started, it will be exclusively for Dogma training, advice and related cartoons. I hope you enjoy it.

Mary Washes Jesus's Feet

2011-04-09T17:00:00.001-07:00

(Click on cartoon to enlarge)

Jesus was human.

2011-03-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

Click on cartoon for larger image

click on cartoon for larger image

The Ugliest Parable

2011-03-15T15:22:00.001-07:00

Warning! Do not read this if you are easily shocked or offended.

Last Saturday morning I ended up babysitting my 3 year old grandson. I normally very much enjoy spending time with him as he is playful, bright and ever so energetic. But that day I was also trying to finish working on a very important project. One that potentially affected the lives and livliehoods of thousands of people.

I lovinginly explained the important project to my grandson and set up a bunch of toys so that he could play quietly in my den. He had all of his favorite toys, some of his favorite snacks, and his favorite movie was playing on the tv. He had everything he needed.

I rarely have to discipline him and even then nothing more then a stern word will usually get him to straighten up and fly right. I did not expect any trouble this morning. He knew how to behave.

After just a short time he threw a ball and it knocked over my coffee, spilling it on the keyboard. I chided him for being careless and cleaned up the mess. Not five minutes later he ran a toy truck into the surge protector and caused my PC to shut down. Again I sternly warned him to be careful. And further stated that any more nonsense would not be tolerated. He was ruining important things.

Fifteen minutes later, after I rewrote a whole section of my document from memory, he had an "accident". He had gotten involved in play and was certainly not going to interupt me again for any reason. So now I had to stop and find new clothes for him to put on, not to mention cleaning up a smelly, horrid mess. By this time I was angry. I reminded him that I didn't want to punish him like I had to do once with his older brother. I told him that all he had to do was play quietly for a half hour or so and not break any of the house rules then we could go outside and play.

Not 3 minutes later he spilled his juice all over my freshly cleaned carpet. That was it! He knew the rules, he knew there was a time limit and he knew the consequences of choosing to be careless and inconsiderate.

I had no choice but to punish him. Since he had been so overtly disobedient and since the time limit had run out my only real option was punishment. It was actually past time for it but I had been lenient in the hopes he would straighten up on his own. So I explained to him how much I loved him and to show it I now had to pour scalding hot water on him and then lock him in a totally dark room. I explained to him that he was no longer my grandson and no one would every respond to his cries.

Thats what truly loving grampas do. Justice and enforcement of the rules is so much more important then correction and mercy. If only he had made the correct decisions in a more timely manner!

Oh wait, thats not what happened, not what happened at all. That is just an ugly parable of what most have been taught as the Good News of the Gospel. That is exactly the message that most have heard all their lives. That is the despiciable lie we have been told about our loving Father.

Is God not more loving then us? Is He not more merciful then us? Is He not more forgiving then us? Is His justice nothing less than perfect and His purpose nothing less than the restoration of everybody and everything?

In Gods eyes are we not all toddlers, barely able to keep our diapers clean? In comparison to eternity just how much do we mature from age 4 to 84? We can only trust Him as much as we think He loves us. Many billions of people have never and will never come to any knowledge and understanding of His love. Certainly God has made provision for this sad circumstance.

To believe that the One who created us, the One who sustains us and the One who indwells us will allow us to be physically tortured for all eternity for being who He designed and created us to be is ridiculous at best and a damnable lie at worst.

From Richard Rohr -

Most people I know can eventually forgive and forget. But not our god! God does not forgive until he or she gets some appropriate penance, reparations, and repayment. (Actually reaffirmed in common sacramental practice). This is supposedly needed by one who has nothing better to do than keep accounts and do a self centered cost analysis on everything. Sort of like Santa Claus, “making a list and checking it twice, going to find out who’s naughty or nice.” The Lord of this beautiful and self renewing cosmos ends up looking instead like an anal retentive banker or a brooding maiden aunt. It just doesn’t match the cosmic evidence. And it particularly does not match the evidence for those who have prayed—or experienced divine forgiveness.

Most of my Jewish and Christian friends are very tolerant and accepting of different races, cultures, and religions. They are willing to see good wherever good is to be seen. But not our god. Our god only likes “born again” Americans, and preferably morally successful and “normal” people, who hopefully attend my denominational service on the proper day. (This is easily the quickest growing form of religion in most countries today!). Even stingy little Richard Rohr ends up being much more caring, patient, generous, and merciful than Yahweh Sabaoth! How did we get to such absurdity? Especially, after Jesus spends most of his ministry affirming those who are wounded, unworthy, not successful, normal, or properly affiliated?

I really understand that, but it is quite clear to me in the later years of my life, that God does not love me if I change, but God loves me so that I can change. That is an entirely different agenda. What makes the Good News good news is precisely that God loves and defends unworthy and non-innocent life! Otherwise, you and I have little hope.

What makes the Good News good news is precisely that God loves and defends unworthy and non-innocent life! Otherwise, you and I have little hope.

Jesus is the universalist par excellance, always making the outsider the heroes of his stories: the non-Jews appear as those with more faith and more compassion, the sinners become those who are saved, the women better than the men, and as he continually puts it, “the last will be first”— while the so-called elect and chosen are his constant opponents.

He does not begin with any preoccupation with human sinfulness or the weighing of worthiness or unworthiness (that is the preoccupation of the ego). In fact, he just assumes that we are all “sick and in need of a physician.” As he puts it, “I did not come to call the virtuous” (Mark 2:17). Jesus’ starting place is human suffering instead of human sinfulness. How else can you explain his fulltime ministry of healing, exorcism, affirmation of the excluded ones, and the alleviation of human distress and humiliation? He is not naïve about sin, but just recognizes that human sinfulness, “hardness of heart,” is much more a symptom than a cause. Sin largely reveals the problem and he uses it for diagnostic purposes not for condemnation or exclusion. Sin, for Jesus, is not a set of purity codes or debt codes—which he goes out of his way to flaunt— but inner attitudes which blind and bind us inside of ourselves, and away from communion and mercy.

It is not moral unworthiness that keeps people from God, but moral righteousness and self-sufficiency. It is that simple recognition, which is almost his constant message, that makes Jesus the ultimate, perennial, and radical reformer of religion. And why religious people oppose him.

If people do not go beyond first level metaphors, rituals, and comprehension, most religions seem to end up with a God who is often angry, petulant, needy, jealous, and who will love us only if we are “worthy” and belonging to the correct group. We end up with the impossible scenario of a God who is “small,” and often less loving than the best people we know! This supposedly divine love is quite measured and conditional, and yet ironically demands from us a perfect and unconditional love.

Such a salvation system will never work, unless we allow an utterly new dimension of love “to astonish us and stand us on our ears,” as Isaiah says above. Unless God is able and allowed to love us unconditionally, we will never know how to do the same.

Most people I know would never torture another human being under any conditions. Yet people

believe in a god who not only tortures, but tortures for all eternity. That is bitter vengeance by anyone’s definition. Why would anyone want to be alone with such a testy and temperamental god? Why would anyone go on the great mystical journey into divine intimacy with such an unsafe lover? Why would anyone trust such a god to know how to love those who really need it? I personally know many people who are much more generous and imaginative than this god is. We have ended up being ourselves more loving, or at least trying to be, than the god we profess to believe!

Such a religion is in deep trouble—at its core.

2011-03-03T11:30:00.000-08:00

The objective reality that we were all forgiven, atoned, reconciled, justified and made righteous at the cross is not dependent upon our subjective awareness of those results.

Every man, woman and child who has ever existed shares this same status before God. The problem is that very few know this and can live in the security and power of it.

Some think religious practice is the way to gain God's favor. The problem is that we already have His favor. Ultimately any effort at rule keeping and ritual observances are just efforts at self-righteousness. God does not require religious practice.

We are righteous, forgiven, justified and atoned because of what Jesus did in His life and death. We can't add one ounce of our own righteousness. All we can do is live in the awareness of what He has already done, for us and everyone.

The Good News

2011-03-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

The Good News is that God loves us, that He always has and always will, that our standing with Him is not based on our behavior but based on His love.

It is Impossible To Love God Most.

2011-03-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

Even proponents of grace occasionally remind us that we are to Love God most of all. I probably have even said it myself. The problem is that it is not only impossible to love God with all our heart, soul and mind but to do so would make us useless human beings.

If we were to truly love God with ALL our heart, and All our soul and ALL our mind then we would not have one second or one thought of love for our wives, husbands, kids or families.

We quote Jesus as saying that loving God is the most important commandment. The problem is that Jesus was answering a question from a lawer about which law of Moses was the most important. In fact the lawyer was trying to incriminate Jesus.

Steve McVey discusses it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYnqP2frVjA

The answer to the dilemma of loving God is in the second part of the answer Jesus gave. We love God by loving others!

Loving God is not sending affectionate thoughts skyward, it is not standing in a church building looking at the back of someones head while singing words that rhyme. God is not your Valentine.

If you want to love God then love your spouses, your kids, your families and maybe even your ex's.

If I get real good at loving I might even be able to love religionists.

Jesus had other plans

2010-12-26T13:32:00.000-08:00

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Is Jesus Lost?

2010-12-26T13:14:00.001-08:00

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The rest of the story

2010-12-26T12:59:00.000-08:00

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What we believe or what He believes?

2010-08-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we were tent camping in an Oregon State Park in the Columbia River Gorge. The campground was full and a little boy about 3 years old was not doing a very good job of staying in his families campsite. Our site was about 3 spaces away and he was busy checking out our water faucet when his mother came up behind and scooped him up to take him back to their site. His immediate response was, "I am not your little baby anymore!" Meaning he was neither a baby or his mothers child. He was very ernest in his declaration.

Not in our wildest imagination would we believe that his mother took this pronouncement seriously, she was not only not angry at his rebellious remark but actually chuckled at the cuteness of it (so did we).

If this average earthly mother could deal with this utmost rejection of her love and caring how much more patience, love and forgivness do you think our heavenly Father has for us.

When we say, with our little feet stomping and fists shaking, "I don't believe in you!" He responds with, "Thats ok I still believe in you."

When we withhold our love and loyalty to Him he sends us even more demonstrations of His love for us through the giggle of a grandchild or the hug of a friend. Where there is love, He is there.

When we try to run off and distance ourselves from Him we find there is no where that He is not.
No where.

Whether we are 3, or 30 or 60 we are all still His children. We might think our little acts of rejection are significant, He probably thinks they are cute.

What Makes Jesus different?

2010-05-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

If you ask most Christians what sets Jesus apart from other men who have achieved global spiritual recognition most will point to His virgin birth, sinless life, supernatural miracles, His resurrection and ascension. Believing in and defending the accurate historicity of those events form the foundation of their faith.

I think that what proves His divinity, that which has made Him the turning point in the history of the world was that He loved people better than anyone ever has or ever will. He was in the business of including the excluded, forgiving the unforgivable and loving the unlovable. What He demonstrated in His life and His legacy is that God is love. That is the good news of Jesus.

Who We Really Are

2009-11-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been misunderstood? Maybe if we really knew who we are, other people would truly know us also.

God and Dog

2009-11-05T11:50:00.001-08:00

Imagine No Legalism!

2009-11-01T08:32:00.000-08:00

Lens-Foisters - Our Vison, Your Eyes!

2009-10-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

Lens-Foisters. Where the World sees through our eyes!

The Lens-Foisters Difference

Maybe you wonder what sets Lens-Foisters apart from the rest? It's pretty simple, really - our unwavering, never-ending commitment to a narrow point of view and a sense of dissatisfaction with those who see the Bible as actively promoting relationship rather then religion. Our stores are conveniently located in the foyer of your churches, denominational colleges and seminaries.

We now have outlets in house churches and home Bible studies! We have proudly prescribed lenses for the vast majority of todays Christian leaders. We stand ready to cater to your paradigm needs. Whether it's recycled methods of the inquisition or just a simple shunning, our lenses will help you see clearly what must be done. Simply put, we love our power. And we'll do whatever it takes to make sure you become totally dependent on the Lens-Foisters experience from start to finish. Remember our motto is, "Our paradigms never shift!"

How our lens work.

We have spent centuries developing special lens coatings so that no matter what you look at or read while wearing our lenses it all fits into the paradigm we developed hundreds of years ago! You never need to fear a new idea, a lingering doubt or the possibility that you might be wrong about something. With our lenses your views, opinions and beliefs will never be challenged. Just imagine, you can go your whole lifetime and not once have to change your beliefs (well our beliefs)! While wearing our lenses you can be sure that no supernatural entity can influence your thoughts or trouble your mind!

Remember that even though our lenses work best for reading, we also have special coatings that allow you see acts of power mongering and arrogance as "tough love". Those lenses automatically filter out the poor and the needy. They let you focus on the important things such as consolidating power, increasing financial prosperity and building your legacy.

Introducing the incredible iGlasses!

Be sure to check out our exciting new line called iGlasses, these incredible new lenses are directly linked to an internet database in which you can report any deviation to orthodox doctrine that you see, in real time!! For the first time, new agers, emergents, Buddhist sympathizers, grace wasters and universalists can be tracked and reported just by glaring at the offender through these amazing lenses! Not only are the offenders logged into the celestial database but you will get scripture references and appropriately worded denunciations visually displayed on the lenses special heads up display!

But wait, there is more!

If you act today we will also include your very own, imitation gold plated, plastic Doctrine Police Badge! You can be the first on your block to kick down your neighbors doors and demand their heretical belief statements! Imagine the power and authority you will feel as you put people in their places!

This is unbelievable, but wait there is more!!

If you buy a pair within the next 30 days we will automatically include the guilt by association coating! Our system is linked into twitter, facebook and myspace. We have already identified every known heretic and if the person you are viewing through our lenses has ever emailed, messaged, texted, commented or has a friend who is a friend of one of these offenders your lenses will start to glow so that you know that they are eligible for rebuking! You can confidently put your Doctrine Police badge to use with this special coating!

You won't believe this, But wait there is more!

If you act within the hour you will receive our incredibly powerful Gaydar coating!
We know how hard it is, from the upper rows of the third balcony of your megachurch, to spot which member of the worship team is limp wristed or just slightly overly flamboyant. So we have developed this special coating so that such an abomination cannot slip by you! Our testing has made sure we don't confuse the average metrosexual with the true homosexual. When the Gaydar coating is activated it glows pink and displays verses from Leviticus on the advanced heads up display. The soon to be announced Gaydar Nextgen coating will eliminate the false activations caused by pastors who wear pink shirts or female singers who have very short hair due to chemotherapy.

Don't wait, this is a limited time offer. This offer is not valid in Salt Lake City, Mecca or Dallas Theological Seminary.

Of course our real claim to fame is how our lenses filter the Bible. Here are some examples (they work well with all Bible versions, but we find that they are most effective with the King James version):

Without Lens-Foister Lenses:
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another

With Lens-Foister Lenses:
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye say ye have superior moral values, and if ye obey some of the laws of Moses some of the time.

Without Lens-Foister Lenses:
Romans 5:18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

With Lens-Foister Lenses:
Romans 5:18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness by Jesus and the acts of billions and billions of acts of people believing, confessing and repenting there resulted justification of life to all men (if at the end of their lives the requests for forgiveness equal or exceed the number of sins committed).

19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One and billions and billions of other men and women doing even more billions and billions of acts of believing, receiving and repenting the many will be made righteous (if at the end of their lives the requests for forgiveness equal or exceed the number of sins committed).

Without Lens-Foister Lenses:
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

With Lens-Foister Lenses:
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is better off then those who think they are saved by grace.

Without Lens-Foister Lenses:
Matt 7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

With Lens-Foister Lenses:
Matt 7:1 "Judge others or people will think you are hiding something"

Without Lens-Foister Lenses:
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

With Lens-Foister Lenses:
John 12: 31 Sometime in the early 21st century is the judgment of this world: Then shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw a few men unto me.
33 This he said, has nothing to do with the death he should die.

Without Lens-Foister Lenses:
John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

With Lens-Foister Lenses:
John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is of this world: since my kingdom is of this world, then so shall my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but someday..in the far distant future is my kingdom but not now.

Without Lens-Foister Lenses:
Matt 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

With Lens-Foister Lenses:
Matt 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from when you appeared outwardly to attain high morals:
35 For I was an hungered and ye rebuked the heretics: I was thirsty, and ye stoned the effeminate: I was a stranger, and ye shunned the non-Sabbath observers:
36 In my robe, and ye judged your neighbor: I was sick, and ye called those who love others warm and fuzzy spiritual babies: I was in prison, and ye disciplined your brethren.

Without Lens-Foister Lenses:
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

With Lens-Foister Lenses:
Heb 8:12 For I will not be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more but I want you to keep a detailed track of them for me and you can do that best by buying and using Lens-Foisters new iGlasses!

So you can clearly see that it would almost be impossible to live a lifestyle of judgment, condemnation and self-righteousness without the Lens-Foisters family of products to protect your paradigm. Call us today, your peace of mind depends on it!

(Thanks to Dena for coining the term Lens-Foisters in her blog)
http://shalomdena.blogspot.com/

It is time for me to confess

2009-10-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

I have denied it ever since I was a kid, but I can no longer live like this. At 55 it is time to be open and honest about it. When I became a Christian at age 16, I thought that was the way to deal with this and I prayed hard and tried for 30-some years and then I was just realizing, I am still that way. I know I am. And I just reached a place where I cannot take it anymore — when I was going through all this darkness, I thought, "Just end this."

To be guilty of something that the Bible calls an abomination 4 times in 3 consecutive verses surely must make me the worst of the worse. I really don't know if I was born this way or perhaps something just makes me choose this thing. Maybe it is rooted in some need to rebel against God.

If people really knew who I was, that what I have done is an abomination, I would never be accepted.

Even though I rarely engage in it (I mostly try to tamp down the desire), I know in my heart what I really am. It is like I have two identities, one which people see and find acceptable and one which is a terrible abomination before the God who never changes, the one who says that not one jot or title shall pass from the law until all is fulfilled.

Despite being happily married for over 30 years and having children and grandchildren there were occasions in which I faltered. I thought I hid it well. I didn’t know people could see what I was going through, the darkness and the struggle. After I confessed my abomination to my family, my daughter said she was afraid to walk in my bedroom or kitchen because she was afraid she’d find me — that I’d done something to myself. And I didn’t even know they’d picked it up.

My family’s reaction took time, but the bottom line was they loved me and they still love me … it’s been an amazing journey of acceptance on their part … I was offered support and love from each member of my family, including my wife.

So now I must confess not only to my family but to all, all those who have read my blog posts and thought I was a citizen in good standing in the Kingdom of God. Though I may be an abomination in God's sight I pray for your forgiveness and understanding.

I am guilty of a quadruple abomination. Leviticus 11:10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination.

12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

I admit it! I love lobster and crab and clams and oysters. I have even eaten sea urchin! I have dined at the temple of the Red Lobster (more then once)!

I am guilty of the sin that has two more abominations in Leviticus then even homosexuality! Oh that my sin were just one abomination less! Perhaps then I could find some minor role to fulfill in religion.

If only something has changed between God and man. If only we were not bound to law, if only there was such a thing as a new covenant or grace! If only the law had been fulfilled!

Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

O joy of joys, the law of Moses is fulfilled! There is a new covenant, the old is passed away. Pass the butter and let the shell cracking commence!

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

After we have mastered loving one another perhaps we will have time to worry about lesser things. Lets give it a couple hundred years or so first though.

Comments:

Ashley L - Those who defend, promote and live the lobster eating lifestyles have exchanged the truth of God for a lie. Many claim it's genetic or natural, so they expect others to accept this "alternative" lifestyle. But the truth is that God calls lobster eating sin, and with his help you always have a choice of whether or not to live in your sin

Angel H - God's rules are black and white. There is no gray area. My heart breaks for you, and you will be in my continuous prayers.

George T - Of course God loves the lobster eater that is not the question or the issue at hand. The issue is, is lobster eating behavior a sin? According to the Bible it is a sin. The lobster eater must also apply biblical truth to his life and remain pure and not eat lobster- according to the Bible. These are God's standards and not ours. We don't make the "rules", we just apply them to our lives. It is arrogant to thing we know better than a loving AND just God.

Sandra R - I have been listening to you since I was a young girl. You are an incredibly talented man. I'm sad to hear about how you struggled with lobster eating for so long. I love you, but I don't love your lobster eating lifestyle-the Bible clearly states lobster eating is a sin. I can't judge you, NONE of us can-we all deal with sinful urges on a daily basis. The best I could do is lift you up in prayer. Please cancel our buffet plans for next Sunday with your family.

Special thanks to Christianity Today for its article on Ray Boltz.

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2008/09/ray_boltz_comes.html

The Really Late Show with Rev. Right

2009-10-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

Grace Debate

2009-10-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

The Sneetches, by Dr. Seuss

2009-10-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

Now, the Star-Bell Sneetches had bellies with stars.
The Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars.
Those stars weren’t so big. They were really so small.
You might think such a thing wouldn’t matter at all.

But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches
Would brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.”
With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort
“We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!”
And, whenever they met some, when they were out walking,
They’d hike right on past them without even talking.

When the Star-Belly children went out to play ball,
Could a Plain Belly get in the game? Not at all.
You only could play if your bellies had stars
And the Plain-Belly children had none upon thars.

When the Star Belly Sneetches had frankfurter roasts
Or picnics or parties or marshmallow toasts,
They never invited the Plain-Belly Sneetches
They left them out cold, in the dark of the beaches.
They kept them away. Never let them come near.
And that’s how they treated them year after year.

Then ONE day, it seems while the Plain-Belly Sneetches
Were moping and doping alone on the beaches,
Just sitting there wishing their bellies had stars,
A stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars!

“My friends”, he announced in a voice clear and clean,
“My name is Sylvester McMonkey McBean.
And I’ve heard of Your troubles. I’ve heard you’re unhappy.
But I can fix that, I’m the Fix-It-Up Chappie.

I’ve come here to help you.
I have what you need.
And my prices are low. And I work with great speed.
And my work is one hundred per cent guaranteed!”

Then, quickly, Sylvester McMonkey McBean
Put together a very peculiar machine.
And he said, “You want stars like a Star-Belly Sneetch?
My friends, you can have them for three dollars each!”

“Just pay me your money and hop right aboard!”
So they clambered inside. Then the big machine roared.
And it klonked. And it bonked. And it jerked. And it berked.
And it bopped them about. But the thing really worked!
When the Plain-Belly Sneetches popped out, they had stars!
They actually did. They had stars upon thars!

Then they yelled at the ones who had stars at the start,
“We’re still the best Sneetches and they are the worst.
But now, how in the world will we know”, they all frowned,
“If which kind is what, or the other way round?”

Then up came McBean with a very sly wink.
And he said, “Things are not quite as bad as you think.
So you don’t know who’s who. That is perfectly true.
But come with me, friends. Do you know what I’ll do?
I’ll make you, again, the best Sneetches on the beaches.
And all it will cost you is ten dollars eaches.”

“Belly stars are no longer in style”, said McBean.
“What you need is a trip through my Star-Off Machine.
This wondrous contraption will take OFF your stars
so you won’t look like Sneetches that have them on thars.”
And that handy machine working very precisely
Removed all the stars from their tummies quite nicely.

Then, with snoots in the air, they paraded about.
And they opened their beaks and they let out a shout,
“We know who is who! Now there Isn’t a doubt.
The best kind of Sneetches are Sneetches without!”

Then, of course, those with stars got all frightfully mad.
To be wearing a star was frightfully bad.
Then, of course, old Sylvester McMonkey McBean
invited THEM into his Star-Off Machine.

Then, of course from THEN on, as you probably guess,
Things really got into a horrible mess.

All the rest of that day, on those wild screaming beaches,
The Fix-It-Up Chappie kept fixing up Sneetches.
Off again! On again! In again! Out again!
Through the machines they raced round and about again,

Changing their stars every minute or two. They kept paying money.
They kept running through until the Plain nor the Star-Bellies knew
Whether this one was that one or that one was this one. Or which one
Was what one or what one was who.

Then, when every last cent of their money was spent,
The Fix-It-Up Chappie packed up. And he went.
And he laughed as he drove In his car up the beach,
“They never will learn. No. You can’t Teach a Sneetch!”

But McBean was quite wrong. I’m quite happy to say.
That the Sneetches got really quite smart on that day.
The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches.
And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches.
That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars and whether
They had one, or not, upon thars.

--------------------------------------------------------------
There are currently over 40,000 "Christian" denominations, each of which lay claim to the right way, the real truth, the included ones, the true "church". I pray that someday we will learn that is far more about what our Father, Son and Spirit believe about us rather then what we believe about them that determines our inclusion into their embrace. Perhaps then we will become as enlightened as Sneetches, perhaps then I would not be judged as emergent or new age simply because I used the word "enlightened".

Cracked Pots

2009-10-12T16:05:00.001-07:00

A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole that she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After 2 years of what perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

The Lesson to Learn?!
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. May we try to show just a little of the grace we have been given with others that cross our paths.

The Source of Harmony

2009-10-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

I thought this was interesting. Remember Bobby McFerrin of "Don't Worry Be Happy" fame? Seems like there is a universal commonality to a song within us. I think it comes from the One who made us.

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

Are you a tree hugger?

2009-09-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

Here in the Pacific Northwest it is not at all uncommon for members of certain environmental groups to either chain themselves to a tree or actually take up residence in a tree to prevent its harvest. These people will sometimes remain in contact with a tree for weeks and months, their life purpose becomes protection of that tree. We seem to have an equal abundance of both trees and tree huggers.

Spiritually speaking we have had this condition since the creation of the Garden of Eden. A very great number of people desperately cling to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil while forsaking the tree of life. Too many people are hugging the wrong one, desperately trying to live their lives based on what they determine to be good or bad, right or wrong. The problem is that being right is never enough, this tree only produces death.

When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of death they were excluded from the garden not as punishment but as a precaution. Just as that first bite caused their spirits to die, further "nourishment" from that tree could have only brought more destruction. Humans are unable to digest fruit from that tree, not in Adams time nor in ours. It would cause them endless distress, brokenness and finally the death of their spirits. God did not separate them from the garden to isolate Himself and protect His garden, He separated them from something that as humans would destroy them. That separation was the first step in their reconciliation, and the restoration of all their generations. It was an act of love!

Nourishment from that tree was fatal, and still is. Only on our best days, with the fullest information can we discern good thing from a evil thing, a good situation from a bad situation, a good intention from a bad intention. As humans we do not have the attribute of omniscience. We do not see the whole picture, we do not hear the whole story. We experience the present, but filter it through the events of the past. We react to a situation while fearing its effect for the future. We will, more often then not, react wrongly, perceive wrongly and judge wrongly.

It is only when we remove ourselves from the diet of the wrong tree and begin to live by the tree of life that we experience life, that we begin to gain strength and that we know true joy.

We need to stand guard against making the Bible our modern day tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it was never intended for that purpose, it was always meant to guide us to the Tree of Life who is a person, Jesus.

All in Heaven?

2009-09-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

I was asked this recently:

Okay then do you feel that all people will be in Heaven or am I still misunderstanding you?

I mean surely you don't think that all people are going to Heaven. Not in the predestination type of belief but rather in the way that I mentioned once before that people are out there that I believe will never accept what Jesus has done for them and thus will not enter unto the gates of Heaven.

Maybe I am missing your points but thanks for the responses.

This is how I responded:

1. I don't believe the Father, Son and Spirit ever intended "it" to be about avoiding hell or attaining heaven. Jesus said eternal life is knowing Him and His Father (John 17:3). I don't do (or not do) things to escape torment or gain heavenly bling, nor do I counsel others to let that be their motivation. I do constantly seek to understand that He loves me and that I can best love him by loving others in tangible ways. When I fail at that, and I do often, He reminds me that even in my failure He still loves me.

I believe much of the NT writings that referred to death, destruction, saved, perishing, etc. had to do with the imminent destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, which even to this time was one of the most destructive events in human history. I believe it is in error to assume every such term had only to do with some event multiple millennia the future.

2. Just as it is His desire and will that all be saved (1 Tim 2:3-6), so it is mine. I would think that every "Christian" would want every man, woman and child to know that the Father, Son and Spirit love them unconditionally. Do I think that will happen during every ones physical life? No. Do I think that ultimately everyone will come to know His love and respond? I hope so. Do I think that some, like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son will pout and bellyache, perhaps for eons. Yes. Do I believe His mercy endures forever. Yes.

3. I think there is room for debate, without resorting to labeling each other as heretical, regarding the nature and purpose of both hell and heaven.

4. I understand those that take a primarily literal interpretation of every scripture will find it difficult to accept other methods of Biblical interpretation but there is not much I can do about that.

5. Do I believe people must "accept" Jesus? I believe people must come to the knowledge that He accepts them and loves them in order to live life in the power of that love, instead of thinking they are separated from Him.

6. Do I believe people must repent? Yes, but not so God will change His mind about them or their "destiny" but change their mind about how God unconditionally loves them so that they can live in the knowledge of His indwelling.

7. I believe Col 1:19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
And Eph 1: 3-10 How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

7-10 Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

8. I believe by writing what I just wrote many here will conclude that I am a radical heretic of the worst kind and should be burnt at the stake. What I believe does not really matter, how I love others does.

Paul Young Interview

2009-09-13T10:16:00.001-07:00

The Paul Young Interview from Recycle Your Faith on Vimeo.

Grace - Sung by U2

2009-09-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

The God of the Shack

2009-09-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

The God of The Shack from Recycle Your Faith on Vimeo.

Do I need to grow a beard video

2009-09-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

The 10 Promises Video

2009-08-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ruler or Baker?

2009-08-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

One of the meanings of "lord" is bread keeper, loaf kneader, .i.e. baker, or bread maker. I think this ties in nicely with Jesus proclaiming himself to be the "bread of life". Since He said "I no longer call you slaves (servants) but I now call you friends", perhaps this meaning should have more significance to us than the definition that typically associates with ruler or master.

Maybe He is with us to feed us and to nourish us, not to command us.

Grace: A license to sin?

2009-08-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

By Mike Feazell

Reprint from Christian Odyssey
Used with permission from Grace Communion International

It is a constant wonder how we guardians of the true faith can become so adept at gumming up the greatest news in the universe. We hold in trust the Good News of all good news—God gives free grace to sinners for Christ’s sake—and then we break our necks to hide it behind a great wall of rules, regulations and laws.

“You must not take grace too far or you will turn it into license to sin!” we admonish one another, as though lack of license has ever stopped anybody from sinning.

Hasn’t anyone noticed? We are all sinners, for crying out loud, even all we religious, God-fearing, church-going Christians. Always have been, always will be, in this life. It is only by God’s pure and unfettered grace, as demonstrated once for all through Jesus Christ, that we are made something else—righteous—and not by avoiding sin, but by trusting him.

It seems that our vigilant efforts to prevent anyone from “turning grace into license to sin” has resulted, ironically, in our managing to turn sin into a barrier to accepting grace.

The church disguises its moralistic hook with gospel bait, reels in the unwary catch and plops him or her into the hot greasy frying pan of salvation by works.

The church promises grace, then delivers condemnation. The church headlines the gospel, then preaches hellfire. The church disguises its moralistic hook with gospel bait, reels in the unwary catch and plops him or her into the hot greasy frying pan of salvation by works.

Consider how the gospel is plowed under by the relentless glacier of denominational “rightness,” doctrinal “exactness” and behavioral “standards.” Christian church against Christian church, warring over phraseology, terminology, dress codes, political stands, seating arrangements, music styles, architecture…the list seems endless.

We all seem to have at least a mild case of the “our-way-is-God’s-way-die-you-heretic” virus.

Certainly, right doctrine is important. But surely we need look no farther than the Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed for those doctrinal “issues” that really matter. Yet, many Christian churches still refuse Communion to fellow believers who don’t belong to the “right” denominational brand name or haven’t jumped through all the required theological hoops.

The underlying message of religious behaviorism, “Behave right (according to our particular standards), or go straight to hell,” buries the gospel under layer after layer of religious hair-splitting, nit-picking and measurement-taking.

That isn’t the gospel. It’s religion. It holds out salvation like some phantom carrot-and-stick reached only through a lifetime of unquantifiable good deeds. It is a soul-sapping lie against the truth of God.

Jesus did not bring some “new and better” brand of religion. He brought the gospel, which is good news for sinners, which we all are.

For the sake of Christ, God has thrown away all the report cards, homework records and detention notes in the world and given everybody a 4.0 GPA and a gold-plated invitation to eternal life.

Only some of us, it seems, “don’t want no charity.” We’d rather feel like we have been—or through discipline and devotion have become—the right and proper sort of person upon whom God could appropriately bestow eternal life.

We have been good Christians, and we don’t want to be lumped in with a bunch of immoral losers who do nothing more than put their trust in the Christ we have worked so hard for so long to imitate and obey. (We thank you, O God, that we are not like the rest of people—greedy, dishonest, adulterous or, for that matter, like this embezzler.)

Suppose we take up a challenge: give up the charade. Drop the legalism and the fear tactics. Quit pretending to be worthy and righteous, admit we are hopeless sinners without anything to our credit, and put our trust in Jesus Christ, for whose sake God justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5).

And drop the nonsense about how that would mean we could “just go out and sin all we want since we’re already forgiven.” Nobody who trusts God wants to sin. When you trust God to love you and forgive you, you want to be like Jesus; you don’t want to sin. But when we do sin, in spite of the fact that we don’t want to, we have an advocate with the Father, 1 John 2:1-2 tells us (and he tells us that so we won’t sin, not so that we will, verse 1 says).

It’s like Paul told Titus: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:11-14).

It’s grace that teaches us to say no to ungodliness. It’s grace that makes us eager to do what is good. Knowing we’re already forgiven and accepted does not lead us into the devil’s workshop, but into deeper fellowship with our Lord and Savior.

The gospel really is that simple. It really is good news.

A little chat to clear things up

2009-08-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

This is a transcript of a recent conversation. This is not intended to be a complete theological treatise, it is a fictional representation of how I believe Jesus might respond to some questions.

Me: It really is amazing to finally to get to talk directly with you, face to face. I have so many questions I really don’t know where to begin. What shall I call you?

Jesus: Jesus is fine. I don’t really care what people call me. My mother called me Yeshua. Sometimes when she was mad she called me other names.

I remember this one time when I wandered off at temple. When she caught up with me she was in a real tizzy. She grabbed me by the ear and drug me all the way home. Joseph, my dad, just laughed but that only made her madder. Do you believe it, I got grounded!

Me: You are kidding? The Son of God got grounded?

Jesus: Well she calmed down after a bit when I told her I was, “about my Fathers business.” That line got me out of a lot of trouble when I was a kid.

Me: So you called Joseph your “Dad” and called God your “Father”?

Jesus: Yes, that seemed to work out best at the time. It’s pretty much like you do today I think. Father is me and I am Him and the Spirit is in us and I am in you. Kind of blows your mind doesn’t it?

Me: Yes, the concept of the “Trinity” and union has been hard to comprehend so most people don’t even think about it.

Jesus: They were actually two of our best ideas. But like most of our ideas some self-righteous, religious type people managed to create a lot of confusion and chaos out of them. We love them anyway but they sure put a lot of people through the wringer with their beliefs.

Me: You sound a bit critical of religion?

Jesus: Hey, religion was not our idea. For us it has always been about relationship, with each other and all that I created.

Me: So you are saying that dressing a certain way or behaving a certain way or participating in religious rituals or believing certain things are not necessary to get close to you or gain your favor?

Jesus: Exactly, but you look so serious when you do that stuff, it is kind of cute. We usually get a pretty good kick out of it.

Me: But what about the 10 commandments, the “Golden Rule”? What about repentance and confession? What about going to church? What about not drinking, not smoking and not dancing? What about lust and pornography and fornicating?

Jesus: You know why Baptists are so against pre-marital sex?

Me: No.

Jesus: They are afraid it might lead to dancing! Love that joke, wrote it myself.

Me: Very funny, but you didn’t answer my question.

Jesus: I am sorry. I forget that you guys are always so serious about “spiritual” things. I had really hoped you had gotten past that a couple thousand years ago.

Ok, here it is, one more time. Listen up, I am only going to say this a few trillion more times, I love you man!

Me: Just love? What about justice? What about holiness? What about sin?

Jesus: I took care of it.

Me: What do mean you took care of it?

Jesus: We, Father, Spirit and I, planned it all before time even began. You think we were surprised by Adams disobedience and unbelief? This has always been Plan A, to involve ourselves into your existence and let you know we love you. Always have and always will. Did you actually think we expected you to be perfect before we could love you? King David will get a real charge out of that idea.

Me: Well maybe not perfect, but surely those who are trying should get more credit then those who do not.

Jesus: You remember when I jumped on my disciples because they tried to prevent some kids from being near me?

Me: Yes, I read that in the Bible.

Jesus: Why do you think I said my Kingdom will be made up of children such as these?

Me: Because children are innocent, pure, and trusting?

Jesus: Well they are that, but they are also selfish, noisy, fickle, messy, largely ignorant and much more prone to play rather then work. They exhibit all the stuff that I put into them when I created them. So do you.

Me: But don’t we have to believe in you? Don’t we have to believe correct things about what the Bible teaches?

Jesus: You have to trust me to live in the power of my love, but whether you believe in me or not, whether you trust me or not, I still love you.

I think you can trust me when you realize that I have already forgiven you, already believe in you, already chose you and already received you into Our embrace.

Me: But your Book, your Word has all those rules and regulations?

Jesus: Unless people use those words to love each other better they are missing the point entirely. They might as well be reading a dictionary. You can’t really think we inspired those words so that it would cause people to separate themselves from each other do you?

Me: Well, no, but a lot of people say they understand the Bible perfectly and that we should think and act like they do in order to gain your favor.

Jesus: I get a rash when people think they know Our mind and what they say about us does not reflect our unconditional love for all of you.

Look, it is not about striving for perfection, it is about love, and you can best love me by loving each other. And others can best know My love by the love that you show them.

Me: Don’t we at least have to go to church?

Jesus: Church is not something you go to, it is something you are. Don’t get me wrong, going to a meeting house with others who trust me is fine, just do not get so obligated there that you miss opportunities to love outside of those walls. Showing love to those who do not trust me yet will bring you enormous joy.

Me: You make it sound so easy.

Jesus: When people can grasp that it is much more about what we have already done for you, in you and to you then they will find the true peace and love we want to share with them.

Me: But what about our free will? How can you do things for us, to us and in us without violating our free will? Don’t we have to “receive” you or accept you and your gifts? Don’t we have to make you our personal Lord and Savior? Aren’t you standing at the door knocking, waiting for us to let you in?

Jesus: That’s a good one, personal Lord and Savior, that kills me. Wait until Brother Paul hears that one. I was kind of under the impression that Father, Sprit and I were ALREADY THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE. DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT WITHOUT MY INDWELLING PRESENCE WITHIN YOU THAT YOU WOULD EVEN EXIST? IS NOT MY VERY BREATH THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE?

Sorry for shouting, I just think I already earned the title of the Savior of the World.

Me: Please forgive me

Jesus: I already did, long time ago. That’s exactly my point. Why do you find it so easy to believe that we “violated” your free will to condemn you, but so hard to believe we will not “violate” your free will to redeem you?

Why is it so hard for you to trust that I was more successful at my mission then Adam was in his failure?

Besides once you can see Us for who we really are and not the false image and misguided caricature that religion has made us into you will be able to trust in Us.

Not all gifts have to be “received” to be beneficial. Suppose I went to your bank or mortgage company and paid off your house. I do not need your permission to do that. My gift was applied to your account. Your debt has been paid without any action at all on your part. In fact you didn't even know it happened until you sent in a payment and it was returned along with the deed. You may continue to send in house payments but that would just be silly and unnecessary.

My gifts for you are like that.

Me: So you are saying everyone is saved? Everyone is going to Heaven? No one is going to hell?

Jesus: Shouldn't you at least hope I succeeded in what I came to earth to do?

I am saying it has never been all about attaining rewards or avoiding punishment, it is about life. Life with me, life with us and life with each other. You are wasting your time thinking the goal is somewhere out there, up there or at some time in the future. Quit living in the past or waiting for the future, live now! I am here with you now. I have always been with you. We will always be with you, even when you choose to ignore us. We have always been for you. We will always love you.

Me: What about judgment day?

Jesus: Did I not already pay the price? Did I not already conquer sin and death? Our justice is not about revenge; our justice is about restoration and reconciliation. Our justice is about making things right, not getting even.

Our justice is not waiting for some “big day”, we are always just. Unlike you, we can see end result of our actions. What you may perceive as unjust or unfair in the present may well change over time. Trust us.

Me: Is everything I thought about Christianity wrong?

Jesus: First of all, I never intended to start a religion. That was some mans idea, and not a very good one at that.

Secondly, anything you think you know about the Father, Spirit and I that does not reflect our unconditional love and affection for you is wrong.

Thirdly, RELAX! We always have your best interests at heart, quit worrying about things that you cannot possible comprehend in this lifetime.

Me: That is really good news!

Jesus: Exactly!

The Problem with Spiritual Formulas

2009-07-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

One of the problems with applying Biblical text as spiritual formulas is that Jesus often said contradictory things. We often miss the principal behind the point.

For example:

Formula 1: If you want to catch fish go far out into the deep water.

Luke 5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

Formula 2: If you want to catch fish, fish in the shallow water near shore.

John 21:5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. 6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.

Here we have two opposing formulas to catch fish. To be successful in "fishing" it is not about applying one of the above formulas, it is about understanding that Jesus knows where the fish (and people) are. The underlying principal is: go to where the fish are, not where they are not.

Many "Christian" speakers and writers have made vast fortunes and garnered enormous attention by proclaiming various spiritual formulas for obtaining salvation, being physically healed or gaining financial security. Entire denominations have been built around the application of a single verse of scripture and the exercise of some "formula" it seems to contain. They claim by doing or not doing something you can either gain God's favor or avoid His wrath.

Jesus did not come to teach us a method, a process or a formula to somehow evoke God into action in our lives. He came to infect our lives with His unconditional love, acceptance and forgiveness. What both the "world" and religion have in common is that they both try to convince us that until we "do something" we are not included and not worthy of the love and favor of God. They both say that until we participate in some program to improve ourselves we will be outside, lost and excluded. They of course have such a program all wrapped up in bows and ribbons.

Jesus offers no program, no rules set in stone and no requirements to earn His favor. He simply asks us if we know that He loves us and if we do we should love others as He loves us. I know some will find verses that say to do this or don't do that but the bottom line is: Are we living in the knowledge of His unconditional love and are we sharing that with others?

The Nature of Children (regardless of age)

2009-07-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

Jesus got a bit ticked at His disciples once because they tried to prevent some children from "bothering" Him as He went about His important business. What the disciples failed to understand was that His relationship with the children was His important business! Whenever anyone tried to come between Him and the people He was trying to minister to Jesus got a bit angry with them.

Matt 19:13-15 One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: "Let the children alone, don't prevent them from coming to me. God's kingdom is made up of people like these." After laying hands on them, he left.

Matt 18:3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Why would Jesus want to be around children and why did He say "God's kingdom is made up of people like these"? While there are many wonderful things about the nature of children there are also some things that are not so wonderful.

Writers, preachers and theologians most often refer to the innocence, trust and openness of children in explaining these passages. I think they completely miss the point that Jesus was trying to make.

Jesus spent His time, bestowed His compassion on and loved being with outcasts, underdogs, misfits and miscreants! I think He used children as the example of the population of His kingdom because kids are messy, noisy, unlearned, more interested in play than work, prone to make bad decisions, self-centered and not above lying to avoid punishment. They are real, not religious.

In another passage Jesus says, My little children, I will not leave you orphans (John 13). This time He was addressing adults, the very adults who had spent more then three years with Him in close contact. They ate, slept, traveled, bathed, cried, prayed, played and ministered together with Jesus for over 1000 days. These were the inside guys, the core group, the major players, the big kahunas, but Jesus called them "little children". If these men, who we so revere as the fathers of Christianity were "little children" in Jesus eyes then are not the rest of mere infants?

We put so much stock into our theological theories, our doctrinal foundations, our perfect Sunday School attendance badges, our correct Biblical interpretation that we forget that in His eyes we are not even potty trained yet.

Brennan Manning says it like this (paraphrased): Jesus only asks us one question, Do you believe that I love you?

God comes to us and says I have a word for you, I know your whole life story, I know every skeleton in your closet. I know every moment of sin, shame, dishonesty, and degraded love that has darkened your paths

Right now I know your shallow faith, your feeble prayer life, your inconsistent discipleship, and My word is this, I dare you to trust that I love you just as you are and not as you should be, because you are never going to be as you should be.

Always remember we are His little children, we belong to Him!

A Fish Story

2009-07-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from a blog of my friend Bert Gary.

(click on the title go to his blog)

Remember Jonah and the giant fish (The Old Testament Book of Jonah)? This story is a perfect example of the scandal of God’s mercy. Jonah despised God’s mercy and wanted nothing to do with it!

Jonah is in Galilee, Israel. God tells him to go northeast to preach in Nineveh. It’s an Assyrian city in what is today Mosul, Iraq. Jonah without a word goes southwest to Joppa and boards a ship headed to Tarshish, the location of which is uncertain, but might be a reference to a region in faraway Spain! That’s as far as you can go via the Mediterranean Sea, and obviously it’s in the opposite direction that God instructed. Exactly where Jonah was headed is not necessary to get the point. God said go this way. He went the other.

Jonah tells the crew of his ship that the terrible storm they are experiencing is his fault. He’d disobeyed God and they should throw him overboard. He is guilty and deserves to die without mercy. This is Jonah’s way of showing God how judgment is supposed to work! If you’re guilty of disobeying God, God should show no mercy to you. It’s as if Jonah’s saying, See, God? Here’s how you’re supposed to do your job. I’m guilty. I should be destroyed. Nineveh’s guilty. It should be destroyed. Jonah is giving God an object lesson on how to be God! And Jonah sees no room for mercy. He wants the punishment he deserves, and he’d rather die than offer Nineveh a chance.

God, however, shows mercy to disobedient, arrogant Jonah by sending a big fish to rescue him. And God leaves him in the fish three days to give him a chance to think about this mercy business.

After the fish spits him on the beach Jonah heads for Nineveh. When he gets there he preaches a halfhearted sermon to only a fraction of the city. But against all odds the pitiful sermon he preached works. Nineveh listens and responds. And Jonah is fit to be tied:

Jonah 4:1-3 [T]his was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry.

2 He prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.

3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." (italics mine)

But God shoots back at Jonah:

Jonah 4:4 And the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?"

Anger is an appropriate and normal human emotion. Jesus himself got angry. (Mark 3:5) God’s not telling Jonah that anger is wrong. God is asking Jonah if he really thinks he has a right to be mad about this situation. Does he have a right to be angry that God is merciful? But Jonah doesn’t answer the question. He ignores God and the implication of what he has asked.

Instead, Jonah goes outside the city and makes a shelter to protect himself from the scorching desert heat. He sits himself down to watch God destroy Nineveh, as God should have done in the first place! He finds the idea of God’s mercy absolutely incomprehensible. Jonah never expected his pitiful unenthusiastic sermon to work. He never thought they’d listen or change. They deserve to die, and Jonah has a front row seat for the show! It’s a sit-in. It’s a protest. He is going to sit there until the God of the universe starts to act like the condemning god Jonah had created in his own mind. He wants fire and brimstone to rain down on those people. The god of his imagining would not and could not show mercy to Assyrians. They are enemies. They are evil. And Nineveh is the nerve center of the beast. If God is God, he must destroy them. Jonah sits and waits for God to repent (change his mind--metanoia) and do “the right thing”!

God, however, throws Jonah a curve ball—an object lesson of his own. He makes a shady bush grow up over Jonah to further protect him from the heat. Jonah thinks, now that’s more like it. God should reward good people (like me). And he should punish the evil people (like the Ninevites). If only Jonah had binoculars to see them suffer up close! Jonah watches in anticipation of “the show.” But God doesn’t destroy the city. Instead, God destroys the bush!

Now Jonah is really mad. He tells God again just to let him die. He can’t stand living in a universe where Assyrians get mercy, innocent bushes get smited, and God’s messengers get toasted in the blistering heat. God speaks to Jonah again about his outrage. Listen to this exchange. With it the Book of Jonah abruptly ends:

Jonah 4:9-11 But God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?"

And he said, "Yes, angry enough to die."

10 Then the LORD said, "You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?"

God is scandalously merciful, says the Book of Jonah. The End.

Luke records Jesus saying, “. . . [God] is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” Then Jesus continues by telling you and me (and Jonah!) to be like that too. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:35b-36) Be scandalously merciful.

Joan chats with God

2009-05-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

From Evan Almighty.

God: I love that story, Noah and the Ark, you know how people miss the point of that story? They think it is about God's wrath and anger. They love it when God gets angry.

Joan: What is the story about then, the ark?

God: Well, I think it is a love story, about believing in each other. The animals showed up in pairs, they stood by each other, side by side, just like Noah and his family.

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God: If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience or does He give them the opportunity to be patient? If they pray for courage does God them the courage or the opportunity to be courageous? If someone prayed for their family to be close do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings or does He give them opportunities to love each other?

I've got to run, a lot of people to serve. Enjoy.

What is a "watered down" Gospel

2009-04-24T09:24:00.001-07:00

Whenever I hear that phrase it is usually followed by a lecture condemning those who present a truly loving and merciful Father, Son and Spirit. The lecture warns of dire consequences to those who dare step outside the bounds of the modern day practice of evangelical orthodoxy.

I agree that nothing has been more destructive to mankind then the distortion of the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul often warned those who would dare to teach a gospel other then the gospel of Grace and Peace with God. He endured torture for daring to proclaim this good news.

So what is a watered down Gospel?

Jesus is the Gospel, Jesus Himself is the good news, His life, death and resurrection is the good news.

A watered down gospel is one in which there is more bad news then good news.

A watered down gospel is one in which religion, rules and ritual are more important then relationship.

A watered down gospel is one in which the work of Christ is less effective then the work of Adam.

A watered down gospel is one in which judgment triumphs over mercy.

A watered down gospel is one in which grace is only thought to be given to those who deserve it.

A watered down gospel is one in which His love is less powerful then our ignorance.

Because of His love no one is ordinary

2009-04-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

I thought I would do something different, instead of just talking about His gifts to us why not show you?

Get your Kleenex ready and see what I believe are some of His amazing gifts, grace and love to some special people. To Jesus we are all special people!

I promise that watching these will bring you joy so skip that old sitcom rerun you were about to watch and let your heart soar.

She dreamed a dream.....

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent
Uploaded by dwarthy

Angels at the end of a rainbow

Over the Rainbow - CELTIC WOMAN
Uploaded by stirawat

Something big and wonderful shined through young Jason McElwain on a basketball court

A Father and son

An example of grace

Jesus never fails.

She believes in His love

Christ for us and Christ in Us

2009-04-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

We seem to spend so much of our time this time of year pondering what Jesus did for us and that is a great amount indeed. He created us and He sustains our every breath. He came to earth to be one of us, to die for us, to live again for us and to go be with the Father for us. We diligently read the Bible to study what He did for others throughout history. We spend so much time thinking about what He has done for us we sometimes forget what He is doing in us.

His spiritual presence within us can (and should) be as real and tangible as His physical presence was to Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John, Philip, Bartholomew; Thomas, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas.

They merely walked beside Him, He walks within us! His Spirit lives within us to guide us and inspire us. Until we can realize the great truth that the Creator of the Universe has taken up residence within each of us, until that awareness is part of our constant personal consciousness we will only know about Him. His indwelling is not just an interesting theological proposition, it is real. The living Person Jesus, who is the Savior of the world, lives in me and you!

Yes we can find Him in history, we can find Him in the pages of the Bible but we can also find Him when we look in a mirror.

Col 1:26-29 This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple.

What does it mean to be "Christian"?

2009-04-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

A recent study has determined that there are now over 39,000 "Christian" denominations! That means there are probably over 39,000 "official" definitions of what it means to "act" like a Christian.

Phillip Gulley wrote in "What if the Church were Christian":

Sometimes when someone does something I don't agree with, I'll say, "They're not acting very Christian." What I really mean to say is they're not acting like I think a Christian should act. But they might be acting in a manner consistent with their understanding of Christianity. I don't get to define what Christianity should mean to them. We each get to do that for ourselves.

No one can say "you must believe this or you must believe that". We are free. The beliefs we choose have a profound effect on our lives. They can make the difference between a rich, full life that is wide and expansive and welcoming, or a mean, narrow life that is closed off and harsh and judgmental.

James Fowler said in his article, What it means to be a Christian:

There is much confusion among the general public, as well as the religious community, concerning what it means to be a "Christian."

Does it mean assenting to a particular belief-system?
Does it mean consenting to a prescribed morality pattern?
Does it mean changing and improving one's behavior?
Does it mean joining a church organization?
Does it mean practicing regular rituals of worship?

There is no physical or psychological procedure or formula that one must follow precisely in order to become a Christian. It is not effected by the physical procedures of walking down an aisle in response to an invitation, or holding up one's hand, or repeating a pre-worded "confession of faith," or being baptized with water, though those may be engaged in to indicate or accompany one's response to Jesus Christ. Neither do the psychological responses of mental assent to historical and theological tenets, or the subjective experiences of human emotions constitute the means and manner of responding to Christ.

Everything necessary for being and behaving as the Christian one has become is inherent within and derived from the One with whom we have spiritually identified and united, Jesus Christ. Being and living as a Christian is not a religious exercise of conformity to the example of the historic life of Jesus Christ, striving to be Christ-like. Attempts to pattern one's behavior after that of Jesus amount to nothing more than self-serving attempts to "parrot" or "ape" the behavior-pattern of another. The Christian life is not an imitation of Jesus, but the manifestation of His life and character. [His life through us]

Living the Christian life is not comprised of going through the motions of repetitive religious rituals. Nor is it the legalistic keeping of behavioral rules and regulations in conformity to an ethical morality. Ecclesiastical involvement is not the essence of Christian living either; not church attendance, participating in religious programs, or tithing ten-percent of one's income.

Being and behaving as a Christian is enabled and empowered by the grace of God in the dynamic of the life of Jesus Christ in the Christian. In His departing promise Jesus explained, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" (Acts 1:8). "God's grace is given according to the working of His power" (Eph. 3:7), providing "all sufficiency in everything" (II Cor. 9:8). Therefore, consistent with our becoming a Christian, it is not what we do to behave and live as a Christian, but the recognition of the sufficiency of the life of Jesus Christ within us. "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6).

===================================================================

Being a "Christian" is not about rules, rituals or religion. It is about a person, Jesus. It is about a relationship with Him. It is knowing that He is part of you and loves you no matter what you do or don't do.

It is not about receiving Him, but knowing that He has received us. It is not about believing in Him, but knowing He believes in us. It is not about asking for forgiveness, but knowing He has already forgiven us. It is simply living in the truth that the Father, Son and Spirit love us. .

The Othodoxy of Sheep

2009-03-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

Orthodoxy comes from the Greek word orthodoxos and means "to have the right opinion". Sheep orthodoxy is simple; stay together, don't wander off, do what we do.

Often times our Christian brothers and sisters are kind of like a flock of sheep on a large green pasture, they see themselves as safe in the pasture and anyone not huddled in their tightly packed flock could be in potential danger. In fact anyone who wanders a bit from the flock causes some deep in the flock to start baa'ing about them getting too far away, close to being "outside", close to danger. They think it is their job to guide the flock, when in fact, that responsibility belongs to the Shepherd.

They also don't see that the pasture is so large there are other flocks that they don't even see who are sharing the same pasture, under the watchful eye of the same Shepherd.

When they huddle in fear, afraid to move, to explore their freedom in the immense pasture, they start eating grass that is fouled in their own waste.

It is when they come to understand that the Shepherd is always with them, no matter where they go, they can enjoy the fellowship of other flocks and maybe even share some grass with the goats.

Clerics Stunned, All printed Bibles Vanish!

2009-03-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

Pastors, ministers and priests worldwide have reported what seems to be the simultaneious global dissappearance of every single Bible. When first noticed by Papel staffers they assumed it was just some sort of Prostestant prank, but it soon became apparent that the disappearance was global in nature. It appears that Voltaire was right, he predicted, "Another century and there will not be a Bible on earth!"

Suspicion quickly fell upon the ACLU who have longed sought to ban the Bible from schools and other public venues. ACLU president Susan Herman said, "Since that books dissaperance our donations have dropped off sharply, this is getting serious."

Donald Waite is pastor of Bible For Today, an Independent Baptist Church in Collingswood, New Jersey, a leading spokesman for the authority of the King James Version of the Bible. Waite is the author of numerous books explaining that the King James Version has been, and continues to be, the only accurate English translation of the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and preserved original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Words of God for the English-speaking people. Waite remarked, "Whateth I don'teth understandeth is whyeth Eugene Peterson's "The Message" is also missingeth?"

Critics of the popular novel "The Shack" (over 7 million copies in print) by Paul Young have quickly mounted a massive public awareness campaign to ensure that parishoners will not substitute the novel for "Gods Word". Michael Youssef, a leading critic of "The Shack" says, "The Bible is God-breathed. Sure, there were many men through 1,800 years who put pen to paper (so to speak), each from different professions and different backgrounds, but the Holy Spirit infused their work with God's words."

Popular on-line Bible resources like Biblegateway.com and net.bible.org are no longer available. Many religious and theological based online discussion forums have reported that useage is down over 50%. Forum members count heavily on cutting and pasting from online Bibles in a method of debate called "proof texting". Bible publishers had hoped to quickly reverse "cut and paste" from forums in order to reprint most versions but even these fragmented "proof texts" have been deleted. While member participation is significantly down, forum administrators report it has allowed remaining participants to have discussions without so much argument.

Many Christians believed the Bible to be the Word of God. Its disappearance has led to a crisis of faith for them. "We have had the proverbial rug pulled out from under us", said members of the Open Bible Church in Portland, Oregon. "If we don't have the Word of God how are we supposed to know what to do?" one anonymous "believer" remarked. While they seem to give some credence to experience based revelation, they feel that it would lead to confusion and division within the global "body" of the Church. One opinionated member stated, "Who knows what people would come up with if people could just believe whatever they thought God told them!"

Researching through internet blogs this reporter found a somewhat alternative view. There are some who saw the Bible as written, inspired, words about God but espouse that people can know and get guidance from the Spirit of Jesus who they claim "indwells" them. These independent followers say that the Bible did not say that "in the beginning was the word and the word became Book." They see Gods Word as a Person, Jesus.

Messers Gulley and James Mulholland said in their book,If Grace is True, said "I used to believe the Bible was the ultimate source of authority. In so doing, I elevated the Scripture to a status equal with God. It eventually occurred to me that my ultimate allegiance belonged, not to the Bible, but to the One of whom it testified. When I lifted up the Bible as my ultimate authority, I made my leather-bound, gold-engraved Bible into a paper calf."

Darrin Hufford,from a web site called "Freebelievers.com" said this, "I believe that just as the Israelites prostituted themselves after the golden Ephod, modern day Christians do the exact same with the Bible. We have prostituted ourselves after the Bible and there is no doubt in my mind that it has become a thorn and a snare to almost every Christian in America. In fact I think many Christians have actually traded God for the Bible. Many others have even come to the point where they think God IS the Bible!"

Jacques Ellul (1912–1994) was a French philosopher, Law professor, sociologist and theologian said this, "We are not to make the Torah into God Himself, nor the Bible into a "paper pope." The Bible is only the result of the Word of God. We can experience the return of the Word of God in the here and now, the perpetual return of the actual, living, indisputable Word of God [Jesus], we should never think of the Bible as any sort of talisman or oracle constantly at our disposal that we need only open and read to be in relation to the Word of God [Jesus] and God Himself.

Bible publishers, televangelists and many fundamentalist groups are reportedly seeking "stimulus" support as a result of lost revenues.

Pollywogs and People

2009-03-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from "Mr. God this is Anna" by Flynn
... 'Mister God made everything, didn't he?'

There was no point in saying anything that I didn't really know. I said 'Yes'.

'Even the dirt and the stars and the animals and the people and the trees and everything, and the pollywogs?' The pollywogs were those little creatures that we had seen under the microscope.

I said, 'Yes, he made everything.'

She nodded her agreement. 'Does Mister God love us truly?'

'Sure thing', I said. 'Mister God loves everything.'

'Oh', she said. 'Well then, why does he let things get hurt and dead?' Her voice sounded as if she
felt she had betrayed a sacred trust, but the question had been thought and it had to be spoken.

'I don't know', I replied. 'There's a great many things about Mister God that we don't know about.'

'Well then,' she continued, 'if we don't know many things about Mister God, how do we know he loves us?'

I could see this was going to be one of those times, but thank goodness she didn't an answer to her question for she hurried on: 'Them pollywogs, I could love them till I bust, but they wouldn't know, would they? I'm million times bigger than they are and Mister God is millions times bigger than me, so how do I know what Mister God does?'

She was silent for a little while. Later I thought that at this moment she was taking her last look at babyhood. Then she went on:

'Fynn, Mister God doesn't love us.' She hesitated. 'He doesn't really, you know, only people can love. I love Bossy, but Bossy don't love me. I love the pollywogs, but they don't love me. I love you, Fynn, and you love me, don't you?'

I tightened my arm about her.

'You love me because we are people. I love Mister God truly, but he don't love me.'

It sounded like a death-knell. 'Damn and blast', I thought. 'Why does this have to happen to people" Now she's lost everything.' But I was wrong. She had got both feet planted firmly on the next stepping-stone.

'No', she went on, 'no, he don't love me, not like you do, it's different, it's millions of times bigger.'

I must have made some movement or noise for she levered herself upright and sat on her haunches and giggled. Then she launched herself at me and undid my little pang of hurt, cut out the useless spark of jealousy with the delicate sureness of a surgeon.

'Fynn, you can love better than any of the people that ever was, and so can I, can't I? But Mister God is different. You see, Fynn, people can only love outside and can only kiss outside, but Mister God can love you right inside, and Mister God can kiss you right inside, so it's different. Mister God aint like us; we are a little bit like Mister God, but not much yet.'

It seemed to me to reduce itself to the fact that we were like God because of some similarities but God was not like us because of our difference. Her inner fires had refined her ideas, and like some alchemist she had turned lead into gold. Gone were all the human definitions of God, like Goodness, Mercy, Love and Justice, for these were merely props to describe the indescribable.

'You see, Fynn, Mister God is different from us because he can finish things and we can't. I can't finish loving you because I shall be dead millions of years before I can finish, but Mister God can finish loving you, and so it's not the same kind of love, is it? Even Mister Jether's love is not the same as Mister God's because he only came here to make us remember.'

'There's another way Mister God is different.' We obviously hadn't finished yet. 'Mister God can know things and people from the inside too. We only know them from the outside, don't we? So you see, Fynn, people can't talk about Mister God from the outside; you can only talk about Mister God from the inside of him.'

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Without getting into all the theology and resultant proof texting I think God (Father, Son & Spirit) sees all of humanity as His children. He created us, sustains us, knows the best and worst about us and yet loves us "a million times bigger" then we earthly parents love our children and grandchildren.

For some reason we cling to the work Adam did to cause us to think we are repulsive to Him and ignore the work that Jesus accomplished to demonstrate how much the Father loves us. We don the filthy diapers of religion, systems, programs, piety and self-righteousness to hide our nakedness because we think we are too unlovable and unacceptable to live in the affection of the Father, Son and Spirit. We are so wrong.

He created us to love us, not to demonstrate His superior morality, purity and power. In a thousand ways He reaches out to us showing us His tender affections and mostly we flee from His ministrations.

We fall for the same deception that befell our originating parents. It was not so much their disobedience or unbelief, but the wrong belief of underestimating His love for them (us). We, our theology, our "churches", and in our minds, simply cannot comprehend such an amazing love so we reject it or minimize it or add terms and conditions. We turn His pure and unconditional love for us into rules, rituals and religion.

Often we hear that God never changes, but proponents of a God who is angry and bent on punishment pick a time somewhere in the OT when it appears that God was smiting and spreading pestilence, that they say is the God who never changes. I say the God who never changes is the one spoken of in Eph 1.

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

Like Anna I believe He planned from before creation to love us and finish us.

The one thing Jesus wanted us to really know

2009-03-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

John 16:27-31
²⁷No, the Father himself loves you ²⁸I came from the Father and entered the world;
³¹"You believe at last!", Jesus said.

This passage reflects the epiphany the disciples had just before the crucifixion. For the first time they believed that not only that Jesus came from the Father, but that both the Father and Son loved them (and everyone else). Perhaps for the first time in the history of man a small group of people actually understood what is true of the Father, Son and Spirit.

Jesus's remark 'you believe at last!", seems to be said with a great sense of relief, He knew they finally got it! Until that instant in time no one understood what Jesus thought was most important to know about His Father, that He loves us and that He is for us.

He also knew that they would almost as immediately not "get it" and that the Holy Spirit would help them (and us) to know what was so important to Jesus. We are still "not getting it" today. Religious systems, organizations, programs and processes all get in the way of knowing the simple truth about our Father. The imperative message that Jesus thought was so important for us to know and live daily in the knowledge of is that His Father loves us all.

Steve McVey - What If

2009-03-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is from Steve McVey's blog, Personal Reflections From My Own Grace Walk

http://gracewalkministries.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-if.html

Please check out his blog and web page. He has written a wonderful series of books on the Grace.

What if we've got it all wrong about God in the modern church world? What if He is nothing like we've imagined Him to be? What if the most basic understandings we have about His nature, His personality and His approach to us completely misses the point?

What if God the Father didn't didn't send Jesus the Son to come alone to earth so that the Father could vent His anger over sin against the Son instead of us, but instead so that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit could together come to deal a death blow against sin in order to free us from its grip before it caused us to waste away into eternal nothingness?

What if the work of Jesus on the cross wasn't to change God's mind about you, but to change your mind about God?

What if God isn't nearly as concerned about what you're doing or not doing as He is about how you see and understand Him?

What if God is smiling as He looks at you right now and you could never do anything to wipe that smile off His face?

What if the coming of Jesus wasn't God's reaction to Adam's sin, but was carrying out a plan that had been made long before Adam was even created?

What if the primary characteristic of who God is has nothing to do with being a judge, but has everything to do with being a gentle, loving, Father?

What if you could never cause God to become angry or even disappoint Him?

What if you didn't need more faith, but only need to depend on Jesus to express His faith on your behalf?

What if you were the child God always wanted?

What if fulfilling God's plan for your life didn't depend on you at all?

What if God loved Muslims and atheists and homosexuals as much as He loves you?

What if you were a part of the inner circle of love shared by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

What if?

Does God want me to grow a beard?

2009-03-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

Is our standing before God really dependent on what many people think is important?

Some questions for God

Does God want me to grow a beard?

Do I need to wear a hat?
Can I eat a dirty rat?

Do I need to grow a long beard?
Do You have a need to be feared?

Do I have to be a prude
Or can I sun bathe in the nude?

Can I cut my long hair
Or will that block my prayer?

Can I curl my nice tresses
What about very short dresses?

Does it matter what I wear
Or if when mad I start to swear?

Do I have to bend and bow,
Can I kill a holy cow?

May I eat a tasty fig
And how about a big fat pig?

On the Sabbath I need my rest,
Will that mean that I'm not blessed?

Does it matter if I chew or spit?
Does that matter, even a whit?

Can I drink a couple of beers?
Will that bring You to tears?

Which church is right, which church is wrong?
Do I sign my name and then belong?

Does what I do or what I say,
Change Your mind and make You sway?

Will You love me if I cheat,
Does it matter what I eat?

Is love just for Adam and Eve or
Is there no room for John and Steve?

Is Your love unconditional or
Are there rules and terms additional?

If You made rules that we can't obey,
Then why is it that we must pay?

Did Jesus come to find lost fools,
Or just to make some harder rules?

Is their really only one "rule"
To love others like You do?

I think You knew that we would fail,
That we are weak and very frail.

If Jesus died for me while I sinned
Why do others in hell do end?

Do You love everyone or only some,
Are the rest of us just merely scum?

Did You plan from before the start
To make us Yours and never part?

It is all about what I decide
Or about the One who died?

Religion tells us to search and work
Then we will earn the really big perk.

Or is it more about knowing whats true
That loving us is what You do?

The Good News about the Good News

2009-03-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Most of us have been taught that all humans are born sinners, that our hearts are evil and deceitful, that unless we pray the "sinners prayer", are baptized, expend great effort at not "sinning" (which everyone will fail at), and seek forgiveness and repent continually we will be sent to "hell". We are told God loves us but then must live like He is just looking for a chance to zap us.

These three authors present that teaching for our examination and then show us how very wrong it is.

Derek Flood - Penal Substitution vs. Christus Victor
http://www.sharktacos.com/God/cross_intro.shtml

Satisfaction-Doctrine. You may not be familiar with the terms "Penal Substitution" or "Satisfaction-Doctrine", but you surely know the basic theology behind it. It is a theology that can sound shockingly legalistic and cruel (and it is):

You have broken the law because it is impossible to keep it, and so you must have broken it. And because you cannot keep this impossible to keep law you will be charged with death because "the penalty for sin is death" and those are just the rules. God must have blood because the law requires it; there must be a penalty paid. The only payment that would have been enough is sacrificing someone who was the "perfect law-keeper", someone who could live a perfect life without sin. So God decided to kill his own Son on the cross to appease his legal need for blood. Now that Jesus has been sacrificed God is no longer mad at us for not doing what we can't do anyway, so we can now come and live with him forever - as long as we are grateful to him for his "mercy" to us.

That does not sound much like Good News does it? Read the "rest of the story" at his website. Derek goes on to point out that this is not what the early church believed. Check out the link.

Bert Gary
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=84945367&blogId=453045885

What these teachers want you to believe is that God's default setting is hell, and it's up to you to change God's mind about you. To them, salvation doesn't change you. It changes God! You are being saved by your own effort from a God who doesn't like you and has evil plans for you for all eternity. This "gospel" is founded on fear and death, and the author of it is supposedly God? This is depraved!

Not much good news yet, keep reading. Bert's blog has several articles that give fresh light to some fundamental traditional beliefs.

John Lynch - Room of Grace
http://www.nyu.edu/clubs/navigators/audio/room_of_grace.mp3

There is someone watching and your value is on how much you do right and how little you do wrong. And he is constantly writing down the wrong that you have done for future reference to bring up again to you. And if you are naughty, no soup for you, only coal. And he is going to find you out. And this omniscient, controlling, legalist is coming to town. You better watch out, You better fear this guy, you better stop your crying and sniveling. You better not pout, you better put on a good face. You better act like your somebody different then who you happen to be, no matter how you feel you better put on a good show. So doggone it just be better then who you are for goodness sake. Don't be a whiner, fix your self, try harder. You better do more, don't have so many problems, watch over you shoulder, keep up appearances, get better in a hurry and if you can't act then act like you are, because you are constantly on trial. If you want good things to happen in your life you better figure out how to keep this guy pleased.

Its like we hear God going, " oh no, no, no, no. He is going to pray the prayer, don't let him pray the prayer. I don't like him, no, no, no. Oh nooo, he prayed the prayer. Shoot, doggone it, all right your in. Because of Christ, I love you now, but I don't like you. And when you get to heaven they will be no padding in the arm rests on your chair, I'm telling you that right now. Stay out of my way, you bug me. Had to pray your little prayer didn't you?

John really captures the essence of Good News in the rest of this profound message. Be sure to hear the whole message at the link provided, you will never forget it.

The truth is that the Good News of Jesus Christ is that we are all loved unconditionally, that it is not what we do but what He (Jesus) has already done for us. It is not that we accept Him, it is that He has already accepted us. it is not that we believe in Him, but that He believes in us. It is not that we become "good" in order to earn His love, it is that we can become "good" when we understand how much He loves and accepts us just as we are. It is not that we ease our shame by seeking forgiveness, it is understanding that we have already been forgiven and that shame was never even a part of it. It is not that as if by magic when we say the Jesus incantation prayer we become children of God, it is that we were adopted into His family (the Trinity) even before creation!

We do not need to believe in order to gain His favor, but we do need to understand that we are loved by Him in order to live in the power of that love. When we truly begin to understand that He loves us we move from erroneously thinking we are rejected by Him to close relationship with Him. It is then that we can see and live the abundant life He has given each of us.

The Ladder to God

2009-02-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

This is a cartoon without the artwork.

Frame 1

There is a very tall ladder reaching all the way into and past the clouds. A man is a few feet up the ladder and another guy is holding the ladder so it won't fall.

Frame 2

A crowd begins to gather and they watch the man climb up higher and higher. A person in the crowd asks the guy holding the ladder, "What is He doing?" The guy answers, "He is trying to reach God."

Frame 3

Someone in the crowd shouts out to the guy holding the ladder, "Who are you?" The guy smiles and answers, "God."

------------------------------------------------------------------
We are often like the guy on the ladder working so hard, climbing higher and higher, thinking we are getting closer to God and that He is impressed by how fast we are pulling ourselves up. We look at others, lower on their own ladders, and are thankful that we are not that weak. It is only when we reach the point of exhaustion that we realize that our efforts have not gotten us closer to God but farther from Him and from others.

Maybe we just need to rest in Him in a horizontal relationship. Perhaps that is what Immanuel means, God is with us, God is with me!

Plan or Person?

2009-02-05T09:53:00.000-08:00

We were not created to discover a plan and then strive to implement it. We were created to be loved by a Person, Jesus.

We were not created to learn about a set of procedures which when successfully executed would bring about our good standing before God. We were created to have a relationship with a Person, Jesus.

We were not created to participate in programs, adopt postures or practice piety. We were created to know a Person, Jesus.

We were not created by Him so that we could be objects to bestow love on Him. We were created by Him so He could bestow His love on us!

You don't love your human friends because you study about them, read about them, create rituals to get close to them. You love your human friends because you experience life with them. Jesus was and is human. Jesus was and is Divine.

Experience life with Him. That is eternal life and it starts now.

John 17:3

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Knowledge of Good & Evil

2008-12-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

Do we use the Bible as the new Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?

Just as Adam & Eve ate of that tree and only gained a fractured relationship with Father and suffered self-inflicted shame are we not doing the same with our imperfect understanding of the Bible? We try to define Good and evil based upon incomplete understanding of the Bibles inspired writings. The results of which have separated us from each other and most probably made us misunderstand Gods nature and purpose.

From a friend:
Now what is the purpose of giving us such a book? Could it be that our purpose here on earth has never been to know Good & Evil, but rather to know LOVE. If you go to the Bible with the purpose of trying to know good and evil you will become a person with much fear, judgment, condemnation, and self righteousness. If you go to the Bible with the purpose of finding LOVE you will find Jesus.

What do you think?

Can we handle the fruit off of this tree any better then we did the tree in the garden?

Eternal Yom Kippur

2008-11-20T14:11:00.000-08:00

Lev 16:16 In this way he [high priest] will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites [entire nation], whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

Lev 16:21-24 He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. 22 The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert. 24 He shall bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people.

Lev 16:29-34 "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you- 30 because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. 31 It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. 32 The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments 33 and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community. 34 "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites."

What is interesting in this is that the High Priest is the only one who is responsible for doing the "work" to bring about atonement for the entire nation. In fact the people were mandated to do absolutely nothing to be "imputed" with forgiveness for sins. If in fact they did not rest they would be denied forgiveness until the next year.

Heb 10:1-22

Heb 10 tells us Jesus is our High priest. He is the one who did the one time "work" of making us clean, pure, sinless. We are to rest in His work, He is our sabbath. We gain that state by doing nothing but resting in Him. Our attempts to gain righteousness by our own efforts are fruitless.

Prayer Problems

2008-11-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

I have long been troubled about the way and why we pray. I think maybe I have possibly figured out what has made me feel "not right" about public prayer, formal prayer, written prayers, prayer meetings, etc.:

1. We think that God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is not omnipresent.

Prayers are seemingly directed to a God who is out there or up there or somewhere other than where we are.
God may be in heaven but He claims residence within us. He is not separate from us.
From dena "We don't so much pray to One who is "up there, out there" but to one who is "within, close and inseparable".

Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in ~~hell~~ Sheol, behold, you are there; if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." (Psalm 139:7-12)

Though they dig into ~~hell~~ Sheol, from there my hand shall take them; though they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down; and though they hide themselves on top of Carmel, from there I will search and take them; though they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, from there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them." (Amos 9:2,3)

"‘Am I a God near at hand,’ says the Lord, ‘and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?’ . . . ‘do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the Lord?" (Jeremiah 23:23,24)

"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good." (Proverbs 15:3)

2. We think He is not omniscient (all knowing)

Sometimes I think we treat God like a forgetful old man, our prayers are attempts to get Him to remember our situation or bring our problems to the top of His to do list. If He is all knowing does He not already know of our situation?

Matt 6:8 Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matt 6:31-32 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

It feels to me like we treat prayer as a formulaic process by which we can get a desired result. We treat God like a cosmic pin ball machine in which if we exert the right forces on the right buttons, levers and springs then we can get the lights and sounds to activate as we desire.

3. We think He is not involved.

We think by being emphatic in our prayer delivery that will help our cause. We think by enlisting the help of others in our implorations that our petition will more likely get the desired result.
We implore God to become aware of our situation and intervene, change or otherwise make it all better for the object of our prayer. Just to be safe we usually add the disclaimer "if it be your will".
Do we believe that if we don't pray God will withhold His care or allow calamity to befall the objects of our prayers?

Matt 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matt 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows

I think one of the best prayers we can emit is said in three words, "Thank You Jesus".

Maybe we should take the advice of Jesus:

Matt 6:5-8 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Yes I know He also says, You have not because you ask not. I just think we should consider spending more time talking with Him to build our relationship and not treating Him like a a cosmic genie.

God's Correction.

2008-11-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

So how does God go about correcting one of his children?

In love. Correction by the Father, Son and Spirit will never leave you damaged, discouraged, diminished, belittled, confused, feeling less loved, feeling separated, feeling alienated, disconnected, fearful, ashamed or alone. If whatever action, person, teaching, doctrine, decision or feeling that you ascribe to His "correction" leaves you with any of the aforementioned states of mind you can be sure that that correction or discipline was not from God.

His correction will always leave you encouraged, uplifted, clear of mind, feeling loved, feeling His presence, feeling connected, unafraid, unashamed and not alone. His correction will always build you up, not tear you down. His correction will always bring light where there was shadow, peace where there was strife and clarity where they was confusion. His correction will always lead to restoration, always make you feel more loved, not less loved.

The correction and discipline that God administers in not like that of an angry or disappointed parent or teacher. His correction is like being bathed in love, helping us to see a better way to live and walk in partnership with Him.

Velveteen People?

2008-10-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

From the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Maybe we turn from humans to Persons when we begin to realize how much He loves us. I think it is interesting that the word anoint means to be rubbed on. Just like the Velveteen Rabbit, it is the annointing that transforms us.

Exploding Ducks?

2008-10-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

Foie gras in English is "fat liver". It is the liver of a duck or a goose that has been specially fattened by gavage.

The technique of gavage dates as far back as 2500 BC, when the ancient Egyptians began keeping birds for food and deliberately fattened the birds through force-feeding.

Gavage-based foie gras production is controversial, due to the force feeding procedure, and the possible health consequences of an enlarged liver, and a number of countries and other jurisdictions have laws against force feeding or the sale of foie gras due to how it is traditionally produced.

One company that produces foie gras measures its production quality effort by measuring how many ducks prematurely explode during the force feeding process.

I think that is what religious obligation does. We are force fed man made traditions, rituals and rules until at some point we explode. Early on in the process we simply think we are being fed, never mind that it doesn't taste quite right. We try to ignore those that fall out of the feeding line thinking they just didn't have the faithfulness that we do. At some point we try to say "wait a minute, what about...", but many ask to late and end up as damaged as an exploded duck (spiritually speaking). Many become ritualistic lame ducks.

Jesus came to feed us His bread of life. He never tries to force His nourishment into us. We are free to grow with Him at the rate in which we will not only survive but we will thrive!

John 6:34-35

What to do with a Pharisee?

2008-10-24T09:00:00.001-07:00

My postman (he was not our regular one) greeted me today with, “It is a beautiful day the Lord has given us”. I answered, “All the days He gives us are beautiful”. Having established our brotherhood in the Kingdom he next asked where I go to church. I replied that I don’t go to church but was beginning to be involved in simple church, and in fact we are praying about establishing a house church in our home.

With eyebrows raised He asked on whose authority we would do this. I said, “Well since Jesus in the head of the church and I serve Him I guess it is by His authority.” He didn’t buy that at all and launched into a lecture on hierarchical structure. He asked if we have a bishop, or pastor or elders, I said we have none of those at the moment and that elders probably would emerge once we actually began meeting. I tried to describe that each one would participate through the exercise of their spiritual gifts as the Holy Spirit led. He couldn’t understand how that could happen without a professional clergy guiding and directing.

By this time I am wondering why when two followers meet for the first time that the focus of our discussion isn’t of the joy of knowing Jesus. I was starting to begin to feel like he was going to ask to see my papers as he took me away to be questioned. I tried to lighten the discussion by offering that my definition of an elder is the person who prays with their eyes open just to keep a protecting watch on things. With that comment I had in his mind crossed over into heresy.

Now he thought it was best to teach me the importance of foundational doctrine. After we were sure we were not in any doctrinal error there might be some small chance of gathering without actually committing sin by doing so. I suggested that attempts at doctrinal accuracy were precisely why we have a divided body with thousands of groups in dis-fellowship with each other. He actually said that there were scriptures that encouraged these “factions”. I stood my ground on this one and said that I am sure it grieves the Lord that some of His children could not accept some of His other children.

I dared to suggest that our focus should be on Jesus and our calling would be to love one another. The evidence of our success would be the recognition of that love by those we came into contact with. He agreed that “loving one another” was something we could do but true love was doctrine properly understood, applied and enforced.

By this point I knew I was in the presence of a modern day Pharisee. I suggested that I may never preach or teach doctrinal subjects again but only how much God loves us and how He wants us to love others, and once we have mastered that we could move onto other things.

He then asked what we would do if someone didn’t believe in the orthodox teachings on the trinity, virgin birth, communion, etc. I told him that people are free to believe whatever they want; my calling was to point them to Jesus though love. If some ones expression of their doctrine was disruptive to a gathering several of those present would suggest they take a spiritual time out regarding the divisive topic.

I went on to suggest that having the Word (Jesus) in me was my foundation. To me that is the most tangible, the most concrete reality in my life. Everything else is temporary or shadow. He is Light, He is Love. He (the postman) knew the words, I know the Word (Jesus). The postman studyed the words written about the Word; I live in relationship with the Word. The postman knew about Jesus, I know Jesus.

Just for the fun of it I suggested he read The Shack. Actually I don’t think he will once he sees the book is on the Christian fiction shelf. We had talked for about 30 minutes and by now I was exhausted, Pharisees are so draining. It is so much easier sharing the love of Jesus with meth heads, hookers and serial killers.

I wished him well in his journey and asked him to read John 5:39-40 "You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want.

I am sure that I will be on his “church” heretic list, but that’s ok.

When I was in Bible College we used to pray, “Lord please don’t send me to Africa”, now I pray, “Lord please don’t send me anymore Pharisee’s”.

What a Greeting!

2008-10-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

Galatians 1:1-4

From : Paul To: All of Gods adopted children in the central highlands of Turkey (Galatia) in 50 A.D. (approximately). Galatians is a most remarkable letter. Not only is it among the earliest of Pauls writings but it is revolutionary in its mesage and candor.

The orignal is in blue, my amplified interpretation is in green.

1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),
2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the of churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Definitions:

Apostle - messenger
Agency - a recognized authoritative association
Jesus - God Rescues
Christ - Annointed One, Messiah, rubbed on by God
Churches - Gods adopted people
Grace - Divine love and protection freely bestowed
Peace - calmness, tranquility, without stress, without anxiety, without fear
Lord - bread keeper, loaf kneader, baker
Sin - anything that cause us to not recognize God's love in our lives
Evil age - i.e. religion, attempting to gain Gods favor by rule keeping
Will - plan, desire

Expanded to include definitions and explanation:

Definitions are shown in - [ ]

Explanations are shown in - { }

1 Paul, an apostle [messenger] (not sent from{by} men nor through the agency of man [a recognized authoritative association], but through {sent by} Jesus [God Rescues] {the} Christ {the anointed one, the Messiah, rubbed on by God} and God the Father, who raised Him {Jesus} from the dead),
2 and all the brethren {Silas and Timothy} who are with me, To the churches [Gods adopted children] of {in} Galatia {an area in the central highlands of what is now Turkey}:
3 Grace [Divine love and protection bestowed freely] to you and peace [calmness, tranquility, without stress, anxiety and fear] from God our Father and the Lord [bread keeper, loaf kneader, .i.e. baker] Jesus Christ,
4 who gave Himself for our sins [things that cause us to not recognize God’s love in our lives] so that He might rescue us from this present evil age [attempting to gain Gods favor by rule keeping], according to the will [desire, plan] of our God and Father,

Amplified meaning:

1 Paul, a messenger (not sent by a recognized association, but sent by Jesus (our Rescuer and who is God’s Anointed One) and God the Father, (who raised Jesus from the dead).
2 and Silas and Timothy who are with me. To each and every one of God’s adopted children in the central highlands of Turkey:
3 God our Father and our heavenly Baker who is Jesus (Gods appointed Rescuer) gives you the gift of Grace, which is divine love and protection, and peace, which is the freedom from all anxiety and fear.
4 who gave Himself to end the illusion of separation between God and people caused by those things that made us not recognize how much God loves us, so that He might rescue us from the useless attempt to gain God’s favor by doing some things and avoiding doing other things, according to the perfect plan of God our Father.

The Truth about Truth

2008-10-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

There is a line from the Matrix, Reloaded, where Morpheus, in response to the protest that “Not everyone believes what you believe” replies “The beauty of what I believe is that it does not require you to believe it in order for it to be true.”

This is true of His indwelling in all of us; whether you believe that His presence is in you or not it is still true. Now while it does not require you to believe it to be true, it does require you to believe it to live in the power of it.

Is the Bible the Word of God?

2008-10-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

No, but before you break out the tar and feathers read this.

It is in fact heresy to equate any book, even the Bible, as equal to Jesus. The Bible is not the 4th member of the Trinity.

The Bible is a group of writings inspired by God and its purpose is to reveal Jesus to us. Each book (or letter) was written to a specific group of people for a specific purpose. It never claims to be the Word of God, it is without a doubt God inspired for the purpose I have already stated. It is best described as written words about the Word of God, Jesus. It reveals accurate and truthful information about Jesus. Jesus reveals Himself to us through His indwelling.

Until recent history the vast majority of people never read a single word of the Bible, and yet Jesus made His person and message known to billions down through the ages.

John 1:1-4

John 5:39-40

1 John 2:27

I think the reason that Jesus did not write a single word of the Bible is that He knew people would regard it as a "sacred" object and worship it instead of entering into relationship with Him.

Unfortunately many have done almost that anyway. They see the Bible as the "container" for God, as a manual and rule book. They constrain God to what they think they know of Him through study. It is like knowing every word of your favorite book but not ever having met the author and engaged in a conversation to verify what he meant by what he wrote. Instead of turning to Him for truth they "learn" a doctrine, filtered and constructed by men to serve their purposes, not Gods purpose. This is called Bibiolarity, it is a form of idolaltry that is no better then worshipping a rock.

Does that mean I discount the Bible? Not at all. I spend many hours a day studying it to learn more about Jesus. Even then, I am not dependent on written words to know Jesus. I know Him best through His presence within me. If for some reason the Bible were to disappear from earth my faith, my trust, my joy in Him would not be diminished one bit.

Are you dependent on words written about Him to know what is true about Him or is His indwelling Spirit real and tangible to you? If it is not it can be, all you have to do is seek Him.

Who is Landru?

2008-10-05T15:08:00.001-07:00

In episode 22 of Star Trek the crew encounter a planet controlled by a deity (Landru) who in reality is just a computer projection.

Here is a link if you want to watch the episode.
http://video.aol.com/partner/cbs/star-trek-the-return-of-the-archons/4zHLcRcLU_rrepwwuJ8dONAXPDsrLVhP

The entire populace of the planet observe every law and ritual that Landru insists on because the result of disobedience is "absorption" (death). The life they live is without joy, without freedom and with out creativity. When you take creativity out of the "creation" all you have left is soulless, fear numbed robots. True free will is non-existent in a law / punishment paradigm.

This is precisely why Jesus came to free us from the Law of Moses and the bondage of religion. All too often we believe God to be nothing more than a backroom supercomputer deity who is ever ready to zap us for disobedience. The truth is that God (Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit) is not even keeping score!

Gal 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery [the Law of Moses, relgiion].

Heb 10:12-21

As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process. The Holy Spirit confirms this:

This new plan I'm making with Israel isn't going to be written on paper, isn't going to be chiseled in stone; This time "I'm writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts. "He concludes, I'll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins. Once sins are taken care of for good, there's no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them.

So friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into "the Holy Place." Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The "curtain" into God's presence is his body.

Jesus fulfilled the law and moved us into relationship. The reality is that He loves us unconditionally and desires that we share His love with others. That is the new covenant!

Alienated in our minds

2008-10-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

I believe that most of the harm people do to others and themselves is born out of a sense of alienation. The word itself is rooted in a broken bond of familial affection. To be alienated is to feel rejected, unloved, disapproved and without worth. Some people experience that in their relationships with family, friends and society. Broken people come from broken people.

Most people feel that sense of alienation from God even if only sub-consciousnessly. That false sense of alienation from Gods love and care is due to false teaching and some deliberate twisting of the very nature of God.

Paul tells us that we are only alienated in our minds, Col 1:21

It is impossible for us to be separate from Him, we cannot ever be alienated!

Col 3:11 Christ is all, and is in all.

I found a great article by Norman Grubb regarding Christ in us.
Here is the link: http://www.metrocast.net/~tdghty/Norman/thekey.htm

Sheep

2008-10-01T15:15:00.001-07:00

What Jesus did not say!!

This is what He said:

'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'

notice He did not say, "My sheep found me."

Other things He said about sheep

(hover mouse over reference to see verse)

Jeremiah 50:6

Isaiah 53:6

Luke 15:4-6

Matt 12:12

John 10:15-16

The Theology of Santa Claus

2008-10-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

You better watch out,You better not cry,
Better not pout,I'm telling you why: Santa Claus is coming to town.
He's making a list,And checking it twice;
Gonna find outWho's naughty and nice. Santa Claus is coming to town.

He sees you when you're sleeping.He knows when you're awake.
He knows if you've been bad or good,So be good for goodness sake!
Oh, you better watch out!You better not cry.
Better not pout,I'm telling you why: Santa Claus is coming to town.

Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see. Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see.
The Father up above is looking down in love, So be careful little eyes, what you see.
(and the other verses)
Be careful little ears what you hear
Be careful little mouth what you say...
Be careful little hands, what you touch...
Be careful little feet, where you go...

As a child I always hated those childrens songs, not so much because that I might get caught doing something wrong but just because they were kind of creepy. As an adult not only are they creepy they are completly theologically unsound.

Heb 10:12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet.
14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,
16 “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.”
18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

God is not some sort of cosmic sin accountant. He is not recording sin debits and repentance credits. He is not even keeping score!

He conquered sin 2000 years ago, He undid Adam! (Rom 5) The only real power sin has over us now is in its illusion that causes us to believe that God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is separate from us. Living in that illusion causes us to do amazingly stupid things to ourselves and others.

Any theology that suggests that since the Cross event that God is still "keeping His list and checking it twice" is doing nothing less then recrucifing Jesus over and over and over again.

Paul says it this way, "Where there is no law, there is no transgression". The law of Moses, the period of the old covenant, ended on the Cross. (Rom 4) Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances [the Mosiac Law] that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

If we need to use a childrens song as the basis of our theology let it be this one.

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Now that is sound theology.

Free Book

2008-10-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Great Book - He Loves Me - by Wayne Jacobsen - free download

http://www.lifestream.org/pdf/HeLovesMe.pdf

It is not about religion

2008-10-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

The etymology of of the word religion can be defined as "a return to bondage". So then it follows that to be religious means to practice being a slave. If the goal of religion is to gain God's favor then I would suggest that the effort is futile. Why? Because we are all already in His favor!

It might come as a suprise to some that Jesus did not come to set up a new religion. Christianity was not meant to become Judiasm-lite. He did not come to replace one set of impossible rules to keep with another set of impossible rules to keep. Not only did he not intend to set up a new religion He announced the end of an old one.

This is most important, He did not come to start a religion, He came to establish a relationship. A relationship between Him, His Father, the Holy Spirit and every man, woman and child on the face of the earth. That was the plan from before creation. Eph 1

What is now called "Christianity" is a man made religion that became firmly establised about 300 years after the death of Christ. It's rituals, rules and practices are a vain attempt to get God to repent.

Prior to that time to be called a Christian meant that you were recognized by non-believers as a follower of Christ. Now, as it was then, to be called a Christian is not a compliment. Today polls suggest that anything related to Christianity is not to be trusted and not to be taken seriously. The practice of the religion of Christianity has become one of the largest obstacles to the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Before I go any further let me assure you that nothing is more important to me then following Jesus and being obedient to Him. Nothing is more important then in spreading the good news of Jesus. And doing that has nothing whatsoever to do with religion! Earlier I said rituals, rules and practices are a vain attempt to get God to repent. I did not misuse the word repent. We typically misuse the word to mean to stop doing something. Most often that thing is related to "sex, drugs, and rock N roll". Repent really means to change ones mind.

Everything done in every religion, including Christianity when practiced as a religion, is done to get God to change what He thinks about man. Many think by practicing religious activities, meaning the things we do on a daily or weekly basis will get God to "change His mind" about us; to love us more, to not be angry, to forgive us, to bless us, to remember us. We do a myriad of things to keep on God's good side. They are all unnecessary!

How do you know if your "practicing religion"? If you think there is a single thing that you are obligated to do or not do to gain His favor or to avoid His anger you are practicing religion. His love is not variable depending upon our actions or words. He even loved us while we were His enemies! Rom 5:8 We can love Him because He first loved us.

We don't need to get God to change His mind, God does most assurdibly not need to repent. We don't need to go to someplace God is because we presume He isn't someplace we are. We don't need to numb our pain with drugs and alcohol because we think we have been rejected by every person and even God Himself. We don't need to become workaholics to avoid even the possibility of an intimate relationship with our family because we know that even they hurt us if we let them get to close. We don't need to become embroiled in one love affair after another, one marriage after another until we finally come to understand the truth about God and the truth about people.

What if what is true about God is that He is the one who knows everything about you, knows whats best about you and knows what is worst about you and yet He loves you unconditionally.

We adopt religion because we think the true thing about God is that he is absent from us. We adopt religion because we think by observing rules and adopting rituals we can gain His favor.

What if He is the one that will love and accept you exactly as you are. What if He is truly your heavenly Father who loves you more than anyone ever has or ever will! What if there is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less?

The greatest lie ever told is that God, meaning Jesus, His Father and the Holy Spirit is separate from us, that there is a great divide between us. Religion is predicated on the belief that there are someplaces that God is and someplaces where He is not. He is in that temple, He is not in that bar. He is in that church building, He is not in my house. He is in that Faith Healer, He is not is that prostitute.

Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Lies distort reality. They cause you to believe things that are not true. They cause you to act and react inappropriately. They cause you to do the wrong thing for the wrong reason. They cause you to turn your back from the very one who loves you most. They cause you believe that what is real is fake and what is fake is real. They cause you to live in darkness, where you stumble along in life doing ever increasing amounts of damage to yourself and others.

Finding Jesus in the Old Testament

2008-09-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

Some think God was angry (and still is) and that the old testament stories are proof of His wrath and vengence yet to come.

The Jesus who indwells me (and you) is not mean nor vengeful. Jesus said if we have seen Him we have seen the Father. It also says Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus is the most complete and illustrative revelation of the Father. While He did get verbally angry with some very self-righteous people on occasion I don't recall Him doing any smiting, flooding or tossing lightening bolts at people.

From the September issue of The Adopted Life:

So from the very beginning, the Church has struggled with the Old Testament and sought to understand it more fully in the light of who Jesus is. Here are some basic points that we should keep in mind as we read the Bible of Israel:

1. Jesus is the Word. God the Son, in the flesh as the man Jesus Christ, is the revelation of God. Therefore, all other descriptions and revelations of God - including the Bible itself - must be interpreted in the light of what Jesus reveals about God’s nature. Jesus reveals God to be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We cannot ever allow any statement in scripture, including the Old Testament, to undermine or undo what Jesus shows us about God. If a scripture seems to tell us something that contradicts the nature of God as revealed in Jesus then we need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us see the meaning of scripture that fits with who Jesus is and who he reveals the Father to be.

2. When we look back on human history, especially as it is reflected in Israel’s experience, we realize what profound blindness has enveloped our human nature in Adam’s fall. We have believed that God is a blood-thirsty ogre demanding his pound of flesh before he will grant forgiveness. But God did not need the sacrifices.

He was accommodating our blindness because he knew that we could not imagine ourselves as loved and welcomed in his presence unless we came bearing such gifts.Even when God was welcoming sacrifice because of our hardened hearts, it was not the sacrifices that made humanity acceptable but the Son of God who made us acceptable.

3. We know that Adam’s fall plunged humanity into blindness; we also know that the Holy Spirit has been patiently educating the human race about the truth of who God is. This has been a process that has been worked out over thousands of years and finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, the light of the world and the healer of our blindness.

Therefore we should not be surprised if those who lived before Jesus sometimes expressed darkened and blinded perspectives on God. Just because their words are to be found in the inspired pages of the Old Testament doesn’t mean their words represent God as accurately as Jesus does.

When the Psalmist prays that the infants of Babylon will be smashed against rocks (Psalm 137:9), we know that the Holy Spirit did not dictate those words to the Psalmist. Those words are found in the inspired scripture, but the Holy Spirit did not whisper in the Psalmist’s ear “and now I want you to wish for the murder of babies.” How do we know the Holy Spirit did not dictate those words? Because we know Jesus, and that is not who Jesus reveals God to be!

In Psalm 137, as in some other places in the Old Testament, we are seeing the blindness and fallenness of humanity. These words are inspired in the sense that the Holy Spirit has preserved them as a faithful record of Israel’s pain and of her blind and fallen response to that pain.

Based on all of this, we have to conclude that every verse of the Old Testament must be filtered through the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. We have to look at each passage and ask ourselves “Do these words express the fallen human perspective on God’s nature, or do they foreshadow and express the truth that would be later revealed in Jesus?” What does the process of answering this question look like? ~ Jonathan Stepp

Modern Trinitarian

2008-09-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

I am the very model of modern Trinitarian.

By Bob Harkema 09/27/08
Sung to the tune of "I am the very model of a modern major general"

I am the very model of modern Trinitarian.

Not like the Calvinists or even those Arminians.

Before the cosmos was created, even before time

They made a plan that in the end would turn out very fine.

Father, Son and Holy Ghost picked us before the start

To be officially adopted and not so far apart.

Chorus:

Father, Son and Holy Ghost picked us before the start

To be officially adopted and not so far apart.

Then Jesus appeared here on earth as God Incarnate

Some said He was a holy god, others said a primate.

He skipped church a lot and taught the wise of all things scriptural

To their surprise this prodigy was not at all liturgical.

He hung out with hookers, thieves and other vermin

But the worst of all were the very smelly fishermen.

Chorus:

He hung out with hookers, thieves and other vermin

But the worst of all were the very smelly fishermen.

He came not to condemn this world but to seek and save

He did His work successfully He even left His grave.

He conquered both sin and death and freed us from religion

We live now in relationship and not by superstition.

He told us to trust in Him and learn to live by love

Our light comes from Him within and not from far above.

Chorus:

He told us to live in Him and learn to live by love

Our light comes from Him within and not from far above.

Augustine and the Greeks, they concocted a strange brew

It served to control the masses and caused confusion to.

Confess and repent constantly; that is the thing to do

If you don't you will be in an eternal barbeque.

God will flee from a tiny sin so you must always pray,

A great divide between us and God, that is what they say

Solo:

We say our God is in us always, He dwells within our heart

There is nothing we could ever do that would make Him part.

Chorus (Slowly and words drawn out):
We say our God is in us always, He dwells within our heart
There is nothing we could ever do that would make Him part.

From Ireanaeus and Athanasius to a guy named Baxter Kruger

Every day the truth of it becomes a little clearer.

The Nicene Creed sets our tone of things theological

In it we stand orthodox and not at all heretical.

Some say His holiness causes Him to stand alone above,

We say no matter what else He is, we know that God is love.

Chorus:

We say no matter what else He is, we know that God is love.

React or Create?

2008-09-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

We are a new creation.

We have been living in the slavery of reaction to religion, to tradition and to effort.

Christ died to make us a new creation, perfect, holy and free. To experience His love without fear. To live as He created us. We are now Adam before the fall.

The difference between reaction and creation is what you "c". Simply by "C'ing", by moving the c in reaction to the front of the word we go from the slavery of reaction to the freedom of creation!

Reacting becomes Creating.
Reaction becomes Creation.
Reactive becomes Creative.

Church Signs

2008-09-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

Amen?

Could be a fun church

I might avoid this one.

Done with http://www.says-it.com/

Understanding the Bible

2008-09-24T10:47:00.001-07:00

1. Is the passage literal, figurative or symbolic?
2. Is there a cultural context that I need to understand in order for the words to make sense to me?
3. Who was the intended audience for the passage? i.e. Jews, Gentiles, etc.?
4. Is there a hidden message or double (parallel) meaning?
5. Is there an "inside joke", meaning the speaker and receiver know something I don't.
6. Is the passage prophetic?
7. Does the passage refer to the destruction of the Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD.
8. Does the passage refer to end times?
9. Does the passage refer to a prophecy already fulfilled?
10. Does my understanding of the passage harmonize with other passages?
11. Does my understanding of the passage harmonize with the attributes of God?
12. Is there disagreement among Biblical scholars with regard to the passage?
13. Does my understanding of the passage help me love God more or gain more insight into how much God loves me?
14. Does my understanding of the passage help me love others more?
15. Is there evidence on how the early church applied this passage?
16. Do the key words mean the same now as when it was written?
17. Am I certain about the meaning of key words or phrases in the passage, i.e. weak translation or confusing language.
18. Does my understanding of the passage fit into context for the book, for the author, for the Gospel?
19. Do I only find contextual harmony by picking and choosing from “supporting” scriptures – picking proof texts?
20. Is the passage a parable?
21. Am I willing to change my mind about what I thought it meant?
22. Is the passage old covenant (the Law) or new covenant (Grace).

Wholly or Holy?

2008-09-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

I am the righteousness of God, I am perfectly Holy, I am pleasing to God, I am welcome in His sight. I am the one in whom He is proud of. I am the one He brags to others about. I am the one He is especially fond of. I am the one he chose to adopt. I am the one that sits by His side. I am all those things because of what Jesus did for Me. I am all those things because Jesus abides in me. And you are all those things also!

The deepest truth about God is the relationship between the 3 in 1. The core of Godness is in their relationship. Their eternal purpose was to include us in that relationship. Our adoption into their relationshiop was the plan from before time, it is still the plan today.

Be ye holy does not mean to be morally perfect or to be legally justified. It means to the wholly bound in relationship with Him because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We exist to be in relationship with our creator, just exactly as we are.

Decisions

2008-09-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

The decision everyone has to make is not do I want to "recieve Jesus as my personal Savior" but do I understand that that He has already received me!

It is not do I believe in Jesus but rather do I understand that He believes in me!

The big choice of our life is not do I decide to love God, but rather do I understand how much He loves me and then choose to live with that great news!

To repent is to change my mind about the relationship God seeks to have with me.

The unbelievable news is that before the creation of the cosmos God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) made it His purpose and plan to have an intimate relationship with you (Eph 1). To that end He created everything! He created everything for the purpose of being your friend! To that end Jesus sacrificed His life.

Worship

2008-09-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

I think more than anything, I am deeply grieved when I see people using worship as a way to try to manipulate people or control God.

We are routinely taught to believe that we can know the heart of God through worshipping Him. Nothing is more demoralizing then watching a group of people who have little or no intimate knowledge of the true heart of God, as they try their best to worship Him in via ritual.

For very many years I have been troubled when in corporate "worship" services. It didn't seem to matter whether in a small group of 10 or a large group of 10,000. It didn't seem to matter whether I was in a group of very consertative people singing old 200 year old hymns or a charismatic group seing just modern chorus's.

I am troubled by the whole concept of worship. Why do we do it? Is it what God wants us to do? Why does it seem so important in evangelical and liturical groups? What NT teaching prescribes what we do today?

To be perfectly honest I can think of nothing more boring than an eternity spent in "worship". In fact the half hour long song services I used to participate in were excruciating to me. Even getting past a "church building", pews, stained glass, the whole concept of a santuary and all the other religious finery I have issues regarding utilizing a worship team and leader whose job it seems is to manipulate your body and mind for some purpose. I have the distinct feeling of being manipulated and controlled. We are commanded to sing, to sing louder, to stand, to sit, to clap, to raise our arms, to close our eyes, to bow.

Many worship team leaders seem to enjoy making you stand for throughout most of their 30 - 60 minute performance. Only the elderly or infirm are excused and permitted to sit. Why is it called worship when we are corporately being contorted in various body postures and uttering silly rhymes?

Worship is individual and intimate, not corporate and controlled. So often it seems the worship "team" is performing. The attention is focused on them and what they are doing, not on knowing God. How many would want to be on the worship team if they were set up behind the congregation instead of in front of it? Why do we need to be directed in worship at all? Why isn't there just the freedom to share in whatever way we feel the Sprirt leads us. There is no freedom to worship when there is a leader up front directing when to stand and sit and sing. There is no freedom to worship when there is a published order of service. There is no freedom to worship when we are seated in such a manner as to separate us one from another and ensureing that eye contact is not even possible . There is no freedom to worship when we are forced to focus our attention to an elevated spot or person.

I worship all week, day and night. I would relish a time to meet and freely share my knowing of God and His love for me. Worship is simply my intimate relationship with my friend. A friend who would likely be embarrassed for those who think that by rhyming words and lifting hands once a week will somehow fulfill some religious requirement.

There is nothing wrong with getting together and singing songs but don't define that as the end all and be all to worship. So often it is nothing more than a dead religious ritual. At worst it is idolaltry , worshiping worship and at best it is a cheap subsitute for relationship, both with God and each other. I fear more often then not it is artificial. I have seen and heard the "fake it tell you make it" mentality many times.

Some people seem to be caught up in a "spiritual" trance, raised hands, standing when others are seated, seemingly disconnected from reality. With the ability to turn it on and off in an instant. If it is real, then bless them. If it is forced, fake or habit then they should cease the behaviour. I would ask them if they ever exhibit this behavior outside of a corporate "worship service", if not then I would question its authenticity and fear it is done more for getting attention then in yielding to the Spirit.

If the spiritual highlight of your week is the worship service or the time when you feel "closest" to God then there is something wrong with your relationship with God.

Most "churches" have a statement of faith or beliefs. Here is mine:

1. God loves everyone unconditionally.
2. We are to love others like God loves us.

Act and react to everything based on those beliefs.

Religous Hogwash

2008-09-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Christian "religion" is based on the foundation that humans are born in "total depravity" and that by denying that nature over a lifetime one can become holy and acceptable to God. It proffers by uttering certain words, adopting particular postures, by behaving in prescribed manners that a degree of moral superiority can be gained. Those who outwardly attain this level of "holiness" are seen to be in Gods favor and those who do not are or will be objects of His wrath and judgement. Holiness is something gained via self improvement, effort and spiritual focus.

That is all a bunch of religious hogwash.

Christianity is Christ. Jesus created us, sustains us and it is His presence within that makes us whole. He is much more concerned about our wholiness then what most define as "holiness". In Him we are perfect. All we need to do is acknowledge His great love and rest in Him.

What we really are.

2008-09-24T09:51:00.001-07:00

From Paul Walsh

I am already the following things, not that I will be, or might be, or could be if only he would try harder but AM:

Perfect Hebs 10:14

The righteousness of God in Christ 2 Cor 5:21

Holy Eph 1:4

A saint 1 Cor 1:2

A partaker in the divine nature 2 Pet 1:4

A new creation 2 Cor 5:17

Complete Col 2:10

Just as He is in this world 1 Jn 4:17

Beyond reproach Col 1:22

Blameless Eph 1:4

Seated with him in heavenly places Eph 2:6

Container of the fullness of God Col 2:9

His actions, not ours

2008-09-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

I believe the very language (volcabulary) of the message of grace and peace with God was purposely distorted for the sake of selfish men striving for power within a religious construct. To openly declare that "I am the righteousness of God" would most certainly be looked down upon in most institutional churches. To disassociate performance from walking in God's favor is a foreign concept to religious ritual. Virtually every time I speak of God's unconditional love for us I get reminded that God never changes and we must never forget his wrath. The fact that Jesus wrote the peace treaty in his own blood between God and man is simply forgotten for the most part. God is Love, if wrath is part of His character then it is like a momma bear protecting her young. And we are all His young, His children!

This is what I know by revelation, by experience and by scripture: God loves me!

He loves me more than I can possibly comprehend. He is always with me. He does not turn His back when I fail to love Him completly or even when I fail to love Him at all. He loves me at my best and He loves me at my worst. He believes in me even when I don't believe in me. I could misinterpret, misrepresent and deny all the truths in His written word and He would love me. I could turn from Him, flee from Him and He would relentlessly persue me. His plan for my adoption into His family will not be thawrted.

Jesus was the first to call God His Father, and we are adopted into their embrace. When all is said and done and we move on into eternity He will introduce me to all His other children as His adopted son in whom He is very proud of and especially fond of! And He will do the same for you.

So it is not about religion. It is not about folowing some spritual formula to cause God to change His mind about you.
It is not about us "receiving" Jesus, it is about us understanding that He has already received us.
It is not about us asking Jesus into our heart, it is about realizing He has always been in us.
It is not about us believing in Jesus, it is about knowing that He believes in us.
It is not about us repenting then getting forgiveness, it is knowing that we are already forgiven and now we can change our mind about how much God loves us and accepts us. Knowing that allows us to trust Him.
It is not about us "loving Him with all our soul and might" it is about acknowledging in our heart that He loves us with all of His might

Once we acknowledge who we really are, how much we are loved, that we are the adopted sons and daughters of the creator of the Universe then we have the power to live in and by the faith of Jesus.

The Real Truth

2008-09-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

Many, many years ago I did a terrible thing. I think I was about 8 years old at the time. A girl I "loved" asked me to pass a note to a boy she "loved". He was my friend but also an unknowing rival for her affections as I was much to shy to announce my great love for her. He had written her a note which asked, "Do you love me?" She replied, "I do love you!", in big letters spread across page. I added the word "not" after the word "do". I changed the note from "I do Love You" to "I do not Love you!". He became heartbroken, rejected and angry. He adopted actions and attitudes toward her that were based on a lie, based on the illusion that she did not love him. Their relationship was destroyed. Even though she loved Him, he believed the lie that she did not. It was very sad and tragic. It took almost a week before they both found others to love.

That is exactly the way satan has interfered with our relationship with the Trinity. He (They) have always loved us. They waited for eons to create us to be present on this earth so that we could have an intimate relationship with Them. In a sense the entire cosmos were created for the purpose of us having a relationship with our Triune God. But instead of an easy communion with Them we continually believe the lie that we are not loved beyond measure, that They are offended by our missing the mark, that They are not abiding in us, with us and for us.

Which brings us to the subject sin. What is it?

So what is sin?

What we typically call sin are things like sex,drugs,rocknroll, etc. but they are really the fruits of sin. Just like the evidences of love, joy,peace,kindness, etc are the fruits of the Spirit whos source is the Tree of Life (Jesus), so the of evidences of hate, evil, selfishness, etc. are the fruits of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil (sin). Some refer to it as living in Christ conciousness or living in sin concioiusness. Since Jesus conquered both sin and spiritual death for us 2000 years ago we can live in Christ conciousness now.

So sin now results in the illusion that causes us to think the God does not love us, that He has separated Himself from us, that He loves us less because of some action we took. Once we believe that lie we begin acting and reacting inappropriately. We then adopt actions and attitudes in a vain attempt to fill a void that in reality doesn't even exist. We walk blindly into the darkness of delusion, convinced that we must be unloveable, unsaveable and unworthy. It becomes all to easy stay in the darkness, the rejection is just to painful to risk again.

It is only when we reject the lie, that we turn into the light of the truth that we are loved, loved beyond measure that we once again turn from sorrow to joy. Accepting the truth that God is always with us, that He always loves us, that He will never leave will transform us from death to life, from sorrow to joy, from tears to smiles.

God does not separate Himself from us because of sin, we separate our selves from him (or at least we think we do) because we think we are not worthy to be in His presence. Just as Adam and Eve did from God in the garden. We suffer from shame. Once we realize that He always, always loves us and we can live in His affection and seek Him, that is what repentance is, we changed our mind about how much God loves us.

Change you mind about God. He has always loved you. He has always been with you. He will always be with you! Don't believe the lie that you are rejected, unacceptable, unloved! You are worthy! Nothing can separate you from His love. And if you are worthy of His love then you are worthy of your families love, your childrens love, your spouses love, your neighbors love. And even your worst enemy is worthy of your love!

When we live in the light of that truth we are regenerated and transformed. It changes the way we relate to God and people. When we doubt that truth we live in shadow and darkness and stumble along in life running into things that damage ourselves and others.

Righteousness by Effort?

2008-09-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

No one obeyed the entire Law of Moses, not even Jesus, He violated the letter (but not the spirit) of the law right in front of the men who thought it was their job to make sure no one did.

Not one person was ever made righteous by the law.

Jesus took the law and made it even more difficult to obey, He took the difficult and made it impossible. He added that even emotions and thinking would cause you to violate the God's laws.

Its like He was saying to His disciples, "now listen to this, hehehe, If you just look at a woman with lust in your heart, you have committed adultery". Wait, wait, I got another one, If your angry with your brother it is just the same as murdering Him!

And to top it all off He said we have to be as perfect as God Himself if you want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus made it absolutly impossble to attain being righteous (without blaim) by our own effort.

Why would he make it impossible for anyone to live righteously? Because His plan was to do away with the silly laws, to conquer sin and death, to indwell every one and make us as perfect as He is. We become righteous (blaimless) because He abides in us, all of us.

It has never been about what we do, what we say, it has always been about what He has already done for us by His life and death on earth as one of us.

Not a religion

2008-09-23T20:18:00.002-07:00

I always cringe with I hear the word religion and Christianity appear in the same sentence, as I think they are polar opposites. Religion is about bondage, Christianity is about freedom. Freedom because of Jesus, Freedom in Him. You cannot really be free until you know that He loves you unconditionally. As long as you think there is some thing you must do or not do in order to gain His favor or avoid His anger you are are in bondage to religion.

From James Folwers book, Christianity is not a Religion.

In his masterful presentation of diabolic activity, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis has the senior devil, Screwtape, say to his nephew, Wormwood, "One of our greatest allies at present is the church itself," i.e. "Christian religion." In another vignette Screwtape explains that "it will be an ill day for us if what most humans mean by 'religion' ever vanishes from the Earth. It can still send us the truly delicious sins. Nowhere do we tempt so successfully as on the very steps of the altar." Blaise Pascal likewise noted that "men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."

Grace

2008-09-23T20:18:00.001-07:00

People could think, well if nothing I do affects how much God loves me, I will go out and sin.

It is true a very few who truly know of His unconditional love might, for a time, test that love. In the end His love will always win.

The immutable law of grace is that you do get the love and protection you don't deserve and you don't get the punishment and abandonment that you do deserve. He died for us while we were His enemies; you cannot get more love and grace then that.

The application of grace typically transforms the "sinner". The more I know that it (grace) is available, the less I am need of its application. And where there is gross failure, where there is a pound of sin, a ton of grace is given.
That is by the teaching of Paul. The application of Grace is grossly wasteful! The older brother in the parable of the prodigal son was fuming against grace, He was livid against Grace. But our Father just lathered it on his prodigal brother!

Smart sheep?

2008-09-23T20:17:00.002-07:00

Can a confused, frightened, rejected person make a rational decision with eternal consequences? If someone who is in that state of mind, which is most of humanity until they know they are unconditionally loved by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, any more capable of making that kind of a decision than a child?

Traditional doctrine says everyone is born a sinner; but at least we have come up with a get out of hell free card for those under some mythical age of accountability.

I am reminded of the parable of the great shepherd; He sought out the lost sheep and rescued it. The sheep probably didn't even know it was lost. Sheep are not known for their brains and ability to properly reason and make sound decisions.

James Fowler book

2008-09-23T20:17:00.001-07:00

Here is an online book, html, pdf that you might like.

It is called Christianity is not a Religion, by James Fowler
http://www.christinyou.net/pages/notrel.html

Not Qualified?

2008-09-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Not to be contentious, but Jesus nor any of His inner circle had "degrees". I think most of them were illiterate fisherman. Some think they had the special advantage of being in His physical presence for 3 1/2 years, but at the cross they all abandoned Him.

I do not think we are disadvantaged today because we lack His physical presence and have to rely on His spiritual indwelling. In many ways we are privileged to be even closer to Him then they were.

His indwelling may not qualify us to deliver 3 point sermons or manage a local church corporation but it does qualify us to share His message as authoritatively and effectively as the original disciples.

As I have said before Jesus Himself would never make it past the 99.9% of the pastoral search committees today

The Gospel is Jesus

2008-09-23T20:15:00.002-07:00

I think the message of the Gospel was not, you’re not holy enough to be in Gods presence but if you work out this plan I have there is a small possibility you can stand before God and not be vaporized. If you don't work the plan, well, then there is not even that small possibility.

I think the Gospel is that God planned from before time to present a way that we could comprehend the one real truth about Him, He loves us and wants to have an intimate relationship with us and all we have to do is become aware of that truth and we will be transformed. It is not about what we do, it is about what He has already done for us and in us.

Religious Baggage

2008-09-23T20:15:00.001-07:00

We often read the Bible with a whole load of religious baggage that tells us the good news is really some good news and some bad news. We have been taught (wrongly) to read the Bible from a perspective that Gods love comes with conditions and demands performance and that moral excellence is the goal, not intimate relationship.

You struggle in reading the Bible because His indwelling within you does not agree with how we have been taught to understand the words written about Him. We have been taught to understand the words and the definitions but not the meaning, not the intent and not the purpose. My wife and I quarrel sometimes over what we said, until we find we had agreement in what we meant.

We have been taught that our salvation, our abundant life is a legal matter in which we were condemned before we were even born and that by saying certain words, in a certain order and showing a proper attitude and ever striving to be "holy" we can approach Him, but even then in fear and trembling.

Most of us have been taught this, from Derek Flood blog Penal Substitution vs. Christus Victor :

You have broken the law because it is impossible to keep it, and so you must have broken it. And because you cannot keep this impossible to keep law you will be charged with death because "the penalty for sin is death" and those are just the rules. God must have blood because the law requires it; there must be a penalty paid. The only payment that would have been enough is sacrificing someone who was the "perfect law-keeper", someone who could live a perfect life without sin. So God decided to kill his own Son on the cross to appease his legal need for blood. Now that Jesus has been sacrificed God is no longer mad at us for not doing what we can't do anyway, so we can now come and live with him forever - as long as we are grateful to him for his "mercy" to us.

Is it any wonder we struggle with that kind of baggage?

But the very same Jesus who walked physically on this earth for several years is the very same Jesus who was with God before time. And before time they (the Trinity) planned for our adoption into their relationship. At just the right time Jesus came as a human (while still fully God) so that we could comprehend the one who before then was incomprehensible. He further offered His life for our sin so that we could know of His great love for us. He did not die to appease His angry Father; He died so that we might see His great love for us.

The Good News is that once we become aware of the truth of that we are transformed forever. That is the knowledge you have in your heart. That is the reason we struggle with our mind, because our mind has been taught by religion for the purpose of binding us. One definition of religion is "a return to bondage".

Some say you cannot trust your heart; they will even quote scriptures to "prove" your heart is deceitful. My response to that is that when He made me a new creation, which included a new heart, His heart.

Gods Justice

2008-09-23T20:14:00.001-07:00

Maybe Gods justice is more about making things right then in "getting even".
Maybe Gods justice isn't just a nice conclusion to the final episode of Perry Mason.
Maybes Gods justice is so much better then our human system that we cannot even imagine how He will make everything right.

Forgiven Forever

2008-09-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

Repentance is changing our mind about how much God loves us. It is not getting God to change His mind about us because we exercise the currently popular approved spiritual formulas. Once a person understands that truth he has the ability to believe, trust, and live in the knowledge that we are all created and sustained by His indwelling presence.

Heb 10:12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,
13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.
14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
16 " THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," He then says,
17" AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."
18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.

It seems to me He pretty much dealt with the entire sin issue a long time ago. Under the new covenant (since the cross) He is not even keeping score. I know many think God is hardly more then a cosmic hall monitor, busily checking hall passes and recording sins in one column and acts of repentance in another for the purpose of one day comparing the numbers. That hardly fits with Jesus own words in which He said His purpose is not to condemn the world but to save the world. I just happen to believe He succeeded.

Trinitarian view of Romans 5

2008-09-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

Here I most likely digress from traditional modern day evangelical teaching, and very possibly from the theology of The Shack. I reject much of both Arminianism and Calvinist theology as I think they both do disservice to the true nature of God. My thoughts here are partially based in Trinitarian theology and biased by the the belief that I believe Jesus successfully accomplished His mission. Many think His mission was simply to present an offer of life in Him (and all that goes with it). I believe He accomplished the undoing of Adam (and all that goes with that) via His actions.

We did not individually make a choice in Adam to condemn ourselves, only Adam did that. Our free will was violated in that all succeeding generations inherited both physical and spiritual death until the cross event. We did not need to accept or even have knowledge of Adam to receive his "curse".

Rom 5:18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

In my opinion there is no rational way to interpret Rom 5 other then because of His sacrifice everyone was justified and made righteous at the time of the Cross event. You cannot change the meaning of "all" and the inclusiveness of "the many” in mid-sentence without violating the Greek meanings. And to choose to do so denigrates the accomplishments of His sacrifice. Paul clearly states that the sacrifice of Jesus was more
successful at imputing righteousness than Adams sin was at imputing condemnation in Romans 5.

I believe that while we are all made righteous by His action and His grace the problem is that most people do not know it so they live their lives thinking they are separated and unloved. Their perception causes them to stumble around in darkness and pain causing even more darkness and pain to themselves and others.

So to me the question is how we spread the truth that God loves everyone unconditionally so that they do not need to live their lives thinking they are separated from God for sin that has been dealt with 2000 years ago.

Love is the First and only Command

2008-09-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

Besides His indwelling, which is a very real presence to me, He promised to write His laws in our hearts and mind.
His greatest laws all start with the word love and by being obedient to those laws we fulfill the requirements of every other command. So in reality there is only one command, love.

It is pretty easy to know if you are making the wrong turn, no matter what your destination is, if what you measure is - are we getting closer to love or farther from it. That’s a map anyone can read.

Just so there is no misunderstanding, I am not talking about the Beatles song "All you need is love", but the truth that "God Is Love". (Though I think the Beatles were onto something even if they didn't know it.)

Organizational Masks

2008-09-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

Why am I so against order, rules and the “law” in church?

Because the rules, expectations, customs all create pretension, they always have and they always will. How many times have we squabbled getting ready for "church", argued with your spouse on the way to "church", threatened the kids with eternal grounding if they misbehaved, then walked in the door and when asked, "how are you doing today?", your response was "Fine". And you were not fine. In fact you were miserable, your marriage was in trouble (again), your spiritual state at best was on autopilot, and your hemorrhoids were killing you!

How many times have we pasted a smile on, when what we really wanted to do was fall down and cry? "Church" should be messy, noisy triage centers where the walking wounded can carry the ones who are shell shocked.

Church should be the one place you can be yourself, without pretension, without masks and know without any doubt that your failings, fears and frustrations will be lessened by those who truly love you instead of judging and condemning you for failing again.

But we think every one else is fine, because they all look so happy, and say they are so fine. My unfine just doesn't fit in, so when asked, no matter how badly I might be burdened, I am fine.

I am not sure where I heard this, probably in this forum someplace. A very wise pastor used this invocation, "Lord please let something happen that isn't in the bulletin." That’s my kind of "church"!

I know I sound negative and bitter but honestly it is not at the people or any particular local expression, or even a denomination for that matter. It’s the system as a whole. In some ways I really do feel like Neo in the Matrix, it’s like I have seen the "system" and it ain't pretty. I really regret swallowing that red pill.

Over the last 40 years I have worked in a number of groups in different states, large and small, denominational and nondenominational. Some large, some small. Some liturgical, some wild and woolly. On the surface they were all (well mostly all) warm, open, inviting, loving places to be. But that was precisely the problem, most things were surface only, not deep, not real, pretensions were more important then genuineness. The "system" itself prevented people from being real, because being real, being ourselves is often pretty messy and that just doesn't fit into the bulletin on Sunday morning.

We say we live by Grace but we also often "insist" on compliance to the law in a thousand subtle ways. We separate secular and “Christian". We separate clergy and laity. We separate lost and found. We categorize who is in and who is out. We don't accept brothers and sisters as fit for service until they "join" or agree to some local terms of service agreement (written or unwritten) or attain a certain degree of educational accomplishment.

There is not a church in the country who would "hire" Jesus as a pastor based on His status as a homeless street preacher without even a high school diploma. And if by some miracle they did, can you imagine the outcry if known prostitutes, thieves and drug addicts were hanging out at His house! We bind ourselves to religion and are not even aware of it.
That’s my frustration, that is my "great sadness". To see the Bride of Christ wearing a gown of chains.

Others have inklings of what I am talking about. That is why you are fearful sometimes to suggest a change or to stop doing something or do something a new way. A kind and loving person will oppose you in order to preserve the "system". It is scary to question a long standing "accepted” teaching because we all assume "they" know better then we do. Yet the same Jesus indwells you as the most learned theologian.

Behavior or Identity

2008-09-23T20:09:00.002-07:00

At its root sin is the illusion that causes us to think that God does not love us. Which then causes us to do things to feel that void. Our problem is not behavior, it is identity.
It is not what we do or don’t do, it is coming to the realization of who we belong to, who has planned for our adoption since before time. Our identity is to be found only in Him.

Illusions

2008-09-23T20:09:00.001-07:00

In my opinion the following sentence is no small thought. Sins power comes from the illusion that makes us think that God is separated from us. Living in that untruth (separateness) causes us to do all sorts of stupid things. The Cross was the ultimate demonstration of His love for all of us. God does not separate Himself from us because of sin, we separate our selves from him (or at least we think we do) because we think we are not worthy to be in His presence. We suffer from shame. Once we realize that He always, always loves us and we can live in His affection and then seek Him, well that is what repentance is, we changed our mind about how much God loves us.

Church Corporations

2008-09-23T20:08:00.001-07:00

I belong to Jesus. He is the head of His Church. Elders, pastors, etc are servants.

Many people have some sort of business arrangement with a “religious” corporation, but that is not the church, just a tax shelter. We believers form the body of Christ, that association is spiritual, not contractual.

It is indeed a blessing to gather with likeminded believers to share pain and to share joy. Once we start falling for the trap of man made hierarchy we can be sure there will be more pain and less joy.

Freedom

2008-09-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

I know that lots of people enjoy the traditional church, the traditional worship service and all the traditional ministries. I am glad they can do that but it is not for me and for an every increasing number of people who cannot be fed inside a god box.

Gal 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Paul was specifically talking about being in bondage to the predominant religion of the era.
Jesus came to set us free from religion, ritual and rules (the Law of Moses).

I give up that freedom when I am told when to stand, when to sit, what to sing, when it is proper to speak, what degree of education I must have to teach or preach His Good News. We give up that freedom when the primary focus in a group gathering is one or two people elevated on a stage, we give up that freedom when we are told that a certain time on a certain day is forever the proper time to worship, we give up that freedom when even meeting in a small group requires the approval of some hired holy man, we give up that freedom in a thousand ways until we don't even recognize we are in the chains of religion.

Nailed to the door

2008-09-23T20:06:00.002-07:00

This is a good question, why not stay and try to change it (the church) from within? The problem is change is very, very hard for any institution, especially ones that think the way they are doing things is Gods will. A friend of mine wrote a book many years ago called: The seven last words of the church, WE NEVER TRIED IT THAT WAY BEFORE. He is now recognized as the "father" of the cell group movement, Ralph Neighbor.

More then once I have been symbolically tarred and feathered for selling the pews and arranging the folding chairs so at least we can see the body of Christ (each other). I am quite sure some wanted to physically tar me for that at least once.

Many of the "ministries" in the institutional church are inefficient at best (wasting people’s energy and effort) or simply exist because no one has the will to shoot the dead horse. So much time, energy and resources are spent doing "what we have always done, the way we have always done it" that no one even questions why, and the important work, the work that should be a priority (loving others inside and outside of the meeting house) barely gets lip service. If one does ask why or suggests something new they are often treated as a heretic.

We, individually and corporately, have only one purpose, one calling, one charge, and one command. Love One Another as He loves us.

I find I no longer have the patience to endure even a single hour of religious ritual. A few may find comfort in liturgical litany, but I suspect most believers and virtually all non-believers simply experience it as boring and lifeless. I can not and will not any longer act “religious”, when my Lord simply wants me to be real.

I will not conform to the demands of religious obligation for one minute but I gladly submit myself to be transformed by God’s love as expressed directly by His love and the love of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I refuse to waste another second running on the Sunday morning treadmill that has largely failed to close a relational gap between God and His people and between His people. I believe the era of sit up straight, stand up, sit down, bow your head, eyes forward, ears open, pass the plate, listen up, smile and go home is over. In my opinion
the fact that the evangelical church ever adopted this model as the focus of our corporate gatherings is a travesty.

He is More

2008-09-23T20:06:00.001-07:00

When God made me a new creation that included a new heart.

The more I let Him be me, in me, the better it is.

This is what I know about Him, how ever much I think He loves, He loves more.
However much I think He is forgiving, He forgives more.
However much I think He seeks and finds His lost children, He finds more then I can imagine.
However much I think He cares about our daily lives, He cares more.

I don't believe that in this lifetime we can begin to comprehend the greatness of Him and His love.

Trinitarian Websites

2008-09-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

If you have a few hours I found this link to be very thought provoking

http://theadoptedlife.org/?page_id=152

and this one

http://www.perichoresis.org/audio/2.html