2018… it was a very good year

Not sure how far back, but certainly the latter half of and close of 2017, was a build up to the realization that I was far from Galatians 5:1 “Freedom.” As 2018 begins, I feel like a pharisee, burdened by a religious spirit that not only judges others, but also causes self doubt and striving.

I long for the days when the mere realization of Salvation was enough. That just hanging on to my pitiful life until Jesus returns was the only goal.

But now I pursue a new way of thinking; “What if we believers, were to seek Supernatural Power, to emulate or ‘Re-present’ Jesus and truly bring heaven to earth?” That; “There is more than a Salvation-rapture-heaven scenario for us!” That; “‘Christ in us’ can make us world changers!”

Honestly, though I do believe those things to be Biblically True, the only thing it has brought me is disappointment and religiousness…

I awoke New Year’s Day with the goal of simply reading one chapter of Proverbs, per day, through the month of January (31 chapters, 31 days). Immediately upon reading chapter 1, I am abruptly stopped at Proverbs 1:7 NLT
[7] Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

So, I guess I start with that this year! Fear to Salvation to Surrender to True Empowerment…

Without strife, without expectation. Just the Faith and Hope in the Goodness of God Revealed to those who Lovingly Seek Him.

I think that’s enough…

Brood of Vipers…

 

Do ya wanna know why it’s so hard to be a Christian? I’ll tell ya why…

It’s because we’ve forgotten whom Jesus had the harshest words for… the religious.
He had a term for them. He called them a “Brood of vipers.”

These were the ones that were supposed to be leading the people into their worship of God. But what did they do?
– They demanded a king rather than Almighty God as their ruler
– They decided on rules instead of relationship with God.
– They took those ten rules and turned them into more than six hundred…
– They created a “Religion” that only they could piously administer.

And Jesus called them on it… harshly

Yes, Jesus came to bring the sinner to change the way he thinks. But not by rules. Instead, by having an intimate “Relationship” with God the Father.

His “Rule”: Love God. Love yourself. Love your neighbor. (Note the period.)

THAT is the simple design of this whole universe. And if you live by that code, in the name of Jesus, you will be able to answer life’s pressing questions;
– Is it ok to sleep with my boyfriend?
– Should I become an exotic dancer or a teacher?
– Can I take this box of pens from work?
– Little white lies are ok aren’t they?

Now ask yourself; of those questions, and the many others that you may be contemplating, what Honors God? What Honors the life you have been given? What Honors others?

If you are spending intimate time with the Lord, in His Word and offering up Worship, these kinds of questions will answer themselves…

The pit of religiosity breeds interpretation, argument, rule making and judgement. None of which “Honors” anybody!

If you are thinking that this kind of talk breeds chaos, then just look at our present state of affairs. While the “Believers” are running around telling the world (And each other!) what they are doing wrong, it is tearing itself apart!

“They will know who we are by our Love.” Not by our ability to shoot scripture at a target that doesn’t see it’s worth…

My challenge to you, for the next week, make this your only Prayer;

“Lord, help me to Love you with all of my Heart, soul, mind and strength. And help me to Love others as I Love myself.”

That’s not religion. That’s THE way of Eternal life.

Love, Grace, Peace and Presence dear friends.

Don’t Let Up…

So, as always, I’m writing this one for me, with the hope that it might speak to you as well…

Why is it so hard to be a Christian? I’ll tell ya why…

Because, in spite of all the talk about Grace and faith and the Love of God being our Salvation, we continue this struggle through a checklist of “Responsibilities” that we must complete each day to measure up!

As if the beating, crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ just wasn’t quite enough…

That working our to-do-list of tasks will finally set us free!

Here’s mine:
– Even though I must be at work very early, I’d better get up just a bit earlier so that I will accomplish rule number one and read the Bible… even though I’m still so groggy I can’t remember how to feed the dog!
– In the shower I begin a prayer session that seems to only include “Lord, please help me make it through the day without punching somebody in the throat!” Then, follow that with a worship song that I can only hum because I can’t seem to remember the words to my favorite worship song.
– Next, before heading off to work, I’d better sit down and have a quiet moment with the Lord in meditation… Right up until my wife clonks me on the head to wake me up and tells me that I’m gonna be late for work!
– Driving to work I again attempt to sing a worship song which is immediately interrupted by my curses at the knucklehead who obviously learned to drive at a demolition derby.
– Then I walk into work and bump right into the person that I want to… punch in the throat!!

Any of that sound familiar?

Now that doesn’t even mention that you try again to read the word at lunch while someone, who sees you obviously reading, wants to have a discussion about some political hack who has, once again, made a fool of him or herself…

Or that you leave work exhausted but still need to stop at the store and get chips or cupcakes or carrots or something for the Bible study that you still haven’t “Studied” for.

Then you finish the day wanting to just thank God for the good in your li…… AND THEN THE ALARM GOES OFF!!!

Now, before I continue, let me acknowledge obedience and the disciplines of our faith. I know the importance of being in the Word, in Prayer and Worship and Fellowship.

But might I suggest that when we get to the point of only doing those things out of discipline and obedience that we begin to fall back into the slavery of religion.

“It is for liberty that Jesus set us free!”

Liberty, being the choice to do the right things Freely.

Sometimes it is ok to step back from the disciplines and just rest in the completed work of Christ.

Take a few days and just meditate on the fact that we move forward FROM the Cross not TOWARDS it. Ponder the simple Truth that you are Saved and Complete by what Jesus did not what you do.

Ask “Lord, bring me back to the work of my Sonship from a place of desires. The desire to get closer to You. The desire to serve You. The desire to Honor what you have done for me. The desire to Love You as never before.”

From the place of humbly accepting the True and complete Gift of Salvation from the Father, by the Blood of Jesus Christ and Empowered by the Breath of the Holy Spirit… we will hunger for His Word, be always talking and listening to Him, singing His Praises from a Full Heart and looking forward to being with and serving His children.

Yes obedience and discipline are important. But they can also become callouses that numb the Heal to the steps we desire to take…

You can’t gain His Favor and Love… He gives it freely…

Love, Grace, Peace and Presence dear friends.

What Is The Dark? I Digress…

Guns are not the evil. They only represent all that is evil. They embody the ill intent of a selfish humankind…

All of the laws in the world will not change that fact. Even God’s Commandments can’t keep men from acting violently against another.

We must become painfully honest with ourselves and each other. Our evils and the consequences they bring, come from a hopeless place left vacant by the desire to go our own way, without absolute truth, without responsibility for each other.

The teaching of survival of the fittest has made hearts of predators rather than Hearts of care.

Look into the eyes of the person you pass and realize that they love someone, are loved by someone and should be protected by you.

The guns, the drugs, the alcohol, the abuse are all just tools of selfishness that leave behind the debris of destruction.

If my simple truth is me, then we will get more of what we’ve got. But if my simple truth is you, then there is Grace, Mercy and Hope.

Love, Grace, Peace and Presence my friends

Us Is Him…

I just watched the premier of a new tv show entitled “This Is Us.” It was not a Christian show by any means. It was the simple story of eight people, whose lives intersected in a somewhat tragic but eventual Beautiful way.

When the show had ended and I caught my breath, while wiping a tear, it hit me so hard…

Though these characters, actors, writers and probably, most people that watch, do not have the same worldview that you and I do… What came across so clearly, is that, for the bulk of us humans, we love and care and truly desire to positively affect the world and lives around us.

That, is an inborn trait, endowed to each of us by our Creator, as He made us in His Image.

I was struck by the fact that the enemy has done a fine job bombarding us with negative images that entraps so many of us in the hell of thought that the majority of this life is bad, sad and painful.

But the truth is quite the opposite. If we can simply shift our gaze to the Beautiful things that Jesus has promised and delivered to us, we will begin to realize, that even in apparently bleak circumstances, there is Love and Hope to be found.

It is so important that we Believers really settle in to the Knowledge that God is always Good!

THAT is the Gospel…

And as we help others to realize that that amazing humanity that they sometimes see and feel one to another, is not an emotional anomaly, but is rather the Knowledge of the Truth that will set them Free, then they will be Free indeed.

Show others that the desire to cry at the Miracle of a baby or even the loss of a loved one, comes from a place of Truth that will bring a flood of immeasurable, unexplainable Joy.

That is the Super-Natural, intended and Eternal…

Love, Grace, Peace and Presence dear friends.

Good News, Bad News…

One of my mentors reported to me the other day that he had read the most recent posts on this blog. That’s the good news. The bad news is he said that I was coming off a little harsh. Kind of sharp…

So I re-read the posts expecting to find some ill tempered sarcasm, which can be part of my sparkling personality.

What I found was language that could be construed as opinionated, and yes, maybe even, a bit harsh!

As I began to ponder how I might write these posts differently I was reminded of a recent discussion I had with a friend, where I was asked to offer some thoughts on this persons continued “Struggles” with an event that had occurred in their life, and the Ill effects there of…

Now, though I knew that the trouble had been suffered some time back, I then asked how long it had been since the difficulty had taken place. The reply “Many years.”

I knew all about the event and am not making light of it at all as it was devastating and life changing…

But I also knew that throughout that time, right up to the present, well intentioned friends, family and ministry had been consoling this person with “Compassion” and “Sympathy.”

I know, that sounds kind and giving. After all the Word says to “Weep with those who weep…” But, at some point, this has to be counter productive and perpetuates the mire of pain.

———Good News, Bad News——–

We must be given time to grieve over difficult losses in our lives after all “The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy” right? But Jesus follows that with “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Yes, we mourn over Jesus’ suffering on the Cross but I think that we so often forget that He arose from the dead in Triumph!

Paul writes that without Resurrection our faith is in vain, not the Cross!
(Don’t read what I am not saying. The Cross was necessary and tragic. But we must now live from Resurrection!)

And that’s the point of this blog.

I get it, life can be hard! Tribulations are part of this world. This, from the very Word of God!

But that is only half of the story…

For Jesus follows that with “But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Pray for that person who wronged you, but move forward in the knowledge that that person or event is not lord. Jesus Christ is. And the stone has been rolled away…

Love, Grace, Peace and Presence my friends.

P.S. I Pray that those around me will remind me of these Truths when I am wrestling with the demons that I give power to!!

I Just Want To Talk…

Why is it so hard to be a Christian? I’ll tell ya why…

Because we simply don’t talk to the one we say we Love.

Religion has told us that we must _____, to get to Heaven. Yunno, circumcise, baptize, canonize, sabbathize, potluckize, jazzersize and all the other izes we can think of to try to appeaseize God…

But, if you truly get silent and think about it from your Heart, I think you will Hear that all of that so cheapens the finished Work of Jesus at the Cross.

With that stuff we are saying that, what He did was just not enough…

Isaiah says that He was disfigured beyond recognition.
The Gospels tell us that He was whipped, punched, slapped, humiliatd, had His beard pulled out, pierced by thorns, nailed, forsaken by His Father and speared. Then placed in an unidentified tomb…

All of that so, apparently, we could stumble around here on earth wondering if we have done enough to pay the rest of the tab for our miserable, wretched souls.

We forget that the Rest of the story tells us that the Veil to the inner temple was torn. That we are to boldly enter the Throneroom of Grace. That the Father meets us on the road with a hug and a kiss, a robe, sandals, a ring and a party. That He will leave the rest of the flock to get me…

That our Belief in Him will empower us to Love Him, Love ourselves and Love others…

Peter denied Jesus three times. But that was bookended by two incredible acts. Before the chaos, The Son of God washed his feet and then after it all, Jesus met Peter where he worked and cooked Him breakfast…

… I awoke this morning with a whisper in my Heart that said “I just want a relationship with you.”

At first, I thought it was my Heart crying out, but soon realized that it was Him, calling to me, to just have a talk…

… so, I gotta go. I’m meeting a Friend…

Now THATS Gospel…

Love, Grace, Peace and Presence my friends.

What is Good News?

Why is it so hard to be a Christian? I’ll tell ya why…

… Because the church has reduced the gospel to an angry God’s, begrudged rescue mission…

He got so tired of our shenanigans that He had to send His Son down here to give value to something that is worthless…

… and now that He did, He left us here to flounder and struggle, to weep and suffer, to feign peace and joy in spite of our tragic, miserable lives…

Then, when He thinks we’ve had enough, we will either die and leave everyone to grieve our death, or, if we are in the right time period, we will get to see His angry return where He grabs the worthless carcasses of those who maybe did a few things right and haul us off to Heaven, where we will eventually get some rest…

Rewriting John 3:16 to;
For God is so p#€€~% off at the world…

Sound about right?!?!

That, is apparently good news…

Well I believe that these are lies straight from the pit of hell. Designed by the enemy to steal, kill and destroy! To leave us shamed, whimpering, divisive and powerless!!

And, I believe, that there is no better time than right now to be set free.

So, if you have confessed with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved (Romans 10).

He did so because He Loves you and everyone else, from the moment Of Creation.

He is not angry at you or them!

Now this Freedom is not to say “Go ahead, do whatever you want!”

But instead, that Grace gives you the Power to please Him by Faith in your daily lives. And, to Victoriously present Him as the Loving Father that He really is, to the hopeless world around you…

THAT, is Gospel (Good news)!!

Stay tuned…

… It is realized, not exchanged…

Wiishtbac (This blog) is all about the simplicity of the Gospel. While, at the same time, acknowledging the fact that it isn’t easy.

 
The simplicity of the Gospel is that Jesus did everything, to give us everything.

The unease is that we must use the keys given to unlock the door.

Now that is not to say that we must “Give to get.” Quite the contrary. The Truth is that we simply “Get as we give.”

Let me clarify that I am not talking about charity out in the world. This discussion is entirely about our relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ. And THAT is what affects our relation to the world.

I don’t know about you, but I believe, that I am settling for a Gospel of diminished capacity. A concept enlightened by a mentor of mine, Pastor Mark Godfrey.

Look, without theologizing and justifying but just taking the Words and actions of Jesus at face value, we have been completely set Free to Supernaturally bring Heaven to earth and Heal people’s lives… Including our own…

But we aren’t doing it!

 
Why?

 
Well, simply put, we get out of our relationship with Jesus, what we put into it.

 
The bottom line is, if we treated our earthly relationships the way we treat God… we would be very lonely.

 
As I mentioned a few posts ago, don’t get defensive at that and say “I pray, I read a bible devotional, I go to church…” Really? Is that truly being honest with yourself? With God?

 
The bible says that “Jesus Prayed all night!” When was the last time I did that?!?!

The other day, I was tussling with this and my Spirit spoke up and said;

“He is not the single most important priority in my life. He’s already given me everything. And it is realized, not exchanged, by the depth of my relationship with Him. The flower blooms as it looks to the sun.”

Love, Grace, Peace and Presence dear friends

Don’t Fall For It!

Guilt says I did something wrong,
but shame says I AM something wrong.

The former is a process, 

The latter is a lie.