Just More Religious Thoughts

God's Promise

2012-02-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

We humans can be downright silly in how we view God. For instance, God made a promise to Abraham that in his seed all peoples will be blessed. Great promise! But most people, including most Christians, really don't believe that God can do this. And why is this? Well, somehow we humans have the notion that our evil actions can actually trump God's desire to save us. We also believe that God is weak on the forgiveness front. And we often think, deep down inside, that the human will to resist God is actually stronger than God's will to bring all humans into His camp. So the implication of all this faulty thinking is that most people will be cursed and that God is therefore a promise breaker standing there with His fingers crossed.

But is God a promise breaker? Well, no! You see, God is out to save everyone, and He is oh so powerful in bringing everyone into His fold through Jesus Christ. As Paul pointed out to the Philippians:

Philippians 2:9-11--Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NLT)

Yes, everyone! Now, granted, we humans are often tough nuts to crack, and right now it is often wise for us to take great care in dealing with the other nuts about our nut. But God has all the time in eternity to crack each and every nut that we humans are. Furthermore, He will get this job done by somehow bringing our individuality into the light of Jesus. So, it is not wise to think that we humans, either intentionally or unintentionally, or because of who and what we are, can actually stop God from keeping His promise. Furthermore, with this in mind, let us take the high road with both God and all humans in our thinking. As Paul told Timothy:

1 Timothy 2:1-6--I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. (NLT)

In other words, God does not have His fingers crossed. Instead, He has His arms wide open to receive us all into eternal realms with Him.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus within you.

Richard

The Good God

2012-02-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

In answering the harsh words of a certain false teacher who taught that God is wrathful, Paul says:

Romans 2:4--Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? (NIV)

These are wonderful words from Paul. But teachings based on these words are hard to find these days. You see, most people, even most Christians, view God as being rather harsh and demanding. So, in order to please this harsh and demanding God, most religious people end up trying harder and harder to please Him. Of course, these attempts to please God never quite seem to work out. And where does this lead these people over time? Well, it leads them to discouragement, even to the point of giving up on God.

Additionally, woe to the person who has been or even now is involved in some "terrible sin." These folks are often made by popular religion to feel even more on the outs with God and are often made to feel that they will never make it with Him when all is said and done. Big time discouragement!

But wait a minute! Paul's words say that God's kindness leads us to repentance--not to discouragement. Furthermore, if God is kind, which He is, how could He possibly treat us, all of us, but graciously as He leads us to repentance? This repentance means that our minds change in thinking about God. In fact, our minds change so much that we come to believe in the name of Jesus Christ, meaning in the very presence of Jesus Christ within us--no matter who we are or what we have done in life. Oh, lest I forget, everyone (Yes, everyone!) desperately needs the Savior Jesus Christ, even those who falsely think that they have it altogether with God because they are so good.

My point is that the kind God deals with us graciously. He does not deal with us harshly. I, for one, am most grateful for His kindness and look forward to an eternity living in His loving embrace through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. And I plan to see you there as well!

Until next time, may you always see Jesus within you.

Richard

Are Children In Hell?

2012-01-24T17:46:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Matthew 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. (NIV)

Popular Christianity often cites the above noted words of Jesus in order to chide Christians into acting a certain way, meaning like children, in order to be saved. Then, without really comprehending what it is saying, popular Christianity holds that, if a person does not confess Jesus before they die, it is off to the hot place for them. Well, most children who die have never confessed Jesus. So this must mean that they go to hell just like an adult who never confessed Jesus, and this is indeed the implication of what is taught.

But wait a minute! Aren't we supposed to be like little children? So, which is it for children? Are they in God's good graces or not? And if we become like little children, does that mean we will go into the kingdom of heaven or end up in hell when we die? Or is this whole thing just some sort of cosmic joke that God is playing on us, saying one thing, yet meaning something else?

Well, God is not playing a joke on us, and He is not out to send unrepentant children to hell. He actually is out to save everyone. His salvation work applies to everyone, from the child who died after just one breath to the oldest man to breathe his last. God's salvation efforts may even reach into the womb to include the unborn who never drew breath. After all, the Bible shows that God has worked with some people even "in their mother's womb." And, of course, the obedience of Jesus even unto death completed the great salvation equation of the Bible, which is:

Romans 5:18-19--Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (NIV)

Ah, yes! There is great hope for the future of everyone, including all children. In other words, there are no children in hell!

Until next time, may you always see Jesus within you.

Richard

Public Confession Of Jesus

2012-01-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Matthew 10:32-33--Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. (KJV)

These words are part of some pre-cross instructions Jesus gave to Peter and eleven other disciples. Over time, these words have morphed into a mantra in popular Christianity that claims that public confession of Jesus is essential for salvation. Furthermore, the idea that public denial of Jesus can block salvation is also present when this mantra is used. But is public confession of Jesus really necessary for salvation to occur, and is public denial of Jesus so terrible that forgiveness is hard for God to grant in this matter? Well, no! To see this, please consider Peter's life.

You see, prior to the cross, Peter heard the very hard words Jesus spoke. At that time, Peter did not understand that Jesus uttered these words in order to press the pre-cross people up against the cross with their silly law notions. So off Peter trotted thinking that he could do what Jesus said. But guess what? Peter failed. Peter even ended up publicly denying Jesus, right in front of Jesus no less, at Jesus' arrest. Luke reports this denial starting with the maid's challenge as:

Luke 22:57-62--And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. (KJV)

Poor Peter! He was obviously toast with God. Well, not really. You see, Peter came to see that he was powerless to get the salvation job done and therefore was ready to have Jesus Christ, the great and only Savior, do the salvation work for him. With this work done, Peter, of all people, was powerfully used by God to spread the new faith.

So, please don't be stampeded into thinking that your salvation hinges on whether or not you publicly confess or deny Jesus. All this thinking does is to throw the salvation work back on you, and this always leads to salvation failure. Also, please remember that public confession or denial can be an empty forced event. However, true salvation is the work of God, and, when He touches you with His salvation, He will give you the words to express your feelings, even if these words are just between you and Him alone.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus within you.

Richard

Did Luke Also Forget Something?

2012-01-12T04:22:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Luke wrote two books that appear in the Bible. The first one is the Gospel of Luke. In it, Luke recorded many of Jesus' famous "great moral teachings" that we have had banged into our heads as essential for Christians to put into action. These teachings include Luke's account of the Sermon on the Mount and many of Jesus' well known parables.

The second Bible book Luke wrote is Acts. But a curious feature of Acts is that it does not include Jesus' most famous "great moral teachings," like the Sermon on the Mount and the parables found in the Gospel of Luke. It is as if Luke forgot to do his due diligence in recording the fundamentals of the faith that we modern Christians think must be there. But did Luke forget? Well, no!

You see, Luke knew, like all the writers for the New Testament knew, that there is a very important event that marks the great divide between the old law way and the new belief only way. This event is Jesus' death on the cross and following resurrection. With this event, everything that involved the law of Moses ended, and this everything includes the Sermon on the Mount and the pre-cross parables Jesus gave, even those Luke recorded in his Gospel!

So, Luke in Acts is quite reluctant to quote Jesus from the Gospel of Luke. Oh, Luke does quote Jesus in Acts, but he does so in the context of the resurrected Jesus leading the church into the new belief way. With this new way, the church discovered that salvation is open to everyone, that circumcision and the law of Moses are no longer needed, and that Jesus actively lives in believers showing them the way forward. As Luke quotes Paul in giving insight into this new way:

Acts 13:38-41--“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: “‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’” (NIV)

So, let us heed Paul's words as noted by Luke as to what God has done. God did not make a faith based on the law of Moses as defined by the Sermon on the Mount and the parables Jesus gave to the hard headed pre-cross people. Instead, He made a new faith based on Jesus Christ Himself. Luke understood this and wrote first his Gospel and then Acts showing that a change had indeed occurred wherein we can walk freely forever with God.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus within you.

Richard

Why Did Jesus Forget The Parables?

2012-01-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Almost everyone who teaches and preaches Christianity these days uses the parables of Jesus found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke as being essential for understanding and living the Christian faith. There is just one problem with this approach. It is that Jesus "forgot" to inspire those who wrote the following books of the Bible to include His famous parables in their explanations of the new faith. The result of this "forgetfulness" is that none of Jesus' parables from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are found in the Biblical writings of John, Paul, James, Peter, Jude, and the writer of Hebrews. Even Luke, quite amazingly, fails to mention even one of these parables in his Book of Acts.

In addition, this is all the more startling in that Jesus personally taught both John and Paul what they should say about the new faith, and neither man uses any of the Synoptic parables of Jesus that modern Christianity loves to quote. In fact, both John and Paul say things that directly contradict the points often gleaned out of Jesus' parables and used as clubs upon Christians so that they will act better.

But, why did Jesus "forget" to inspire and tell these writers to include His "dearly loved" parables in their instructions about the new faith? Well, He didn't forget. You see, the parables found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are not for believers. They were for the unconverted pre-cross people of 2000 years ago. Furthermore, Jesus gave these parables to confuse, frustrate, and anger those people, and to even hide the truth about God from them. In so doing, Jesus based these parables on the law and what it demanded as He pressed those spiritually blind people up against the cross with their silly law notions.

But at the cross, the new way of belief opened up, and this way has nothing to do with the law. Instead, it has everything to do with Jesus Christ and His great love for us all. Therefore, the pre-cross Synoptic parables Jesus gave are not needed for us to find our way through this life. All these parables can do for your understanding of Christianity is to throw you back into the law, and this law is not now needed for believers.

The fact is that you don't need parables to understand the faith opened up at the cross. Instead, you have the very mind of Christ active in you to plainly show you the way into eternity with Him, and Jesus will never forget to personally direct your steps on this journey.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus within you.

Richard

The Change God Wants

2011-12-30T06:17:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Christians are quite often given various admonitions and programs to follow so that they can make "holy changes" to their lives. But, when all is said and done, not much happens on the change front. In fact, Christians are often seen by outsiders as being just as carnal and cantankerous as the next guy is. So, what is the problem? And where does the change God wants come from?

Well, the problem is that we humans cannot do anything to produce "the holy life" in us. In fact, when we try, all we end up doing is proving that we are sinners, just like the next guy is.

But doesn't the Bible have passages that show change as being very important in the lives of believers? Well, it does--but from a very important standpoint. You see, we cannot change ourselves, but Jesus can and does change us. Furthermore, He does so by actively and powerfully living both within individual believers and within groups of believers. Please note this miracle as described in Paul's words to the Colossians:

Colossians 1:27-29--For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me. (NLT)

However, this is a secret that most, including most Christians and their leaders, do not understand. So most Christians just end up running around chasing the impossible for them to reach goal of change and as a result grow weary in the whole process. Yet, believers see, through the action of the Holy Spirit, Jesus as the only power in their lives to produce the change God wants. So, please look to Him, and as the writer of Hebrews says:

Hebrews 13:20-21--Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. (NLT)

Until next time, the best to you all.

Richard

A Full Or Empty Hell?

2011-12-22T19:00:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

It seems to me that one of the fundamental teachings of popular Christianity is that there is a hell and that many people will end up there--forever suffering. Furthermore, I am often left with the feeling that this "hell for the many" teaching is actually saying, "Most people are going to hell, and they deserve to go there!"

But, I do not see any teaching in the Bible that says there is a "full" hell like the one popular Christianity portrays. Actually, I see quite the opposite, meaning that most (everyone?) will eventually end up in God's good graces and that God will work for as long as it takes to save everyone.

Now, why do I have this opinion about God not being into that hell thing and instead being out to save everyone? Well, I read it in my Bible! For example, Paul, in answering the false gospel that teaches about a wrathful god who will zap most people, says:

Romans 5:18-19--Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (NIV)

But someone might counter, "Well, those who teach the 'hell for the many' teaching also read the Bible." This is so. But they read and use the Bible from a lack of understanding on a number of levels. For instance, there is often present a lack of understanding about the purpose of the Synoptic Gospels in the flow of the Bible. Furthermore, there is often present a lack of understanding that God is bigger than the Law, sin, and death. And there is often present a lack of understanding about just how big and overwhelming Jesus Christ is in comparison to little pipsqueak Adam. In other words, Jesus Christ's obedience unto death completely smothers Adam's one goof up.

My point is that there is great darkness in this world and that all too often this darkness spills over into popular Christianity to steal hope from people. But when understanding of Jesus and His awesomeness comes into play, the idea of most people ending up in hell forever goes away. This awesome Jesus lets me see hell, if there is such a place, as being a rather empty place, and this gives me great hope for everyone.

Until next time, the best to you all.

Richard

What Are You Afraid Of?

2011-12-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Over the years, I have come to see that one of the key lessons this life teaches us is to fear. Furthermore, this fear comes in many forms. For me, for instance, fear played out with the fear of the dark, the fear of heights, the fear of failure, the fear of rejection, and a host of other fears. Then, when I came into Christianity, I noticed that additional fears came into play. These fears for me included the fear of not keeping God's commandments "good enough", the fear of dying and going to hell, and the fear of not pleasing God through some oversight on my part.

But then I came to a rather startling realization. This realization is that everyone fears in some way. Furthermore, I came to see that popular Christianity encourages its members to fear the "wrathful God" through its emphasis on doing various works in order to please this God. Maybe this is why there is at times so much tension in the life of the Christian church and its members. Christians are just afraid that they may get it wrong with God, and therefore, they are afraid of getting zapped by Him in some manner, especially at the time of the judgment.

But over the last few decades, I have found that there is a no fear way of dealing with God. You see, the fear way is the Old Covenant law way with its wrath and death for goofing things up with God. However, Jesus Christ has totally removed for believers this fear way, as the writer of Hebrews says:

Hebrews 2:14-15--Since these children are people with physical bodies, Jesus himself became like them. He did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death—the devil—and free those who were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. (NCV)

The result of this action is that we can rest in God's love for us knowing that, in the truly important things, there is no longer a need to fear. Therefore John writes:

1 John 4:16-18--And so we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. This is how love is made perfect in us: that we can be without fear on the day God judges us, because in this world we are like him. Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears. (NCV)

You know, I like this no fear way. I look forward to the day when everyone will have an opportunity to experience this no fear way of love.

Until next time, the best to you all.

Richard

Does The Bible Contradict Itself?

2011-12-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

I spend a great deal of time studying the Bible. I do so because, if I am to be a good minister, I feel that I should know something about the document that proclaims the basis of my ministry--meaning Jesus Christ. As part of my studies, I also read what others--those who are called "Bible experts"--say about the Bible. And this is where things get rather wild, because I have found that not even the experts agree among themselves as to what the Bible says! One says one thing. Another says another thing. It is all rather bizarre, and easily reinforces, through claim or implication, the common idea that the Bible contradicts itself in both its words and in its message. But does it? Well, no.

You see, through the efforts of a number of people God worked with, the Bible came together to form a wonderful, fully logical, consistent document. Furthermore, this document is much like a great novel that flows to a grace conclusion in Jesus Christ. And when read with this conclusion firmly in mind, the Bible makes great sense. However, we humans have been deceived on many levels, including on that of what the Bible actually says. Even in the earliest years of the church, this situation was a problem, as these words from Peter show:

2 Peter 3:15-16--And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. (NLT)

And sad to say, since that time, humans have had 2000 years to devote to getting the Bible's message wrong, and we have done a masterful job in this matter.

But the problem is not with God or the Bible. Instead the problem is with humans as we have been deceived by Satan and his servants so that we easily miss the Bible's wonderful message of God's great love for us. So, most people approach the Bible from the standpoint that God is miffed with us, and this approach is not helpful. Furthermore, this approach in turn causes all sorts of "contradictions" to come forth supposedly from the pages of the Bible.

So, please hear what I am saying. The Bible tells us marvelous things about God and how He has rescued us. Furthermore, there are no contradictions in its pages to trip us. Please enjoy reading and studying the Bible.

Until next time, the best to you all.

Richard

The Forces Arrayed Against You

2011-11-30T16:14:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Do you ever get discouraged with how your life is going? Do you ever feel that certain people are determined to bring you down? Do you ever think that, no matter what you do, life just doesn't seem to work real well? Well, I think that most of us have at one time or another felt these and other, what are called negative, emotions about life. And I must say that it is indeed quite easy to blame, even lash out at, other people for whatever negatives seem to come at us in living our lives.

But there is an important fact for us to consider about this life. It is that there is the world we see and there is also the world we don't see. In that other unseen world, there are forces, both good and bad, that can influence the affairs of man. Furthermore, since mankind is generally not set, at this time, to receive the influence of the good forces, the bad forces are the ones who generally call the shots and who keep stirring the pot.

What this all means is that what we see and deal with in living our lives is often a product of unseen evil forces that are determined to cut humans off from God on a permanent basis. Furthermore, because these forces have such pervasive influence in the affairs of mankind, even believers can feel their negative sway in living this life.

Nonetheless, there is good news in all of this. It is that the good forces of the heavenly world are arrayed for us and will eventually be brought into play for the benefit of the entire creation. This has not fully happened yet, and we must go on living in a world troubled by unseen dark powers. However, God is for us. Therefore, as Paul told the Ephesians in encouraging them to live life with God walking with and in them:

Ephesians 6:10-12--Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can fight against the devil’s evil tricks. Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. (NCV)

So never give up as you look to God to eventually bind the evil powers and to one day fully carry you forth into eternal realms with Him.

Until next time, the best to you all.

Richard

Is God Ever Mad At You!

2011-11-18T05:49:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

We often hear a great deal about God's wrath. In fact, when the subject of God is brought up, that is what immediately comes into the minds of many--meaning a vision of a wrathful, angry, mad God. This vision usually exists because we humans have been taught the wrong view of who and what God actually is.

You see, there is such a thing as the false gospel. This gospel needs to have a wrathful God in place to beat humans so that they will reach for the high pinnacle of obedience and to punish humans when they fail to reach that high pinnacle. This gospel also makes those who teach it very powerful over their followers because the wrathful God will supposedly step in to knock a few heads if these teachers are not obeyed. Oh! And let us not forget that this false gospel is the only gospel most people have ever heard.

But some will say, "Well, doesn't the Bible show God as wrathful?" Well, only in the sense of warning and "What did you expect?" An example of this sense is found with Adam and Eve. In dealing with these two, God warned them to not eat of that one fruit lest they die. So, what did they do? Well, they ate of that fruit, and, surprise of surprises, they died! Since then, God has been warning humans about this, that, and the other thing, and when humans don't heed, they get what is often labeled as wrath or punishment. In other words, humans keep stepping in it.

Nonetheless, God is love, and He is out to fulfill a promise He made to Abraham that in his seed all peoples will be blessed. So, God works patiently and faithfully to get the job done. As Peter says:

2 Peter 3:8-9--But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (NIV)

The point is that God knew that we would not get very far in finding our way into His good graces. So, while we humans were (and many still are) busy following Plan B and therefore earning wrath for ourselves, God has all along been following Plan A. This plan is all about Jesus Christ getting the job done for us, and this plan comes from the mind of God who really, really loves us all. Furthermore, when God is viewed this way, He truly does come across as a "nice guy."

Until next time, the best to you all.

Richard

Why Did God Kill His Son?

2011-11-11T05:40:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

The death of Jesus often leaves people with an odd feeling about themselves and about God. This is because the popular teachings about Jesus' death often embrace the notions that humans are evil and that a wrathful God got so upset with this situation that He killed His Son in some sort of mean act in order to save humans. But these ideas miss the point of what actually was being accomplished with the death of Jesus. To understand why Jesus died, two points, among others, need to be considered.

First, we are not so much evil as we are trapped. You see, when Adam and Eve sinned by breaking that one law about the forbidden fruit, we all fell into a trap. That trap made our existence tainted with sin and death, and, no matter how much we try to make it otherwise, especially through law keeping (any law keeping), all we find is that we can't get out of the trap. Furthermore, God made it abundantly clear, for those who can see, through the institution of the Old Covenant that we are indeed stuck in sin and death.

Second, in order to save us all from this trap, Jesus voluntarily came on a great rescue mission. In response to this rescue mission, humans, not God, killed Him. But an intriguing thing happened at the death of Jesus. This thing was that the Old Covenant and its law ended for us. Then by standing forth in resurrection, a new life, His life, came into force, and when we are called into belief in the name of Jesus, we see that Jesus combines with us to bring us, right now and forever, eternal life. Therefore:

John 3:16-17--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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (KJV)

The basic idea relating to Jesus' death is that we humans can't get out of the trap because our basic constitution is not set up to do so. However, God loves us to much that He allowed His Son to come and save us so that our constitution can mix with what we can do, and that something we can do is Jesus. So, please rest in God's love as He allows you to be good forever in His Son.

Until next time, the best to you all.

Richard

Faithfulness

2011-11-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Often we are admonished to be faithful to God. But when all is said and done, our faithfulness seems to fall short in both mind and deed. So, we take a deep breath, often backed by more urging to be faithful, and then tackle that faithfulness thing again. Sadly, the result is the same in that our faithfulness never quite seems to get the job done. Our humanness just gets in the way. As a result, it is not uncommon for us to wonder if God will ever accept us. So, what are we to do?

Well, thankfully, it is not our faithfulness that counts in God's dealings with us. Instead, it is the faithfulness of Jesus Christ that counts. You see, Jesus came on a great rescue mission to save us, and, despite all the powers and pressures arrayed against Him, He proved faithful to both God and us in accomplishing that mission.

Not only that, the faithfulness of Jesus Christ to both God and us carries forth into our day to day lives so that He lives in us and we in Him. This in turn allows Him to always be our source of deliverance, encouragement, and hope. As the writer of Hebrews says in reflecting on Jesus' faithfulness:

Hebrews 3:1-6--And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house. But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. (NLT)

Yes, Jesus is in charge of God's entire house, and that house includes us all. Furthermore, He is completely faithful in carrying forth this charge. Therefore, we no longer need to rely on our own fickle and often fleeting faithfulness. Instead, we rely on Jesus' faithfulness that stands forever for us.

Until next time, please rest forever in the kindness of God in Jesus Christ.

Richard

The Important Issues

2011-10-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Christianity often gets involved in various social issues and, as such, comes across as being against, for instance, homosexuality, the destruction of marriage, and abortion. But in taking stands on these and other issues, Christianity ends up painting itself into a corner on at least two fronts, neither of which helps the Christian cause.

One front is that when "the fall" came to mankind at the time of Adam and Eve, this fall was complete and total. What this means is that, even, for instance, in the institution of marriage between a man and a woman, the fall still has its unrelenting influence. So, there is no such thing as "the perfect" marriage. Even Christian marriages prove to be just as problematic as non-Christian marriages. By pretending otherwise, Christianity comes across as being out of touch with the way things really are--meaning fallen.

The second front is that everyone's life is made up of what goes on publicly, of what goes on privately behind closed doors, and of what goes on in the dark recesses of the mind. Well, what goes on in private and in the mind is often vastly different than what is shown in public. When this reality gets exposed in Christians, often quite publicly and embarrassingly, Christians easily get labeled as being hypocrites for not living the "Christian life" to the perfection they preach.

Now, looking at my own life, I see many areas, in both mind and deed, that fall way short. Furthermore, I see no reason to pretend otherwise. As John said:

1 John 1:8-10--If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (NIV)

So to me the issue that counts is not about some specific social issue that I might be for or against. This is because I have discovered that every human being, including me, desperately needs a Savior. Therefore, the issue that counts and on which I base my ministry is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It is as Paul told the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 2:1-5--When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. (NIV)

And to me, only Christ and Him crucified can deliver us from this fallen mess we call life.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Quest or Rest?

2011-10-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

We Christians seem to be easily victimized by the notion that what we do influences how God thinks of us. If we do the right stuff, well then, He is pleased. But if we do the wrong stuff, well then, He is displeased. So off we go trying to do stuff to please Him. As such, we read and listen to all sorts of Christian material to be instructed in spiritual development; we attend conferences to hear others talk about their great breakthroughs in drawing closer to God so that we can do the same; we serve; we study the Bible; we pray; we attend church services and functions in order to look like we are doing the right stuff; we prepare for the rapture, which by the way never seems to come, so that when the rapture finally happens, God will see that we are acting rightly and sweep us away with Him. And when all is said and done, all we get for all of this effort is worn out and doubting if we have really pleased God.

But never fear, the Christian voices are always there for us, prodding us on to do more works, read more books, listen to more CD's, attend more conferences, worship harder, give more, etc., etc., etc. It is like we are on a great quest to obtain that ever elusive holy grail of finally getting it right with God.

Curiously, I have never been able to put my actions together to form that perfect works package, and I have never met anyone who has all things correct in their lives, so that God will be pleased with me or them. And as for me at least, 40 plus years of doing things to please God has just made me weary of it all.

Thankfully, authentic Christianity is not a quest. Instead, it is a rest, and this rest is in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, when we see this rest, our lives suddenly turn away from what we do or need to do, and instead, we see that our lives are all about Him and what He is doing. For me, this means that I can be out and about relaxing with Jesus wherever I am.

So, I am done with the quest, which is actually disobedience. Instead, I am in a rest. And you know, it feels good to rest, and I am eager to do so. As the writer of Hebrews says:

Hebrews 4:8-11--Thus if Joshua had given them Rest, God would not speak later about another day. There is a sabbath-Rest, then, reserved still for the People of God (for once a man enters His rest, he rests from work just as God did). Let us be eager then to enter that Rest, lest anyone fall into the same sort of disobedience. (Moffatt)

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Which Spirit?

2011-10-14T05:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Many claim to follow "the spirit" as they live their lives, and especially as they live their religious lives. And there is no doubt that a spirit is being followed. However, the question is, "Which spirit?" You see, there are two spirits out there for humans to follow. One is the spirit of disobedience. As Paul told the Ephesians:

Ephesians 2:1-3--Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. (NLT)

This spirit influences people to focus on and react to what they and others do. But with this focus a problem comes into play. You see, no matter how noble or ignoble human actions are, strife, violence, hatred, despair, condemnation, and a host of other negative responses come forth because humans can never live "good enough" lives to override the downward pull of the fleshly nature as it tries to do law--any law. Just remember that Adam and Eve had but one commandment to keep in relation to the trees of the Garden, yet the spirit of disobedience quickly led them to disobey, with the accompanying blame game, even that one simple commandment.

On the other hand, there is another Spirit that comes into play for those who believe. This Spirit--the Holy Spirit--leads us to see a different reality, and this reality is Jesus Christ within. Furthermore, the Jesus within lets us step away from the silliness of focusing on what we or others do or don't do. Instead, we focus on Jesus Christ and His great work in us and potentially in everyone. As Paul further told the Ephesians:

Ephesians 3:14-20--When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (NLT)

So, please allow the "right spirit" to show you the way, and this way has nothing to do with what you do. Instead, this way is all about Jesus as He carries you off into eternity with Him.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

The Wrath of Law Love

2011-10-08T05:43:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

The Law of Moses offers many things that people, especially Christians, desire. For instance, it offers forgiveness; it offers grace; and it even offers salvation. But all of these valued items are offered with the idea that humans are to be the ones to put the pieces together in order to get forgiveness, grace, and salvation. Of course, humans being humans fall way short of being able to get, let alone give, the forgiveness, grace, and salvation they crave.

In addition, the Law of Moses offers love. But just like with forgiveness, grace, and salvation, human effort is demanded by the Law, even on the love front. As such, the Law tells us to love God with every bit of our being (Deut. 6:5) and to love our neighbor as our self (Lev. 19:18.) Well, neither one of these actions is going to happen any time real soon in any of our lives. So, all we end up with is an odd type of unrequited love from both God and ourselves. On one hand, God counts us as not showing love to Him because we don't and can't love as per the Law's demand. And on the other hand, God, at least on the surface, does not show us love through the Law because we have not earned it.

Nonetheless, "law love" is held up throughout Christianity has the type of love Christians are supposed to have and practice. In fact, all sorts of programs, preaching, and Bible studies are based on loving God and our neighbor as "God commands" in the Law, and ultimately all of this is just a call to do undoable law. So the only result possible is one of failure and therefore for us to receive the wrath of God.

But all is not lost in that at the cross a different type of love came into play for us. This love is "belief love." It is not like the love found in the Law of Moses in that there is no way of measuring belief love, as in "with all our being" and "as our self." Instead, even a tiny, not definable amount will do. And how could belief love be definable, anyway, because it is based on the actual love of the Father for the Son, which cannot be measured? Furthermore, there is only one way to come into belief love, which way is:

John 3:35-36--"The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” (NIV)

So which is it--law love, which is beaten into us from, it seems, every side, including every religious side? Or is it belief love, which so often is ignored and not seen? Well, to me the choice is easy. It is belief love as found in belief in the name of Jesus Christ, my one and only Savior, and, lo and behold, I can then see the love of God flooding in on me.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Backsliding

2011-09-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Many Christians feel that, either by accident or by choice, they will fall into some sort of sinful state that will cut them off from God. This view is often accompanied by the concern that they just might be permanently cut off from God. Furthermore, when these Christians look out at their relatives and friends, both living and dead, they can get the uncomfortable feeling that a number of their relatives and friends backslide to the point of being lost. But is that so? And is God so incompetent as to be unable to save someone even if they have backslidden?

Well, in answering these questions, I need to point out a curious fact. This fact is that, when measured against the law, everyone has backslidden. And yes, this even includes the fiery preacher who tells people not to backslide lest they end up consigned to hell forever. Nonetheless, it is quite natural for humans to backslide, and all humans do it--often a lot. Furthermore, if not to backslide is the ticket to God, all humans are indeed lost.

So, is to have backslidden a permanent state, and is God unable to save someone once they have backslidden? Well, let me answer both questions this way: God has talents that He can put into play in order to save people, even dead, unrepentant people over the long haul. One talent, for instance, is His ability to "burn the field" in order to make someone who has even apparently committed the "unpardonable sin" ready to hear His voice.

Therefore, God is not incompetent when it comes to saving people. If need be, He can even bring people back from the dead in order to work them over for salvation. He demonstrates this ability in His work to save Israel, as Paul mentions in Romans:

Romans 11:11-15--Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (NIV)

So there is great hope that, no matter how much a person appears to have backslidden, the door to salvation has not been slammed shut on them. And for this old backslider, this is really good news.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

You Will Be Judged!

2011-09-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

2 Corinthians 5:10--For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (NIV)

Throughout human history, the idea of a judgment from God has weighed heavily on the minds of many. This idea usually takes the form of what I call the "trapdoor" judgment. In this judgment, the person to be judged will have the "good points" he has earned in this life balanced against the "bad points" he has earned in this life. If there are more good points earned than bad points earned, then off to heaven that person will go. However, if the bad points predominate, well…, the trapdoor to hell opens up, and that person will drop down to hell--forever. Not surprisingly, with this trapdoor view of judgment, most people, knowing how they actually lived life and are even now living life, are troubled by what will eventually happen to them when they die.

But the judgment of God is not a trapdoor judgment. Instead, it is a crisis judgment. You see, God will end up judging everyone. Even now, as Peter says, judgment is on the family of God. But this judgment is based on an idea of good and bad that is rarely considered.

Simply put, good is believing in the name of Jesus, and bad is not believing in the name of Jesus. Furthermore, bad often takes the form of doing things, usually related to the law, in order to earn God's approval, all the while failing to consider what Jesus told the crowd 2000 years ago after He had fed them with bread:

John 6:29--“The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (NIV)

And this is where the issue of crisis judgment comes into play. You see, everyone, sooner or later, will come face to face with Jesus and will have a crisis of how to respond. If belief is the response, this is good, and eternal blessings are in play. But if belief is not the response, God will continue to judge that person as "not there yet" and will continue to patiently work with that person (for as long as it takes) in order to have them answer His call to belief.

The point is that, even though God's judgment involves the crisis of meeting Jesus face to face, there is great hope in this judgment. This hope is that He may have mercy on us all.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Where Did The Gospel Go?

2011-09-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Galatians 3:26-29--You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (NIV)

One of the greatest wonders of the gospel is its ability to bring people from all facets of the human experience together into one faith. But this wonder is hard to find these days in Christianity. Instead, there is a great deal of division in Christianity based on a host of peculiar, often law based, notions.

Oh sure, there are from time to time calls for unity in Christianity. But, alas, these calls and the pathetic responses that flow forth from these calls all fall flat. When this falling flat happens, Christians have no choice but to move on separating from each other as if nothing ever happened, or worse yet, condemning each other to the fires of hell.

Now, what has happened to Christianity? Well, one thing that has happened is that the gospel is seldom allowed to come into play in Christianity these days. So, what is the gospel? Well, the gospel is:

JESUS IS LORD, AND GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.

Embedded in this gospel is the idea that God made a promise to Abraham that in his seed all peoples will be blessed. In addition, belief in the name of Jesus Christ and love for all those who share this belief define the walk of believers in this gospel, which walk in turn produces a oneness of faith for believers.

But some might say that their denomination stands above any other denomination because of the neat things it teaches and does. But even the use of the word "denomination" points away from the gospel and shows a splitting apart and an expression of value relative to the next, usually viewed as inferior, group of Christians.

However, the fact is that where the gospel flourishes, separation is not part of the mix. Instead, there is unity of the faith for all who call on the name of Jesus. Say! Maybe Christianity should give the gospel a try one of these days.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

The Nasty Sins

2011-09-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Romans 1:18--God’s anger is shown from heaven against all the evil and wrong things people do. By their own evil lives they hide the truth. (NCV)

Christian preachers have long been attackers of sin, and they often get their ammunition for their harsh attacks on sin from Romans 1:18-32. Paul in this passage is usually presented as attacking various sins, particularly certain especially "grievous sex sins." So, preachers have for centuries used this passage to point out what evil people, in contrast to themselves, shamefully do. But this way of using Romans 1:18-32 is manipulating the Scripture to make Paul say something that he wasn't saying.

You see, Romans 1:18-32 is not a statement from Paul about how nasty sinners live their lives in contrast to how the righteous folks live their lives. It is instead a statement one or more of Paul's opponents were making in self righteously judging others. To this Paul counters:

Romans 2:1-3--If you think you can judge others, you are wrong. When you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty, because you do the same things they do. God judges those who do wrong things, and we know that his judging is right. You judge those who do wrong, but you do wrong yourselves. Do you think you will be able to escape the judgment of God? (NCV)

Paul's perspective is that, no matter who we are, we all fall way short of being righteous. Furthermore, it is easy to cast stones at others and their "nasty sins" and then miss the nasty sins that lurk within, either in deed or thought. In addition, when people condemn the actions of others, they are often in some form doing the same actions! Yet, Paul was not going to stand for this "they are terrible sinners, while I am good" approach, especially from those who pushed themselves forth as the true teachers of the faith. However, God is very kind to all people, and Paul even advises his adversaries to be alert to this by saying:

Romans 2:4--He has been very kind and patient, waiting for you to change, but you think nothing of his kindness. Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives. (NCV)

So, please don't miss the point Paul is making, and please don't fail to see that there is only one way to be right with God. This way, who is the great changer of hearts and lives, is Jesus Christ, and we, even this preacher writing this column, all desperately need Him.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

No Longer Excited By The Darkness

2011-09-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

We live in a world of great darkness. Furthermore, many terrible things happen in this darkness. But it is interesting to watch how we humans interact with the darkness. You see, we humans easily get excited about the things that go on in the darkness. We, on the one hand, decry the terrible things of the darkness as being truly evil. Then, on the other hand, we enthusiastically entertain ourselves with, participate in, and even condone these very same things. It is all quite contradictory and truly leads to nowhere.

However, for some, the light of Christ floods into their darkness and overwhelms it. As a result, a lot of things change for these folks; one being that they don't get that excited about the things of the darkness as these things now seem temporary, wasteful, hurtful, and often downright silly. Furthermore, those who walk in the light are encouraged by people like Paul to take full advantage of their new walk. As The Message renders Paul's words to the Ephesians concerning their new walk in the light:

Ephesians 5:8-16--You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it. Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light! So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! (The Message)

The point is that this world, with all of its evil, hysteria, and distractions, is not helpful to us. However, God has called us into the light, and this light (Jesus Christ) shows us the reality of all things. So, please grab hold of Him. As you do, you will find yourself leaving behind the darkness of this world and journeying with Jesus into a fully rewarding eternal life with Him. Now that is something to get excited about!

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

The Apocalypse

2011-08-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

The word "apocalypse" conjures up all sorts of harsh visions about what will happen when God finally intervenes in the affairs of mankind. In fact, a whole host of man made predictions, all of which have failed, have come and gone about the apocalypse.

But, the truth of the matter is that the apocalypse has already occurred for many and is playing out, even now, in wonderful ways as each new believer is called forth by God. Furthermore, this apocalypse is not a mean spirited affair on God's behalf. Instead, it offers the wonders of God to everyone who experiences it. As Paul told the Galatians:

Galatians 3:23-25--Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. (NIV)

The word "revealed" in the above passage comes from the Greek word "apokalyptō" and expresses, in this positive sense, God's work of revealing the New Covenant faith and specifically His Son to believers. As Paul told the Galatians about this work (this revealing) as it related to his own experience with God:

Galatians 1:15-17--But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. (NIV)

So, how life changing was this revealing to Paul? Well, it was quite a life changer. You see, with this revealing, everything Paul held as near and dear to him, including his law view of the world, changed abruptly and dramatically as the light of Jesus spilled into his life and overwhelmed Paul's darkness. With this, Paul took on a new life focused on the Jesus within. In like fashion, this revealing works in us.

What this means is that the clouds that block our vision of Jesus have parted for us, and we now stand saturated in the light of Jesus. Let us live life with this realization, and let us rejoice in the love God has shown to us in this matter. Oh, by the way, no one can "get ready" for the apocalypse. The apocalypse only happens when God allows it to happen in a person's life.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Declaring God Unrighteous

2011-08-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Christianity often says that God is righteous. But then, without really realizing what it is doing, Christianity repeatedly turns right around and declares that God is unrighteous. How is this done? Well, this is done by saying that God can't or won't keep His promise.

You see, God made a promise to Abraham that through his seed all peoples will be blessed. However, this blessing is hardly what popular Christianity teaches. Instead, it ignores this promise and instead teaches that most people will be consigned to the fires of hell to be tormented (This is a blessing?) forever.

In all of this, God comes across as some sort of fickle cosmic law keeper who allows, even forces, this hell outcome to happen. In other words, what is commonly taught and believed about God makes Him out as unwilling or unable to keep His promise. So, He is a promise breaker and therefore unrighteous. Furthermore, this harsh "Christian God" sits very poorly with most people, even with many who claim to follow Him.

However, God is righteous, and He demonstrates this righteousness to us through the fact that He has kept, is keeping, and will always keep the promise He made to Abraham, and He does this through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. As Paul says:

Romans 3:21-26--But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed – namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed. This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness. (NET)

Now we humans struggle to understand God's overall righteousness. But God saw to it that His righteousness can be seen by His keeping of the promise He made to Abraham and by His faithfulness to His friend Abraham and to all who become Abraham's seed. And quite interestingly, this is the storyline of the Bible. So, when we grab hold of this storyline and watch it play out from Abraham to Moses to David to Paul and finally to us, we come to see God's righteousness as it plays out to save us all.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Easter Sinner

2011-08-12T05:45:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Well, Easter has long come and gone. But, having gone through all the Easter celebrations, church services, and introspection, most Christians come away from the whole experience with the idea that they are still sinners. Why? Well, most Christians think like this because the way Christianity celebrates Easter visually promotes a Jesus who is still hanging on the cross. Furthermore, when the resurrected Jesus is discussed, it is in the context of Him being kicked up to heaven somewhere to hide out for a long time. Then when Easter is over, Christianity turns back to the law of Moses as the way for Christians to be made right. So, with an ineffectual Jesus still hanging on the cross or who is hiding out in heaven, and with a performance based belief system to follow, most Christians think that their sin situation never really got fixed and that therefore they are still sinners.

But there is a marvelous truth that those who are called into belief come to see. It is that they are not sinners, either as individuals or as a group. This is because Jesus did not stay on the cross, because He is quite active both in heavenly realms and within those who believe, and because His death on the cross terminated the law of sin and death that Moses told Israel to obey. With these actions, sin was destroyed for us a long time ago. As Paul says:

Romans 5:6-11--You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (NIV)

This is fantastic! When we were sinners and enemies of God, Christ died for us, and He did not die so that He could be a permanent fixture on the cross and so that we could then run back into the way of law with a temporarily cleaned slate. No! His death moved us into the sinless zone forever. Therefore, John declares:

1 John 3:9--No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. (NIV)

What this means is that in belief, we exist, not as sinners and enemies of God, but as His dear children, forever. You know, I like this no sin existence!

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Freedom

2011-08-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

There was a time in my life when I felt that I was in slavery to sin. Then I found Christ. But a curious thing happened in that the church I allied myself with ended up, like churches typically do, throwing me back into slavery to sin. The result was that the guilt, anxiety, and frustration I felt prior to my conversion resurfaced in my life after conversion.

Now, I did not understand what was going on in my life for a long time. But then it dawned on me. In both my pre-conversion days and in my post conversion days, I was focused, although without much understanding as to what I was doing, on issues that all related to how well I did various aspects of the law. Suffice it to say, I was not very successful on either side of my conversion with my law keeping.

But then, Jesus tapped me on my shoulder and said, "Stop looking at the law, which by the way you can't keep, and turn and look at me." So, I did, and an amazing thing happened. I found freedom from sin. This freedom came about because I saw that Jesus lives in me and that His no sin life pervades me. Furthermore, I saw that I was fully placed into the kingdom of Jesus where sin does not exist. The result was that I felt a new purpose and direction for my life based on the activity of Jesus within me. It is all as Paul told the Colossians about their new lives in Christ:

Colossians 1:9-14--…We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. (NLT)

This new life of freedom is my life now. Oh sure, the darkness still tries to thrust itself into my new life by seeking to have me jump through all sorts of law based hoops. But I am now free. So why would I want to return to that slavery of my old life? Well, I don't want to return to that slavery, and Jesus won't let me return no matter what the darkness throws at me. Furthermore, I pray for each of you as you walk in the kingdom of God's dear Son, who purchased your freedom and who has forgiven all of your sins forever.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Looking Like A Christian

2011-07-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

What does a Christian look like? Well, a Christian gives money to his church, regularly attends worship services, goes to Bible Study, is active on several church committees, teaches in the Sunday school, and participates in various mission projects to help and convert the lost. At least, this is the popularly accepted model of what a Christian looks like. But is this what a Christian looks like? Well, not necessarily.

You see, over time, and with the idea of providing order, scaffolding, and structure to what Christianity and therefore its followers look like, this model has come into being. But who fundamentally formed this model? Well, humans did, and they did so by copying various religious notions, many of which are based on the way of law (doing stuff) as found in religion in general and in Old Covenant interpretations in particular. So, when this model of what a Christian looks like is put in place, Christians actually end up copying the teachings and traditions of men.

In contrast, a real Christian is much different, and there is nothing particularly outstanding, based on doing church stuff, to distinguish this Christian from anyone else. However, there is someone active within a Christian believer, and this someone is Jesus Christ. Furthermore, Jesus works within a Christian, uniquely and individually, to transform that Christian into the model He wants. It is as the writer of Hebrews mentions in giving a blessing to believers:

Hebrews 13:20-21--Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. (NLT)

So what does a Christian look like? Well, just look in a mirror at yourself or look at another believer, and you will see what a Christian looks like. He looks like you and me as each of us is being transformed by Him. This means that a Christian cannot be spotted by the church stuff he does or does not do. Instead, he lives life as Jesus directs, and this lived life over time produces a testimony of the Jesus within that will go on forever.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Will Jesus Need To Get Another Job?

2011-07-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

The commonly accepted belief about heaven and hell makes physical death the point of no return for everyone. This means that a person at death either goes to heaven forever or to hell forever based on whether or not Jesus has been accepted prior to their death. Furthermore, a related belief holds that God will one day, probably quite soon, weary of His salvation work for all humanity and will stop trying to save people.

But, what do these beliefs say about the position of Jesus Christ as high priest? Well, these beliefs are in effect saying that Jesus is in a temporary position as high priest. After all, when the salvation work ends, either at the death of an individual or at sometime in the near future for all humans, what is then the need for a high priest? So, with this view, at some point it looks like Jesus just might need to look for a new job!

However, is Jesus in a temporary position as high priest? Well, no! You see, God made a promise to Abraham that in his seed all peoples will be blessed. Furthermore, God will work for as long as it takes to fulfill this promise. In addition, since humans can be quite quirky beings, this salvation project may take a long time. Therefore, the need for Jesus to serve as high priest will be around for a long time.

And this is where some really good news about Jesus Christ comes in. You see, His position as high priest is a permanent position. As the writer of Hebrews says in contrasting the temporary nature of the high priests of the temple with the eternal nature of Jesus Christ:

Hebrews 7:23-25--When one of the other priests died, he could not continue being a priest. So there were many priests. But because Jesus lives forever, he will never stop serving as priest. So he is able always to save those who come to God through him because he always lives, asking God to help them. (NCV)

The point is that God is out to save everyone. To this end, Jesus serves forever as high priest. This in turn points to the fact that God does love us all and will bear with us all for as long as it takes to show mercy to us all.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

The Door Is Always Open

2011-07-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Many Christians believe that when death comes, the opportunity to be saved ends. In other words, if a person has accepted Jesus by the time of their death, all is well. However, if a person has not accepted Jesus by the time of their death, it is to the hot place for them! A corollary to this "the door to salvation slams shut at death" teaching is that one day the door to salvation will slam shut for all humans, never to open again. So, if you are in heaven at that time, great! But, if you are in hell at that time, that is where you will stay forever.

But is either one of these notions true? Well, no! You see, God is in the salvation business, and He is very good at it. Furthermore, He has gone to great lengths to save everyone, and He will continue to do this work for as long as it takes to have everyone see and hopefully accept Jesus. This commitment is found in the promise God made to Abraham that in his seed all peoples will be blessed and runs throughout His dealings with humans all the way into the far reaches of the new heaven and the new earth.

Even in the new heaven and the new earth?! Yes! And to see this, please note these two passages from the conclusion to the Book of Revelation relating to that future time:

Revelation 21:25--On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. (NIV)

Revelation 22:1-2--Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (NIV)

Yes, the gates of the New Jerusalem will always be open, and the river of the water of life will always flow forth from that city. But who are the gates open for, and who will need the healing? How about all those who still exist in darkness in that future time?

My point is that God does not give up on His children. Furthermore, even if He has to, He will go to the far reaches of eternity to save them. It is all as Paul says:

Romans 11:32--For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. (NIV)

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Hell

2011-07-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Many have grown discouraged with the Christianity we see all about us. One of the key reasons for this situation is the emphasis many churches place on the doctrine of hell. This emphasis translates into a teaching that says a few really good people will make it to heaven, but most people, including the many who have never heard of Jesus Christ, will end up in hell forever. This teaching in turn makes God into some sort of a vengeful creature who somehow delights in the suffering of humans. This is hardly an encouraging teaching.

But is God really into sending most people to hell forever? Well, no! And to grasp the truth about what God is actually up to, it is important to understand two points.

The first point is that there is no such thing as a really good person. The truth is that all humans bang around in the darkness and fall way short of being judged as really good. This even includes the most righteous appearing religious person out there. As Paul wrote:

Romans 3:23--for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (NIV)

But despite this fact, all are not lost, which brings me to the second point. This point is expressed this way by Paul in writing to the Gentile Romans about their intertwined destiny with the people of Israel:

Romans 11:28-32--As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. (NIV)

Yes, God is out to save everyone, and the word "all" in the passage cited above means, of all things, "all." You see, God made a promise to Abraham that in his seed all peoples will be blessed, and this promise will never be withdrawn by God. So, could it be that hell will end up being a rather empty place? I think so.

Now I know that what I write here is not going to change the common teaching about hell that is found in most churches. But for me, the truth that God will have mercy on everyone gives me great confidence that indeed many will eventually take their places at that great heavenly feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Christ's Return

2011-06-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

For 2000 years, many Christians have felt that they were living in the time of Christ's return. So, in order to be a part of that group who would meet Christ, Christians have worked real hard to be good enough to join up with Him at the time of His "soon coming" return. And of course, there have been many people who have stepped forward saying that they know when the date of Christ's return is, where that will be, and how that return will look. Even in this day and age many are saying that we are living in the end time and that Christ will soon return to rapture His people away and to end this age with some sort of tribulation. But all of this is just speculation and misses one of the most startling facts about Christ's return.

You see, Christ has already returned. This realization was a key belief of the earliest church and kept many Christians resting in Jesus despite some truly bad things that were happening in their lives. But this understanding can be rather difficult for Christians to grasp because of the almost universal approach Christianity has to God. This approach is that Christians gain favor with God, and therefore become worthy of being accepted at the return of Christ, when they have become good enough through their works.

But God is not into our works as having any merit in gaining His favor. However, He is into Jesus and His work for us. As such, God just asks a very simple thing of us, and when we follow through on His request, an amazing truth pops up before us. This truth is as John wrote:

1 John 3:23-24--And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. (NIV)

And as Paul wrote about the point of His ministry:

Colossians 1:25-28--I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. (NIV)

The point is that you don't have to worry about Christ's return. If you believe, you see Him in you and in those who also believe. In other words, Jesus has already kept His date with you and will do so forever.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Perfection

2011-06-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Humans easily live under the impression that the perfect life is possible. This idea is impregnated in us from an early age. For instance, in school, getting 100% of the questions right on a test is considered a most praiseworthy reachable goal and is rewarded by the grade of "A" or even "A+". Then, as time goes by, certain events we witness in life reinforce the notion that a perfect life is possible. For instance, an athlete may earn a "perfect 10" for a performance given in the sports arena. So, we think, ever so subtly, that perfection can be found in marriage, on the job, in something we buy, or even with ourselves or others. But this is all an illusion.

You see, perfection is at best quite fleeting and surely cannot be sustained by humans. There are just too many factors at play, like the natural decay of things, the chaotic environment, and how we or others think and act, that, even when perfection seems to be present, perfection all too quickly falls apart into imperfection. Furthermore, when the realization sets in that this life will never be perfect on any lasting level, depression and discouragement can easily, and often does, set in. Even churches, the supposed expressions of God's perfection and teachings about how to have the perfect life, sooner or later show their gross imperfections in sometimes quite startling, even disgusting, ways.

So where does this understanding leave us humans? Well, it usually leaves us frustratingly trying to make this life work and often vainly criticizing ourselves or others for not being perfect in life or with some facet of life. However, a few have come to see that we humans can't be perfect, and that even includes on the religious front. As Paul said in writing to believers about love:

1 Corinthians 13:8-12--Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (NIV)

Yes, full perfection is yet to come, and it is found through Jesus Christ in eternity with God. Furthermore, it is good to remember that God does not ask you to be perfect to gain His love. Just believe in the name of Jesus Christ, and you will be counted perfect by Him, even knowing full well that you are not perfect.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

The Wrong Glory

2011-06-17T05:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Many people jump from church to church. With each new church, they are filled with excitement that they have found the church of their dreams. Yet, over time, the excitement fades until finally that church is often rejected. Why is this so? Well, one reason is that many people get mixed up in the wrong glory.

You see, when it comes to the practice of Christianity, there are two glories. One, based on the old law approach, which most churches embrace, starts with a flourish, but does not last. The other, based on belief, is eternal and continues to increase forever.

Yes, law based churches do have an attractive glory. This glory can be found in nice buildings, great church services, charismatic preachers, well run programs, and an emphasis on doing things "the way God commands." But over time, this glory fades. Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this situation as it played out with Moses:

2 Corinthians 3:7-- The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. (NLT)

Furthermore, this way, meaning the old law covenant way, does not produce true spiritual enlightenment. Instead, it just keeps people in the unsatisfying darkness of sin and death. As Paul also wrote:

2 Corinthians 3:14-15--…and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. (NLT)

But there is a glory that lasts. This glory is found in Jesus Christ alone, and we see this glory when we answer the call of God and turn to see Jesus. As Paul also wrote:

2 Corinthians 3:16--But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. (NLT)

The point is that we want the glory that lasts, not the glory that fades. Furthermore, the glory that lasts is not found in nice buildings, great church services, charismatic preachers, well run programs, and by doing things "the way God commands." It is instead found in Jesus Christ, and He is the glory that lasts.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

What Does God Look Like To You?

2011-06-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Matthew 18:32-35--“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (NIV)

When you think of God, what kind of God pops into your mind? For many, the harsh God of above is the one who pops into mind. The reason for this harsh vision of God is that most churches are mired in the Old Covenant. This system was set up to prove to us that we can't earn God's favor through our works. Therefore, failure to accomplish the Old Covenant's high demands, like forgive your brother completely from your heart, just earns God's wrath. So, since just about every church focuses on the Old Covenant, the harsh God view is the one most people have been taught and therefore have etched in their minds.

Yet, Jesus came to save us and, in so doing, to show that we humans can't gain God's favor by using the Old Covenant. Therefore, we see many verses, like the one cited above about forgiveness, in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, that record the stern realities of the Old Covenant. Thankfully, Jesus at the cross ended that system for those who believe in His name. In its place, Jesus released the New Covenant for us to live under, and this system allows us to cease from our works and to instead rest in Jesus and His great work for us. With this, we can see just how loving God actually is. As Paul told the Ephesians:

Ephesians 2:4-7--But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

The point is that, when we seek to walk in the Old Covenant with its focus on what we do, God easily comes across to us as harsh. But when we step into the New Covenant, we see God as the God of love that He is.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Second Class Christians

2011-06-03T05:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Are you a second class Christian? Well, of course not. Yet, many Christians feel that they are indeed second class. This situation exists because many have been made to believe that Godly perfection (or something quite near to it) is possible for Christians to reach. This idea is often reinforced by testimonies from others who have supposedly reached, in some fashion, this Christian ideal and also by proclamations from Christian preachers and teachers that, by just doing certain things, perfection is within the grasp of Christians.

But for many Christians, the realization, as they gaze with discouragement at their "perfect" fellow Christians and preachers, is that they are a long way from Godly perfection and that this "failure" has been a part of their lives for many years--even for years spent as Christians. In other words, their marriages are not real great; their attitudes are often bad; their generosity to others is often quite limited; their ability to forgive is rather weak, etc.

But here is an amazing truth. Under the terms of the New Covenant (as opposed to the Old Covenant, which demanded perfection) God does not expect us to be perfect. He does not even expect us to come close. Instead, He has taken care of everything in this matter through His Son. As Paul told the Ephesians:

Ephesians 1:3-8--All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. (NLT)

So, this is not an issue about us becoming perfect through our own efforts. Instead, Jesus has done it all for us, and He did it for us a long time ago.

I also want to let you in on a little secret. It is that no one, aside from Jesus, has come close to the Godly perfection state in this life. Furthermore, anyone who claims to have reached perfection, even in just one aspect of living, is just kidding them self. In addition, preachers and teachers who say that perfection is possible, or nearly so, are in reality far from it even in their own lives.

The point is that there are no second class Christians. There are just believers walking into the Light of Jesus Christ, who is our perfection.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Statistics

2011-05-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Recently, I saw statistics showing that orthodox Christianity is in a state of collapse in America. The reality is that those who are active in orthodox Christianity make up but a small part of the American population. Furthermore, this minority is getting smaller and smaller as time passes. Now, why is this so?

Well, to me, the answer is that orthodox Christianity (and most of non-orthodox Christianity for that matter) thinks that doing at least parts of the Law of Moses is the way to God's heart. In so thinking, what passes for Christianity in our land fails to understand that all the Law, with its intense focus on human effort, does for us is condemn us.

The result of all of this is that, over time, disillusionment, frustration, and discouragement set in, and therefore, many so beat down Christians leave Christianity never to return. In addition, the few who remain often bang around from church to church trying to find some sort of illusive "Christian" fulfillment.

Well, to fix this situation, individual churches and denominations use all sorts of programs, campaigns, and advertising to entice new followers, or even other churches' followers, into their embrace--all the while failing to address the real problem at hand. This problem is as old as the hills, and Paul mentioned this problem a long time ago to the Galatians when he said:

Galatians 3:1-7--You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. (NIV)

You see, we can't get there from here by using the Law of Moses. It is only through Jesus Christ and His faith that we can get there from here. Actually, we are already there when we rest in belief. Furthermore, in this belief there is no disillusionment, frustration, and discouragement. Instead, there is great comfort and joy knowing that Jesus is our indwelling Savior--past, present, and future.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

The Salvation Road

2011-05-21T04:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Matthew 7:13-14--“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (NIV)

Many Christians struggle with this passage of Scripture. This is because this passage seems to be saying to many that salvation is a really hard thing to reach and that many people will not be saved. But is this so?

Well, when these words about the narrow road were spoken, salvation was indeed really hard to achieve. Furthermore, this salvation through the law, which can give salvation if done perfectly, was the only salvation road open for most people of that time to use.

So, how many can do the law perfectly? Well, there is only one that I know, and that one is Jesus Christ. Furthermore, by presenting the real meaning of the law in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus showed just how demanding and really hard law is to do. Therefore, narrow was "the road that leads to life."

But then, if we continue reading, which few Bible teachers seem to do, in the text of Matthew's Gospel, we see an amazing thing….the centurion shows up with an understanding of what Jesus was saying. In other words, the centurion connected the dots and realized that he, the centurion, desperately needed a Savior, meaning Jesus Christ. With this, Jesus gave this prophecy showing how many will actually be saved:

Matthew 8:11-12--"I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (NIV)

Yes, many will be saved through belief in the name of Jesus, and those who still insist on trying to be saved through the laws of the kingdom they grew up in will be, at least temporarily, thrown out.

What this all means is that the narrow road law way ended at the cross for believers. In its place a new broad way to salvation opened wide for all who believe. Furthermore, this new way is easy because we don't have to "do it." Instead, Jesus has already done it all for us and for many, many others who step into belief.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

It Is Not An Instruction Book!

2011-05-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

The idea that the Bible is an instruction book about how to live this life is almost universally accepted throughout Christianity. Furthermore, denominations, individual churches, preachers, and regular Christians often turn to the Bible's pages to tell them how to live.

But, with this approach, a major problem arises. This problem is that the Bible, on the surface at least, seems to be saying various, often contradictory, things about this life and how to live it. So, Christians have learned to ignore certain parts of the Bible or learned how to step cleverly through and over the "contradictory" parts so that they can embrace the Bible's "wonderful eternal truths" about how to live life.

But did God really write the Bible as an instruction book? If so, why are there so many apparent contradictions and seemingly confusing parts in it? Furthermore, if the Bible is such a great instruction book, why did God wait so long to finally put the whole thing together? And why have so many humans not had access to this great instruction manual we call the Bible?

Well, as strange as it may seem, the Bible is not primarily an instruction manual for how we are to live life. Instead, it is a story, which everyone, sooner or later, will have an opportunity to hear.

You see, humans fell completely and totally with Adam and Eve. Then God made a promise to Abraham that in his seed all peoples will be blessed. That promise was extended to and through David and others, until finally, Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected in fulfillment of that promise. And that is what the Bible is--the telling of God's story of the fulfillment of His promise. Furthermore, when the early Christians stepped forth, they told with great joy that story and what it means to Christians, as they saw that:

Galatians 3:29--If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (NIV)

So please let God tell His story to you through the Bible. This story is wonderful and plays out for you into forever as you live in God's embrace. Furthermore, this story is wonderful news for you no matter how your life is going.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

The Fire Within

2011-05-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Luke 24:27-32--And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (NIV)

I take my job of being a minister and church pastor very seriously. It just seems to me that so much has been entrusted to me by God to get right and that so many people are also looking to me to, in some fashion, help them get it right. Therefore, I work very hard at my calling. Part of that work involves studying the Scriptures, and I must say that, over the last bunch of years, studying the Scriptures has proven to be very rewarding, especially as I understand what these Scriptures are saying about Jesus. It seems that every time I study, something new about Him explodes before me. Not only that, but for some reason, as these things explode before me, it is like my heart is burning within me, as well.

You see, the Father wants us to see His Son within us and to see all that His Son has done, is doing, and will do for us. And this Son is not the weak, pathetic Son that we have all had embossed in our minds. No! His Son is God Himself with all the powers and attributes of God. Furthermore, this God is a consuming fire who actually burns within us. Therefore, when we see what and who and why He is, and, when we understand more and more about Him, that fire flames within us. And I, for one, feel my heart burning in ways that are hard to explain but which are wondrous to experience. In fact, this fire is changing me from the inside out as I live this messy life.

My point is that we are being refined by Jesus Christ Himself and not by our puny efforts. It is indeed a process, but it is one that is oh so satisfying and warming to the soul. It is also one that comes to be by His very presence within us as He works to open eternity before us in both our understanding and in our reality.

So, please let Him speak, live, and act in you. When you do through belief, your life will change forever, like it did for those men on the road to Emmaus. Can you feel the fire?

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Torn Apart For Jesus?

2011-04-29T06:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Why do so many Christians feel torn apart emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes even physically by the words of Jesus? Well, often the reason is that they have been taught that all the words, many of which are indeed quite troubling, Jesus spoke 2000 years ago are for them. In addition, many of the most troubling of these words are found in Matthew 18 and 19. For instance, in this passage, Jesus is presented as saying to Christians these mandates:

1. Forgive everyone from your heart, or God will harshly treat, even not forgive, you.

2. Divorce and remarriage, except under the most limited of circumstances, is wrong.

3. Sell everything and give it to the poor.

Well, all Christians fail miserably with one, two, or even all three of these mandates. Furthermore, when they appeal to their churches for relief, Christians are usually met with this type of response: "Well, Jesus said it. So I guess He wants us to do it!" But with this type of no relief response, the real intent of Jesus' words here is missed.

You see, Jesus' words, as recorded in Matthew 18 and 19, were not directed at Christians. Instead, they were directed at the not yet enlightened as to the new faith disciples. Furthermore, these words greatly troubled the disciples. For instance, after hearing Jesus' tough words about divorce and remarriage, the disciples responded, “It is best not to marry!” And after hearing Jesus' statements about selling everything and giving the proceeds to the poor and about the minimal chances for rich people getting saved, the astonished disciples said, “Who possibly can be saved?”

Yet, Matthew 18 and 19 are not about the disciples (or us for that matter) getting right with God. Instead, these chapters show that Jesus was pressing the disciples with the law so that they would start to sense that something was not right with their lives and approach to God. And that something was that they had not yet really seen Jesus.

But then, after the cross, the disciples finally did see Jesus. Furthermore, when they did see Jesus for who He is and for what He does, new teachings sprang forth from these disciples. For instance, they began to teach that forgiveness is something God, not us, does and that it is already fully done in and by Jesus Christ. They also taught, as illustrated by Paul's comments in 1 Corinthians 7, a different approach to the challenge of marriage. And, as far as salvation goes, they realized that believers are saved completely and totally forever by Jesus Christ. Therefore, they felt healed by Jesus.

Furthermore, we, too, find the same healing when we walk into belief in His name. In other words, there is no need to be torn apart by words that were never intended for us.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Being Wrong

2011-04-22T05:38:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Matthew 5:48--But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (NLT)

We humans sure like to be right, or at least to think that we are right. This thinking even reaches out to encompass most Christians, who are taught and usually believe that, if they just do the things Jesus commanded, then they will be right with God. But Jesus told people prior to the cross to do some very hard things as illustrated by the verse above.

Yet, being perfect as God is perfect is not going to happen anytime real soon in any of our lives. We are all just too human to even remotely approach being perfect as God is perfect. So what are we to make of the hard "narrow gate" instructions Jesus gave? Are we to just grit our teeth and throw ourselves against the stone wall of obedience?

Well, if we take Jesus' tough words on how to be right as being an unreachable goal, then maybe there is another view for us to consider. This view is that only God is right. With this view, Jesus' pre-cross words can end up disrupting our "I am right" thinking and then cause us to realize that we just might be wrong about ourselves and God.

Now, by saying all of this, I am not saying that we are sinners beyond recovery. What I am saying is that we are incapable of being right before God, and this is a hard fact for us to accept because we quite naturally want to be right. But, take heart! God is capable, and, when we allow Jesus to disrupt our thinking, we can see this. As Paul reflected on how his own "I am right" law thinking was disrupted by Jesus:

1 Timothy 1:15-17--This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. (NLT)

In other words, it is OK to be wrong before God. Furthermore, when we let Jesus be active in our lives through belief alone, curiously, we become right, as well.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Get The Drift?

2011-04-15T04:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Matthew 7:24-27--“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (NIV)

These words found at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount are regularly misinterpreted to mean that we must do the "righteous" actions Jesus spoke of in the Sermon. But is this "do these things" approach necessary? Well, I submit that it is not. The reason it is not is that we can't do the law actions Jesus cited. When we try to do these actions, either in mind or body, all we do is make ourselves frustrated and prove that we are indeed sinners-- a point, by the way, I am tired of proving.

So, how do we put Jesus' Sermon words into practice? Well, let me put it this way: As I was growing up, I often heard my mother say, "We are not trying to heat the outdoors!" Did she mean I should somehow be concerned about keeping the temperature outside my house cool? Well, no. She meant, "Shut the door!" And early on, I caught the drift of my mother's words and put her words into action by shutting the door. Similarly, can we catch the drift of Jesus' words and therefore correctly put His words into practice?

Well, Matthew, as shown at the start of Matthew 8, helps us out by reporting two follow-up events to the Sermon. First, the account of the leper asking for healing from Jesus is given. Then follows the account of the centurion confessing that he wasn't worthy for Jesus to come under his roof. So, we are seeing the leper acknowledging Jesus as God followed by the powerful centurion confessing just how far short he fell in comparison to Jesus. Then Jesus said:

Matthew 8:10-12--…“I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (NIV)

The point, as shown by the leper, who received healing, and by the centurion, who was praised for his realization, is that Jesus is the only way for us to be saved. Can we modern lepers and centurions catch this drift of the Sermon on the Mount and put His words into practice in the same way? Well, we can if we answer God's call to belief.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

The Sweet Jesus

2011-04-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

When I was a little boy, I was taught what Jesus looked like. This Jesus had long hair, a thin straggly beard, and pasty white skin. This Jesus also appeared either as someone who was gently tapping on a door or as someone who was standing holding a couple of fingers up in some sort of gesture. To my little mind, this Jesus could do little, except walk around saying pleasant, peculiar things. Therefore, what was formed in me was a vision of Jesus as being a sweet Jesus, meaning a weak, placid, docile Jesus. Furthermore, as time went on, I discovered that this sweet Jesus is the Jesus that most people have in their minds based on what they, too, were taught as children.

But then a fascinating event happened to change my vision of Jesus. This event was that I was called by God into belief, and with this, Jesus was no longer in my mind the sweet Jesus of my childhood. Instead, Jesus became in my mind the dynamic, forceful, challenging Jesus, who not only dearly loves us but who also forces people to see Him as God and themselves as not. With this, a new understanding of the Biblical reports about Jesus sprang forth in my mind. This "new" Jesus did things with great intention, force, and purpose. It is all as John the Baptist prophesied to the law types:

Matthew 3:7-12--But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (KJV)

Yes, Jesus was on a mission and still is. But Jesus is not the weak, meek, sweet Jesus of Christian fable. Instead, He is the living God Jesus who has saved us and who lives strongly in us forever. With this understanding, Jesus becomes in our minds awesome and able to do whatever is necessary to successfully carry us forward into eternal realms.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Are You Under A Curse?

2011-04-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Many Christians feel troubled about their relationship with God. This is usually because Christians do not understand a crucial teaching of authentic Christianity about the law. This teaching is that, when Christians seek to use the law in their obedience to God, they fall under a curse. Please notice Paul's thoughts on this subject as he centers on the value of belief over law keeping:

Galatians 3:6-9--Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (NIV)

Yes! Belief is good. But then Paul goes on to show what mixing in a little law does:

Galatians 3:10-12--All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” (NIV)

Notice that a curse is on everyone who does not do everything written in the Book of the Law. However, most Christians are indoctrinated with the idea that the law, even though it is really hard to keep, is their ticket to God. So, in order make that ticket seem usable, Christian teachers of the law erroneously, and without God's permission, drop out what are called the ceremonial, national, and sacrificial parts of the law. This is absolute folly, because the law cannot be broken up into parts like this. The law stands as a whole, and so to arbitrarily break off parts of the law to focus on what are called the moral parts of the law is to actually bring a curse on those who follow this approach.

Thankfully, God fixed the curse problem by ending the law's influence on us and by calling us to step into belief. As Paul says:

Galatians 3:13-14--Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (NIV)

So, do you feel you are under a curse? Well, you are not under a curse if you step away from the law--all of it--and allow the faith of Christ to rule in your life. When you do, the blessing given to Abraham becomes yours.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

More Work?

2011-03-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Many people think that Christianity is all about doing a lot of work. This is strange in that the testimony of the Bible is that Christianity is actually a rest. Yet there it is time and again, teachings and statements about the need for Christians to be out there doing all sorts of work in order to please God. And of course, the Bible is used to support this do works mentality. One of the Bible passages that is used this way is this one:

Luke 17:7-10--“Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” (NIV)

Now, when this passage is used, the idea is that, "Well, we need to go above and beyond in the works department in order to please God!" But this response fails to take into consideration that there is another way to understand this passage. You see, Jesus is not telling us to work harder. Instead, He was implanting a seed, which would later sprout in many of those who heard His words, that getting saved through human effort is really hard. In fact, it is so hard that, even when those who think they are godly do all that they think they should do to please God, they still fall short.

And this is the point of much of what Jesus taught when He walked this earth 2000 years ago. This point is that it is impossible for humans to get from here to there with God no matter how hard they work at it. Instead, humans desperately need a Savior to do it all for them, and that Savior is Jesus Christ. As Paul said when in Pisidian Antioch:

Acts 13:32-39--“We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’ The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ So it is stated elsewhere: “‘You will not let your Holy One see decay.’ “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. (NIV)

So please accept this good news. Your salvation is has nothing to do with the work you do. Instead, it rests firmly in the work of Jesus Christ for you forever.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

A Very Thin Veneer

2011-03-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

For most of my life, I unknowingly lived in the darkness of this world. Furthermore, I was enthralled by all the world had to offer--its easy answers, its mind numbing entertainment, its sure promises, and its glitzy packaging. Yet, even with all of its folderol, the world never seemed to produce a lasting fix to my poor life, and it surely never gave me any real hope for my future beyond my short, pathetic existence on this earth.

But then an amazing thing happened. I was called to understand the gospel of belief. In this gospel, I found that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead. In addition, I discovered that this world, in contrast to Jesus, is not lord and can only produce death. Oh sure, the world can look good and bright on the surface. But when this very thin veneer is scratched, even a little, great darkness spills forth from the reality of the world as it really is.

So where does this understanding leave me? Well, it leaves me as a stranger in this world journeying off into eternal realms with God. I also see that this dark world has been put in place by physical and spiritual forces to mesmerize humans so that they cannot see just how desperate their situation is. So, as Peter says:

1 Peter 1:17-21--Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. (NIV)

In other words, there is no thin veneer with God. Instead, His love for us is deep and abiding through Jesus Christ. Furthermore, this love extends forever for us, even after our temporary stay in this dark world ends. So, please journey with faith and hope in God. With this approach, you can embrace God's promise for you now and look forward to the great fulfillment awaiting you in Jesus. And all of this exists apart from the emptiness of this dark world.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

I Fell!

2011-03-12T05:34:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Many years ago, when I was a little boy, I fell off a crossbar of a neighbor's swing set. The distance I fell was only about three feet, but I was seriously injured when I hit the ground. Well, I was in terrible pain, unable to move, and quite angry about the situation I was in. But then a man picked me up and carried me up a long flight of stairs into the neighbor's house. There the process of fixing my injury started, and this process involved the loving kindness, exhibited over several months, of many people who helped me to get better.

Now I bring this example to you because I feel that it is a metaphor for how God deals with us. You see, we all naturally live in a fallen state based on events going back to Adam and Eve. We also naturally live in great darkness, and we are unable on our own to move away from this situation. So what are we to do?

Well, in steps what passes for Christianity and tells us that we are evil and deserving of the mess we are in. This is turn can make us feel really bad and far from God. Then, when we ask Christianity how to fix this situation, it responds with a little bit of grace and a ton of law for us to do. The idea is that we can somehow move from our fallen state by doing stuff, but this recipe never works in any one's life. Instead, it just shows what a hopeless situation we are in.

But, a better way of viewing our situation is that, yes, we humans are naturally on the ground, in pain, unable to get up, and angry with God. But then God, in His perfect timing, bends over, picks us up, begins to heal us through Jesus Christ, and even now is carrying us forth into heavenly realms as His dearly loved friends. As Paul says:

Romans 5:6-11--When we were unable to help ourselves, at the right time, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die. But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners. So through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s anger, because we have been made right with God by the blood of Christ’s death. While we were God’s enemies, he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Surely, now that we are his friends, he will save us through his Son’s life. And not only that, but now we are also very happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we are now God’s friends again. (NCV)

So, God is now embracing us tightly to Himself, and He has no intention of letting us fall. To me, this is very reassuring and lets me live freely, without the fear of spiritual injury, in and with Jesus Christ forever.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

The Jesus Gospel

2011-03-04T16:20:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

The gospel is a wonderful thing. But we live in a world that really has no idea as to what the gospel is. Even the Christian world seems quite ignorant as to the gospel and its power. So what is the gospel? Well, the gospel is:

Jesus is Lord, and God raised Him from the dead.

This gospel is not about living a good life. It is not about keeping this or that point of the law. It is not even particularly about helping others. It is all about Jesus Christ, His position in the cosmos, and His standing forth in resurrection. Furthermore, this gospel has great power to change us and the world in eternal ways.

You see, in the Roman world, where the gospel first appeared, Caesar was called lord, and it was vital for everyone to confess this mantra to keep a good standing in that world. However, the gospel came forth as a direct challenge to Caesar, and sparks did indeed fly as a result of this challenge. Yet, in the long run, the Caesars proved to be just fallible, finite humans who die and go to decay.

In contrast, Jesus came as Lord, died, rose from the dead, and still lives. With this simple knowledge and His presence, the faith of 2000 years ago eroded the power of the Caesars and collapsed the pagan Roman system to bring salvation to those who embrace the gospel. It is as Paul tells believers of all ages:

Romans 10:9--If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (NLT)

Yet, we all live in a world in which many Caesars still proclaim themselves as lord. These lords can range from all sorts of do's and don'ts of the law, to various religious personalities, to even our own selves. Yet, there remains but one Lord. As Paul reflects in answering the issue of meats offered to idols:

1 Corinthians 8:5-6--There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life. (NLT)

So, let us confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead. With this, the gospel kicks into action in us to both transform us and to hold us firmly in God's love forever.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

The Jesus Who Offends

2011-02-24T19:20:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Matthew 15:12--Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” (NIV)

Yes, Jesus offended the Pharisees with His words that criticized their practice of the law. But Jesus' ministry offended many people. He even offended many of His own disciples. As John reports:

John 6:60-61--On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? (NIV)

Well, yes it did. So, John further reports:

John 6:66--From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. (NIV)

The fact is that Jesus' words offended the people of His day in at least two ways. One way was through His attacking their hypocritical law practices. The other way was by presenting Himself as He really is. And this offending has not changed over the years.

You see, the natural mind is easily offended by Jesus, and the quite natural reaction to Jesus is to therefore step away from Him in order not to be offended. But this presents a problem in that humans also want to be religious. So to solve this problem, various religious comings and goings, like rituals, prophecies related to world events, and "do these works to be religious" schemes, have been put in place so that an appearance and personal feeling of being religious can be present. Furthermore, by dabbing the name Jesus over these religious activities, a Christian appearance can pop forth.

However, we really need Jesus, because He is the only way to be saved. This occurs in our lives when we turn to Jesus by answering the call of God. When this happens, He gives us Himself, and His presence brings something quite special that religion can't give. It is as Jesus said:

John 6:54--Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (NIV)

So, please embrace the real, living Jesus. Furthermore, when you embrace Him through belief, you will find, amazingly, that you are no longer offended by Him. Instead, you will find that He loved you all along and still loves you forever.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Christian Division

2011-02-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Galatians 5:13-15--You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (NIV)

When Paul spoke here about the freedom we have in Christ, he mentioned the Old Covenant command (Lev. 19:18) to "Love your neighbor as yourself." Now, why would he do that? Is it because he, in contradiction to what he was saying in the rest of Galatians about the law, actually felt that some parts of the law are still valid for Christians? Or was he making another point altogether? Well, he was making a very important point about the law that we need to understand.

You see, this "Love your neighbor as yourself." command, like all Old Covenant commands, ceased for believers at the cross. Nonetheless, there were in Paul's time (just like in ours) those who taught that various Old Covenant commands, like this "Love your neighbor as yourself." one, for instance, are necessary for Christians to keep. Well, Paul challenged this teaching in Galatians with words pointedly directed at the law followers. Furthermore, he showed in Galatians 5:14-15 what this law keeping produces, as my "getting the sense from the context" rendering of this passage shows:

Galatians 5:14-15--(You know that) the entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (But) if you keep on biting and devouring each other, (as you law followers even of this command are doing) watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Then Paul encouraged the Galatians to follow the new no law way of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:16-18--So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. (NIV)

Simply put, Paul was pointing out that the presence of the law brings bickering and division to the Christian community. Furthermore, Christian history up to and including our time is filled with ample evidence of this law generated bickering and division.

So, please don't be deceived by those who still teach law, even the "Love your neighbor as yourself." law, as being necessary for Christians. Instead, please embrace Jesus Christ with His righteousness. He exists apart from the law and is the only way to have peace in the Christian community.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Suffering

2011-02-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

We humans are sure a strange lot. On one hand, we decry the suffering that is all about us and that is even in our lives. But on the other hand, we entertain ourselves with suffering and, at times, cause (even seem to delight in causing) suffering. It is as if it is OK, or at least tolerable, for the other guy to suffer, but it is not OK for us to suffer. Furthermore, when we do suffer, we want something or someone to take away that suffering. Yet the suffering never seems to completely go away. Why is this?

Well, the reason is that this world is a place of suffering on many levels. But often what passes for Christianity seems to say, "Just do the Christian thing and suffering will disappear from your life and from the world." However, this is hardly the message of the authentic faith because the authentic faith does not deny that suffering is part of this life. Instead, it reminds us that Christ Himself suffered in, and at the hands of, this world and that we are to share in His suffering. As Paul says:

Romans 8:16-17--The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (NIV)

What this means is the suffering of this world is somehow a portal to glory with God. Furthermore, this portal leads away from the suffering of this creation to a realm where the entire creation will be refreshed into freedom from suffering. As Paul further says:

Romans 8:18-23--I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (NIV)

What this all means is that all of what makes us us will be redeemed fully and completely and that this creation will follow along in that redemption.

So, please realize what this world really is--a place of suffering. But also please realize that God is setting up a redeemed world wherein His dominion invades this dominion to establish peace, justice, and happiness for you, me, and the whole creation forever.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Let God Tell His Story!

2011-02-05T05:24:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

2 Peter 1:19-21--We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard—God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word. (The Message)

I have been studying the Bible for many years now. Over these years, it has become quite clear to me that the Bible reports all sorts of wonderful things about the work and Word of God. The Bible is to me quite simply the great story of God's dealing with humans. Furthermore, this story particularly centers on God fulfilling His promise to Abraham that in his seed all people on earth will be blessed. And do you know what? God has done, is doing, and will continue to do this blessing through that seed--meaning Jesus Christ. It is as Peter told the onlookers right after the resurrection of Jesus:

Acts 3:24-26--“All the prophets from Samuel on down said the same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. God’s covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: ‘By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ But you are first in line: God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways.” (The Message)

However, I have also noticed that there are many voices out there saying other things about the Bible and therefore about what God is doing. These voices easily make the Bible into a recipe book of do's and don'ts on how to make God happy, or a horror book of what the dark future is for most humans, or an advice book on how to make this life work. By following any of these approaches to the Bible, the blessing message of the Bible for all people gets pushed to the background. So most people, even many who diligently study the Bible, get sidetracked away from what the Bible is saying. In other words, these voices, both spirit and human, block people from understanding the story God is telling in the Bible.

Yet, the Bible is actually a wonderful, encouraging book. It has a story to tell, and this story flows to a promise keeping conclusion in Jesus Christ. So please read it as such, and it will help you to find life in its words as revealed to you by God.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you! Richard

The New & Improved You

2011-01-28T18:21:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

"But I am not good enough!"

I have heard statements like this throughout my forty years of ministry. These statements of despair are from Christians and are produced as they consider their standing with God and their efforts at trying to make themselves righteous. In addition, these statements, while quite sad, are also quite logical. You see, modern Christianity almost universally teaches that, if a Christian wants to be in a new creation, they must do this, that, and the other thing, either in part or completely. So off Christians go seeking to make themselves the "new and improved you."

But the fact is that nothing too exciting happens. At best, success at building a new creation, even by using "righteous" actions, programs, and techniques, is infinitesimal. Of course, when this realization hits home to Christians, they quite naturally conclude, "But I am not good enough!" Yet, herein is great news.

You see, God knows we are not good enough, and He knows that we can't make ourselves good enough. So, He does it all for us, and we see this work when we allow ourselves to be crucified with Christ. Furthermore, the new creation work of God has been around for a long time. Even in Paul's day, when some were running around teaching that "the new creation" work was accomplished by being circumcised and by keeping the law of Moses, God was doing the new creation work. As Paul says:

Galatians 6:14-16--But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. (KJV)

Or as The Message quite nicely handles this passage:

Galatians 6:14-16--For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them! (The Message)

So please rest in your free life as a new creation in Jesus Christ.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you! Richard

Does Death Win?

2011-01-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Just how big and powerful is God? Well, His magnitude and power are way beyond anything we can relate to. However, religion likes to keep God in some sort of box--small, weak, and, therefore, quite manageable. Furthermore, this vision of a small God is embraced by large sections of Christianity.

One area where this "small god" image prevails in Christianity is in God saving humans. It seems that the almost universal Christian view is that, if a person dies without confessing the name of Jesus, then nothing can be done. They are toast, and God cannot do anything to change this because the teaching actually has death as being bigger than God. But is death bigger than God? Well, no. And this "no" is amply supported by Paul's words about the salvation of Israel. So is now dead Israel's fall final with God's hands tied so that He cannot save them? Please note Paul's answer to this question:

Romans 11:11--Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. (NIV)

So will Israel live again? Paul says, "Yes!":

Romans 11:15--For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (NIV)

Yes, God is quite capable of adding Israel back in, as Paul says:

Romans 11:23--And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. (NIV)

Yes! God is in the salvation business, and He is very good at it. What this means is that God is quite capable of saving everyone if they so want. It also means that death is not bigger than God. So we rest is this assurance for both Israel and everyone who has ever lived, is now living, or will ever live:

Romans 11:31-32--so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. (NIV)

Death, you lose!

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Thy Kingdom Come

2011-01-14T18:53:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Luke 19:11--While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. (NIV)

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke have a great deal to say about the kingdom of God (or kingdom of heaven as Matthew would say.) Yet starting with the Gospel of John and working through the rest of the Bible, a different sort of kingdom seems to be the focus. So what is going on?

Well, when the term kingdom of God (heaven) is used in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it is primarily being used as the pre-cross people who heard Jesus would have understood it. You see, those people understood the kingdom in largely physical terms. Therefore, they thought of the kingdom as: "Ditch the Romans. Rule our own land. Eat big, juicy grapes while the Gentiles flounder before us." They also viewed the kingdom as, individually and nationally, reachable through the only way available to them--meaning their own efforts or law keeping.

But then along comes Jesus to challenge their narrow view. In so doing, Jesus began to collapse their notions about a physical kingdom that was reachable through works. He did so with very troubling words. An example of these troubling words is found in Jesus' response to a centurion's profession of faith:

Matthew 8:10-12--…“I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (NIV)

Yes, the subjects of the physical kingdom were in deep trouble. Furthermore, Jesus kept the pressure on about their dire situation through giving them various parables, like the parables about the Talents, the Pearl of Great Value, and the Unmerciful Servant. In other words, Jesus was making the point, as recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, that their goal of "bringing in the kingdom" was just not going to happen through the law.

But modern Christianity simply does not understand what Jesus was doing. So it throws His "kingdom words" from the Synoptic Gospels back on Christians for them to vainly try to follow and implement. This is apostasy. Instead, the real "post cross" kingdom is all about what Jesus has, is, and will do for the whole creation, and His actions will prove to be very good for all nations and people. Furthermore, this kingdom fulfillment includes you completely apart from your efforts. Thank God for that!

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Forgive From Your Heart!

2011-01-08T06:06:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Matthew 18:21--Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” (NIV)

In answering Peter's question about forgiveness, Jesus included the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. This parable relates the account of a servant who was forgiven by his master, yet who would not forgive his fellow servant. When the master found out about this not forgiving, he was upset, and so:

Matthew 18:34-35--In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (NIV)

Now, many preachers will jump on this parable and use it to sternly admonish their hearers to "forgive from your heart" to avoid God's wrath. It is that old, "Forgive or God won't forgive you!" song. But is this application a valid one for believers? Well, no.

You see, Jesus' words about forgiveness, including the parable, were directed, not at believers, but at the still unconverted Peter, who did not yet understand the new faith. In fact, the law, as opposed to belief, was the only way to God open for Peter and his understanding. So, Jesus answered Peter's question with the law's answer. An example of the law's answer is found in this passage from this law teaching of the time:

Sirach 28:2-4--Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee, so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest. One man beareth hatred against another, and doth he seek pardon from the Lord? He sheweth no mercy to a man, which is like himself: and doth he ask forgiveness of his own sins? (KJV Apoc)

But, we humans can't do law. So we are under God's wrath if we look to law, and that is the point Jesus was setting up Peter to eventually understand. Thankfully, Jesus at the cross did open the new way of belief for Peter and for us. And guess what!? Under that way we are forgiven completely and forever. As Paul says:

Colossians 2:13--...He forgave us all our sins, (NIV)

So the forgiveness of ALL of our sins is not now in question with God even if we can't quite forgive everyone from the heart. In other words, this parable is not for believers to follow by squeezing out every last bit of forgiveness. Instead, it serves to show us just how effective Jesus was (and is) at squashing law righteousness so that one day everyone can stand in His righteousness.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

God, Let Us Make A Deal!

2011-01-02T05:24:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

We humans have a fundamental problem in approaching God. This problem is that we quite naturally default into making our relation with God a transaction based on our performance of certain tasks. It just seems so logical to us to say and think that, "God, I will do this, and therefore I can look forward to you doing that." This thinking especially pervades our view of our standing both now and forever with God. Even our spiritual disciplines can and do easily become tasks for us to perform to please God and to therefore to gain His approval.

But we often fail to realize that our tasks are never, nor can they ever be, good enough or perfect enough to move us away from our humanness. For instance, we may agree to pray a certain amount of time each day in order to draw close to God and to gain His favor. But then life happens, and that time vanishes from us. The result is that we fall short and just prove (all too often, it seems) that we are sinners.

Yet the truth, as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit, is that we are fully accepted by God, and this acceptance is a gift. As Paul says,

Romans 6:23--For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)

However, the idea that we have a transactional relationship with God is never far from us and constantly hounds our natural thinking. Furthermore, there are many voices out there promoting this deal making approach to God through all sorts of "just do this and God will then finally feel good about you" messages.

But a gift that is earned is not a gift. It is a payment based on performance. Thankfully, God is not into that with us. Instead, His gift of eternal life is truly a gift. Therefore, let us step away from deal making thinking with God and into thinking based on our adoption as sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. In other words, the deal has already been done by Jesus Christ, and this was accomplished completely apart from our help.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Guilt, Condemnation, Punishment

2010-12-25T06:05:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

When I look at what is occurring in the world, I often see a great deal of guilt, condemnation, and punishment playing out. This springs from the fact that we live in a world with many problems, which are often stirred up by the forces of evil. So to rationalize and deal with these problems, it seems that humans must carefully identify whatever problem is before them, establish who is guilty for causing this problem, and then condemn the guilty to some sort of punishment, even if it is just a good tongue-lashing. I guess that is to be expected from the world.

But shouldn't Christianity be a place where guilt, condemnation, and punishment do not exist? Well, hardly! It seems that Christians are often--some will even say, constantly--berated by their leaders and churches for not doing this and that thing to make their lives, church, community, and/or world better. Furthermore, when life falls apart for a particular Christian, which it does for everyone sooner or later, it is quite common for that Christian to hear that if they would have had more faith, or had given more to the church, or prayed more, or had acted better, then the bad things of life would not have happened to that Christian. In other words, "You are guilty of some short of sin. So no wonder you are condemned to suffer the consequences!" The whole thing is just more of that guilt, condemnation, and punishment mentality.

Yet, when I look into the face of Jesus, I see another reality. It is that I am no longer guilty of anything because Jesus has already fixed everything, including all of my many sins, for me. In addition, since the guilt is no longer there, the need to be condemned and punished is no longer there, either.

So this being true, I think that I am done with the guilt, condemnation, and punishment trip, at least in my Christian walk. In addition, there is no point in me preaching the lie about guilt, condemnation, and punishment that is so commonly taught in churches these days. The truth is that Jesus lives in me, and to say that I am still guilty and probably need to be condemned to some sort of punishment (in the present or in the future) absurdly makes Him subject to the same judgment.

Suffice it to say, there is freedom in Jesus, and that freedom includes being free from guilt, condemnation, and punishment. So live life freely with Jesus and enjoy your fellowship with Him forever.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Increase Your Faith

2010-12-18T05:57:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Luke 17:5-6--And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. (KJV)

How many times has this Scripture been quoted in Christian congregations? Well, a lot of times! But, when this Scripture is then explained to these congregations, the explanation is invariably wrong. You see, preachers love to preach about this Scripture and its companion ones about moving mountains. Then they usually tell their congregations something like, "Even a little faith will carry the day with God. So, to help you build your faith and therefore be able to move trees and mountains, here are things for you to do." What follows is a sometimes short list, a sometimes a long list, of things for the individual Christian to do in order to make their faith bigger and better. But in so taking this approach, the meaning of the Scripture is missed.

So what is the meaning? Well, let me put it this way: How many times have you seen anyone say to a tree or a mountain, "Go jump into the sea!" and then actually seen that happen? How about zero? And that is the point Jesus was making. We humans don't have enough faith, even though little faith is needed, to do even these minor miracles. In other words, we have no faith. The fact is that even mustard seed faith is not a part of our human arsenal nor can we add it to our arsenal.

Nonetheless, preacher after preacher for thousands of years has pounded away at their congregations to increase their faith by doing this, that, or the other thing. It is all so futile as it is impossible to take nothing, mix it together with more nothing, and then get something. And of course, the failure to build enough faith to even make mustard seed sized faith and then the failure to move trees and mountains brings discouragement into the lives of those who try to build their faith through their own effort.

But there is a source of faith for us, and, not surprisingly, it comes from Jesus Christ and is overwhelmingly for us. As Paul says:

Romans 3:21-24--But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (KJV)

Yes! It is the faith of Jesus Christ that we are given, and this faith is not about throwing trees and mountains around. It is about confidently living this short life knowing that we are already fully accepted by God forever through Jesus Christ.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Behind The Times?

2010-12-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

Galatians 3:17-18--This is what I mean: God had an agreement with Abraham and promised to keep it. The law, which came four hundred thirty years later, cannot change that agreement and so destroy God’s promise to Abraham. If the law could give us Abraham’s blessing, then the promise would not be necessary. But that is not possible, because God freely gave his blessings to Abraham through the promise he had made. (NCV)

Yes, as Paul says, God made a promise to Abraham, and it is still up-to-date and valid for all believers. However, humans have a hard time dealing with God. So they easily come up with their own ways of handling salvation. Well, to counter this "we will do it ourselves" proclivity of humans, God instituted the Old Covenant for Israel, and this was a works (law) based covenant. What this covenant did was to prove over and over again that humans can't save themselves--even with their good law efforts. What was needed and provided is a Savior--Jesus Christ--who does it all. In fact, Jesus Christ saved us so well that at the cross the Old Covenant with the entire law ended for believers. As Paul further says:

Galatians 3:21-25--Does this mean that the law is against God’s promises? Never! That would be true only if the law could make us right with God. But God did not give a law that can bring life. Instead, the Scriptures showed that the whole world is bound by sin. This was so the promise would be given through faith to people who believe in Jesus Christ. Before this faith came, we were all held prisoners by the law. We had no freedom until God showed us the way of faith that was coming. In other words, the law was our guardian leading us to Christ so that we could be made right with God through faith. Now the way of faith has come, and we no longer live under a guardian. (NCV)

But what passes for Christianity these days often does to not seem to recognize the promise God gave to Abraham. Instead, modern Christianity tends to prod its followers to keep various parts of the law, like Deut. 6:5, Lev. 19:18, Malachi 3:10, etc., in order to please God and to hopefully get saved. In other words, it throws the issues of salvation back onto Christians just like the Old Covenant did with Israel. Furthermore, the fires of hell are regularly shown to Christians as a real possibility for those Christians who fall short and as a certain place where Christians' unsaved relatives and friends will spend eternity. What this means is that most of modern Christianity is stuck in the Old Covenant and its terror, and, as a result, is behind the times with God.

However, you can be up-to-date with God by simply relying on the promise He gave to Abraham. The Old Covenant is over for you, and therefore there is no need for you to live in the past trying to be "good enough." This also means that the fires of hell have burned out for you and potentially for everyone. This is all the fulfillment of the promise God made to Abraham, and this promise is for your here and now.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

Goofing It Up

2010-12-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

"Why don't you do right?!"

This type of question easily flows from us and at us as we live our lives. It seems that all sorts of people we have contact with, whether it is the driver next to us on the freeway or people of power far from us, easily fall short in doing what we consider to be right. Furthermore, even when we criticize or even rage at these people, they still can't seem to do right. Then others, or even our own selves, notice our conduct and ask us, either face to face or more often (with like criticism or rage) behind our backs, "Why don't you do right?!"

So, why don't we humans do right and consistently obey the rules, laws, and regulations that are out there? Well the answer is simple and is given to us in the Bible as:

Romans 11:32--For God has bound all men over to disobedience…

Yes, we are bound over to disobedience, and this word "bound" has an interesting descriptive meaning to it. The meaning refers to fish trapped in a net that, despite all of their struggles and wiggling, can't get out. In other words, we humans, no matter how much we try, are stuck in disobedience, and by God's view we can't do right in a fundamental sense. This is a pretty desperate situation.

So what are we to do? Well, many Christians are told, for instance, to just "do things God's way"--meaning keep various points of the law. But this works approach to life just leaves us where we started because we are quite easily and naturally bound over to disobedience. It is not that we are evil. We are just not talented on the obedience front. So really there is nothing we can do to take care of our desperate situation.

But lest we get too discouraged, there is a fix as the rest of Romans 11:32 says:

Romans 11:32--For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. (NIV)

Yes, God will have mercy on everyone. This includes the driver on the freeway next to us and the people of power far from us. And lo and behold, it even includes you and me! In other words, God is the one who does right by us and to us. In fact, He a long time ago set up a plan whereby we can be declared right through Jesus Christ. You know, I like that plan in that I, and potentially everyone, can rest in Jesus Christ's righteousness forever. In other words, you and I are right through Him.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

What About Lesson #26?

2010-11-28T04:45:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

When I first walked into Christianity, I was presented with an idea of how life with God works. This popular Christian idea took the form in my mind that God would allow a certain problem to come my way so that I would be able to learn some sort of lesson as I handled that problem. When the lesson was learned, then God would relent and cause the problem to go away. Furthermore, this approach to God sounded quite logical to my works based mind.

So, with the many problems of my life, off I went trying to find that list of life's important lessons to learn to the end that my problems would quickly go away. Furthermore, I was quite concerned that I would miss some important lesson on that list that God really wanted me to learn, and therefore I would inadvertently make God angry with me.

Well, this whole lesson learning thing eventually left me flat as I found that I could never really identify the lessons I was supposed to learn. In fact, I never did find that "lessons to learn" list! At best, the lessons I learned were along the line that life is messy, unpredictable, unfair, and filled with all sorts of unintended consequences. In my view, life became more like "no good deed goes unpunished" rather than "learn these lessons so that God will be happy with you and take away your problems."

But then I came to realize that learning lessons, while nice on a purely human level, is not what God is all about with us. You see, if learning lessons is what we do to please God, then this is just more legalism, and I for one have had my fill of legalism. What really pleases God is giving up on our own works and living life with Christ in us our hope of glory. Paul puts it this way:

Galatians 2:20--I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (KJV)

Hmmm!? No mention of learned lessons here. Just dying to self and living with Christ.

So where does this leave me now? Well, it leaves me with just Jesus Christ. He is all the lesson I need. To me, this is very comforting in that, even if my life falls apart without any lessons learned, I know that I already and forever please God through Jesus Christ. In other words, I can be rather thick on the lessons learned front. However, with Jesus, I have learned that I already sit with God in heavenly realms.

Until next time, may you see the face of Jesus in you!

Richard

The Big Little Word "OF"

2010-11-21T12:12:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

2 Corinthians 3:18--So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. (NLT)

One of the wonderful blessings of resting in belief in the name of Jesus Christ is that we don't need to be running around trying to do all sorts of work to transform ourselves into "God pleasing" individuals. Instead, God handles everything for us. However, very few Christians understand this fact because they are constantly bombarded with the idea that they must be the ones to make transformation happen.

For instance, even the most cursory exposure to Christianity opens people up to all sorts of teachings that they must bring forth spiritual fruit, save souls for God, produce Godly love, have saving faith, do good works, live like Jesus, and on it goes. Well, this approach just wearies people and leaves out the actual operative force in this matter, and this operative force comes clear if we just center on the simple word "of."

You see, the New Covenant Biblical narrative shows that transformation is found in the fruit OF the Spirit, the call and love OF God, and the work, faith, salvation, righteousness, sanctification, justification, and life OF Jesus Christ. Hmmm!? Am I saying that transformation is all OF God? Well, yes! And well it should be because, if it is even in part up to us, nothing good will happen, and Christian history is filled with ample evidence of this dismal result.

So, please rest in Jesus and let the things OF God in your life be truly OF God. I know it all sounds so fantastic. But the writer of Hebrews clearly shows that transformation rests firmly on the shoulders Of God when he says:

Hebrews 13:20-21--Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. (NLT)

Oh, please remember that even now you are a child OF God forever!

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

The Eternal Law

2010-11-14T06:59:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

The Bible is an amazing book. Furthermore, if taken as the great story of God's dealing with humans, starting with creation, centering on a promise He made to Abraham, and ending in a grace conclusion in Jesus Christ, then the Bible makes great sense and answers the tough questions about our relationship with God. But there are powers out there who don't want you to understand God's Bible story. So these forces have come up with a variety of concocted ideas that are interjected into the Biblical presentation to block you from understanding what God is doing.

One of these concoctions is that there is such a thing as "God's Great Eternal Moral Law." Well, there is no such thing. But there it stands--indestructible, immutable, and eternal--in Christian dogma. And frankly the presence of this "Great Moral Law" concoction gives a deal of power, especially abusive power, to those who supposedly are overseers of Christians. Furthermore, the idea that the law (or any of its parts) can be added, deleted, or changed by God, or even that law does not work in every circumstance is uncomfortably foreign to this dogma and to those who support it.

However, the Bible clearly shows that the law is an added thing, that it can be changed and even dropped, and that it does not work in every circumstance. One passage that clearly shows these features of the law is this one about the priesthood of Melchizedek:

Hebrews 7:11-19--If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God. (NIV)

Yes, the law makes nothing perfect and is useless in this matter. Furthermore, the law can only serve in limited capacities, and it most surely does not control God. In contrast, Jesus Christ is perfect and can give perfection to those who believe. In other words, Jesus (not the law!) is the central figure of God's Bible story, and He is always there for you, with you, and in you in every part of your life.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you! Richard

The Parable of the Sower

2010-11-07T05:44:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

One of the most commonly preached parables Jesus gave is the Parable of the Sower. It is often used to cajole, even berate, Christians to produce a bountiful crop of spiritual fruit so they can gain eternal life. This use typically centers on these words of Jesus:

Matthew 13:19-23--“When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (NIV)

So which one of these guys are you? The "along the path" person who does not understand the message about the kingdom? The "rocky places" person who quickly falls away? The "thorns" person who is unfruitful? Or how about the "good soil" person who brings forth a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown? Well, we surely don't want to be anyone but the good soil person. However, deep down inside, we know that we don't come close to producing the bountiful crop the parable describes.

So what is going on with the Parable of the Sower? Well, if we put ourselves in the place of any of its characters, we are forced to look inward at ourselves, and when we do, we don't see good things. In fact, it is frightfully discouraging to look inward at ourselves and our inability to produce a bountiful crop of spiritual virtues. That is the purpose of the parable--to trouble humans about their talents at getting saved.

You see, the Parable of the Sower was given under the terms of the Old Covenant. As such, the parable shows just how miserable we are at pleasing God. In other words, Jesus gave this parable, along with many others, to press folks up against the cross with the foolishness of their law based notions--in this case, the notion that humans can receive the seed of the kingdom and can actually do something marvelous with it.

My point is that the Parable of the Sower, despite what most preachers think, is not for believers. In fact, the parable is not used by such people as John and Paul, whose job it was and is to explain the authentic faith, because they knew that salvation only comes through Jesus Christ. So, please don't let anyone cajole or berate you with this parable because God has already produced the bountiful harvest of eternal life in you by Jesus.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you! Richard

Dry Sinner--Wet Sinner

2010-10-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Luke in Acts 2 records Peter's powerful Pentecost words. These words were so powerful that:

Acts 2:37--When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (NIV)

Ah, yes. What shall we do? You see, the quite natural human thinking when faced with the things of God is to define what works must be done to placate God and then to please Him. However, Peter answered the people with these non-works words:

Acts 2:38-39--Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (NIV)

Yes! Repent, meaning change one's mind, which change by the way comes from God. And be baptized, which means to be immersed into the name (meaning presence) of Jesus Christ. No works here. Just the movement of God in the lives of all who believe.

Yet, humans, being humans, have changed this simple reply into a formula of works. Repentance has become an exercise in bodily contortions and even abuse in an attempt to demonstrate to God just how much repentance has been done. And baptism has become an exercise in placing "correctly" the body in relation to water, whether completely in, partially in, dabbed, poured, or splashed. In fact, Christians have a long ugly history of fighting over just what works are necessary to produce proper repentance and of fighting over just what form is the "correct" form of water baptism.

Yet Peter's response contains no works. In fact, Peter's words, when it comes to baptism, do not even mention water at all! Instead, Peter's words point all humans to Jesus Christ. And this is an important point. You see, if God does not grant us repentance and if we are not immersed into the name of Jesus Christ, even if the "form" of bodily repentance and baptism is "correct," all that happens at baptism is we come in contact with water as a dry sinner and then we come away as a wet sinner. In other words, nothing profound happens in our relation with God.

However, I am persuaded better things of you. You see, God is out to save you completely through Jesus Christ, and there is no work that you or I can do to make this a done deal. It is all a work of God who washes you completely with His Son.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

2010-10-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Hebrews 10:26-27--If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. (NIV)

Most Christians exist between a rock and a hard place. You see, Christians like the idea that their past sins were forgiven when they came into Christianity. However, they often feel distressed about their present sin situation. This feeling exists because most Christians know deep down inside that they still sin. So they turn to their local church pastor to tell them how to fix this sin problem, and this is where things get discouraging.

The reason for this discouragement is that most church pastors don't know how to fix their own sin problem, let alone the sin problem of others. So, they turn to what they understand the fix to be, and this fix is to do parts of the law, noble acts for the church or others, or various spiritual disciplines. The problem with this approach is that both pastors and Christians find, even after doing these things, that they are still sinners as proven by their failure to perfectly do the prescribed actions. Therefore, Christians typically don't see an out of their present sin life, and so they live with "a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God."

But really! Anyone who stands up to speak for Christianity should know that the New Covenant shows that, when Christians enter belief, they are removed by God into a sin free world. They no longer sin by God's reckoning. Why is this not commonly taught in Christianity these days? Could it be that the Son of God has been rejected as the One who solves the sin problem--past, present, and future? If so, these additional verses from Hebrews need to be carefully and fearfully considered:

Hebrews 10:28-31--Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (NIV)

But lest I seem too negative, I remind you that, if you have accepted the gospel of belief, you have been transported away from the world of sin into the world of the Son's marvelous light. This new world does not exist between a rock and a hard place. It exists in the soft love of God for you forever.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Goodies For God

2010-10-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Christians are often told that they are in a relationship with God. But then Christians are usually told that, in order to maintain this relationship, they must bring God what amounts to spiritual flowers, candy, and cards showing Him that they are really serious about keeping this relationship going. But these efforts are nothing more than human works that Christians tend to readily embrace with open arms.

What this means is that, when we, whether preacher or lay member, talk of relationship with God, our natural default is into thinking that there are works that we must do in order to keep this relationship going. And this default is so even when we see the end result of the work of Jesus for us, probably because His work seems too good to be true to our natural minds. The overall result is a falling away from grace as Paul points out to the Galatians in addressing circumcision and the law of Moses as goodies for God:

Galatians 5:2-4--Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. (NLT)

However, our challenge, which only comes clear when God reveals it to us, is to enter the rest of Jesus. With this rest, we can see that relationship is of God and we are invited to come along for the ride, even if we don't "do" anything. It is as the writer of Hebrews says:

Hebrews 4:8-11--Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. (NLT)

In this passage, we find an invitation and a warning. The invitation is to base our relationship with God on the rest of Jesus. The warning is that if we do not, by thinking that bringing God spiritual goodies is needed, we will not have a relationship with God.

So please don’t be misled. God does not want or need your spiritual flowers, candy, and cards. Instead, He wants you to rest in Him. Please enjoy this relationship with Him forever.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Bread Is Good!

2010-10-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

I like bread. It often seems so satisfying on the eating front. So when I want to get some bread, I go to a restaurant, a grocery store, a bakery, or my refrigerator to find it. These places are where the bread exists for me. I don't go to the hardware store, the post office, the furniture store, or my bathroom to find bread. These places are not set up to provide bread for me.

However, there is a bread that is much more important than the bread I might find in my refrigerator. In fact, this bread is so important that we cannot survive without it. This bread is the bread of life, and it is Jesus Christ. As John records:

John 6:32-33--Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (NIV)

So where do we find this bread? Well, we don't find it. Instead, God "finds" us (as if we were ever out of His sight) when He sees fit and lets us see this bread within. However, most people do not see the bread within. So when they want to find the bread of life, they go off looking for it in all sorts of people, places, and things that cannot give them the bread of life. All that these supposed bread sources can provide is the spiritual equivalent of rusty nails, used stamps, bits of old sofas, and stinky towels. This is even true for most religious dogmas and churches because they base their bread production on human effort, and human effort can never produce the bread that truly satisfies.

My point is that the bread you want is Jesus Christ, and He is oh so near to you. Please believe this when God shows you, and you will live forever. As John further records the words of Jesus:

John 6:47-51--"I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever….” (NIV)

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Connect The Dots!

2010-10-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

When I was a boy, one of my delights was to take a "connect the dots" book and do just that, meaning connect the dots using a pencil or pen. To me, it was both amazing and great fun to connect those dots and watch an outline emerge of some person, place, or thing. Sometimes, the process took me a little time and thinking, but it was all worth it to me as the various images came together. Similarly, God has provided a wonderful "connect the dots" book for us to use in forming an image of Him and of His dealings with us. It is the Bible.

However, the Adversary and his agents have flown over our minds and have dropped all sorts of foul dots into our view of the Bible and what God is doing. These dots are in the form of various performance based commands and teachings pulled from the darkness of this world. So, when the dots, both God's dots and the foul ones put in our minds by the forces of evil, are connected, a terrifying image of God and His plan for us emerges.

But thankfully, sooner or later God allows us to wake up to the fact that some of the dots we think are essential to use in forming the image of God and His dealings with us are indeed bogus. When we are finally allowed to see this truth, we can then begin to blow away the foul dots and to no longer use them. It does take time and patience. But it is worth our diligence, study, and thinking to walk with God in this matter. As Peter writes in referring to the writings of Paul and, by extension, the whole Bible:

2 Peter 3:15-18--And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. (KJV)

In other words, when the foul dots are cast aside and you proceed to connect the authentic dots God has laid out for you, a truly wondrous and most spectacular picture emerges of His great love for you and for all of humankind.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Do Better!

2010-09-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Luke 6:37-38--“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (NIV)

Ah, yes, it sounds so easy, doesn't it? And popular Christianity has manufactured a sweet, sickly Jesus to tell us that it is all so doable so that we can indeed please God and live a great Christian life. But the harsh truth is that we can't do any of the "righteous things" Jesus said to do, especially to the high performance levels He set.

However, a different Jesus than the sweet, sickly Jesus was the one who actually walked this earth 2000 years ago. This Jesus was and still is oh so mighty, powerful, and God. When viewed this way, the words Christianity often uses to tell people how to live become something different. These words become provoking taunts filled with urgency, authority, and a strong emphasis on just how pathetic we humans are at living righteous, approval deserving lives. In other words, Jesus' words now become, "Why can't you do better?" or as Luke writes:

Luke 6:46--“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (NIV)

Well again, if we are to be frank about the answer, it is that we simply can't do what He said, and that is the point of Jesus' taunts to those people back then and to all those who do not live in belief. However, the fix that God puts forth and that the rarely listened to New Covenant declares is that Jesus can and does fix our situation and makes us better. In fact, He fixes things so much that the fix is complete, final, and forever. All we do is rest in belief in His name.

So, what does that mean to you? Well, it means that you don't need to run around doing this, that, or the other thing to be better. On the purely human level, you are as "better" as you are going to get, which, for me anyway, is not very good. You can't, even though there are all sorts of messages out there telling you otherwise, study, pray, fast, tithe, or meditate enough to be better with God or the Christian life. Instead, Jesus is right now better for you and in you, and He is all the better you need.

Oh! When you acknowledge His life in you, He will not taunt you. Instead, He walks with you as your dear, encouraging friend forever.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

The Darkness

2010-09-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

John 3:19-20-- This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (NIV)

Hmmm!? We humans love darkness? Well, we sure do, and that includes me, you, and everyone else who has lived and is now living. Furthermore, our deeds are evil (also meaning: worthless, sick, troublesome, and/or annoying.) And again, that includes all of our deeds--even the ones we think are wonderful and good.

Well, that sure is a poor situation for us to live in. But we humanly just press on, hiding out in the darkness, entertaining ourselves with the darkness, doing our deeds in the darkness, looking for help from those who also live in the darkness, and seeking to find lightness in deep studies of this or that feature of the darkness. Yet, when all is said and done, we still exist in the darkness. And sadly, we quite naturally hide from the Light.

But lest I sound too negative, I must point out a wonderful fact. It is that even though we humans live in and flop around in great darkness, for some now and all later, the Light begins to shine into our darkness and begins to draw us ever deeper into His Light. As the Gospel of John further says:

John 3:21--But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (NIV)

This is amazing in that this verse, in its context, shows that Jesus is the Light and that the deeds that are good are actually done by God.

So where does this leave us? Well, it leaves us without hope on the purely human level. However, when Jesus appears in our personal view of life and draws us into the Light, meaning Himself, we find great hope and confidence to live this troublesome life. In so doing, we know that we are still in the dark, but we also know that the Light is over time shining more and more in each of us. In other words, there is Light at the end of the tunnel, and it is Him.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Sin

2010-09-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Have we missed the point about sin? By this I mean, have we modern Christians become so focused on sin and getting rid of it that we do not understand what God did to sin a long time ago? Well, this sin focus sure seems to be the norm, as testified to by all the "how to" regimens and admonitions about getting rid of sin that are commonly pursued and put forth in Christianity these days. But this is all folly because God, through Jesus Christ, has already done away with sin, and this action includes your sin. Please note this in what Paul writes:

Romans 8:3--For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, (NIV)

Or as the New Century Version translates Paul's words:

Romans 8:3--The law was without power, because the law was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that others use for sin. By sending his Son to be an offering for sin, God used a human life to destroy sin. (NCV)

Yes! Sin was condemned and destroyed by Jesus Christ at the cross. Therefore, we now live in a sin free zone with God, and we see this when we step into belief in the name of Jesus.

Now, I know that this concept can seem quite strange to our modern minds. Yet it is the message that the New Covenant writers, like Paul and John, proclaim about sin and our relation to it. John even goes so far as to say, as translated in the King James Version:

1 John 3:9--Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (KJV)

Quite wonderfully scandalous, isn't it? Well, yes. Furthermore, this "scandal" makes all of those "how to" regimens and admonitions, which are nothing more than a rejection of the unrelenting righteousness of Jesus Christ and His saving work, completely useless and pointless. So please live in the freedom to walk in the love of Jesus Christ who gave Himself for you to the point that He blotted out all of your sins forever at the cross.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

A Huge Denial

2010-09-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Romans 8:1--Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (NIV)

What a wonderful affirmation of our standing in the cosmos with God. But you wouldn't know it by much of what is preached from the pulpits of the land.

You see, much of what is preached these days is a huge denial of what God has already done for us. Instead, a conditional "no condemnation" position is preached. So, if you don't do something, like forgive others, or build up enough faith, or love God and neighbor enough, then you just might end up condemned even after being accepted by God. It is all rather guilt producing and quite contrary to the implication of the gospel.

But why is there actually no condemnation for us? Well, it is as Paul says:

Romans 8:2--because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (NIV)

Yes, we have been liberated by Jesus Christ. However, bondage to the law lurks just around the corner, and many Christians get entangled in it. Many even seem to prefer this bondage. However, this bondage, which is a constant focus of Christian religiosity, is a completely unworkable means of dealing with God and demeans Jesus Christ's power and standing in our lives. Yet, as Paul further says:

Romans 8:3--For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, (NIV)

You see, the law sounds good to us, but our sinful (or fleshly) nature can only weaken the law's impact to the point that we can only be judged as sinners and therefore are condemned. However, Jesus actually takes our fleshly nature and fixes it so that we find no condemnation in Him even while still being human.

So please walk in your freedom and liberation delivered to you by Jesus Christ. In this state, there is no huge denial of what God has done, is doing, and will do for you and with you forever.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Who Is Jesus?

2010-09-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Yes, who is Jesus? That is a good question that deserves a good answer. Fortunately, we have the answer to this question from the very mind of God the Father. It is:

2 Peter 1:17--For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (NIV)

What this means is that God the Father deals with Jesus Christ as His Son. Furthermore, He does so with love, respect, and complete acceptance found in the Father/Son/Holy Spirit relationship. However, this is hardly the relationship that is pictured in much of Christianity. This other relationship, concocted from misunderstandings and misapplications of various pre-cross events and instructions, is one of abuse and conditional acceptance. Simply put, it is a dysfunctional relationship.

Furthermore, this dysfunctional relationship is reinforced in the minds of many with the idea that Jesus is no more than a multiple life temple animal that must be killed over and over again for our sins committed under the law. In other words, God is rather upset by our sins, and because we keep committing them, Jesus gets hammered by God over and over again to appease His wrath.

However, the truth is that God is quite pleased with His Son and His successful rescue mission to save us all. And, since Jesus is our dear friend, the Son's success is our shared success. In addition, one death for us is all that is needed, as the writer of Hebrews says:

Hebrews 9:24-26--For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. (NIV)

The point is that Jesus is the apple of God's eye, and by believing in His name (meaning the presence of Jesus within us) we can see this. It is all part of who Jesus is in the grand relationship He has with the Father.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

May I Share Jesus With You?

2010-08-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Christians are often told that they need to preach Jesus to others. This admonition to evangelize is justified with the vision of a weak Jesus preaching to the people He met some 2000 years ago. In other words, modern Christianity claims that preaching Jesus to the world is simply modeling what Jesus did when He walked the earth.

However, here is an astounding observation. It is that Jesus did not, as a general rule, preach Jesus! Instead, He was quite forceful with the people He confronted prior to the cross as He pressed them hard up against the cross with their pathetic law notions. Furthermore, Jesus seemed loath to talk about Himself, told certain people not to say anything about Him to others, and even hid Himself at times. So much for the Jesus preaching Jesus model, which is simply a concocted model.

Now this brings up a point that is really hard for modern Christianity to understand. It is that believers are not called to preach Jesus, either. Instead, believers are called to live a life with, in, and intertwined with Jesus. Furthermore, the nonverbal testimony this produces will be held in store until God wants to use it. Therefore, Peter says:

1 Peter 2:11-12--Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.(NIV)

What this means is that your life with Jesus is testimony enough, and your words about Jesus are not needed except when asked for by the sincerely curious. Furthermore, this "live a life with Jesus" testimony may not come to pass in the minds of others for a long time.

So, please live your life with Jesus and don't worry about modeling how He handled the pre-cross crowd of old, which handling, in reality, was on the stern, even harsh, side. Just be out and about in the here and now with the present Jesus, and, when the time is right, God will allow others to understand what you were up to.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

This Is How I Feel

2010-08-21T05:26:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Often, I come across as some sort of happy-go-lucky guy. Well, I do enjoy a good joke--usually at my own expense. But in reality, inside I trouble about the things of life, and I often feel that life really isn't that enjoyable. However, as I walk more into the gospel of belief, I am coming to internalize something about life that puts it in a better perspective.

Oh sure, in the past I tried to numb myself to the ups and downs of this life through all sorts of escapist actions. But then I noticed that much of what I did to numb myself simply made me depressed and didn't solve my problems. For instance, I found that much of what I watched on TV in order to escape was just based on watching human misery. Even many of the items I ate and drank were just inhaled in attempts to mollify my disturbed soul. But finally, I wondered, "How is watching someone suffer, or how is eating or drinking to excess helpful to me and my well being?" For me, anyway, I came to the conclusion that these actions, and many others, are not helpful.

However, with this realization and the introduction by God of the gospel of belief into my thinking, I began to think that this life is but a journey for me. This journey has its comfort and discomfort, its sharp turns and straight through ways, and its expected and unexpected events. In all of this, I see that I am just a spectator of this life with Jesus as we walk together on our journey. Furthermore, I see that I am embracing the stance that the writer of Hebrews shows the God focused men and women of old embraced:

Hebrews 11:13-16--All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (NLT)

With this perspective, the negative emotional impact of what happens in this life lessens over time for me and is increasingly replaced with Jesus Christ Himself, who lived, died, and was resurrected so that I may live with Him forever. In other words, eternity with God is where the real life is, and this realization brings peace and rest to my weary soul.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

God, Let Us Make A Deal!

2010-08-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

Whole Cloth

2010-08-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

The figure of speech expression "made out of whole cloth" means that something is completely fictitious or made up from thin air. So, when some one's statement is referred to as being made out of whole cloth, it means that the person's story is a complete fabrication. Furthermore, Christianity has been a source over the centuries of a great deal of whole cloth information. Even today, clever stories, pontifications, and spiritual insights about the Bible and God abound, and many of these are simply made out of whole cloth in the minds of those who fabricate these accounts.

Take for instance the parables found in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These parables are a hallmark of modern Christianity and are used to cajole Christians to live better lives. However, these parables were given by Jesus to hide the truth from the crowd (Matthew 13:10-15), to rile the lawyers, priests, and Pharisees (Matthew 21:45, Mark 12:12, Luke 20:19), and were then deemed by Jesus as inappropriate for the New Covenant writers, like Paul and John, to include in their explanations of the new faith. Nonetheless, there these parables are in church after church, being explained in great detail, often way beyond even what little clarification Jesus Himself gave related to His Synoptic parables.

However, there is a glaring problem with the modern explanations of the Synoptic parables. It is that these explanations usually differ in meaning and application one from another. What this produces is a confusing and illogical faith often based on made up explanations of the Synoptic parables.

The fact is that these parables are not directed at believers but were directed at the pre-cross folks to press them hard up against the cross with their foolish law notions and actions. Let us not be afraid of accepting this way of handling the parables as it keeps us away from whole cloth explanations many try to come up with in order to give "great spiritual insight" about these parables' application to believers' lives. In fact, this "they are not for you" approach allows you to truly taste the blessings of belief as opposed to wrath, which wrath many of the Synoptic parables portray.

My point is that we should be on guard against using or accepting clever stories, pontifications, and insights about the faith, whether related to parables, heaven and hell, what deeds Christians must do to please God, etc., that are made out of whole cloth. Instead, let the authentic faith speak straight and soundly to you through such people as Paul and John, who tell it as it is from the very mind of Jesus to you, and Jesus is not a whole cloth God.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

So What?

2010-08-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Preachers are quite good at taking the Gospel and using it as a basis for instructions on how to successfully live this life "God's way." Now hopefully whatever "Gospel" or "Bible" points the preacher (who, if he is anything like me, can barely manage his own life) comes up with are good ones, and hopefully, if these points are used, they do help in living this life.

But, so what if I am a success at living this life or any aspect of it? For instance, if I happen to successfully manage my finances by following certain "Gospel" points so that when I die I am wealthy, well good on me. But what about all the many, many years that will follow my death?

Oh sure, it is great to have some success in this life, but this life is oh so short and therefore any of its successes, even "Bible based" successes, are oh so short, as well. Furthermore, these successes in the overall scheme of things are pitiful at best. As Paul says:

1 Corinthians 15:19--If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. (NIV)

And this brings up a remarkable point. This point is that the Gospel is not about giving advice, (good, bad, or indifferent) on how to live this life. Instead, the Gospel, which is that Jesus is Lord, and God raised Him from the dead, is GOOD NEWS. And it is GOOD NEWS because it applies to everyone, even to those who are not real good at finding success or happiness in this life. You see, the Gospel tells us, all of us, that, since Jesus is Lord, and God raised Him from the dead, we, too, are included forever in His resurrection. As Paul further says:

1 Corinthians 15:20-22--But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (NIV)

Now that is a "so what" I can sink my teeth into. And that "so what" has promise forever for me and for everyone.

So, I wish you all a happy, successful life, whatever that is and however that looks. But also please realize that even a happy, successful life now is but a dot in time. What you really want is the Gospel to play out for you into eternity. Furthermore, it will, and you come to see this fantastic truth through belief in the name of Jesus Christ.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Are We At The Turning Point Of Human History?

2010-07-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

We are surely living in difficult times. It seems that there are many problems, but few, if any, solutions out there. So we bumble along wondering what will happen next. With all this confusion and lack of answers, could we have arrived at the turning point of human history?

Well, I don't know what will happen next in our confusing world. But I do know that whatever happens will not be the turning point of human history. The reason I say this is that the turning point of human history has already happened. In fact, this turning point is a being. What I mean is that the turning point of human history is Jesus Christ as reflected in His atoning work done at the cross.

You see, humanity is quite naturally and hopelessly buried in sin and death. But Jesus Christ fixed all of that so that eternal life and eternity with God can be a reality for all who believe. It is as the writer of Hebrews says:

Hebrews 9:24-28--For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people;…(NIV)

Please note that this was not a repeating event performed by a fallible human for a select few. Instead, it was and still is a onetime event performed by the eternal God for the many. Therefore, there is no need to crucify Jesus over and over again, which practice is common in modern Christianity with all of its "forgive or God won't forgive you" type of teachings.

The plain fact is that Jesus Christ is the turning point of human history, and this history includes your history. Furthermore, Jesus did this for you and for everyone a long time ago through the cross. So, even though the world may make some truly strange and even tragic course changes in the future, please realize that your future is forever secure in Jesus Christ, your turning point in your history.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

They Saw It Coming!

2010-07-20T05:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

The Bible is truly an amazing book, and there are many aspects of this book that can amaze us. One is that God's prophets of old (many of whom wrote parts of the Bible) knew what God was and still is up to. In fact, Peter explains just how "in" on things these people were:

1 Peter 1:10-12--Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven...(NIV)

2 Peter 1:16-21--We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (NIV)

You see, the Bible is like a great novel that tells of God's dealing with humankind. However, we moderns have so mixed up this novel's flow and logic that we quite easily miss what its authors (the scribes of God) and therefore the Main Author are telling us. So we modern folks typically live in great darkness as to what God is doing with humans and as to His great love for all of humankind.

However, God's prophets knew what God was up to and their part in His work. Furthermore, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, they recorded His words in what is now your Bible. So please carefully consider what these people have to say to you through the Bible because they are a light shining in a dark place pointing you to your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In other words, the prophets knew that their work was part of a greater work of God that flows to a grace (not law) conclusion in Jesus Christ.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

A Great Depression?

2010-07-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Sometimes, I feel that the best course of action for living life is to hide under the covers of my bed and only come out when nature calls or to get something to eat or drink. Lately, I have had more of these "under the covers" thoughts, especially when I hear the many ominous reports about the nation's economic situation. Things are not looking good right now to say the least.

Now I am not a prophet, and the economy could turn to the good. But what if the nation did go into a Great Depression? What if we were all hit with a great downturn in our income and standard of living? Would this collapse mean that God is displeased with us? Would this collapse mean that we no longer have God's presence in our lives? Well, my opinion is that God is not fickle and does not base His view of us and His presence on the state of our economic situation.

You see, God is not a fair-weather God. He is with us all the time, even in bad times. And interestingly, it is in the bad times that we most often seem to notice God. So no matter whether the times are good or the times are bad, God is there. In fact, He has made a promise to those who believe that the writer of Hebrews notes:

Hebrews 13:5-6--Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (NLT)

Now this promise flies in the face of what has been commonly taught in Christianity, and this false teaching is that God's graciousness and presence are based on how well we are doing in this life. But the truth be known, our lives never measure up on any level. Yet, through Jesus Christ and His righteousness, our lives always measure up no matter what happens to us.

So how is your life right now? Well, I hope all is well, including on the economic front. But no matter what your situation is, please realize that God is with you both now and into forever. And you know, I don't think that there is any Great Depression with God.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Crossed Fingers

2010-07-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

When I was a boy, it was common for me and my playmates to promise to do something but then not do it. However, when we are challenged back, which happened often, as to why we had failed in keeping our promise to perform, we had the perfect reply. It was: "Well, I had my fingers crossed!" Somehow, this act made it OK to say one thing and then do something else.

Now I bring this example to your attention because most people, often without even realizing it, believe that God has His fingers crossed as He goes about the salvation business. So, even though God claims that He is the God of love and wants all to be saved, the idea is that He really is not that way and loves to see people get fried. This belief is attested to by the common idea that many people will end up in the fires of hell forever.

But is God really rather callous, cruel, and a liar on the salvation front? Well, no! You see, God made a promise to Abraham. As Peter points out:

Acts 3:24-25--“Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’…" (NIV)

And when God makes a promise, He keeps that promise. As Paul says:

Romans 11:29--for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. (NIV)

However, we live in a world where many do not believe this about God. In fact, those of us who teach that there is great hope for the salvation of all of humankind are often labeled as the bad guys for so teaching. I guess this is so because it is easier to terrorize people and therefore control them with teachings that make God an ogre.

Nonetheless, God is love, and He made a promise of love to bless us all. So, please rest in this sure promise and find comfort in the God who gives you eternity with Him through Jesus Christ.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Doing The Father's Work

2010-07-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Modern Christianity sure puts a great deal of emphasis on evangelizing the lost. It does so by encouraging all sorts of "outreach" activities to get people converted. The idea is that as many people as possible must hear the gospel so that they can accept Jesus before they die and therefore not end up in hell. However, often these activities produce disappointing results and various unintended consequences.

Now why would this be? Well, there are several reasons. One is that few people who try to preach the gospel really know what the gospel is and so don't get the true gospel's results. And by the way, the gospel is, "Jesus is Lord, and God raised Him from the dead." and not the, "You must accept Jesus into your life and live a good life if you want to get to heaven and stay out of hell." message that is so common today.

But there is another reason few consider. It is that when a person tries to convert others, that person is actually attempting to usurp the Father's work, and, of course, no human can correctly do that work. Please note what Jesus said about this matter:

John 6:44--“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day." (NIV)

But don't our words and deeds count for something in this matter? Well, maybe when God finally visits a given individual--whenever that might be, and it might be a long way off in the future--our words and deeds might be used by Him to stir positive thoughts and feelings about the faith. As Peter says:

1 Peter 2:12--Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (NIV)

The point to keep in mind is that the Father draws people when He pleases. So you don't have to throw yourself against the wall of evangelism trying to get others converted. Just live your belief life, which often involves submission and suffering, knowing that Christ is in you and that you already have eternal life. This is enough testimony for you to give now. In other words, the Father evangelizes everyone in His good time and place.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

I'd Rather Be Wicked, Thank You!

2010-06-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

I must confess something. It is that I am wicked, ungodly, and unrighteous. In fact, I come about this standing quite naturally, and, as long as I stay in this natural state, I remain wicked, ungodly, and unrighteous.

Now this does not mean that I try to be wicked, ungodly, and unrighteous. The truth be known, I do try to do what I think is right, try to look out for the other guy, and try not to cater to my fleshly desires. But I have discovered that, even when I do think that I am living the good, godly, righteous life, things have a way of blowing up in my face. In fact, sometimes I even find that when I think that all is well with my conduct, I actually find that I am stumbling along in great darkness with sin dogging my heels.

However, is this a problem for God? Well, no. You see, God is not out to justify the really good, godly, righteous folks. Instead, He is out to justify those who are far from the holiness standard that most churches hold up as doable and essential in order to gain God's kindness.

And I must let you in on a little secret. It is that no one ever attains the holiness standard that has been held forth for centuries by churches as doable. But God has great power to fix this situation, and this fix is as Paul says:

Romans 4:5--However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. (NIV)

Yes, God justifies the wicked! And that includes me! You know, I like that. In fact, I like that a lot. Furthermore, God carries this marvelous blessing forward to include not only our justification, but also our sanctification, holiness, and righteousness. It is all from Him to us through Jesus Christ as revealed by the Holy Spirit.

The point is that all humans, including those who claim to be religious, fall way short by every spiritual measure. However, God loves us so much that He fixed this situation a long time ago. So please walk your walk with Him knowing who you actually are, but also knowing that even in your always falling short mode, God has and is justifying you through the faith of Jesus Christ. I guess that God does love wicked folks like me.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

"You Must Love God And Man!"

2010-06-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Most churches lean heavily on their members to love God and love man, and offer helps, advice, and programs for their members to do this loving to "God's standards." Furthermore, this loving is usually framed with the idea that it is the gospel or the implication of the gospel. However, no matter how it is sliced, "love God, love man" is not the gospel or the implication of the gospel. It is, instead, a spiritual misdirect away from what God has done and is doing for everyone, including you.

Now, it should be plain to see that the proclamation to "love God, love man" is not the gospel by noting who the operative force is in this proclamation. Humans are! In other words, it is humans who are to love, and they are told to do so (and earn God's favor) by doing things that demonstrate their love for both God and man or neighbor. So this proclamation turns out to be just another works oriented proposition that relies on human works to get the job done. And how well has this proposition worked on the salvation front for every human who has ever lived? Well, it hasn't worked at all.

But, what about the gospel itself? Well, the gospel is not about what we do. It is about Jesus and, simply put, proclaims that, "Jesus is Lord, and God raised Him from the dead." So whose efforts are missing in the gospel? Well, human efforts are missing! And whose efforts are there? Well, God's efforts are there! Furthermore, the implication of the gospel is that it is God who loves. As the most famous Scripture of the Bible says:

John 3:16--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. (KJV)

So it is God who loves, and it is God who saves. Our response is God given belief, which is of the mind and not of works. As Paul says:

Romans 4:5--But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (KJV)

However, having the "love God, love man" proclamation in place serves well in a works oriented environment. This is because this proclamation can be used, often with a great deal of guilt inducing verbiage, to cause well-meaning folks to run around trying to do all sorts of stuff to show that they really do love God and love man "as God wants" and therefore show God and others that they are somehow righteous. The result of this spiritual misdirect is not good on several levels, including the being saved one.

My point is that God does the loving and therefore does the gospel and the saving. Please rest in His love as God takes you into eternal realms with Him.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Dull Christianity

2010-06-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Leviticus 1:1-2--The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting. He said, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them:… (NIV)

Leviticus is quite interesting. It is a book that lists the many laws God told Moses to tell the ancient Israelites to live by. By studying this material, we can see just how detailed, demanding, and hard to keep the law was for those people back then.

However, Christianity over the years has made the huge and quite illogical reasoning leap that Moses' words to Israel as recorded in Leviticus are actually for us to keep--well, at least the words that sound "Christian" to our ears. The result is that large parts of Leviticus, like the part dealing with the content of cloth, are ignored because these parts are not "Christian" enough, while other parts like, "love your neighbor as yourself," which actually makes up a very tiny part of Leviticus, are elevated to great importance because they sound so "Christian." But by following this odd way of using Leviticus, a very poor state of looking at God and His ways comes into play.

You see, the introduction to Leviticus, as quoted above, makes it plain that Moses' words were for the ancient Israelites living in the ancient nation of Israel. These words were for giving form and order to that carnal nation. To then take these words, at least the parts that sound good to our modern ears, and say they are for Christians, actually produces a great dullness in understanding the things of God. As Paul told the Corinthians about those who embrace these Old Covenant words as rules for living life:

2 Cor. 3:14-15--But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. (NIV)

In contrast, the people, like Paul and John, who wrote the books of the New Covenant, focused on the present Jesus with the faith (belief in His name) and love (for the brethren) that flow from Him. They did not proclaim the "doing" works of Leviticus because these men understood that the national directive purpose of this book (and others like it) is not for Christians.

However, since very few people who speak for the faith really understand this truth, the "Moses said to do" messages that are commonly presented in Christianity these days simply miss the point of the faith. So please be careful about accepting these messages lest dullness come your way. Oh, by the way, Moses did foresee the point of the faith, and this point is Jesus Christ in us our hope of glory. Furthermore, there is no dullness in Him.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Discouraged And Filled With Guilt?

2010-06-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

I see it all about me; so many people who have at one time or another sought to follow Christianity end up being quite discouraged about their standing with God and filled with guilt as a result of their participation in what they think the faith is. Furthermore, there is a reason for this. The reason rests largely in the fact that almost everyone who speaks for Christianity says that the pre-cross way (as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke) Jesus conducted His life and the instructions He gave are for us to look to and to copy to find happiness, to live our lives by, and to please God.

Yet, when I read what John, Luke in Acts, Paul, the writer of Hebrews, James, Peter, and Jude wrote, I see no such model held up for us. There is no, "Come on! You better build your faith into at least mustard seed faith so that you can move mountains, as Jesus said!" or, "Listen, you need to forgive everyone from your heart, as Jesus said, or God won't forgive you!" or, "You should do as Jesus said and sell everything and give it to the poor!" There is none of that. In fact, all of these notions, and many more besides, when attempted just end up causing all sorts of disasters in the lives of Christians.

And why should we copy that past life of Jesus in which He hammered the law types with the silliness of their law keeping? There is no help for us living our belief lives now in copying that life of confrontation--unless, of course, we, too, want to become confrontational with others or become discouraged and guilt ridden with our failure to keep what Jesus told those law drenched people of old to do. In fact, to copy such a life style model is to commit apostasy from the authentic, original faith.

Nonetheless, certain Scriptures have been used for years to support the copying of that old, now dead for believers, model. However, when these Scriptures are examined in the light of the present Jesus (as opposed to the historical Jesus) walking with us now, a different meaning is found. This meaning gives us great hope and assurance as to our standing with God.

So how are you to live this life? I suggest that you live life with the idea that you are completely saved and completely forgiven through Jesus Christ and that He is always with you and in you as your constant companion providing all the spiritual values you need. With this approach, there is no need to look back across the ages to copy the Jesus of 2000 years ago model. Instead, He is here now with you. Furthermore, He lives in your present and not in the past. Please enjoy His encouraging company and walk as He walks with you off into eternal realms.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Staring At Ourselves

2010-06-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

The other day, I decided to treat myself to a delicious snack bar. This snack bar came packaged in a bright, shiny, aluminized wrapper. So to enjoy my treat, I opened the wrapper, folded it back, and began to eat. And that bar was oh so tasty! It was filled with all sorts of good stuff and had a marvelous yellow color to attract my eyes.

Well, I ate what I thought was the whole bar. But then I noticed that I had apparently missed some of my treat because there in the wrapper I saw some of that yellow color staring back at me. Seeing this, I tried to pick the remainder of the snack bar out of the wrapper, but I couldn't seem to grab hold of anything. It was then that I noticed that I was not trying to grab my treat at all. Instead, I was trying to grab a reflection of myself, specifically the yellow shirt I was wearing, from the reflective inside of the wrapper!

As I contemplated what had just happened, it struck me that I had experienced a metaphor for our involvement with what has passed for and even now passes for Christianity. You see, the Christianity we see all about us is generally not the faith of the early apostles. It is instead a conglomeration of notions, teachings, and practices from a host of usually non-Christian sources and beliefs that have been personalized for us by all sorts of Bible experts, Scripture bits, and clever packaging from our birth to the present. The result is that, apart from God's revelation, when we seek to grab real Christianity, all we end up doing is grabbing for a reflection of our "Christianized" selves and not for the authentic faith. So, what are we to do to change this tragedy?

Well, we must learn to ask the hard questions about what we have all been taught. For starters, it would be good to ask, "Why was the Jesus of Matthew, Mark, and Luke so demanding, while the Jesus of the books that follow in the Bible so merciful and seeking to save us?" and, "What was in the minds of those, like Paul and John, who God inspired to write about the new faith they had just received, and what did these same men's words mean to those who first heard about and accepted the new faith?"

After all, the authentic Jesus is not a conflicted being, but instead He is God who is working His plan to save us all, which included crushing law types, as reported in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, against the cross with their silly law notions. Furthermore, the original message can never mean more than it did to the original authors and their understanding audiences.

These and many other questions and understandings can help us, when God calls us to the authentic faith, cut through all the folly of the religiosity, which has plagued us all, and therefore help us see the faith that gives life to all who believe. In other words, we can grab the faith that was once and for all and for all time delivered to the saints and not vainly grab for a reflection of ourselves set up by years of misdirected and manipulated teachings about Jesus. The result is that we can feed on Jesus forever.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Is Hell For The Masses?

2010-05-29T05:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

How full is the hell of eternal torment?

Well, from what has been taught in Christianity for many years, it must be very full. You see, popular Christian notions commonly hold that, if a person does not confess Jesus in this lifetime, then that person goes straight to hell when he or she dies. And, since most people, who have ever lived, have never confessed Jesus, let alone for many, even heard His name, it is to the hot place for them!

However, this view of hell having many occupants is a fundamental denial of God's ability to keep the promise that He made to Abraham many years ago. This promise is referred to in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and it is an essential part of God's saving work for human beings. Please note:

Genesis 12:1-3--The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (NIV)

Galatians 3:8--The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” (NIV)

So, what type of blessing is it for all peoples and nations to have large numbers of both ending up in hell being tormented forever? Well, it is not a blessing at all. It is a curse! And because it is a curse, untold numbers of people have fretted over possibly spending eternity in the flames of hell or have fretted over their unsaved family and friends having the same fate.

However, God is very good at keeping His promises, and this applies to the one He made to Abraham. The result is that hell is a rather empty, barren place and will stay that way forever. This is a great blessing, especially in that it means that most, if not all, people will be saved.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

There Is No More Work To Do!

2010-05-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

"What must I do to make sure that I get to heaven?"

This type of question bangs around in the thinking of many Christians, and this type of thinking exists because Jesus is quite minimized and marginalized in what passes for Christianity these days. It is as if Jesus came and was 'killed by His Father" so that our past sins can be forgiven. But then He really did not finish the job so that our present sins and our future sins still need to be addressed by, of all people, us! So there remains much work for us to do to make sure that we get saved or "get to heaven."

Furthermore, there are many teachings out there that offer up all sorts of meritorious works for Christians to do in order to hopefully complete the salvation job. But all of this is a fundamental denial of the Savior Himself and the work He has already completed.

You see, long before we came on the scene, Jesus had already done everything that needs to be done for our salvation. This includes to cover every sin we have committed, are committing, or will commit. In other words, all the salvation work was done for us a long time ago, as these passages tell us:

John 17:4-5--I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (KJV)

John 19:30--When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (KJV)

Hebrews 4:3--For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. (KJV)

The point to keep in mind is that God saved you a long time ago. There is no need to worry about this and to fall victim to all the hoop jumping that is thrown at Christians along with the silly idea that there is still stuff to do to "get saved." Furthermore, when you step into the gospel of belief, you see that you have entered a rest with God forever. Please enjoy the rest.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Why believe the illogical?

2010-05-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Matthew 6:14-15--For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (NIV) Ephesians 4:32 --Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (NIV)

These two Scriptures present two diametrically opposite concepts. Matthew 6:14-15 shows forgiveness from God as being highly conditional and rather iffy for humans, while Ephesians 4:32 shows forgiveness is an accomplished fact for believers. Yet modern Christianity most often treats these two Scriptures as if they are compatible. In other words, these two Scriptures are often woven together with the implication that you are both not forgiven and forgiven at the same time!

The result of this, and many other teachings of modern Christianity, is the presence of a great deal of cognitive dissonance. But rather than trying to see the actual issue at hand with these two Scriptures, and many others for that matter, this cognitive dissonance is allowed to stand in the modern faith.

Furthermore, if someone actually challenges this dissonance, they are typically told, in some way, shape, or form, to "have faith, my child." Yet, there is no faith in existence that can successfully mix these two forgiveness concepts together so that you can be both not forgiven and forgiven all at once. Therefore, most Christians end up deeply conflicted as they embrace deeply flawed teachings that attack the very basics of sound reasoning. However, God is not a God of illogical thinking based on cognitive dissonance. Instead, He is quite logical. And once we accept His logic, we find a faith that is oh so simple, comforting, and filled with straight thinking.

For instance, the reason Matthew 6:14-15 seems to stand in opposition to Ephesians 4:32 is because Matthew 6:14-15 is pre-cross and shows Jesus crushing hardheaded law types up against the cross. Turning the page, Ephesians 4:32 is post-cross and shows that believers have been forgiven through Jesus Christ. With this understanding, the opposition goes away. In other words, Matthew 6:14-15 and Ephesians 4:32 are from different Biblical episodes of God's grand story, which flows to a grace conclusion in Jesus Christ.

My point is that you do not have to accept illogical teachings in your faith. Instead, step into the faith once and for all and for all time delivered to the saints. It is the most logical faith there is as it rests firmly in the logic of God Himself. The fact is that you are completely forgiven in Jesus Christ, and you don't need to worry about this.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

The Law Keeping God?

2010-05-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all!

Does God need to keep the law? Well, it is easy to think so. This is because it is commonly believed that righteousness comes through the law. And there is indeed a righteousness to be found in the law with Christians usually stumbling along vainly trying to be righteous through keeping that law.

However, law keeping being as it is, another law has been concocted by the comings and goings of Christianity to rationalize the hard demands of the law. This other law incorporates only the best parts of the law and is called the great moral or eternal law. The problem with this law is that it is a completely made up concept in that there is no such thing as the great moral or eternal law.

Now here is where things get really goofy. This goofiness occurs because Christianity, either through direct claim or through inference, makes it appear that God needs to obey the law, or at least the great moral law. This makes law bigger than God and contradicts Jesus' testimony about God as found, for instance, in Matthew 12:1-8.

But what about God and His righteousness? Well, it is important to understand that, when we deal with God, we are dealing with a Greater One than the temple and its law--Mosaic Law or great moral law. You see, God has His own righteousness as Paul, the law, and the prophets proclaim:

Romans 3:21--But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. (NIV)

Yes! There is a righteousness that is apart from law. This righteousness is something God has that is intrinsic to Himself and which we humans cannot naturally understand. That is why God's approval of Rahab the harlot, His condoning of David stealing the consecrated bread, His plagues on ancient Egypt, and many other workings of God recorded in the Bible, trouble us in that these aspects of God's righteousness don't seem very lawful to us.

So does God need to keep the law? Well, no. He has within His being a righteousness of His own. Furthermore, you are experiencing a little bit of this righteousness through His promise to Abraham. You see, God promised that in Abraham's seed all people will be blessed. You are part of this blessing through the righteous Jesus Christ, who has made you righteous. Thank God for this God (not law) righteousness as it allows you to stand with God forever.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Say God! Want Some Advice?

2010-05-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

When I first started to explore the gospel of belief (what might be called Trinitarian Theology) I noticed that those who accept this gospel are often labeled "Universalist"--meaning that they believe that everyone will be saved. At first, I was startled by this labeling, but then I asked myself a few questions that helped me put things in perspective. Two of these questions are:

1. If everyone does "get saved" when all is said and done, is that somehow a problem?

2. If God is in the salvation business and He proves to be very good at it so that everyone with their "free moral agency" ends up accepting His grace, does that make God somehow defective?

Well, the answer to both questions is for me, "NO!"

The point is that labels, like Universalist, muddy the issues at hand and have the effect of limiting (as if that could actually be done) God's saving work for humans. The fact is that God will do what He will do, and He is not seeking our help in so doing. As Paul says:

Romans 11:32-36--God has given all people over to their stubborn ways so that he can show mercy to all. Yes, God’s riches are very great, and his wisdom and knowledge have no end! No one can explain the things God decides or understand his ways. As the Scripture says, “Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been able to give him advice?” “No one has ever given God anything that he must pay back.” Yes, God made all things, and everything continues through him and for him. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (NCV)

The fact is that God made a promise to Abraham a long time ago that all people will be blessed through Abraham's seed. Furthermore, this promise is irrevocable. So I will just let God (as if He needs my permission) do His thing in fulfilling this promise, and I will then delight in however this plays out to every one's blessing through Jesus Christ. Is that being a Universalist?

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

But I Am Like David!

2010-04-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

I commonly hear messages in and from today's churches about the need for Christians to get things right with God. To that end, Christians are encouraged to work real hard through all sorts of works and programs so that God will be pleased with them. Furthermore, these admonitions are often supported by appeals that go something like this:

"Now you need to be a man of God. So just be like David, and do the things that he did. Then you will finally have God's approval."

But when I hear these "just be like David" messages I often think, "Well, wait a minute! I am already, and quite naturally, just like David!" By this I mean that David (or Hezekiah, or Abraham, or Ezra, or whichever Bible "hero" is focused on) was quite ungodly and sinful. I don't have to even try to be like David on this level because I am thoroughly ungodly, too. In other words, since I am already like David, why is it helpful for me to then try to be like him?

You see, all humans quite naturally live in great darkness and quite naturally are ungodly as they live their lives. This is true for David, Hezekiah, Abraham, Ezra, and for me. However, God knows this sad state of ours, and He has fixed things for us. (And this is where I have something good in common with David.) It is as Paul says:

Romans 5:6-8--You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NIV)

How about that! God took care of the ungodly aspects of our lives while we were still sinners! You know, I like that. Yes, I like that a lot. This means that ungodly David and ungodly Richard are the same in that we have both already been saved by God through Jesus Christ, and we have been shown this by the Spirit.

So next time you hear the "just be like David" message, please respond in your thinking with, "Well, I am already like David. In fact, we are so much the same that we are both guaranteed a wonderful eternity with God."

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

Spinning Plates

2010-04-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

When I was a boy, I often saw on television various acts that involved a person setting up a series of wobbly poles, each about six feet high. Then that person would place a small plate on top of each pole, and give each plate a spin. Well, this was quite entertaining for me to watch as the person ran around trying to keep the plates spinning at the top of every pole. And when he wasn't quick enough, one or more plates would fall and break, much to my horror. To me, it seemed that the job could never get done as it was impossible to keep the plates spinning all the time.

Now when I look out at the common practice of Christianity, I am often reminded of the spinning plates performances of my youth--only this time it is Christians running around trying to keep their spiritual plates spinning. This situation exists because the modern faith has all sorts of things for Christians to do with the idea that, if these things are done, God just might end up pleased at judgment time. But the truth be known, keeping spiritual plates spinning all the time is an impossible job as inevitably these spinning spiritual plates fall and break.

But thankfully God does not deal with, nor allow us to deal with, our salvation in such a cavalier and harsh manner. Instead, God is a full-time God who does it all for us--past, present, and future. This fact is attested to by two of my favorite Scripture passages, which are:

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24-- May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. (NIV)

Philippians 1:3-6--I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (NIV)

The point to keep in mind is that authentic Christianity is a rest in and with God. Furthermore, we don't have to fret that our spiritual plates will stop spinning and therefore fall and break to our shame. Instead, we can just chill out knowing that God has taken care of, is now taking care of, and will always take care of us in our walk with Him into forever. In other words, God is quite the plate spinner.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

The Fear of Death

2010-04-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 2:14-15--Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (NIV)

My dad would often reflect on the human paradox that everyone wants to get to heaven, but no one wants to die to get there. For some reason, his reflection has also been a source of much meditation on my part throughout my life. It seems that we humans do want some sort of heavenly reward, but we sure don't want to die to get it.

Now this is not to say that humans don't think of death. It seems that we often do. In fact, we even use issues related to death, murder, and dying as the basis of much of our humor, entertainment, and planning. It is just that we don't want death to happen to us--not now, not ever.

Furthermore, the devil keeps pitching the idea that we humans are not good enough to please God. So there is this fear present in many that death will result in a one way trip to the hot place because of not being good enough.

Yet there it sits, just waiting for us--death. So what are we to do? Well, we have Jesus. You see, Jesus has already taken care of the death problem for humanity through His death, burial, and resurrection. And for believers, this action brings great comfort. As Jesus said:

John 5:24--I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (NIV)

So, while the thought of death may still churn in our minds, believers have this confidence that Jesus has already fixed things for them. Furthermore, the end result of what Jesus did is that believers already have a place "in heaven." Therefore, death becomes but a sting to put up with as the faithful transition, when "their time comes," without fear of what is coming, into a wondrous life with God forever.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard

The Fabricated Jesus

2010-04-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 12:28-29--Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (NIV)

This vision of God hardly transfers to the one most people have of Jesus. It seems that the vision most people have of Jesus is that of a being who is quite weak and, except for that odd thing with the money changers at the temple, unable to deliver forceful actions. But this view is not good in that it defangs Jesus and misses out on His deep feelings for and protection of us all.

In addition, most people have been led to believe that Jesus, when He walked the earth, took His blandness and set a good model for Christian behavior for us to copy and therefore to please God. But again, this view misses the point of Jesus' ministry and represents apostasy in those who embrace this formula for Christian conduct.

So, what is the correct view of Jesus? Well, we need to toughen our view and make it embrace the idea of the Savior who crashes into the affairs of humankind to save us. And when we do, the Jesus who walked this earth 2000 years ago, and who still does live, becomes the God who confronts people with the foolishness of their religiosity and crushes them up against the cross with their silly law notions.

The result of this stripping away of the addiction to law is a face to face meeting with God Jesus. And for those who then come to believe in the name of Jesus, the relationship is as Paul says in contrasting the blindness of this world with his gospel of the real Jesus:

2 Corinthians 4:4-6--The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (NIV)

So please do not let this world's view of Jesus deny you the opportunity to look into the face of Jesus. He is your friend, your power, and your guide through this often turbulent life into an eternity with God. And He acts so as the God who is a consuming fire of all that blocks the way to making this eternity a reality for you.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!

Richard