Monday, January 12, 2015
True Grace from Heaven
There has been much ministry and discussion in recent years concerning the Biblical reality of the Grace of God!
Many voices of derision have arisen on this subject. Many today both in and outside of the church have a distorted concept concerning the New Covenant of Gods Mercy and Grace!
We have great difficulty accepting the fact that Gods awesome provision of His Son Jesus allowed us to have all our accounts settled forever in Heaven. (Independent of our feeble attempts at righteous goodness)
Jesus Christ forever satisfied the demands of the Eternal Court of Justice when He willingly became obedient to death and allowed Himself to become a sacrifice to secure our eternal release from hell and death. Jesus was not just nicely and neatly crucified as many religious artworks suggest. He did not just receive some small surgical nail prints in His hands and feet. The spear wound in his side was not a G rated artistic wound as we often imagine.
The cruel Crown of Thorns caused massive defacing laceration to his scalp and lovely head. Of course the cat o nine tails used by the Romans was an instrument of Draconian flagellation. The leather cords contained pieces of attached bone and metal pieces that stripped large tracts of flesh from the bone as the beating progressed.
Of course the suffering to remit our sins was not just a bodily physical suffering, it extended to all realms of His Being in order to satisfy what justice demanded to legally bring remission from sin and death to our sin natures. Jesus was tortured spiritually to bring us a New Spiritual Birth to secure our eternal home in Heaven. He was excruciatingly ravaged both mentally and emotionally to secure our soundness of mind and soul.
We must realize that our salvation cost Father God His very best. God didn’t just send a great angel or prophet to die for our sins. Our sin was so massive and profound that it actually extended to the Heavenly Utensils of Worship described in Hebrews.
As we see in the Scriptures below Jesus actually shed His Blood to bring cleansing to the vessels of the ministry in Heaven. So even though sin did not get into Heaven proper, the vessels of worship there were affected. In the old testament the repetitive blood of animals atoned temporarily for the sin of the people, now in the New Testament God Almighty has shed His Own Blood in Jesus Crucifixion to obtain once and forever remission and forgiveness for us all if we believe and receive. Remember under the Old there was only an atonement or covering of sin. Today in the New Testament we have a total absolute removal or remission for our sins for ever, we didn’t achieve this by being goody goodies either. It was all His Work and none of ours.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (CJB)
2 God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God’s righteousness.”
HEBREWS 9:21-22 AMPLIFIED
Moses also sprinkled with blood the tent itself and all the sacred vessels. And you will find that in the Law almost all cleansing is made by means of blood—as 22 [In fact] under the Law almost everything is purified by means of blood, and without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins.
23 By such means, therefore, it was necessary for the [earthly] copies of the heavenly things to be purified, but the actual heavenly things themselves [required far] better and nobler sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ (the Messiah) has not entered into a sanctuary made with [human] hands, only a copy and pattern and type of the true one, but [He has entered] into heaven itself, now to appear in the [very] presence of God on our behalf.
25 Nor did He [enter into the heavenly sanctuary to] offer Himself regularly again and again, as the high priest enters the [Holy of] Holies every year with blood not his own.
26 For then would He often have had to suffer [over and over again] since the foundation of the world. But as it now is, He has once for all at the consummation and close of the ages appeared to put away and abolish sin by His sacrifice [of Himself].
27 And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment,
28 Even so it is that Christ, having been offered to take upon Himself and bear as a burden the sins of many once and [d]once for all, will appear a second time, not to carry any burden of sin nor to deal with sin, but to bring to full salvation those who are [eagerly, constantly, and patiently] waiting for and expecting Him.
The common saying has it: “No shedding of blood, no remission of sin.”
Christ has achieved the real appearance before God for us
HEBREWS 9:23-28 PHILLIPS
It was necessary for the earthly reproductions of heavenly realities to be purified by such methods, but the actual heavenly things could only be made pure in God’s sight by higher sacrifices than these. Christ did not therefore enter into any holy places made by human hands (however truly these may represent heavenly realities), but he entered Heaven itself to make his appearance before God as High Priest on our behalf. There is no intention that he should offer himself regularly, like the High Priest entering the holy of holies every year with the blood of another creature. For that would mean that he would have to suffer death every time he entered Heaven from the beginning of the world! No, the fact is that now, at this point in time, the end of the present age, he has appeared once and for all to abolish sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as surely as it is appointed for all men to die and after that pass to their judgment, so it is certain that Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many and after that, to those who look for him, he will appear a second time, not this time to deal with sin, but to bring them to full salvation.
J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)
So in light of the magnitude of our sin and the astronomical and unfathomable sacrifice of God on our behalf, let us truly and completely accept the sacrifice of His Son Jesus on our behalf. Let us receive His unmerited favor to us in endless waves of Glory and Grace.
It’s all God from start to finish and nothing to do with us. All we can do is believe and receive. God said "Go up to 100th Floor in 3 minutes time and then, knowing it is totally impossible, He then provided a 200 mph elevator and said "Get on board"!
Another analogy would be for God to tell the human race to jump or fly over Everest in 15 minutes time. Of course even the greatest pole vault athlete in history could never vault over Everest but God provided the Death, Burial and then RESURRECTION of Christ and gave us the same Spirit Jesus had when he Conquered death and ultimately ascended to Heaven bodily. We can never conquer death sin and carnal temptations on our own strength but in Christ all we have to do is Believe and Receive. This gives us imputed Righteousness, We didn’t earn it, we don’t deserve it but Hey, chill out, Jesus Loves us and made the way where there is no way. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is Gods Divine elevator for us to appear Boldly before His Throne to obtain Help and Mercy in the Day of Need.
Shine on Beloved Ones, we have all been dirt bags in our faulty actions in one way or another, but He has made us Righteous by His Faith, Love and Grace!
What a deal, it’s better than realizing Warren Buffet made you the sole beneficiary of his fortune. All of the trillions of dollars of earth could not buy you a cheap seat in Heavens back stalls. But Jesus Precious Blood has purchased a guaranteed awesome tailor made position in the Eternal Heaven of Gods Kindness and Love!
Ephesians 1: 19 MESSAGE BIBLE
I ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!
20-23 All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Long Shot?--or the only One worth taking!
Greetings dearest beloved fellow earthlings!
Todays blog is to remind us of the importance of preparation for lifes major events.
Many of those reading this today will have had the experience of international travel. Those of us in this category, would be cognisant of the need to take great care, when preparing the documents of passage for such an undertaking.
We are all aware of the need to comply with visa and passport requirements when we travel to a foreign nation. Most reasonable people would not think it unusual or outrageous, to be asked at the port of entry to a different nation, to submit their passports and visas to the immigration officials for study and processing.
Most people in their right mind, would not dream of arriving at the entry point and telling the officials that they didnt need a passport or visa as they are a former eagle scout and they sponsor poor families in 3rd world countries. It would be equally foolish to try and smile widely with your new cosmetic dental work and try to dazzle the entry officials with stories of how well educated and friendly you are and what a great philanthropist you are. Even showing them your dental records, diplomas, bank statements and documents, validating your philanthropic exploits would be pointless to gain admittance.
The only documents that would carry any authority, would be a bona fide passport from your country of citizenship with the stamped visas inside. Most people realize how important these documents are and would not dream of leaving home on international trips without them. It would be extremely unwise to disregard these requirements. To do so would mean being almost instantly deported and then have to explain back in the country of origin why they should readmit you without your passport. It could result in being an international exile for a period of time and cost huge legal fees and fines etc.
It always amazes me that most people take more care in preparing for a trip to China, than they do to get ready for lifes ultimate expedition into the endlessness of eternity. Many people would say, well, no one knows what eternity is like, it is an unknown realm and no one is qualified to give preparation instructions for such a trip.
In most cases this is correct but there is one person named Jesus Christ who claimed to be God Almighty, who came from Heaven and was conceived by the Holy Ghost in the womb of Mary. He claimed to be all God and all man, he claimed to be sinlessly perfect and that this qualified Him to die and pay the the penalty of all mankinds sin. He went to the Cross and suffered the unspeakable ultimate suffering for the penalty of our sin. He stated that He came to give life and forgiveness in total overflowing abundance to all who call Him Lord and believe in His resurrection from death. Jesus even came back from death to validate His case, He is the only religious leader in History to claim this. Others were raised from death but still succumbed to natural death at a later date. Jesus never died again and is alive and well forevermore! Our faith and trust in Him is the passport to Heaven. Its simple but profoundly important because faith causes a Spiritual miracle in our heart or spirit to take place. (sse verse below)
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (KJV)
John 3:16-17 King James Version (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
I remember hearing the story of Bill, a Christian minister and Bob, a non believing businessman, these men were old friends and had grown up together in school. They had gone separate ways after graduation and had not seen each other in 30 years. The businessman named Bob said to his old friend, "Bob, what are you going to do if you die and find out that you wasted your life because the Gospel story was just a myth or fairy tale?"
Bob said "Well Bill, even if it turned out that Christianity was a fairy tale, which Im certain its not, but even if it was, I would still have had a great life and it would be a wonderful fairy tale for me!" Then Bob said "Bill, what are you going to do when you die and find out that what Jesus said in the Bible was not a fairy tale but is absolutely the Truth?"
The reality is that the old Boy Scout motto "Be Prepared" is more pertinent in the case of eternity than any other. Even if there was only a 1 percent chance the Bible was true it would still be worth living a Christ centered life and being prepared, just in case. A home in a realm of Eternal Love is way too important to take chances on. As they say, it is better to be safe than sorry. The joy of knowing we will all live together in a Home of Endless Love with Love Himself and our earthly loved ones is better than all the Riches and thrills of earth combined.
So trusting Jesus is not a long shot, so no matter what, we cant lose by trusting Him!
Todays blog is to remind us of the importance of preparation for lifes major events.
Many of those reading this today will have had the experience of international travel. Those of us in this category, would be cognisant of the need to take great care, when preparing the documents of passage for such an undertaking.
We are all aware of the need to comply with visa and passport requirements when we travel to a foreign nation. Most reasonable people would not think it unusual or outrageous, to be asked at the port of entry to a different nation, to submit their passports and visas to the immigration officials for study and processing.
Most people in their right mind, would not dream of arriving at the entry point and telling the officials that they didnt need a passport or visa as they are a former eagle scout and they sponsor poor families in 3rd world countries. It would be equally foolish to try and smile widely with your new cosmetic dental work and try to dazzle the entry officials with stories of how well educated and friendly you are and what a great philanthropist you are. Even showing them your dental records, diplomas, bank statements and documents, validating your philanthropic exploits would be pointless to gain admittance.
The only documents that would carry any authority, would be a bona fide passport from your country of citizenship with the stamped visas inside. Most people realize how important these documents are and would not dream of leaving home on international trips without them. It would be extremely unwise to disregard these requirements. To do so would mean being almost instantly deported and then have to explain back in the country of origin why they should readmit you without your passport. It could result in being an international exile for a period of time and cost huge legal fees and fines etc.
It always amazes me that most people take more care in preparing for a trip to China, than they do to get ready for lifes ultimate expedition into the endlessness of eternity. Many people would say, well, no one knows what eternity is like, it is an unknown realm and no one is qualified to give preparation instructions for such a trip.
In most cases this is correct but there is one person named Jesus Christ who claimed to be God Almighty, who came from Heaven and was conceived by the Holy Ghost in the womb of Mary. He claimed to be all God and all man, he claimed to be sinlessly perfect and that this qualified Him to die and pay the the penalty of all mankinds sin. He went to the Cross and suffered the unspeakable ultimate suffering for the penalty of our sin. He stated that He came to give life and forgiveness in total overflowing abundance to all who call Him Lord and believe in His resurrection from death. Jesus even came back from death to validate His case, He is the only religious leader in History to claim this. Others were raised from death but still succumbed to natural death at a later date. Jesus never died again and is alive and well forevermore! Our faith and trust in Him is the passport to Heaven. Its simple but profoundly important because faith causes a Spiritual miracle in our heart or spirit to take place. (sse verse below)
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (KJV)
John 3:16-17 King James Version (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
I remember hearing the story of Bill, a Christian minister and Bob, a non believing businessman, these men were old friends and had grown up together in school. They had gone separate ways after graduation and had not seen each other in 30 years. The businessman named Bob said to his old friend, "Bob, what are you going to do if you die and find out that you wasted your life because the Gospel story was just a myth or fairy tale?"
Bob said "Well Bill, even if it turned out that Christianity was a fairy tale, which Im certain its not, but even if it was, I would still have had a great life and it would be a wonderful fairy tale for me!" Then Bob said "Bill, what are you going to do when you die and find out that what Jesus said in the Bible was not a fairy tale but is absolutely the Truth?"
The reality is that the old Boy Scout motto "Be Prepared" is more pertinent in the case of eternity than any other. Even if there was only a 1 percent chance the Bible was true it would still be worth living a Christ centered life and being prepared, just in case. A home in a realm of Eternal Love is way too important to take chances on. As they say, it is better to be safe than sorry. The joy of knowing we will all live together in a Home of Endless Love with Love Himself and our earthly loved ones is better than all the Riches and thrills of earth combined.
So trusting Jesus is not a long shot, so no matter what, we cant lose by trusting Him!
Monday, June 23, 2014
PRIORITIES FOR LIFE MATTER!
More and More , we live in a world that has made a wholesale rejection of traditional values. Many believe we are in a new enlightened age of free thinking and free wheeling, and have embraced change of older and even ancient moral positions.
Today it is considered a foregone conclusion that we should do all within our power to prevent cruelty to animals and even take expensive and far reaching measures to protect the rights of animals. While it is an obvious humane and virtuous position to love and protect our animals and to ensure a good home for discarded pets, other areas once of paramount importance have been neglected and even wilfully interdicted by adversarial methods.
One issue that comes to mind in our culture that demonstrates a skewed priority is the lack of respect now for unborn human life in our western world.
I read recently that over 50 million Americans have been aborted since 1973.(I dont have figures for other Western nations but probably on a par) This is an extreme disregard for the sanctity and protection of the growing child in the mothers womb. The pregnant womb once signified the place of greatest safety and nurturing anywhere in our culture.
Wikipedia says: Total military dead in WW2: from 22 to 25 million, including deaths in captivity of about 5 million prisoners of war. Abortion has now killed in USA alone more people than twice the number of worldwide military personnel killed in WW2. If this is not a super mega holocaust /genocide , what is?
Nowadays, in our modern value system, it is considered quite normal to approve of and even encourage abortion on a massive wholesale level. It is even considered to be just a method of birth control for many. Another troubling issue is the widespread attitude that only out of touch people or whackos would oppose abortion. Also even more troubling is that some of these abortion methods are hugely barbaric and many times go wrong and result in a slow and terrible death to the babies. Particularly, the saline (salt) method to abort a baby has allowed many unborns to survive the salt attack and writhe in pain for hours outside the mothers body, accounts have been told by attending nurses of them lying and left to die in medical waste receptacles, denied the rights of emergency treatment and care that a born baby in distress would receive.It seems, only born babies have citizenship rights of emergency treatment for life threatening injuries.
For those readers who are only now reading for the first time of these sad accounts, you are probably denying that these situations ever occur in an enlightened age and nation. Sadly just like many other modern issues not covered here, it is hard to believe it could and does happen.
I wont go into the brutality of partial birth abortion procedure details, most will be familiar with that.
Many young pregnant women and girls are given counselling advice by "so called" experts who encourage and advocate abortion as the best solution to their inconvenient pregnancy. They assure them there will be no negative, physical, psychological or spiritual after effects of terminating the baby.
The huge numbers of women who now attest they would never have taken that road if they had known the tragic fallout
of guilt, sorrow and mental/emotional pain is often not even discussed and mentioned to new girls receiving rosy assurances to go ahead and abort.
Another reason not to abort is that huge numbers of childless couples are longing for the chance to adopt a baby and provide a wonderful loving home and family. Another reason is that our population is rapidly aging and we need new children to be future leaders, providers and workers in our culture. The number of retired on social Security cannot be sustained by the shrinking younger workforce.
The main reason is to obey the Lord and let Him decide who lives and dies.
I didnt expect to write on this subject today but it just came out of me as I started typing, so here it is.
PS: The great news for the one out of three Moms and Dads who had or endorsed abortions is that God is a forgiving and healing Father of Love and Mercy. There is no need to go through life beating yourself up about past bad decisons and not forgiving yourself. The minute you ask God to forgive you and make genuine decisions to change and make good decisons in future, He instantly forgives and gives Power to live a New Life with His Strength, Peace and Comfort for a broken heart.
We are all sinners (sin is an old archery term meaning to miss the mark) and we have blown it one way or another. We have all failed miserably at times, even if we are strong Christians. The Bible defines all hatred against ones fellow man as murder and all lustful longing for anyone who is not our spouse as adultery, even if we dont actually carry it out in the physical realm. This shows that we have all failed in these areas, so we cant look down our noses at someone who has "blown it" with bad choices, we all have done that.
see the words of John the Apostle of Love below
2 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
Today it is considered a foregone conclusion that we should do all within our power to prevent cruelty to animals and even take expensive and far reaching measures to protect the rights of animals. While it is an obvious humane and virtuous position to love and protect our animals and to ensure a good home for discarded pets, other areas once of paramount importance have been neglected and even wilfully interdicted by adversarial methods.
One issue that comes to mind in our culture that demonstrates a skewed priority is the lack of respect now for unborn human life in our western world.
I read recently that over 50 million Americans have been aborted since 1973.(I dont have figures for other Western nations but probably on a par) This is an extreme disregard for the sanctity and protection of the growing child in the mothers womb. The pregnant womb once signified the place of greatest safety and nurturing anywhere in our culture.
Wikipedia says: Total military dead in WW2: from 22 to 25 million, including deaths in captivity of about 5 million prisoners of war. Abortion has now killed in USA alone more people than twice the number of worldwide military personnel killed in WW2. If this is not a super mega holocaust /genocide , what is?
Nowadays, in our modern value system, it is considered quite normal to approve of and even encourage abortion on a massive wholesale level. It is even considered to be just a method of birth control for many. Another troubling issue is the widespread attitude that only out of touch people or whackos would oppose abortion. Also even more troubling is that some of these abortion methods are hugely barbaric and many times go wrong and result in a slow and terrible death to the babies. Particularly, the saline (salt) method to abort a baby has allowed many unborns to survive the salt attack and writhe in pain for hours outside the mothers body, accounts have been told by attending nurses of them lying and left to die in medical waste receptacles, denied the rights of emergency treatment and care that a born baby in distress would receive.It seems, only born babies have citizenship rights of emergency treatment for life threatening injuries.
For those readers who are only now reading for the first time of these sad accounts, you are probably denying that these situations ever occur in an enlightened age and nation. Sadly just like many other modern issues not covered here, it is hard to believe it could and does happen.
I wont go into the brutality of partial birth abortion procedure details, most will be familiar with that.
Many young pregnant women and girls are given counselling advice by "so called" experts who encourage and advocate abortion as the best solution to their inconvenient pregnancy. They assure them there will be no negative, physical, psychological or spiritual after effects of terminating the baby.
The huge numbers of women who now attest they would never have taken that road if they had known the tragic fallout
of guilt, sorrow and mental/emotional pain is often not even discussed and mentioned to new girls receiving rosy assurances to go ahead and abort.
Another reason not to abort is that huge numbers of childless couples are longing for the chance to adopt a baby and provide a wonderful loving home and family. Another reason is that our population is rapidly aging and we need new children to be future leaders, providers and workers in our culture. The number of retired on social Security cannot be sustained by the shrinking younger workforce.
The main reason is to obey the Lord and let Him decide who lives and dies.
I didnt expect to write on this subject today but it just came out of me as I started typing, so here it is.
PS: The great news for the one out of three Moms and Dads who had or endorsed abortions is that God is a forgiving and healing Father of Love and Mercy. There is no need to go through life beating yourself up about past bad decisons and not forgiving yourself. The minute you ask God to forgive you and make genuine decisions to change and make good decisons in future, He instantly forgives and gives Power to live a New Life with His Strength, Peace and Comfort for a broken heart.
We are all sinners (sin is an old archery term meaning to miss the mark) and we have blown it one way or another. We have all failed miserably at times, even if we are strong Christians. The Bible defines all hatred against ones fellow man as murder and all lustful longing for anyone who is not our spouse as adultery, even if we dont actually carry it out in the physical realm. This shows that we have all failed in these areas, so we cant look down our noses at someone who has "blown it" with bad choices, we all have done that.
see the words of John the Apostle of Love below
2 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
DEATH ABOLISHED FOREVERMORE!
2 Timothy 1:10
King James Version (KJV)10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel
The above verse says Jesus has abolished death. If medical research or a pharmaceutical firm found a pill to abolish death it would be the biggest breakthrough in world history and trillions would be made, if it was ever made available. Well, guess what folks, Jesus has already done it--the pill is called the Gos-pill, get it? (not a literal pill--just a joke) It is a substance though, called Faith!
Hebrews 11:1 KJV
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
All we have to do in order to never die is believe, If you want to fly to London just step into the provided airliner. It would be very silly to try and buy a pair of wings to cross the Atlantic, that wouldn’t work! Jesus did all the excruciating, agonizing and humanly impossible work at the Cross, so we can have Eternal Life with Him in Heaven. (Way better than anything on earth)
John 3:15 that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life.
Of course we are not discussing physical death here, that will happen to all of us eventually. (Except for those believers who are alive when Jesus returns at the second coming)
Death, eternal spiritual death, in its ultimate form, has been legally abolished and destroyed. Religion cannot destroy death, only Absolute Life can destroy death.
Life Himself defeated it eternally on its own turf then rose again after confiscating the keys of hell and death off satan.
Revelation 1:18 KJV
I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen;and have the keys of hell and of death.
The Good News is that not only will we live with him in our spiritual form, but we will eventually get a brand new body just like the one Jesus had after the Resurrection.
John 11:25-26 (Message)
“You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?”
The sad part is that we have an enemy who does his best to blind our eyes and hearts to the awesome, stupendous, magnanimous deal that God has purchased for us and He is freely offering to all who will receive it.
How would you react, if an eccentric looking homeless man handed you a million dollar cheque, (or check) written on a tattered old faded and stained check form. Maybe we would be very suspicious of its veracity and neglect to bank it or cash it. If so and the check just happened to be legitimate, we would miss out on the money.
Well many forget to bank the Gospel in their hearts by believing in the risen Jesus.
So like the man who doubted the old stained check, all they perceive the prescription for defeating death to be, is an old outdated religious sects superstition written in an old beat up Bible.
Even worse a million dollars is absolute garbage, compared to Eternal Life in Gods Heaven of Love. It’s not about how good or bad we think we are, its how good God is and how much he loves to provide Eternal Passage to Heaven. When we call Him Lord Jesus and believe He rose from the dead, well, that’s how we step on board with Him Forever.
GALATIANS 2:19-21 MESSAGE What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’sman. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.
Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.---WORDS OF PAUL OF TARSUS IN TODAYS ENGLISH
Romans 10:11-13 (MSG)
11-13 it’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”
Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV) | In Context | Whole Chapter
18 “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
Friday, March 21, 2014
POST CHRISTIAN WORLD?
POST CHRISTIAN WORLD?
We live today in a post Christian society. The Judeo Christian morality has by and large vanished from our western culture. (apart from within some churches and Christian community subcultures).
I was listening to a well known Christian author on the radio a while back, who stated “The Culture war is over and the Christian world has lost” What a statement that was.
In the temporal and transient world we live in this is correct. In the Eternal, immutable Spiritual realm of God and His Word it is still incorrect.
It has been said that God and His Word are One! The New Testament affirms this
John 1
Amplified Bible (AMP)
1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word ([a]Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God [b]Himself.
2 He was present originally with God.
3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.
4 In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.
5 And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].
When I was a new Christian believer in the mid 1970s I wondered why God had such placed strict regulations on human sexual practices as outlined in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit impressed upon me, that it was not because God wanted to limit our fun party life together. He said within my heart that sex is not just for exhilaration and refreshment but that it is a true Blood Covenant intended between a man and woman to create deep commitment and family ties for the resulting children of the union. God also showed me that sex is a huge powerhouse of energy that is like electricity or nuclear power. The more powerful the energy the more strict the regulations must be to prevent destructive abuses taking place. Fires must be built in a fireplace in a house and nukes must be contained within a reactor in order to harness the energy and make it productive. Unregulated and promiscuous use of great power causes destruction and heartbreak. Sexual energy is no exception, this is why God ordained marriage so that the resulting power release will create warmth and joy and not cause destructive meltdowns, as it were.
Today, many believe that the Bible is an outmoded garble of ancient philosophy that is not relevant for today. Many believe that there is a new morality and measurement to gauge our conduct that is far superior to the Bible.
One man said that the new morality is just the old immorality dressed up.
Anyway, pray, talk to God and ask Him to open your eyes to bring enlightenment when you read the Word. His Word is Spirit and Life.
WORDS FROM JESUS-------JOHN 6:63 It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life (Amplified Bible)
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Monday, December 2, 2013
Techno Tardis coming to a user device near you.
Hello out there in blogland. Todays feeble attempt is yet another sojourn into the realms of literary achievement.
I would like to comment on the amazing complexity and confused interactions of modern life. It seems that the high tech world of personal communication devices, is morphing into yet more overload for the already half fried cerebral circuits of us poor 21st century children.
I pity the underprivileged technophobes, who still have not yet even learned to monitor voice mail on their dinosaur flip phones of the 1990s era.
For these prehistoric ones it is too late to even think about catching the iphone/android/galaxy/5G wave of this scifi like era. They have missed the boat and all they can hope for is that phone landlines, regular TV and snail mail will not go the way of the telegram before they depart this terrestrial ball of technological torture.
At this rate we will all become Dr Who timelords, with our very own tardis devices at our command within another 15 years.
Of course we wont need a telephone box to fly through space and time. We will just peer into our MFDTB (Multi Function Device-Tardis Beamers) and dematerialize and timewarp back to the 1960s for a concert we always wanted to be part of.
Or maybe see how eschatological events transpired, by a quick peek into the 22nd century. (Hopefully we would make it back without radiation sickness or brain damage from the future shock.)
Of course many would probably type or think in the wrong codes and get lost in a time warp virus and never be able to return. They would forever careen through the time tunnel in their souped up tardis hoping to remember their User ID to get back to the mid 21st century and home.
Folks, dont expect me to back up the preceding ramblings with chapter or verse. It is merely my fanciful imaginings of where techno exploits may be heading if they proceed at their current rate of geometric progression.
In reality, technology can be a wonderful gift from God when used correctly in exalting the Gospel of Jesus and Love of God to the worlds population.
Never before in history, has so much access to the whole worlds populace been available to the average person at the touch of an iphone screen. We are all very influential world changers even if we perceive ourselves as obscure and unknown.
So in light of this, lets dedicate ourselves to use this opportunity to broadcast the stupendous message of Jesus and His Awesome work at the Cross of Calvary to the whole world lying at our fingertips. His Love is real towards every person,just like they are the only ones on the planet.
Lets put the foot to the floorboards and go for Godspeed until we finish the race and enter Eternity!
Matthew 24:13-14 (MESSAGE VERSION)
13-14 “Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come.
I would like to comment on the amazing complexity and confused interactions of modern life. It seems that the high tech world of personal communication devices, is morphing into yet more overload for the already half fried cerebral circuits of us poor 21st century children.
I pity the underprivileged technophobes, who still have not yet even learned to monitor voice mail on their dinosaur flip phones of the 1990s era.
For these prehistoric ones it is too late to even think about catching the iphone/android/galaxy/5G wave of this scifi like era. They have missed the boat and all they can hope for is that phone landlines, regular TV and snail mail will not go the way of the telegram before they depart this terrestrial ball of technological torture.
At this rate we will all become Dr Who timelords, with our very own tardis devices at our command within another 15 years.
Of course we wont need a telephone box to fly through space and time. We will just peer into our MFDTB (Multi Function Device-Tardis Beamers) and dematerialize and timewarp back to the 1960s for a concert we always wanted to be part of.
Or maybe see how eschatological events transpired, by a quick peek into the 22nd century. (Hopefully we would make it back without radiation sickness or brain damage from the future shock.)
Of course many would probably type or think in the wrong codes and get lost in a time warp virus and never be able to return. They would forever careen through the time tunnel in their souped up tardis hoping to remember their User ID to get back to the mid 21st century and home.
Folks, dont expect me to back up the preceding ramblings with chapter or verse. It is merely my fanciful imaginings of where techno exploits may be heading if they proceed at their current rate of geometric progression.
In reality, technology can be a wonderful gift from God when used correctly in exalting the Gospel of Jesus and Love of God to the worlds population.
Never before in history, has so much access to the whole worlds populace been available to the average person at the touch of an iphone screen. We are all very influential world changers even if we perceive ourselves as obscure and unknown.
So in light of this, lets dedicate ourselves to use this opportunity to broadcast the stupendous message of Jesus and His Awesome work at the Cross of Calvary to the whole world lying at our fingertips. His Love is real towards every person,just like they are the only ones on the planet.
Lets put the foot to the floorboards and go for Godspeed until we finish the race and enter Eternity!
Matthew 24:13-14 (MESSAGE VERSION)
13-14 “Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Abundance of Grace
There is much talk about Grace and law in Christendom in the last year or so. Thankfully we have been in a new season of fresh Revelation by the Spirit of the Lord concerning Grace.
One of the greatest enemies of Christianity has been the mixing of the Old Covenant and the New into some sort of genetically altered hydrid.
Under the Old Testament God gave the Law by Moses, this occurred on Mt Sinai.
John1:16 Amplified
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.
17 For while the Law was given through Moses, grace ([d]unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament law was written on tablets of stone by the laserlike fire of the finger of God on Sinai. Moses came down off the mountain with the tablets, only to find the children of Israel partying like rock stars. He was so disappointed he smashed the tablets in an anger of despair at what he saw. The law was given to show man his own inability to measure up to Gods perfection. If the law was all that we needed, there was no need for God to send the Messiah, his own son, Jesus Christ, to offer Forgiveness,Salvation and Redemption.
In the New Testament or Covenant we find that we are offered Grace and Mercy for our undone conditions, not based on our work or good deeds of righteousness but totally based on His finished work at Calvary, through His Death,Shed Blood, Burial,Resurrection and Ascension to the Father. This makes not just atonement but a full remission of our sins. Atonement is spoken of by theologians as a covering for our sins but remission is total erasure and newness.
It could be likened to:- not just sweeping the dirt under a carpet but removing the dirt completely from the picture.
Romans 7;4 NLT (St Paul to the Roman church)
So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature,[b] sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.
The good News of Jesus Christ is that we dont have to establish our own rightness by doing good deeds by sheer grit and law keeping. In fact its like trying to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, it just wont work.
His Righteousness or Rightness is a free gift of His Grace to all who believe and trust in Him. The Amazing thing about all this is it invokes the Power of a whole new Law, called the Law of the spirit of Life in Christ.
Romans 8:2 NKJV
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
This Divinely intrinsic principle is also called the perfect law of liberty or law of faith. This means that the Resurrected death defeating Life Of Jesus Christ actually is now living inside of us flowing like a mighty River of Glorious Love and Power. This is the difference between pushing a car along the highway and sitting back in a high powered luxury Porsche and letting the high performance engine drive the wheels.
John 7:38-39
Amplified Bible (AMP)
38 He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.
39 But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive.
This life giving Power and Love is so joyous and awesome that often believers are accused of drinking earthly wine because of the fun and exuberance sometimes manifested. Of course it is the wine of the Holy Spirit that infuses these disciples, not an alcoholic beverage.
Acts 2:14-21 Message version
That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: “Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren’t drunk as some of you suspect. They haven’t had time to get drunk—it’s only nine o’clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:
“In the Last Days,” God says,
“I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Hebrews 12 shows how Mt Sinai speaks of the Old Testament Mosaic Law and compares it to Mt Zion which speaks of the New Testament and the Law of Love and truthful Grace of Jesus.
Hebrews 12:18 Amplified
For you have not come [as did the Israelites in the wilderness] to a [material] mountain that can be touched, [a mountain] that is ablaze with fire, and to gloom and darkness and a raging storm,
19 And to the blast of a trumpet and a voice whose words make the listeners beg that nothing more be said to them.
20 For they could not bear the command that was given: If even a wild animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.
21 In fact, so awful and terrifying was the [phenomenal] sight that Moses said, I am terrified (aghast and trembling with fear).
NOW HERES THE GOOD NEWS
22 But rather, you have come to Mount Zion, even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in festal gathering,
23 And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect,
24 And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy],
Today many try to preach a half hearted Grace that ends up reverting to the Mosaic Law and paralyzing the Power of Love and Grace from working in peoples heart like Rivers of Living Water. Its either Sinai or Zion, self effort or Divine Impetus. Its an easy choice if you use common sense. Who wants to push the car up the hill when you can jump in and drive in airconditioned comfort?
One of the greatest enemies of Christianity has been the mixing of the Old Covenant and the New into some sort of genetically altered hydrid.
Under the Old Testament God gave the Law by Moses, this occurred on Mt Sinai.
John1:16 Amplified
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.
17 For while the Law was given through Moses, grace ([d]unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament law was written on tablets of stone by the laserlike fire of the finger of God on Sinai. Moses came down off the mountain with the tablets, only to find the children of Israel partying like rock stars. He was so disappointed he smashed the tablets in an anger of despair at what he saw. The law was given to show man his own inability to measure up to Gods perfection. If the law was all that we needed, there was no need for God to send the Messiah, his own son, Jesus Christ, to offer Forgiveness,Salvation and Redemption.
In the New Testament or Covenant we find that we are offered Grace and Mercy for our undone conditions, not based on our work or good deeds of righteousness but totally based on His finished work at Calvary, through His Death,Shed Blood, Burial,Resurrection and Ascension to the Father. This makes not just atonement but a full remission of our sins. Atonement is spoken of by theologians as a covering for our sins but remission is total erasure and newness.
It could be likened to:- not just sweeping the dirt under a carpet but removing the dirt completely from the picture.
Romans 7;4 NLT (St Paul to the Roman church)
So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature,[b] sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.
The good News of Jesus Christ is that we dont have to establish our own rightness by doing good deeds by sheer grit and law keeping. In fact its like trying to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, it just wont work.
His Righteousness or Rightness is a free gift of His Grace to all who believe and trust in Him. The Amazing thing about all this is it invokes the Power of a whole new Law, called the Law of the spirit of Life in Christ.
Romans 8:2 NKJV
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
This Divinely intrinsic principle is also called the perfect law of liberty or law of faith. This means that the Resurrected death defeating Life Of Jesus Christ actually is now living inside of us flowing like a mighty River of Glorious Love and Power. This is the difference between pushing a car along the highway and sitting back in a high powered luxury Porsche and letting the high performance engine drive the wheels.
John 7:38-39
Amplified Bible (AMP)
38 He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.
39 But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive.
This life giving Power and Love is so joyous and awesome that often believers are accused of drinking earthly wine because of the fun and exuberance sometimes manifested. Of course it is the wine of the Holy Spirit that infuses these disciples, not an alcoholic beverage.
Acts 2:14-21 Message version
That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: “Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren’t drunk as some of you suspect. They haven’t had time to get drunk—it’s only nine o’clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:
“In the Last Days,” God says,
“I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Hebrews 12 shows how Mt Sinai speaks of the Old Testament Mosaic Law and compares it to Mt Zion which speaks of the New Testament and the Law of Love and truthful Grace of Jesus.
Hebrews 12:18 Amplified
For you have not come [as did the Israelites in the wilderness] to a [material] mountain that can be touched, [a mountain] that is ablaze with fire, and to gloom and darkness and a raging storm,
19 And to the blast of a trumpet and a voice whose words make the listeners beg that nothing more be said to them.
20 For they could not bear the command that was given: If even a wild animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.
21 In fact, so awful and terrifying was the [phenomenal] sight that Moses said, I am terrified (aghast and trembling with fear).
NOW HERES THE GOOD NEWS
22 But rather, you have come to Mount Zion, even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in festal gathering,
23 And to the church (assembly) of the Firstborn who are registered [as citizens] in heaven, and to the God Who is Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (the redeemed in heaven) who have been made perfect,
24 And to Jesus, the Mediator (Go-between, Agent) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy],
Today many try to preach a half hearted Grace that ends up reverting to the Mosaic Law and paralyzing the Power of Love and Grace from working in peoples heart like Rivers of Living Water. Its either Sinai or Zion, self effort or Divine Impetus. Its an easy choice if you use common sense. Who wants to push the car up the hill when you can jump in and drive in airconditioned comfort?
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