Profound Words by Watchman Nee on Dying to Self

What does it mean to go to the Cross to die to the self life? 

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart, that is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinion ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient loving silence, that is dying to self.

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your own good works, or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown, that is dying to self.

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don’t sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ, that is dying to self.

Are you dead yet?

Every Act of Kindness

Every act of kindness and compassion done by man for his fellow Christian is done by Christ working within him – Julian of Norwich.
 

The mystery of the Kingdom is that God in his fullness is now united and interwoven into the spirit of every believer. We are not distant from God, we are never alone, and we are continually in relationship with Christ, in us.

As we let our united spirit dominate our mind and emotion, we are transformed, bit by bit into the likeness of Christ, or put another way, changed from one degree of glory into a greater degree of glory.

The fruit of the spirit is there inside every believer, placed into our spirit by God’s free unmerited favor. All acts of kindness come from our spirit by and through grace.

Christ lives in us and works through us.

Whether it is making the children’s lunch, cleaning the bathroom, giving a lift to a neighbor, posting a letter, letting the car out in front in the traffic cue. Our union with Christ is so real, so interwoven that it permeates into every action of kindness that we take.

Everything grows and flourishes out of our union with Christ.

Letting ourselves identify with who we are in Christ, is the most important and life changing choice we can make, we are not just human, we have the power and life of Christ working inside.

Just let Christ work in your life, meditate on his goodness, fill your mind with his truth, and be immersed in his grace.

The Incarnation - The Person of the Son

Orthodox Christianity doesn’t teach that you add together God the Son and a human nature to get the Person of Christ. No, the teaching of the faith is that, in the Incarnation, God the Son took to Himself true humanity. It’s not that the sum of the Person of the Son and the human nature produces a new thing called ‘the Person of Christ’. No, not at all. There is only one Person in Christ, and that is the Person of the Son. Christ’s humanity does not cling onto the outside of the Trinity like a limpet (as the diagram would suggest), but rather the Person of the Son has taken to Himself true humanity, so the humanity of Christ is the humanity of God the Son, and rather than a limpet clinging to the outside, we have instead a Man in the Trinity – the God-Man Christ Jesus.

This is what the ancient creeds (which define Christology) tell us. The Nicene Creed says that we believe ‘in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds ... who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man’. So according to the Nicene faith – that’s the faith of the universal church – the one Lord Jesus is the only-begotten Son who was made man for us and our salvation.

The Definition of Chalcedon puts it like this:

‘the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood: truly God and truly man, of a reasonable soul and body; consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood ... one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten ... one and the same Son, and only-begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ...’

You see that – the Person of the Son is consubstantial with us according to His true Manhood. And that One Person is the Only-begotten Son, God the Word.

Perhaps most clearly and succinctly (which is an odd thing to say of the Athanasian Creed), the Athanasian Creed tells us that, ‘our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man’, and that this is so ‘by taking of the Manhood into God.’ The One Person of Jesus Christ is not the adding together of divine nature and human nature, but the taking of human nature into God in the One Person of the Son.

For the early church, it wasn’t enough to say that the Person of Christ had two natures, one human and one divine. It was even more important who that One Person of Christ is. He is not a new person made up from the adding together of the two natures, but the Person of God the Son, God the Word who was with the Father in the beginning.

So let me just leave you with some words from Torrance:

‘In the language of the Nicene Fathers it is he who came down from heaven and was made man for us and our salvation who is acknowledged to be of one and the same Being as God the Father, that is of the same equal Being as the eternal Father, while nevertheless distinct … from him as his only begotten Son. The incarnate Son, Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary and crucified under Pontius Pilate, is none other than the eternal Son of God – the eternal Son of God, he who was begotten of the Father before all time, is none other than the incarnate Son, Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary and crucified under Pontius Pilate.’ (T.F. Torrance, The Christian Doctrine of God, pp.143-144)

Athanasius On Penal Substitution

Critics of the doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement (the fact that Jesus suffered the penalty for our sins in our place) often portray it as a new idea that arose either with the Reformers in the 16th Century or with Hodge in the 19th Century. But here are a few excerpts from On the Incarnation by Athanasius (writing in the 4th Century) where he teaches it, showing the Penal Substitution has always been an important part of the Church's biblical understanding of the Cross. 

But beyond all this, there was a debt owing which must needs be paid; for, as I said before, all men were due to die. Here, then, is the second reason why the Word dwelt among us, namely that having proved His Godhead by His works, He might offer the sacrifice on behalf of all, surrendering His own temple to death in place of all, to settle man’s account with death and free him from the primal transgression. (De Incarnatione IV.20)

Death there had to be, and death for all, so that the due of all might be paid. Wherefore, the Word, as I said, being Himself incapable of death, assumed a mortal body, that He might offer it as His own in place of all, and suffering for the sake of all through His union with it, “might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver them who all their lifetime were enslaved by fear of death.” (De Incarnatione IV.20) 

Have no fear, then. Now that the common Saviour of all has died on our behalf, we who believe in Christ no longer die, as men died aforetime, in fulfilment of the threat of the law. (De. Incar. IV.21) 

He had come to bear the curse that lay on us; and how could He “become a curse” otherwise than by accepting the accursed death? And that death is the cross, for it is written “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” (De. Incar. IV.25)

In Christ

Every act of kindness and compassion done by man for his fellow Christian is done by Christ working within him – Julian of Norwich.

 

To want all that God wants, always to want it, for all occasions and without reservations, this is the kingdom of God which is all within – Francois Fenelon.

 

True religion is an union of God with the soul, a real participation of the divine nature, the very image of God drawn upon the soul, or in the Apostle’s phrase, it is Christ formed in us – Henry Scougal

 

The heart of Paul is Union with Christ. This, more than ever other conception – more than justification, more than sanctification, more than reconciliation – is the key that unlocks the secrets of his soul – James Stewart.

 

Christ has become the very blood flowing within our veins and the breath within our lungs. This union is genuine and living! – Benjamin Dunn.

We Are The Temple of God

There is no longer a stone, brick, man made temple that hosts the presence of God. The dwelling place of God is within every believer.

 

You can look back into the Old Covenant and read through the woven strands where God visited and dwelt with his people in tabernacles and stone built temples.  God’s presence and glory was confined to spaces and walls built by man.  It was during the dedication of Solomon’s temple that God’s glory like a cloud came and filled time and space.

 

In the New Covenant God has come to dwell inside his people. At the cross Christ’s death ended the separation between God and man. Christ’s death on the cross destroyed the veil in the temple and fulfilled the law and in the same way that there is no more temple there is no more law. The law has been made obsolete, now it is the very fullness of Christ that dwells inside of us.

 

Under the New Covenant we are completely released from the system of Old Covenant law and empowered through grace by the Spirit of God in our re-born spirit.

 

When we walk in the spirit and discover all that is available to us because of our identity in Christ we start to live with God’s power permeating and infiltrating filling our minds and flowing through our veins.

 

Every one of us is full of the fullness of Christ; we have been released from a system of obedience to obtaining right standing, acceptance and the blessings of God. Christ’s sacrifice was more that sufficient to give us all of God’s blessings and God’s righteousness by and through grace.

- Alan Paul Stevens

My Sinful Nature Died

There is always the hope in the back of my mind when I am digging in my garden that I might just uncover a valuable ancient coin. One of those few Roman coins that experts had been searching for for years and I would be the gardener to discover it. To be honest, you never know what you are going to find as everything buried is covered in soil.

I was brought up in the great Christian tradition that I was just like this buried treasure. I was told that I was a sinner saved by grace. That I was forgiven of my sins but I was still a corrupt sinner who had to spend his life struggling to overcome my sinful nature. This thinking made me sin conscious and I felt constantly condemned and guilty.

One day I realized that the root cause of my life of condemnation was the way I saw myself. Because I saw myself as a sinner saved by grace but still a sinner I acted that way. I needed to see myself as Christ saw me, righteous, holy and united with Him.

My old sinful man died at the cross with Christ and when he was raised I was raised with him into new life. My spirit is interwoven with Christ, and I am no longer just human I am in my spirit a new creation, identical to Christ.

My old sinful nature that drove and compelled me toward sin is dead. It does not exist.

God by his grace has freely given me all things in Christ and as I mediate rest, soak, wallow and enjoy his unmerited favor and live in the spirit, I renew my mind and see myself the way God sees me, as his beloved son.

- Alan Paul Stevens

Grace is ......

"Grace is unmerited, unearned and undeserved favor of God in Christ Jesus, a Person not a doctrine nor a teaching but Someone who died, rose and now seated in the right hand of the Father who continually and consistently praying and advocating for us.
Grace brings freedom, liberty, joy, peace, righteousness and most of all intimacy with our Abba Father, it is not something we possess nor take hold of but Someone who has caught us by His loving arms and warm embrace.
Grace has defeated sin, depicted the curse of the law and destroyed self-condemnation and self righteousness… Grace does not start nor work outside of us but begun and deals inside of us."

-  Alan Paul Stevens

Jesus' Favourite Subject

IF YOU HAVE SEEN ME YOU HAVE SEEN OUR FATHER!

Jesus' favourite subject was not doctrinal issues, religious issues, standing for "christian right" issues or denominational issues. 

Jesus' favorite subject was His "Father" Every thing He did was because of His relationship with His Father.

Righteous Father, also the world did not know you, but I know you, and people who have listened to me have know that you sent me, and I made known to them your name, (FATHER) and I will continue to make you known, so that the love with which you love me will take root in them so that I in them will show forth you as Father. (John 17:25-26)

Jesus is in the business of making the Father known to people and what He has revealed is a far cry from how the religious fear mongers reveal Him has! 

Jesus is the mirror image of God His Father...imaging God through the mirror of religion gives us the wrong image of God.

Looking Through Religious Spectacles Causes Blurred Vision and a Misunderstanding of God

Judging and condemning people impedes our understanding, blurs our vision of the Gospel and gives a false picture of who our Father God is.

Loving and forgiving people increases our understanding of God so we can see more clearly what the Gospel of Jesus Christ to give the community of humanity a clearer picture of who God is.

By judging and condemning people we fail to see our own wrongs and fail to understand the fullness of God’s Grace Gospel of Redemption for the community of Humanity. “For it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance”...not scaring the hell out of them!

No writer or prophet of the Old Testament had a true revelation as to who and what God is really like.

The fact is,  no one before Jesus revealed to us the character of God! Jesus was the express image of God and came to reveal Him to us. Therefore, any concept you have of who and what God is like that is not revealed through the lens of Jesus is subject to being wrong.

Jesus said; "Father glorify your name." (John 12:28). What is the name of God that Jesus wants us to glorify..."FATHER". God is known by other names but Father is the one He wants us to use and experience in our relationship with Him.

Looking through religious spectacles people see God as Judge, Jury and Condemner...Looking through the lens of Jesus people see God as Jesus saw Him and revealed Him to us...a loving, caring, forgiving, compassionate and understanding FATHER!

If we would pray for people who believe or disagree with our accepted religious perceptions instead of judging and condemning them, we would not be able to judge nor condemn them for we cannot judge or condemn people we sincerely pray for.

God’s way to win people to His salvation is to pray for them and love them into being friends by reaching out to them with the love God has for us and for them.

Why Did God Institute The Law?

Was the law God’s standards for people to live by...or was it a mirror to show people they could not keep the law?

Was the law instituted based on God’s character...or was it based on man’s character?

Was the law instituted because it was God’s will...or did it come into being because of man’s will?

Did the law come into being to keep people from sinning...or to show people that they were unable to keep from sinning?

The law is performance based!

Sin is performance based!

Religion is performance based!

God is not performance based!

The Gospel is not performance based!

Because sin is performance based, God instituted a performance based Law to protect mankind from themselves by giving them a standard to know when they were doing the wiles of the evil one.


Galatians 3 describes the law as a guard to protect people from the wiles of Satan for a limited time...the time Jesus would come and destroy the works of the devil, free us from the law and sin in order to give us the very life of God Himself.

Jesus said the law and prophets were only to be proclaimed UNTIL John, the greatest of all prophets.Why...John proclaimed that there was one greater the he was. Jesus was and is greater than the law and would provide a greater and better way than the performance based law relationship.

Read and understand the  the words of Paul the receiver of the Grace Gospel, brought to us by Jesus Christ who himself revealed it to Paul.

Oh, foolish Galatians! What magician has hypnotized you and cast an evil spell upon you? For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death as clearly as though I had waved a placard before you with a picture on it of Christ dying on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by trying to keep the Jewish laws? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you heard about Christ and trusted him to save you. Then have you gone completely crazy? For if trying to obey the Jewish laws never gave you spiritual life in the first place, why do you think that trying to obey them now will make you stronger Christians? You have suffered so much for the Gospel. Now are you going to just throw it all overboard? I can hardly believe it!

I ask you again, does God give you the power of the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you as a result of your trying to obey the Jewish laws? No, of course not. It is when you believe in Christ and fully trust him.

Abraham had the same experience—God declared him fit for heaven only because he believed God’s promises. You can see from this that the real children of Abraham are all the men of faith who truly trust in God.

What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would save the Gentiles also, through their faith. God told Abraham about this long ago when he said, “I will bless those in every nation who trust in me as you do.” And so it is: all who trust in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received.

Yes, and those who depend on the Jewish laws to save them are under God’s curse, for the Scriptures point out very clearly, “Cursed is everyone who at any time breaks a single one of these laws that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” Consequently, it is clear that no one can ever win God’s favor by trying to keep the Jewish laws because God has said that the only way we can be right in his sight is by faith. As the prophet Habakkuk says it, “The man who finds life will find it through trusting God.” How different from this way of faith is the way of law, which says that a man is saved by obeying every law of God, without one slip. But Christ has bought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoing upon himself. For it is written in the Scripture, “Anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed” (as Jesus was hung upon a wooden cross).

Now God can bless the Gentiles, too, with this same blessing he promised to Abraham; and all of us as Christians can have the promised Holy Spirit through this faith.

Dear brothers, even in everyday life a promise made by one man to another, if it is written down and signed, cannot be changed. He cannot decide afterward to do something else instead.

Now, God gave some promises to Abraham and his Child. And notice that it doesn’t say the promises were to his children, as it would if all his sons—all the Jews—were being spoken of, but to his Child—and that, of course, means Christ. Here’s what I am trying to say: God’s promise to save through faith—and God wrote this promise down and signed it—could not be canceled or changed four hundred and thirty years later when God gave the Ten Commandments. If obeying those laws could save us, then it is obvious that this would be a different way of gaining God’s favor than Abraham’s way, for he simply accepted God’s promise.

Well then, why were the laws given? They were added after the promise was given, to show men how guilty they are of breaking God’s laws. But this system of law was to last only until the coming of Christ, the Child to whom God’s promise was made. (And there is this further difference. God gave his laws to angels to give to Moses, who then gave them to the people; but when God gave his promise to Abraham, he did it by himself alone, without angels or Moses as go-betweens.)

Well then, are God’s laws and God’s promises against each other? Of course not! If we could be saved by his laws, then God would not have had to give us a different way to get out of the grip of sin—for the Scriptures insist we are all its prisoners. The only way out is through faith in Jesus Christ; the way of escape is open to all who believe him.

Until Christ came we were guarded by the law, kept in protective custody, so to speak, until we could believe in the coming Savior.

Let me put it another way. The Jewish laws were our teacher and guide until Christ came to give us right standing with God through our faith. But now that Christ has come, we don’t need those laws any longer to guard us and lead us to him. For now we are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:1-26)

Have You Ever Wondered Why God Was Not Called FATHER in the Old Testament

Could it be that no writer or prophet of the Old Testament had a true revelation as to who and what God is really like.

The fact is,  no one before Jesus revealed to us the character of God! Jesus was the express image of God and came to reveal Him to us. Therefore, any concept you have of who and what God is like that is not revealed through the lens of Jesus is subject to being wrong.

Jesus said; "Father glorify your name." (John 12:28). What is the name of God that Jesus wants us to glorify...FATHER. God is known by other names but Father is the one He wants us to use in our relationship with Him.

Religious people see God as Judge, Jury and Condemner...they need to see God as Jesus saw Him and revealed Him to us...a loving, caring, forgiving, compassionate and understanding FATHER! 

 

- Glenn Regular

God Heals Our Hearts With Unconditional Love

There are so many wounded people in this world..perhaps we could say that each of us has wounded places, places where we've felt rejection or loss, pain or loneliness, unworthiness or shame.  I know that in my own life, my shame and low self-worth caused me to have trouble loving both myself and others.  I would sometimes lash out at others as a result of my pain and feelings of loneliness and unlovable-ness.  However, my prickly attitude and sometimes bitter or judgmental ways didn't offend God or put Him off in the least.  He simply kept on loving me, right where I was, never demanding that I change or 'shape up,' never judging or condemning me...in fact, I remember one time I felt I heard God crying with me in my fear and pain!  He just kept loving me, loving me, loving me, washing over me with gentle waves of love and acceptance like endless waves upon the seashore, soothing and sweet, till I started feeling loved, started feeling healed!  His love truly is a healing force, the strongest in the universe!  And being loved by Him in such a real and unconditional way, I was able to love and value myself and others.   People who know that they are accepted and valuable are able to accept and see the value in others!

To me that means that when someone is acting in an unloving, legalistic or judging way, it means that they just don't know yet how loved and accepted and valuable they are! That makes me see myself, my sometimes unloving or self-rightoeus actions, and also others and their sometimes critical actions, in a new way.. God looks beneath the surface actions and sees us all as little children just crying out for love! And He knows that His love will heal our woundedness and give us the acceptance and worth we crave, so that we won't be judging ourselves or comparing ourselves with others and thus, judging them or lashing out in pain and loneliness anymore. But even if we didn't stop doing those things, He would still love and accept us and delight in us just the same! THAT is also such a healing thing! We need to know that we are fine before Him and cherished right now, as we are, in our self-condemnation, in our critical and judgmental attitudes, in our lashing out and coping mechanisms! If we are loved and embraced then, at our lowest, we really are loved unconditionally and forever - that is just what we have been looking for all our lives, that is the only thing that will feel the deep need of our heart, that is what makes us finally and truly feel SAFE!

We are accepted, taken in, included, loved, safe no matter what! This is the gospel!

This good news is the most healing and life-transforming message in the world, for it fills our deepest need to be loved and accepted and valued! Once we find out how loved we are, we can relax, we are okay, we feel the pain start to subside, we are not alone, we are accepted in our mess, we don't have to be perfect, we are embraced, we are special, we are safe..and we can start to see others that way as well and let them off the hook - they don't have to be perfect either, they are okay even in their mess as well, noone has got it all together, we are all special anyway, we are all equally valuable, we are all His dear children, we are all one in Him...judging goes out the window when acceptance flows in! Everything else melts away in the presence of the One who is Perfect, Unconditional LOVE! Thank You, Papa! I love the way You heal our hearts with Your grace and love!

Hide Yourself in Christ

"O be persuaded to hide yourself in Christ Jesus! What greater assurance of safety can you desire? He has undertaken to defend and save you, if you will come to him: he looks upon it as his work; he engaged in it before the world was, and he has given his faithful promise which he will not break; and if you will but make your flight there, his life shall be for yours; he will answer for you, you shall have nothing to do but rest quietly in him; you may stand still and see what the Lord will do for you.
If there be any thing to suffer, the suffering is Christ’s, you will have nothing to suffer; if there be any thing to be done, the doing of it is Christ’s, you will have nothing to do but to stand still and behold it."

— Jonathan Edwards

God's Call

“I am called of God,” “I am called to ministry,” “I am called to reach the world" “I am called to be your pastor, your reverend, your priest,” “I am called to the healing ministry,” “I am called to the prophetic ministry," “I am called to Bible School...to believe that all such callings are God given to favored people based on some human ability is a denial of the scripture that says “God is no respecter of persons.”

God calls all people to the SAME purpose, God calls all people unto Himself, for Himself so they can be filled with Himself so that He Himself can work through people He calls.

God working through people He calls is GOD’S MINISTRY to them, for them to minister to the community of humanity as the community of the redeemed! What are they to minister...God’s LOVE, COMPASSION, MERCY, and His Gospel of GRACE...for all ministry that is not built on God’s love is built on a crumbling foundation and will not withstand the storms of life. It is a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol meaningless endeavor.

In calling us to Himself, God is excluding all other things as the object of our desire. He does not call us to a doctrine, to a denomination, to any ideology or tradition, nor does He call people unto any human hierarchy. He calls us to Himself, and once we come to Him, He provides all we we need to maintain our relationship with Him and to minister to the community of humanity as the community of the redeemed. Ministry is not so much about sermon preaching, bible teaching, Sunday go meeting attending as it is Christ living through people in their daily living as His loved children. If people are truly called of God all allegiance to religious organizations, man-appointed offices, denominational hierarchy, denominated opinions, personal ministry building, personal ambitions, man-made doctrines and traditions are abandoned to answer the call of God.

We are not to seek ministry fame, denominational distinction or hierarchical positions, we are to seek God’s face.

“When you said, Seek my face, my heart said to you, Your face, O Lord, will I seek” (Ps. 27:8).

 

- Glenn Regular 

Who is in a Fiery Burning Hell Now?

The religious world's concept of hell's torturer chamber of everlasting fire and brimstone, the idea that the Devil is  living in hell as the chief superintendent ruling over demons and  forking out punishment to the thousands of people who die daily and go there has its roots more in religious myth than in biblical truth. 

For example, when provoked by doctrines that go against their doctrinal stance, or religious rules, they contemptuously scorn those teachings as “doctrines from the pit of Hell”, or they may respond to wicked deeds as having been inspired by “demons from Hell”. Yet, the Bible clearly states that the Devil and his angels came to earth from heaven, not from Hell (Isa. 14:12; Rev. 12:7- 12).

Has God been torturing the first sinner to die from the time of His death unto the eon's of eternity? If so, what sins would this person have done to warrant being punished longer than...let's say Hitler...that warrants longer tormenting by the devil and demons? "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire" Rev. 20:10...ABSOLUTELY NOT...the devil will be cast into the lake of fire by God at a time determined by God.

Do the wicked dead go to hell when they die...NO NOT ONE..."The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement for punishment.

 

- Glenn Regular

A Blogger takes on "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and "Hell"

HAPPY DADS AND THE HORRORS OF HELL
by Jeff Turner

Jonathan Edwards once said the following words:

“Reprobate infants are vipers of vengeance, which Jehovah will hold over hell, in the tongs of his wrath, till they turn and spit venom in his face!”

Elsewhere, Edwards asked the question:

“Can the believing father in Heaven be happy with his unbelieving children in Hell?”

Now, a bit of clarification: Edwards is not referring to God when he speaks of the “believing father in Heaven”. Rather, he is speaking an earthly father who enters Heaven, while His children are sentenced to an eternity in Hell. One would assume that Edwards’ answer to this question would be something akin to, “Nay! And a thousand times nay!”.

Unfortunately, his answer was as follows:

“…it [the sight of his children in Hell] will increase rather than diminish his bliss.”

To be honest with you, I’m not sure if I’ve ever read more demonic, and putrid words in all of my life. I have a level of respect for Jonathan Edwards, and know that these statements do not equal the thesis statement of his life, nor is he defined by them. I know that some of his other works and words seem almost contradictory to these words. However, it is Edwards’ words on hell and the demise of the damned which have made him famous, and, are the ideas which he is most known for proclaiming.

My respect, and contextual understandings aside, to think that there is a form of religion out there which teaches and prepares parents to rejoice, and experience “increased bliss” at the sight of their children being barbecued alive in an eternal hell, is not only disturbing, but downright revolting, and, in my opinion, utterly satanic.

Unfortunately, heretical Christianity has, for years, encouraged otherwise sane men and women, to gleefully anticipate death, misery, and eternal torment for a vast majority of earth’s populace. This is neither, healthy nor sane. It is madness, and madness of the most disgusting kind. I know that my words seem harsh here, but truly, this is an issue which has plagued the Church, and thus the world, for centuries.

Allow me to share with you why I’m writing this today in the first place:

Earlier this week, I was on a certain online forum, reading through various posts concerning theology and such. My eyes, however, were drawn to a particular post entitled, “The most lost generation EVER”. I will quote a portion of the original post, while keeping it’s author’s identity concealed out of respect.

The post went as follows:

“After witnessing again tonight and hearing AGAIN from yet another shockingly hard-hearted person how the Bible is supposedly ‘all fiction’ and absolutely NOTHING i said could make any difference, i must conclude that this generation is thee most hopeless EVER. I think i have heard it ALL now. Every last excuse, every last accusation and diatribe. And it is crystal clear that Americans do not want Christ, no matter what. The hearts of this people have turned to STONE. It is like bashing my head against a brick wall talking to these people. Many of them even contradict their own selves. I have come to hate witnessing. It is tiresome. It is offensive to hear the awful things they say. They never run out of excuses for rejecting Christ, yet any of the pagan ‘gods’ will do. I have tolerated the most deplorable things and shown nothing but kindness, friendship, and love/charity to them. When the bomb or whatever hits this country, whatever finally comes, i can’t feel no pity. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.”

Now, certainly, anyone who has ever attempted to present the Gospel to an unbeliever can sympathize with this young man’s frustrations. However, notice the last line preceding the prolonged “UGH”. The young man states that when apocalyptic judgement “finally” hits this nation, he will feel no pity. Why? Because we’ll apparently deserve it. And this young man, frustrated with the wickedness of the wicked and the unbelief of the unbelieving, seems to be looking forward to the fiery demise of his own peers and countrymen.

However, can this young man truly be blamed for having this thought? Would this not be the natural response of an individual who has been taught to believe that God is cooking up one “hell” (pun intended) of a reckoning day for the wicked, and unbelieving?

Now, let me clarify, because I most certainly believe in a day of judgement, as the Bible is quite clear on the issue. The idea, however, that a house of horrors and torture await all of those who have never had the chance, or, who have rejected the chance to “repeat after me”, is absurd, and cannot rightly be called biblical. Again, I do not set aside the notion of hell. No, there is far too much said in the scriptures concerning a “hell” to outrightly reject the idea. It is not the doctrine of “hell” that I take issue with. It is the modern interpretations of hell – the idea of hell as a mammoth tortured chamber that makes Nazi concentration camps look like Disney World, that every individual who met with the unfortunate fate of being born in a nation void of Christianity will one day eternally inhabit – that I take issue with.

I do believe in a Biblical doctrine of hell. The Halloween-ish, B-grade horror movie version of recent times, however, I’m completely unsold on.

Now, the reason for even making these statements is that such a belief seems to create within many an anticipation of final judgement. The quote by Jonathan Edwards is a statement by him saying that a father who makes it to Heaven, would have his “bliss increased” by watching his child burn alive in hell. In the other Edwards’ quote I presented, he states that there are some infants who will be considered reprobates, who will be roasted alive above the fires of hell in the tongs of God’s wrath. So, in Edwards estimation, there will one day be human fathers in Heaven, viewing their infant children roasting alive above the fires of hell, and these fathers will have their “bliss increased”, not diminished, by the sight. He will continue on with his Heavenly feasting and revelry, while joyously beholding the eternal torment of his infant son or daughter!

That, in any sane person’s mind, must be considered to be psychotic.

Yes, the view of hell has changed a bit since Edward’s time. His words, however, have most definitely become the context in which many evangelicals frame their view of the afterlife. What I’m attempting to say here is that a belief system which causes us to anticipate the suffering and torture of millions, if not billions of people, is warped, twisted, and cannot rightly be called Christianity.

Honestly, to think that we will one day gaze upon the charred, but living corpses of the victims of eternal justice, whilst feasting and rejoicing in Heaven, is deplorable, and turns the stomach. To think that we will gaze upon the earth during the great “seven year tribulation”, giggling and applauding whilst billions suffer under divine wrath, is the stuff of madmen’s fantasies. To joyously anticipate such a thing is nothing short of deranged.

Tertullian, the famed Christian author of the second and third centuries, once said the following concerning hell and the response of the “saints” to the horrors thereof:

“At that greatest of all spectacles, that last and eternal judgment how shall I admire, how laugh, how rejoice, how exult, when I behold so many proud monarchs groaning in the lowest abyss of darkness; so many magistrates liquefying in fiercer flames than they ever kindled against the Christians; so many sages philosophers blushing in red-hot fires with their deluded pupils; so many tragedians more tuneful in the expression of their own sufferings; so many dancers tripping more nimbly from anguish then ever before from applause.”

I suppose I could sympathize with a man who lived in an era of extreme persecution. Perhaps his own pain and bitterness towards his and his predecessor’s persecutors led him to hold to such a gleeful view of eternal damnation. Even so, is that truly the God and Father whom Christ reveals?

Certainly not!

Elsewhere, Jonathan Edwards said the following words:

“The sight of hell torments will exalt the happiness of the saints forever.”

My friends, Christ did not reveal to us a Father who cackles like a witch, or roars maniacally at the sight of human suffering. Rather, Christ reveals to us a Father who weeps and laments when His children’s decisions invite correction. We do not serve the god of holocaust flames, but the God who’s heart is a furnace of unquenchable love for us. Our God is not a mad dictator, demanding the sick to make themselves well or face the gallows. No, we serve a God who, at great cost to Himself, became the cure to our malady. A God who, in mercy, ran to us and rescued us from sin and death.

This “god” who demands damnation as recompense for offended justice, and then enables the “righteous” to gibber, and cackle like demonic trolls at the sight of said damnation, is no God at all. He is a figment of fallen man’s mind, and, perhaps is something even more diabolical than that.

This satanic interloper, this impostor, was with us in antiquity, into the middle ages, and still stands behinds many pulpits each and every Sunday morning. He gives his hearty approval to the burning of babies before Molech, the torture of “heretics” by their Catholic and Protestant inquisitors, the burning of accused “witches” by the pious, the horrors of the holocaust, and to each and every sermon that paints our Heavenly Father in a similar light.

He is not a god. He is your enemy, and he does not deserve an ounce of worship.

The God revealed by Christ – YES – has appointed a day of judgement, and – YES – brings correction and discipline to His children. However, He is a God who Himself is the very definition of love. There is nothing that He has ever done, or will ever do, that does not have love, life, and redemption as it’s center! That being said, a belief in a god that causes us to joyously anticipate the pain, torment, and hurt of others is none other than a devil inspired monstrosity, and it belongs in the scrapheap of history.

God is Love.

Period.

Well....What do you think???

Portraying Abba Father

Some religions keep their followers in a perpetual state of fear due to their fear-mongering that portrays our heavenly Father

as a revenging tyrant 

dangling people

over the fires of hell 

like a spider on a web and unless they turn...they will burn "FOREVER" if the fires of hell

 .

 Does this terrorist spirituality really portray the Fatherly attributes of our loving God? 

Some religions are on the other end of the spiritual relationship spectrum

where God is portrayed as the adults Santa Clause in the sky that attends to their every wish or demand and is a happy go lucky pushover pussy cat in that there is no aberrant behavior or sin that He will not condone. Does that "you can sin and live any way you want to, everything is all right" attitude portray the characteristic of a Holy God?

Of the two I accept neither NEITHER view of ABBA FATHER.   

I desire a relationship with the ABBA FATHER of Jesus who is infinitely loving, understanding, forgiving and compassionate regarding my relationship with Him in spite of my failures and sin. Who at the same time is awesome and incomprehensible in His acceptance and love of people, which is the God that Jesus, as the express image of God, came to reveal and revealed.

There is NO such thing as to much GRACE

Grace, Grace and More Grace..."For where sin abounds Grace MUCH MORE abounds."

Grace isn’t just for a sinner's entrance to a believer’s  beginning.

Grace is where believers LIVE.

If as believers we are not living in Grace, we are NOT  living the Gospel!

Therefore, we are NOT preaching the Gospel!

Grace is the means of GAINING our earthly relationship with God…Grace is the means of MAINTAINING our earthly relationship with God…Grace is the means of ENDING our earthly relationship with God victoriously!

Grace is not the just first step on the stairway of truth to a relationship with God…Grace is the hub and spokes in the wheel of truth that ties us to every aspect of our relationship with God. 

We cannot have a relationship with God without Grace.

We cannot understand God without Grace.

We cannot please God without Grace.

We cannot understand the Gospel without Grace.

We cannot understand forgiveness without Grace.

We cannot understand God's love without Grace. 

We cannot love the way God loves without Grace.

We cannot understand our right standing with God without Grace.

We cannot understand or experience freedom without Grace.

We cannot overcome sin without Grace.

We cannot even understand Grace without Grace.

Our relationship and walk with God is not dependent on grace plus religious observances.

Our relationship and walk with God is dependent solely on His Grace.

Without Grace there is no SALVATION.

"Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far and tis Grace that will lead me HOME"!

Looking For the Church that Jesus is Building

I am looking for the Church that is God inspired...not man attired.

 

I am looking for the Church that is Jesus controlled...not religious hierarchy controlled.

 

I am looking for the Church that Jesus is building...not the church that denominations are building.

 

I am looking for the unified Church of Jesus Christ...not the segregated Church of denominations  

I am looking for the Church that is an organism...not an organization.

I am looking for the Church that is a daily affecting people...not a Sunday morning  programmed organizational event that entertains people.

I am looking for the Church that is concerned about bringing the atmosphere of heaven to earth...rather than bringing the atmosphere of earth to heaven.

I am looking for the Church that is consumed with the fire of God's love...not with the fire of  a devil's hell.

I am looking for the Church that is the "Community of the Redeemed"...not the "Community of the religious".

I am looking for the Church that is community minded...rather than denominationally minded.

I am looking for the Church that is accepting of people...rather than the rejecting of people  by denominational segregation.

I am looking for the Church that is Love-bent on wooing people to Christ...instead of hell-bent on scaring the hell out of people to scare them to Christ.

I am looking for the Church fitting people for heaven...not condemning people to a devil's hell.

I am looking for the Church that is accepting and forgiving...not judgmental and condemning.

I am looking for the Church that is God conscious...not devil conscious.

I am looking for the Church that is God honoring, Jesus headed and Spirit led...man honoring, man headed and man led.

I am looking for the Church that  is living Christ's life on earth consumed...not living a religious life on earth that is death and heaven consumed.

I am looking for the Church that is preaches sin forgiving...not sin condemning.

I am looking for the Church that is love defined...not love refined.

I am looking for the Church that realizes it's on a relational journey with God that is ongoing...not a relationship with religion where they think they have arrived.

I am looking for the Church that freely shares because it genuinely cares for the flock...not one that shares  only to share the flock.

I am looking for the Church that is the community of the redeemed...not segregated communities of individualized sensationalized denominations. 

I am looking for the Church that treats people the way God treats them...not the way the institutional church treats them.

I am looking for the Church that is Spirit hungry...not money hungry.

I am looking for the Church that leads people...not drives people.

I am looking for the wall-less Church built on Jesus Christ...not a segregated, denominated walled church built on man's philosophies.

I am looking for the LIVING WORD led Church...not the written word led church.

I am looking for the Church that points people to Jesus...instead of pointing people to a religious denomination.

I am looking for the Church that gets its Life from the righteousness of the Life Giver....JESUS CHRIST...not from the rightness of man-made doctrine and behavior modification..

I am looking for the Church that is blood bought and Spirit taught...not money bought and man taught.

I am looking for the Church for which Jesus bled, is Jesus fed and is Jesus led.

The LIMITLESS Grace of God

Grace, Grace and More Grace..."For where sin abounds Grace MUCH MORE abounds."

Grace isn’t just for a sinner's entrance to a believer’s  beginning,

Grace is where believers LIVE.

If as believers we are not living in Grace, we are NOT  living the Gospel!

Therefore, we are NOT preaching the Gospel!

Grace is the means of GAINING our earthly relationship with God…Grace is the means of MAINTAINING our earthly relationship with God…Grace is the means of ENDING our earthly relationship with God victoriously!

Grace is not the just first step on the stairway of truth to a relationship with God…Grace is the hub and spokes in the wheel of truth that ties us to every aspect of our relationship with God. 

We cannot have a relationship with God without Grace.

We cannot understand God without Grace.

We cannot please God without Grace.

We cannot understand the Gospel without Grace.

We cannot understand forgiveness without Grace.

We cannot understand God's love without Grace. 

We cannot love the way God loves without Grace.

We cannot understand our right standing with God without Grace.

We cannot understand or experience freedom without Grace.

We cannot overcome sin without Grace.

We cannot even understand Grace without Grace.

Our relationship and walk with God is not dependent on grace plus religious observances.

Our relationship and walk with God is dependent solely on His Grace.

Without Grace there is no SALVATION.

"Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far and tis Grace that will lead me HOME"!

 

If the Grace you are under is limitless you are NOT under the Grace of God!

The Community of the Redeemed

The Community of the redeemed is made up of believer's whose foundation is Jesus Christ and their function is that in their daily living the Christ life lives and works through them influencing the across-the-path-people they meet within the community of humanity. 

They not identified by the religious traditional church system of denominated, segregated and programmed Sunday-event-driven-meetings. Rather their identity is found in the fact that they they are born out of spiritual life instead of being constructed by man-made religious institutions that function and are controlled by the religious hierarchy and religious programs.

They do not operate with a us (laity) and them (a hierarchical structure of seminarian trained  denominated professionals) that run the structured institutional churches. Rather, the community of the redeemed is identified by every member functioning in their face-to-face involvement with the across-the-path-people they meet in their daily living. 

They are not pastor-to-pew services oriented nor hierarchical run and controlled, rather the supremacy of Jesus is their focal point and the functional Leader and Head of His community of redeemed people whenever they assemble. Through His  community of the redeemed the atmosphere of heaven comes to earth and God's love and grace is experienced by the community of humanity.

The community of the redeemed ought to function without any man-made religious ingredients, or institutional input because it is spiritually formed and is born out of the experience of Christ's life within and the working of Christ's life through His people.  

The community of the redeemed is God ordained...blood bought...heaven sanctioned...Jesus headed...Spirit led...Grace empowered and people loving!

Beware of Wolves in Sheeps Clothes

We all need spiritual discernment to tell the counterfeit from the genuine when it comes to a wolf in sheep's clothing.  The counterfeit is so laced with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit to give it acceptability of truth that the only way to tell they are wolves is to have a revelations of Who God is through His revealer Jesus and through the One who doesn't speak of Himself but speaks of Jesus the Holy Spirit.

Characteristics of Wolves in Sheep's Clothing .

They abuse and misuse the Bible for a means to their own end.  

They maintain that God speaks to them directly and frequently.

They maintain that they are the conduit from God to relay spiritual truths to the spiritual hard of hearing...the pew warmer.

They preach denominated man-made doctrines of rule keeping rather than the Gospel of Grace.

They say they prophesy what God gives them yet, it fails to come to pass.

They manipulatively fleece the flock of their money and lavishly spend it on themselves.

They preach that God will bless you for giving money to their ministry with health and wealth.

They preach guilt, judgement and condemnation to instill fear in people and keep them under religious control. 

They are more sin conscious than they are God conscious. 

They are more hellbent on scaring the hell out of people into the kingdom than they are God sent to love people as the persuader to Salvation because of the goodness of God.

They suffer more from power hunger than spiritual hunger.

They are more concerned about their denominated doctrine than they are loving and caring for people.

They talk a lot about themselves and what they have accomplished rather than Jesus and what He has accomplished.

They frequently reference the size of the audience, the miracles, and the number of salvations, to validate God’s anointing on them and their ministry.

But even in those days there were false prophets, just as there will be false teachers among you today. They will be men who will subtly introduce dangerous heresies. They will thereby deny the Lord who redeemed them, and it will not be long before they bring on themselves their own downfall. Many will follow their pernicious teaching and thereby bring discredit on the way of truth. In their lust to make converts these men will try to exploit you too with their bogus arguments (2 Peter 2:1-3a).

They may be dressed in Sheep's clothing but underneath they are ravishing wolves!

Returning to God's Ever-Present Love

We often confuse unconditional love with unconditional approval. God loves us without conditions but does not approve of every human behavior. God doesn't approve of betrayal, violence, hatred, suspicion, and all other expressions of evil, because they all contradict the love God wants to instill in the human heart. Evil is the absence of God's love. Evil does not belong to God.

God's unconditional love means that God continues to love us even when we say or think evil things. God continues to wait for us as a loving parent waits for the return of a lost child. It is important for us to hold on to the truth that God never gives up loving us even when God is saddened by what we do. That truth will help us to return to God's ever-present love.

 

God's Unconditional Love

What can we say about God's love? We can say that God's love is unconditional. God does not say, "I love you, if ..." There are no ifs in God's heart. God's love for us does not depend on what we do or say, on our looks or intelligence, on our success or popularity. God's love for us existed before we were born and will exist after we have died. God's love is from eternity to eternity and is not bound to any time-related events or circumstances. Does that mean that God does not care what we do or say? No, because God's love wouldn't be real if God didn't care. To love without condition does not mean to love without concern. God desires to enter into relationship with us and wants us to love God in return.

Let's dare to enter into an intimate relationship with God without fear, trusting that we will receive love and always more love.

 

God Is Love

Not understanding the significance of the truth that "God is love" is a reason for accusations against God our Father that pits Him as mean, unloving and revengeful. If our biological father did half of what is attributed to God He would find himself on death row!

The truth that "God is love" is not just a trite religious saying. Most believers believe that "God is love", then they "BUT" it. Yea God is love, BUT, God also hates, is revengeful, is wrathful and punishes people for doing wrong.

God's love isn't something we can work to earn or achieve. How many times have you heard someone say, "I'm just a poor old sinner, saved by grace" subjected to making many mistakes? If we are Born Again through the Blood of Jesus, God said we're holy and without blame before Him in love and our mistakes does not make Him love us less.

Consider John 3:16. Every believer can quote this verse from memory, "For God so loved the world...". Note "...SO loved the world...He didn't just love us, he *SO* loved us; so much that He gave His Son. Now where it says "...the world..." replace it with "people of the world". "For God SO LOVED PEOPLE that He gave..." He so loved ALL people He gave...He so loved you as a sinner He gave

We mar God's character by painting Him as a mean old taskmaster watching for us to sin a sin so He can punish us for it.

Every GOOD and PERFECT gift cometh from above, from the Father of lights in Whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning. We have nothing to fear from God because He loves us!

When the Scriptures say, "God is love," they aren't telling us that God is some nebulous, warm fuzzy feeling of love. The writers who penned the scriptures weren't saying that in our limited form of human love we will find God. Not at all...in fact, when we read that God is love it means that God defines love. And when we say that God defines love, it don't mean that He defines it the way human's love, for convenience purposes...it means that God is the very definition of love itself. There is no such thing as love without God. As hard as we might try, we cannot define love outside of knowing God. This essentially means that our human definition of love is false, if it were true love there would be no such thing as divorce or hate because of falling out of love. 

God is the Creator of all things, and by His very nature, He is love. God love is unconditional, unfathomable, unending, unmeasurable and NEVER FAILS, and it's not based on feelings; therefore, love is not an "intense affection… based on familial or personal association". To understand what true love is and to be able to truly love others, we must know God, and we can do this through a close personal relationship with Him. We can have that close relationship with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, who was God's sacrifice of love for us.

God's love is summed up in this passage of scripture: "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him...(Whoa there, did I read that right!...didn't God send His Son into the world so we would escape Hell and gain heaven? You really mean the reason He came was to live through me...come on now!) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" (1 John 4:7-11). 

If you want to know this love...true love...get to know God. He is ready to pour out His love on you, and He wants you to love others as He loves you.

Patrick's Poem

Here is a wonderful poem our very own Patrick (Woolly) wrote about how God is everything to us..it so wonderfully expresses how much Papa means to us!  I'm calling it "You Are.." for I don't know the title and feel that sums it up so well, as it is filled with thoughts about who He is!  Hope that is okay with you, Patrick!  I'm putting it here for all to enjoy:

"You Are..." 

You are the light that shines within me.
You are the song that soothes my soul.
You are the life that lives within me.
You are the One that makes me whole.

You are the gift that fills my present.
You are the answer to my past.
You are the secret of my future.
You are the Truth that holds me fast.

You are my every inspiration.
You are my courage in the night.
You are the hope that holds my head high.
You are the thought that sets me right.

You are the glory of the sunset.
You are the myst’ry of the stars.
You are my first and last and all between.
You are the peace within my heart.

You are the comfort brought by others.
You are the kind words of a friend.
You are the secret in a stranger’s smile.
You are my rainbow’s end.

You are the Love that burns within me.
You are the Love surrounding me.
You are the Love I can depend on.
You are my Love, Lord, eternally.

by Patrick 

Transforming Power of the Dear Cross of Christ

“Oh, the power, the melting, conquering, transforming power of the dear Cross of Christ. My brothers, we have but to constantly tell ourselves the matchless story, and we may expect to see the most remarkable results. We need not despair of our hearts now that Christ has died for this sinner.
With such a hammer as the doctrine of the Cross, this most flinty heart will be broken and such a fire as the sweet love of Christ will melt this most mighty iceberg. I need never to despair of my inability or my bad habits if I can but find occasion to bring the doctrine of Christ crucified into contact with my nature. It will yet change me and Christ will be my King.”

— Charles Spurgeon

I Wonder What Would Happen

I wonder what would happen in the community of humanity if the community of the redeemed refused to be manipulated and controlled by the man-made religious system and its man-made doctrines and rules, and started living completely surrendered to Jesus, their Head and Teacher and lived for the purpose they were created?

I wonder what would happen in the community of humanity if the community of the redeemed responded to the love of God and demonstrated that love in life living! 

I believe it would affect change in the people of the world. We please God by knowing Him, loving Him and loving people. This is worship to God in "spirit and in truth". This is the true worship that is our reasonable service we are to honor God with.”

God did not redeem us to be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good! 

God did not redeem us to be so sin conscious that we fail to be God conscious!

God did not redeem us to be His segregated body hiding in denominated name-tagged buildings called "church", He redeemed us to be His united body living in the community of humanity as He lives His life through us!

God did not redeem us for Sunday-programmed-event-driven meetings, He redeemed us to affect the community of humanity in our daily living as the Church!

God did not redeem us to put us in bondage to religion, He redeemed us for the freedom that is in Christ!

God did not redeem us to use Him as a fire escape, He redeemed us to have a loving relationship with us! 

God did not redeem us to bring earth's atmosphere to heaven, He redeemed us to bring heaven's atmosphere to earth!

God did not redeem us to judge and condemn people, He redeemed us to love and forgive  people!

God redeemed us to be His "united redemptive community" to the people of the world in the living of daily life.

- Glenn Regular

True Repentance

True repentance is possible solely because of the goodness of God...The goodness of God is experienced because of His Grace...Therefore, the Gospel is good news to the community of humanity about Jesus’ Gospel of GRACE. Therefore, the Gospel is not about scaring the hell out of people or their being cursed by God for not obeying religious rules!

Because of the religionizing of repentance, it is associated with being forgiven of our sin. However, turning away from sin is the fruit of true repentance while forgiveness of sin is a result of the finished work of Christ on the cross through the shedding His blood.

Repentance is because of God goodness and is our responsibility by turning away from sin to God, it does not a result of saying the famous “sinner’s prayer”! There is no saving power in the “sinner’s prayer” itself...The saving power is God’s Grace...”for it is by Grace you are saved.”

Forgiveness is solely because of God’s goodness and God’s doing and not by man’s goodness or by man’s doing.

” Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord “ (Acts 3:19)

Repent (turn away from) selfish sin to God who has taken on your sin by His sacrifice for sin on the cross and God will present you with a clean slate and your sin will be “cast into the sea of His forgetfulness NEVER to be REMEMBERED against you any more.” Do not try to get rid of sin before coming to God...it is an impossibility! Come as you are, bring your sins to God and the blood of Jesus His Son will cleanse you from all sin!

People try by self will and effort to turn away from sin by measuring up to religious expectations, because of wrong thinking on repentance. They are led to believe, they should turn away from sin before coming to God, resulting in a forever battle with sin or worst they give up on God because they cannot stop sinning.

Jesus died for sinners. If we think that because of repenting we deserve God’s Grace then we are mistaken. God’s Grace is for sinners as well as saints. However, the self-righteous spiritual know-alls cannot experience God’s Grace because Grace is accepted by those who depend solely on Jesus and His work and not on their own good works to acquire or maintain salvation.

God’s grace is followed by true repentance by turning away from self and sins way to God’s way.

” Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:10-11)

Notice that Jesus did not say: ‘woman, you must repent of adultery first then I will not condemn you, then I will forgive you’! She was forgiven without repenting because of God’s Grace and received God’s undeserved Grace, and she experienced true repentance by going and sinning no more because of the sustaining power of God’s Grace. There was no condemnation of her by Christ because she did not say “the sinner’s prayer" but, she was forgiven, otherwise Jesus would not have said to her ‘…go and sin no more’

Jesus is not in the sinner condemnation business and people who have experienced true repentance are not in the sinner condemnation business. They and into sharing God’s Grace business because of His goodness. They are into living the good news Gospel of God’s Grace...not the bad news of the you lose gospel of self assertion to maintain their salvation.

People who do not have Christ in their life receive God’s unconditional forgiveness and love! by receiving it freely not by their doing of good works to be forgiven or to maintain their salvation. The good works of believers are a response of true repentance and forgiveness, not a means to attain or maintain it.

As believers we need to change our mind towards sin. Sin is a done deal because of Jesus and the cross. We are to live our lives by walking in the complete and total forgiveness of all our sins and live a free life, simply because we are free because of God’s Gracious Grace.

- Glenn Regular

Move from Being Spiritual Ordinary to Spiritual Extra-Ordinary

Many people are yearning for the extraordinary when it comes to their spiritual relationship. If we would excel at being ordinary in our spiritual relationship with God, that in itself would be extraordinary, and the ordinary would be realized as extraordinary by the community of humanity.

The ordinary that would be viewed as extraordinary by the community of humanity is:

Judging and condemning would be replaced by loving and forgiving.

Religious people's involvement with their own sect would be replaced by involvement with the community of humanity.

The submission to religious authority that religion has on the community of believers would be replaced by submission to Jesus as the Head of His community of the redeemed.

Segregation of Christ's body in denominated buildings called church would be replaced by unification of Christ's body as the community of the redeemed known as The Church.

The misuse and abuse of the bible used as a rule book for religious living would cease and the bible would be a love book that points us to Jesus for relationship living.

The priesthood of the religious hierarchy would be replaced by the priesthood of all members of the community of the redeemed.

The mixture of the law and grace gospel of religion would be replaced by the pure grace gospel that Jesus gave to Paul.

The bondage of religion would be replaced by the freedom that is in Christ.

This would move believers from what is spiritually sub-ordinary to what is spiritually ordinary, that would seem to be spiritually extraordinary not only for the community of humanity but also for the community of the redeemed.

- Glenn Regular

Solidarity in Weakness

Joy is hidden in compassion. The word compassion literally means "to suffer with." It seems quite unlikely that suffering with another person would bring joy. Yet being with a person in pain, offering simple presence to someone in despair, sharing with a friend times of confusion and uncertainty ... such experiences can bring us deep joy. Not happiness, not excitement, not great satisfaction, but the quiet joy of being there for someone else and living in deep solidarity with our brothers and sisters in this human family. Often this is a solidarity in weakness, in brokenness, in woundedness, but it leads us to the center of joy, which is sharing our humanity with others.