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Our Sins Are ‘Not’ Covered. They’re Gone!

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John Gregory

Did you know that nowhere in the New Testament does it state that our sins are merely 'covered' by The Blood?    Look for it. It's just not there. Oh I know we have sang songs about being 'covered' by the blood, and even heard sermons  declaring it, yet this is one of those cases where repetition trumps scripture! You say it or hear it enough till you believe it is the truth. 

So then, where did that thinking come from? It came from a former relationship, that a former people, had with their God in a former time. It does not apply in the slightest to our present relationship with God. In fact, it diminishes it.

To say that we are just 'covered' by the blood, is to say that Calvary in essence never happened. Covering up sins, was what had to be done under the Old Covenant relationship with God, but it was not HIS blood that covered them. It was merely a 'cover up' that only lasted till the end of a year! 

Can you just imagine how the Israelites must have felt? Condemnation was never too far away, always nagging at the fringes of their minds because those sins were never completely gone! They would have joyfully welcomed a day like ours where they could have just rested in His peace without any worry! Instead, they had to wait the year out. They had to carry any new 'sins' they committed during that year, with them. The daily 'guilt' reminders throughout the year must have been so heavy a burden to carry till the day of atonement.

So much of religion still lives with the concepts of the old testament relationship. The only difference being,  they've just exchanged the animal sacrifice to new types of sacrifices of their own making. They still see their sins as only 'covered' just waiting to sneak back out and haunt them again. So they strive, perform, and work to help alleviate the guilt of their conscience. You can't live under both covenants or even mix a little of both together, for it is an insult to Him and the price He paid to free you from the old way.  If you insist though, the condemnation that Jesus came to free you from, will keep your mind in constant misery!

The animals blood was insufficient.  It could only hide and push sins ahead for a year but could never wash them away for good! Only One spotless Lamb could do that...The Lamb Of God! 

Is it any wonder why much of religion still lives with condemnation, always trying to appease God with their own type of sacrifice in hopes that He might forgive them? Their God connection still occupies a time and a type of relationship that was never even offered to them in the first place! Yes! Jesus did save a 'better thing' for us!

Our own speech, our own misconceived concepts, our lack of understanding that the old testament relationship is not ours to live under, keeps us dwelling in a 'condemnation' frame of mind...even when scripture says He has freed us from it all!

Our sins are gone! Washed away! Non existent! Forgotten by Him! 

Move to the new covenant where condemnation is not welcome. This is the time of a new kind of Relationship! A brand New Covenant of Grace from God!. This is the one that Jesus wrote with  His own blood! Accept it. Love it!
But never diminish it and call it a 'cover up!'

What can wash away my sins? 

Nothing but the blood of Jesus! (1Jn 1:7)

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The Day We Walked Away

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I'll never forget that humid, Maui Sunday morning for as long as I live! The speaker, Pastor Ryan Valenzuela, had just taught a soul freeing message that answered and confirmed all we had been grappling with for over 25 years. It was the most beautiful sermon on the grace of God, the finished work of Calvary, that we had ever heard. Tears were streaming down our faces as our family made its way to the front of the church.  We could  not get there fast enough! This was all the verification from God we needed! The one we had been waiting for so long, but untill this moment, had not been quite ready for.

We were sobbing hard, our arms locked around each other, knowing deep inside, this day would change our life and direction forever.  I guess  that in part, you could say there were some tears of remorse, feeling like we had wasted so many years before finally saying, 'yes' to this so precious revelation, but also there were many tears shed in knowing the rejection that we, without one doubt, were about to face. This message was viewed very 'skeptically and suspiciously'  to say the very least in our fellowship, but as of this moment, our priority would change to become more about pleasing HIM than THEM. We had been in limbo far too long and the relief we were feeling was a long time waiting for!

All the joy that we had previously preached about for years, was not so overwhelming and unspeakable as this joy was! It was saturating every fiber of our being! Even now, tears still flow down my face as I recount the intense emotions of that most glorious day!

I don't know how long we all stood there...maybe hours? None of us wanted to go home because this day marked the day of new beginnings. We felt so fresh and whole inside our spirits. No, absolutely nothing we had experienced spiritually to that point, could even come close in comparison, and we had known some mighty good times with Him prior! YES! The Gospel of Grace turned our world right side up! Mercy and Truth had truly met together personally, for us that day!

Our lives have taken a tremendous change since that morning. We knew the battles we would face and the rejections by those who didn't share this beautiful revelation. We commented to each other that it wouldn't be long till someone would say, 'The Gregory's left because they are bitter'. This is the age old explanation legalism gives (and to be honest, we had previously given it about others) concerning everyone who dare walk away. Sure enough, we weren't disappointed. It happened like we said, very shortly afterward.

As far as we were concerned, we had no reason for bitterness. Sure, we suffered from the deceitful promises from men we had  thought were godly , and yes, it was devastating  to our family, but many others have suffered just as much or more than we had. Life is life, and heartache, pain, rejection and disappointments are just a part of it. That's what makes you grow and mature in God, and for us, it was actually a blessing in disguise. It opened our  eyes and understanding to the fact that something major was missing in our religious ideology. One thing we knew for sure, we could never go back to the way it was! Whatever it took, this awesome feeling beyond describtion, could not be jeopardized with compromise! For us, it was full speed ahead, no stopping till it took deep and lasting root in the very depths of our soul! 

I am writing this for those who are also coming to their own crossroads.

 God has been dealing with your heart. Dissatisfaction with the status quo is no longer deniable. You have tried your best to quell the unrest, but the driving hunger for what is missing won't let you alone. You've been told that you have all the 'truth' there is but the hunger gnawing at your spirit tells you differently. Pretending is getting old and beginning to be a drudgery. Oh, you have become professional at performing the right actions on cue...hoping to disguise the huge lack you have been feeling for so long. Going along with the crowd just to be acceptable, is becoming more and more of a drudgery to your spirit.

 Wasn't the joy of your salvation supposed to have lasted longer than this?  Instead, many go from Sunday to Sunday, looking for that special 'blessing' that will get them through the next week. Joy can be deep and enduring when you have the full revelation of the freedom God's Amazing Grace gives. It is not dependent on a special set aside, once a week, 'blessings'. When we 'live' in a constant state of Grace, nothing else compares to it's continual peace of mind! The problem is, we have spasmodically presented this truth with reserve but mostly kept it locked away because we didn't really comprehend its full message. 
 We preached it enough to acknowledge its necessary ingredients to purchase our salvation, but after the initial point of purchase, it was minimized, balanced and explained with cautious words, as if that same saving grace could actually cause us to fall!!!!

How insulting we were to God to project Him this way. You see, you cannot separate Him from Grace. He is Grace, and to limit or caution against it, is to actually caution against having too much of God Himself in your life! 
Think long and hard about this!

There was a huge amount of 'painful' detoxing  that our family had to go through in order to continue the journey to where God was now taking us. Honestly, I am relieved we have finally made it this far, for some days were grueling to say the least. Detoxing, by its very implications, means to rid yourself of what you have become accustomed to for a great part of your life. I cannot lie and say it has all been easy, for it hasn't.  But what we can tell you, is that this beautiful, most precious truth of the Gospel, has been so worth  all  the necessary mind cleansing that the 'detoxing' had to bring.  The end results have without a single doubt, been the most rewarding and valuable experience we have ever had in the whole of our lifetime! Absolutely nothing compares...

No, nothing!

If you have decided that you are going for this truth with all your heart and soul, then you need to be aware of the stages you will most likely go through.  Of necessity, the results of this journey will be the rebuilding of you...literally! We were unprepared for so much, so hopefully our experience will help  prepare you for things to come. We share this with you so that you will not feel that you are the exception by any means!

This is the personal recording of experiences in our own journey.
 I hope it helps you!

1. In the beginning, right after the full revelation of Grace has saturated your mind and heart, there will begin to be a steady flow of inspiration that is endless. Things you never saw before and understood in scripture, will shine like a beacon of clarity that excites you like nothing else before!

2.Then comes the insatiable hunger to learn everything you can of  God's divine nature of Grace, one that you were never told much about before. Get ready! The flow of inspiration is like pure clean oxygen straight to the heart!

3.The awesomeness and depth of His love astound you over and over as you realize how immense, unconditional and forgiving it is! This is a realization so refreshing! Especially when you've been led to believe that God is always demanding perfection of you!

4.You slowly start to grasp that He doesn't bless according to merits earned, like; hours prayed,  meals fasted and  self invented sacrifices given. He blesses because He can't help Himself. He blesses simply because He has set His love on you!

5.Yes, you will face apprehensions that maybe you are taking grace too far....that it really doesn't mean what its name implies. The enemy will keep trying to condemn you while pouring on the guilt....count on it! You will mentally have to deal with the grace modifiers (last post) of your past,  who ingrained into us that grace meant something it didn't. Don't let it hold you back! Let this freshly discovered knowledge of Him keep you pressing on! This brand new, insatiable hunger, can at times be almost uncontrollable in its new quest to finally know God as He really is!

6.Yes, at times you will find yourself being angry at some of the things you gullibly fell for in your past. Things that even scripture does not clarify, yet others demanded from you anyway.  Eventually, you slowly let it go and forgive them and yourself.

7.For the first time in your Christian life, you realize that you can trust your heart. You had been living by old testament/covenant standards till this point.... before God moved inside. That was before the heart could be trusted! You begin to realize that since the cross, He truly has taken up residence inside and never leaves you!  To this day, most all of religion still tend to live back before Jesus brought His spirit into the heart of man. To them, He is still 'out there' somewhere! For........
They still refer to 'coming into' His presence, even after His presence 'came into' them! That old misconstrued philosophy leaves Him an impersonal God.....not quite in touch with His own.

8.Little by little, you learn to recognize His voice above everything else. It is so precious as it speaks to the heart it now resides in! We had not allowed ourselves to be too sensitive to it, for fear it would lead us astray because of that old covenant/testament teaching. Train your ear to hear even His slightest whisper! Trust it! 

  THE FLIP SIDE: I tell you of this side only because the enemy will make you think you are unusual with what you might face. Trust me! You are not! There will be emotions that you encounter that he will try and use to convince you that you've made a mistake in your new pursuit of this Good News Gospel. So I share this only to give you a 'heads up',  just in case you feel alone in your experiences.

 This is the side that can hurt deeply, I won't try and downplay that fact. But if you are truly determined to know Him like you've never known Him before, in many cases, it is inevitable! 

 Detoxing from legalistic concepts and codes tends to strip your soul bare.  You will second guess yourself more than once. You will feel vulnerable at times, for your whole foundation has to be rebuilt. This is normal! In fact, it is absolutely necessary to start fresh without all the past baggage or yoke that was not given to you by God. 

YOU WILL HAVE TO REMOVE YOUR OLD 'HEAVY YOKE' FIRST, BEFORE PUTTING ON GOD'S 'LIGHT' ONE!

1. I'll be honest, some days you will go through the emotions of withdrawal that leaves you trembling in heart wrenching pain. Yes, you will question your decision at times, that is normal, more especially for those of us who have been in legalism all their lives. Yet after you measure what you are finding in God compared to the way it used to be, the old life appears small, cramped and insecure the further you move away from it.

2.You will be rejected by those who you thought loved you. Get ready. Nothing quite prepares your heart for this.....we can personally witness this as a fact.

3.You will be gossiped about and criticized, made fun of by those you were sure were your friends. Don't let it make you despondent. They just don't get it. Don't let their lack of love shock you. That's how legalism raises its own to think. Try to remember how you also used to think and feel. Forgiveness comes easier with that in mind.

4.Family will become embarrassed of you, making excuses and remarks about you that always find their way back to your ears....intentionally. It hurts deep and there will be nights you cry yourself to sleep. Not an uplifting thought, I know, yet a reality that you need to understand is not suffered by you alone.

5.You will not receive any, 'I miss you' or 'where have you been' or 'what happened', calls. The gossip mill of legalism handles and answers that line of questions for you.  Most times it is so highly elaborated that you don't even recognize it could actually be 'you' that they are talking about.

6.Yes, there will be lies, get ready for it. It will tend to anger you at first, but don't let that spirit consume your soul....it's not worth it. Let the sweet Grace of God, wrap you up tight in its warm protecting shelter. God has heard it all before, so He knows how to shield and protect you during those devastating storms.

7.Yes,  there IS one thing that actually WILL happen that legalism warns you about!. They predict that if you leave them, 'it will get lonely out there!' It IS true...it will! So lonely some days that you will cry for relationships lost, yet if you let Him, God will fill that emptiness left by those who stay away because it is beyond their understanding where you are at. They tend to take your leaving them, personally. Believe it or not, this loneliness is necessary for this time, for it keeps you clinging to Him as you get to know Him better.  Eventually, new relationships will happen and fill the void others made. Truly, it will happen.
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 After writing all this, there is no doubt that there will be those who either just don't relate at all to what I've said, or have sadly determined that it's not worth the effort. Before Grace was revealed in all its divine glory to our hearts, we could not have related either. When you are taught and believe with all your heart that you already have all there is in knowing God, you tend to close your mind and anything else frightens you!  We said we had ALL truth, but truth was taught to us as a doctrine or creed rather than what scriptures says it is; a person, Jesus Christ!. Just by making the, 'I have all truth', statement, automatically closes the door to more 'knowledge' of Him. If you 'have it all' then what more can there be? We should be ever growing in the knowledge of HIM-TRUTH-GRACE. He is unending!

We can verify beyond doubt, that this journey we have been on for over 5 years now, has been the most rewarding, eye opening, liberating, satisfying and yet at the same time, 'soul wrenching' journey of our entire lives and ministry. Would we ever go back? NO! A MILLION TIMES, NO! Not to please anyone..... friend, family member or former fellowship peers. It is definitely not the grace we had been told or even taught that it was! There is nothing about it to be apprehensive of! An overabundance of it only stirs your desire to love and please Him much more than you ever desired to within legalism! 

Nothing compares to this! Our hearts are consumed with this Gospel! Do we teach a new one? NO! In fact, it is the same as we have always taught in the churches we have pastored. Gradually our message and the organization we were with began to move apart. Little by little without anyone even noticing, theirs became less about Grace and more about condemnation. I guess you could really say, 'they' left us instead of the other way around.

 We will never turn around to retrace our steps and go backwards, for it would be for us, the ultimate regression away from Him. Nothing, no experience before this time could ever compete!

You must have an intense, overwhelming desire to KNOW Him like you never have, before you get started on this journey or you will never finish. The hunger for Him has got to rise deep from within your soul to the point that everything else pales in comparison. Is He worth that to you? If not, then just staying satisfied with the status quo, is your only option.

Are you standing at the crossroads where Grace branches off to the right and away from religious legalism?  Has God started to open your heart and understanding that there is truly something so valuable that you have missed? Can you feel it? Have you laid awake at night questioning that spurt of hunger that comes seemingly out of nowhere? Have you been afraid of it and tried to suppress it for fear of what others may say or think? You must decide what matters most in this short lifetime. From this point on, it's up to you. Nobody else can decide for you.

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GRACE MODIFIERS!

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Have you ever heard someone stumble over their definition of Grace? They are awkward and uncomfortable to say the least. It is embarrassingly apparent that they haven't a clue! Especially when they end their definition by warning you to handle it cautiously, as though it might contaminate you if you dabble with it too much. 

 Watch their mannerisms. They will put on their super 'spiritual' voice, look down their nose as if admonishing a child, and say, 'Be careful! You need to balance it!' Or they may even attempt to downplay this new awareness of Grace that God Himself is bringing, by saying, 'It is just cheap Hyper-Grace for those who want to live how they want to live!' Of course, that means it's opposed to their own desired codes of how you should live. Truthfully, this is a way of thinking that is promoted by deep fear...fear of the unknown.... Grace unknown.

There are three main characteristic types that would even dare to attempt to modify or devalue Grace. For your sake, please take note! These are the three;

 1. The heart still veiled.- Willing Ignorance 
 2. The Controller.-Grace threatens their power.
 3. The one with a God complex.- Arrogance

Grace comes from a source 'outside' of us. "No Kidding!," you say, yet you would never know that to be common knowledge by how some try and define and reshape it. Our human imperfections, our old sinful nature, could have never produced a self healer so antiseptically pure and powerful. It was spawned by intense love alone.  It is without a doubt a foreign substance to our nature. Way too valuable, too rare to be birthed by us, otherwise we would have never needed it so badly to become whole and spiritually alive.

When Grace arrived for the very first time, it came 100%, full force! It wasn't pre-measured, then delivered to fit our scale of worthiness. We have absolutely no control over its massive proportions of favor. Yet arrogantly many believe they do!

What in the world would ever give us the thought that we had the right to modify Grace in any way? Who would dare be so bold to advise God (for that is exactly what they do) just how much, or to whom He should give it to?

Maybe He should cut it down to a half measure? Perhaps He should level it out a bit...not so 'heaping' a mound. What about 'balancing' it in order to equalize it according to individual merit so we won't go wild with it? Now that's a great idea! In fact, that is exactly legalisms erroneous philosophy. They just don't get it! 

Come to think of it, maybe the cost He paid was just too much! Maybe its enormous results were just too enduring and too unconditional! What if we should misuse it? I mean, shouldn't there be strict legal limits and rules to govern it? Shouldn't God have thought this out a little better beforehand?

Sound ludicrous? Yes, of course it does! Yet this is the exact thinking of those who have yet to have Grace revealed to their hearts. They have even  measured it out for themselves, always living in fearful condemnation, never fully understanding the complete message of the cross. They still cry out, 'I'm so unworthy!'  even after Christ did so much to make them otherwise!

GRACE; It doesn't come pre-packaged. It doesn't weigh out in ounces or pounds for there is no amount great enough to express the enormous weight of it. It is everyday free flowing, unearned, undeserved, without conditions! That's exactly what its name indicates! It is favor from our Father and only He has the rights to distribute it how He wants, unbalanced and unearned... yet give it He must... driven by His own love, desire and will! Not by yours or mine!

Legalism thinks in forms of cost, charge and sacrifice.  They still live halfway 'before' the cross and 'halfway' after. That's why they aren't comfortable with Grace. It comes free! No charge to my account! Compliments of Calvary! Only when it reaches the tight fisted hands of those who don't trust it, those who dare to devalue and hinder it because its freedom threatens their control, is it laid to waste. They become a dangerous obstructor between it and those who are so desperately in need of its revelation!

Who would dare have the gall to play with God's precious gift? 
Who would have the nerve to dangerously block the flow of this unending river of love that streams so pure from Him to me? 
The answer?
The same opposing spirit that threatened the Galatian church of Paul's day. 
So, that takes us back then to the beginning.
This spirit of rejection finds its identity in;

 1. The heart still veiled.- Willing Ignorance
 2. The Controller.-Grace threatens their power.
 3. The one with a God complex.-Arrogance.

Yes, it truly does boil down to simply this.  


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The Ministry Of Death

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            This will be the last posting for the next few weeks. 



                                                          John Gregory

Getting a revelation of what God's Grace actually did for us, opened our hearts to so many things that had been well hidden far too long! Not that God intentionally hid them, but our own hearts weren't ready to receive or see what all He wanted to reveal. Our traditions were the veil that shrouded our soul. The revelation of Grace brought with it a surprisingly clear and important message that we had somehow missed for years. The message was this; 

       Jesus death and resurrection literally closed The Old
                           Covenant Laws for you and I!                

Believe it or not, it no longer has any jurisdiction over our lives.      
                           None. Zero. Nada. Zilch!
Why didn't we see it sooner? And, why does most of religion still live with one foot in each Covenant? 
Very few biblical observations are as plain and clear as this one, but you hear it taught very little if at all, and regretably, I put myself in that category in days gone by.  Many teachers of the scriptures start the story of the cross very well, yet fail to finish it! Their unfinished message leaves as it were, Christ still hanging high upon the tree. Job incomplete!

What was the end of the story supposed to have looked like? 
It was to look like this;
Jesus coming to fulfill or finish off the old law covenant/testament.
To end it once and for all! That is what 'fulfill' means.
  • Dispensation over! 
  • Time to close the book on all its ways, and
  • traditions, 
  • rituals, 
  • sacrifices, 
  • moral laws, 
  • ceremonial laws and its,
  • priesthood.
 He, in fact, came to take over the priesthood from man and place it on Himself. From here on out, the 'Government would finally be upon 'His' shoulders' like Isaiah proclaimed! He was going to build a New Kingdom...a whole new way of doing things. After all, He had dearly paid for that right with His own life.

This message is so clear, that even a kindergartner could understand it, yet the church has missed it far too long! This is something so  special, so astonishing, that we should have proclaimed it from the rooftops, right from the beginning of our spiritual journey, but our failure to do so has hindered the church body and its progress. It has caused a staleness that we keep trying to eleviate, wearying ourselves by trying to figure out what 'new' thing we must try.  If we could only get the revelation of what the cross actually did for us! It is astounding and its story begs to be finished!

If we don't let its story complete, we will forever be enslaved to what scripture calls 'The Ministry Of Death' (2Cor. 3:7). It is the very thing that Jesus came to deliver us from, yet so many still hold and even add to it as if is still had some righteous power in their lives. It doesn't! It's time to let go of it for good!

What and who was The Old Covenant/Testament for? Simple.

                  The Children of Israel.

Their captivity had made them lose sight of God's ways. Oh they knew full well what it took to please a pagan god but they had lost sight of the one true and living God. Enter the reason for the Law Commandments or the Old Covenant...or God's first written contract with mankind. He begin writing on a stone ten things that they were apparently caught up in doing..things that He saw was destroying their lives. Things that were bringing hardship to them. You know these commandments well. He literally had to start all over with them, treating them as babes just beginning to walk. Hopefully, through the knowledge of His ways, concern for their welfare and desire to give them a good free life, they would come to love Him naturally and without being told. Problem is, this love never took root. Captivity had taken its toll! They had become dependent on constantly being 'told' what to do, thus the price was a lifetime of spiritual 'infancy'.

2 COR. 3:7, 8 - But if the 'Ministry of Death' (referring to the ten commandments) in letters engraved on stones came with glory so that the Son's of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses, because of the glory on his face, 'fading' (meaning; not lasting) as it was, How will the 'Ministry Of The Spirit' ( Christ coming to dwell in us after His death and resurrection), fail to be even more glorious?

Why exactly, was it called, 'The Ministry Of Death?'
Because it kept the focus on their SIN which IS death!  Every time we list 'sin rules', we speak death! When we proclaim and live our LOVE, building a relationship on 'it' instead, we speak, life.  We feel that people will not be saved without our sin reminders. Let me ask you this question, 'Can you 'make' them be saved by your 'sin reminders?' You know the answer to that. Believe it or not, Love, Itself, will do the prompting of right and wrong without it verbally being said. If they don't love Him, then nothing you list in your rulebook can make them anyway. They may pretend and look the part to satisfy you, but their heart will have an empty space where He should be. What then, have you accomplished?

This is so hard to imagine for those who have spent a lifetime always dabbling in The Ministry of Death! I know it was for us! We don't trust people and we don't trust God to do the work.  We become impatient and worry more about what our peers accross the way may think if our church members are seen as less than 'sin free'. We've convinced ourselves that people will get out of hand if we don't preach rules. What?  Has God lost His voice? No, but we as ministers have slowly replaced it with our own. God's people no longer recognize His voice so easily. They can't decipher ours from His anymore.

We are God's children only! He needs no one to speak for Him now that He lives in the heart, otherwise, we might as well move both feet back into the old ways, taking every single bit of it, ceremonial laws and all, back into our lives. The Old Covenant was not a perfect plan or else God would have never seen fit to change it with His life. It was just a temporary remedy...a band aid, so to speak, until He could come in flesh to bring the ultimate and FINAL Covenant!

Every time the Israelites looked at the commandments, they were reminded of their sin. It was everything they had been party to in pagan captivity. As with anything, whatever is your focus, can also become your downfall. God wanted it to lead them to understand and love Him, but their hearts were too long mired in their past. They looked at the commandments and it reminded them of the pleasures of their past sins. Instead of remembering what misfortune it brought in their lives, they began to see and long for the sin that the commands warned against! It literally magnified the sin simply because their hearts refused to engage with Him! To them, it became an allure, a temptation to the sin it warned against. That's what rules do. Thus, the name 'Ministry of Death!' What a message!

God meant for this to be a lesson for the New Covenant believers, but we never got the memo!

Why are churches still adamant about mixing The Ministry of Death, with The Ministry of The Spirit? Why do they insist on exchanging 'rules' for 'relationship' as the children of Israel did? Is it because we live in a culture that prefers "How To" books and lists of shortcuts to reach a goal quickly? Just give us the quickest way possible to God without looking for Him on our own. Present to us 'conscience' soothers so we feel like we've done our duty for the week. This is not all the pastor's fault! It certainly was not Moses' fault. He, in weariness made this statement which was in fact prophetic of our day; 'I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His spirit on them' (Num. 11:29). He had grown so tired of them not getting to understand and know their God for themselves. They lived in infancy by choice. But! There was a new Ministry coming, a day when God would put His spirit on His people!

Living by rules are for people who wish to remain in spiritual childhood, just as the Israelites did! Rules are cold and sterile. They require no heart! I know I stated this so many times, but oh how I wish it would take hold in every body's spirit! LOVE HIM! When you do, pleasing Him flows so naturally! His mind literally becomes yours!

Does this mean we shouldn't preach on sin anymore? Why is that the first remark made when Grace is the topic? It sure reveals the motives of the heart doesn't it? It exposes the true nature of the one questioning it. Those of whom grace has truly been revealed, sin and the desire for it, is no longer an issue. 

What is wrong with proclaiming His love and letting IT be the convictor or motivator? We either just don't trust it, or feel it won't be quick enough for our taste.

There is an example I read that clarifies this point so well, so I'll share it with you.

Imagine a wedding ceremony in which the groom vowed, 'I will kiss you twice daily with one kiss lasting two seconds. I will make at least one statement implying thoughtfulness every morning. I will provide three hugs a week of medium strength, lasting three seconds. Flowers will be provided on four dates a year of your choosing . Candy will be given with flowers on one of those dates per year..

These kind of vows do not arouse love in the slightest, yet we expect our rules to??? Clinical. Sterile. Cold. Heartless. And God feels it all.  He is the lonely recipient. Why are we so quick and willing, just as the children of Israel, to sacrifice a sweet loving relationship with God, on the altar of rules? Is it just quicker. Just less time and trouble?

Oh what we give up in not getting to 'know' Him for ourselves! Quit taking someone else word. Search Him out like a treasure for that is what He is! Nothing is more important in your life and you will never understand His deep peace till you do.

Rules are for babies who wish to remain so. You can easily be enslaved by others if you stay in its dependency and false security.

The Ministry of Death (Old Covenant) was only glorious for a short time, then it faded! But The Ministry of The Spirit, (The New Covenant), is more glorious and will never fade! It is not based on sin (rules) being the focus, rather it is focused on the pure sweet unearned favor of almighty God! I stand forgiven with NO CONDEMNATION! I live under the Covenant of Life, not the Covenant of death!

This is something you must never forget!
.The Old Covenant had to be replaced. Why? Because......
                           IT DID NOT WORK!

For the wages (pay) of sin (and its rule reminders) are death (The Ministry of Death)
BUT! THE GIFT OF GOD (The Ministry of The Spirit) is eternal life!

 Rule's today are still, 'Sin reminder's!. They keep you focused on the wrong thing, causing frustration and failure instead of overcoming victory.  Living by rules instead of relationship never will satisfy you deep down. Talk about the Love and Mercy of God and watch people naturally be attracted to their Maker! By learning first to love Him, they will 'long' to please Him! 

Please, please, get an understanding of the example that was exposed so clearly to us in the lack of success of the Old Covenant.  It was meant to prove a valuable point to the church today! You can't even mix both covenants, for to do so would be to deny the cross and bring spiritual death into your life.

 We now have something the Israelites never had! The indwelling spirit of God! Celebrate it!  The best and Final Covenant! 
It truly is, The Good News! The Ministry of Life!














Filed Under: Uncategorized

If You Want Only ‘Him’, Then Here Is……….

by







5 quick and easy ways to determine if what you're

hearing really has anything to do with God:


1. If it produces fear, it doesn't

2. If it's self-diminishing, it doesn't

3. If it motivates hatred, it doesn't







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


It takes only a moment to have a revelation that God

is love, but it takes a lifetime to let go of other

doctrines we've been taught/conditioned to believe

that makes God out to be anything less than love.

We play theological gymnastics most of our lives

finding ways to justify....




  • God, the half lover 

  • God, the almost lover. 

  • God, the 'if you do, I do lover'. 

  • God the angry lover.



Though it may take a whole lifetime, in the end

many will give up on the theological gymnastics game

and just accept the reality of God the way He truly is...

the way a child does. That.....



God is love. Fully! Always! Forever! 

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



What I have learned is that God wants us to love

people, all of them. He doesn't need us to tell them

what is "right" or "wrong". We don't need to get in their

face about their "sin". We simply need to LOVE them, to

introduce them to their Father, and then He can take it

from there. He is certainly "big" enough to handle

that!!! It is so simple, yet we have continued to make it

so cumbersome. -From a POG blog friend




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

I don't care how "biblical" your doctrine is, how deep

your theology is, or how broadly you think you

understand the nature of God. If it doesn't leave you

loving your neighbor more than before - its not worth

the paper it's printed on. ~ Caleb Miller



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



Spirituality is for those seeking understanding.

Religion is for those seeking reward.




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


I didn't create you to live 'for' Me . . .
I created you to live 'with' Me. ~ Love, God~Carolee
=============================================

Christianity was meant to be simple but Religion

with all its additions, strive to keep it complicated. That 

is what insures your lifelong dependence on them. 

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


Yes, this is going to hurt…

 Mainstream Christian theology WILL change more in the next two to three decades than it has within the last 300 years. Change is inevitable, growth is optional.
Whether we like it or not, the biggest reformation in church history has most certainly begun.

Perhaps many in the sixty and over crowd may have to go to their graves fighting the new, more progressive revelations of truth about all those ancient scriptures, but the younger, nothing-to-lose crowd is courageously asking the tougher questions. And what’s “worse” is that they are finding the real answers. You know, the answers we “just can’t know” until we are in heaven?

People aren't just willing to sit and listen like zombies to teachings anymore. They are asking and seeking truths on their own. This is what Christ always wanted us to do. Stand at the door and knock. Ask and ye shall receive. This is not material things, but of truths that are already stationary on your heart and use of the bible as a map to find that revealing within your heart of which Christ has already planted in you from birth. ~ Michael Ferrell
=============================================

Soon, the church will 'outsmart' their leaders. There is a 

deep hunger going on as we speak for the real truths 

behind scripture. There is a 'God' driven desire 

being birthed in the hearts right now to know a God so

different than the one they were told about. Leaders,

be prepared. The old threats of 'don't question me',

aren't going to work much longer.


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



Religion- man building kingdoms to and for himself.
Christianity -The kingdom God built before you were born.

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

Religion has always been the greatest threat to a relationship with God. Why? Because you end up serving 'it' in place of Him.  Very subtly, without even being aware, it eventually begins to convince you that it 'is' Him. No wonder the church is so weary! Jesus came to blow up religion because it kept His people from Him! Given time, this threat against His body comes full circle once again....... attempting to rebuild its exclusive shelters that bar those who really need Him. It becomes a club for those who agree to conform to men and their rule instead of to Gods.

=========================
Keep in mind that God is Love.
You cannot separate it from Him. 
You cannot surgically remove it from Him.
You cannot reason it away. 
You cannot shrink it down to human size. 
It cannot be 'balanced' nor limited. 
If you can't accept it, 
If you try and keep others from experiencing the full knowledge of it, Beware! It will reach around you somehow because His love seeks out recipients! It WILL find them, even if it has to go behind the back of those who play it down. 

GOD. When you say that word, you in fact are saying, LOVE, for that is what He is. It's in the DNA.




Filed Under: Uncategorized

THE BIBLE

by

                                                    John & Brenda Gregory

God has a history with humanity, and that history is recorded throughout scripture. We learn how He devised ways and worked  plans all in effort to build a relationship back with man. We read how He tried to 'woo' the heart of His own creation, often to no avail. A broken, lonely but loving heart led Him to His own death. I cannot imagine a love like that..one given even though He knows He will face  tremendous heart wrenching rejection. To me, every single thing about His history, His present and future plans with humanity, is worth my attention! It is so valuable in helping me grow and learn His ways.

 Do I believe the bible is infallible (precise, flawless)?  I believe God is infallible but man is fallible.  I believe that the scripture in its original and purest rendition when first penned so long ago, could have been. There were many changes made though in wording when scripture was translated from Hebrew/Aramic/ Greek to English and not all for the better..  The English language at the time of translation was much more limited in expression than it is today. Some words would have been better defined today if King James and his council were alive. That is the very reason that we now have so many paraphrases .

I believe in the bibles value in my life and understand there is always something I can gain from it.  Even though there is a language, time and culture barrier from then to now, it only gives me incentive and hunger to dig a little deeper. I love finding its context..its 'backstory' for what prompted the writing. Humanity at its core though, never changes. Mistakes that are made through the self will, are as old as time itself and therefore, the bible can become my detour route around situations that keep me from making the same mistakes.  Nearly every single turmoil we may experience, has already been encountered and recorded in the scriptures somewhere. Learning from their mistakes or victories is invaluable and put there for that reason.

Now saying all that, let me very carefully state what I've observed throughout my time in church ministry.

 I have witnessed over the years, many who dedicate themselves to daily bible study, yet fail to understand the bibles purpose and how it was meant to be read. They try their best in a mix and match sort of way, to build concepts of what they 'think' certain passages should mean and how they can be applied. Their study becomes a long muddle of confusing suppositions that leave them questioning if they got it right or not.  Worse yet, many times people will approach scriptures as a horoscope when they need an emergency answer. I've often wondered, 'Why?' Why not just try Jesus, The Living Word first.  Give Him a chance to do the speaking, fresh, and alive into the heart! If He doesn't answer when they think He should, they grab their bible and start thumbing through it frantically. Too often He takes a back seat because they feel that scripture answers more quickly. That is sad! The Living Word is still speaking and you miss out on so much!

According to Jesus, the bible is a progressive story that points toward and leads you to Him, the bearer of the Gospel, the Good News message. That is it in a nutshell. Pure and simple.
The Old and New Testament working together like a 'before' and 'after' picture.

One mistake so many good intentioned children of God make, is following the bible and focusing on it MORE than focusing on Jesus Himself. Does those words shock you? They shouldn't! Jesus said the same thing, that just following the bible is not enough. He said that the scriptures were to point to Him. Then and only then will we learn by His teachings and examples how to live. Here is His words;

'You search the scriptures because you think 'they' give you eternal life. But the scriptures point to me!' John 5:39

What does the bible call The Word? 
 Jesus Christ! God come in flesh!

John 1:14
 And the Word (God) was made flesh and dwelled among us

The New Living Translation says,


The Word became 'human!'


Paul said that everything in the bible points toward Jesus. He is the culmination of what this has all been about in the first place! Now follow 'HIM!'

 Instead of getting sidetracked and overwhelmed with all the things that are sometimes erroneously  'read into' scripture, take the burden off and simply do this;

                              COPY HIM!

Start tracking His steps, find how He dealt with lifes ups and downs. Copy Him!
Observe how He dealt with the broken life. Copy Him!
Look at His strong compassion and mercy. Copy Him!
Watch for His actions of unconditional love. Copy Him!

Simple! Uncomplicated! That was Jesus, The Word!

If only God's people would just do as He did and obey what HE said! He, The Word, should be the main focus and absolutely nothing should displace Him! If He is displaced, other things gradually start to become more important. Things like, who is more holy, who has more truth, who is more called of God, more anointed etc. 

When He is not the True and Only Word, divisions arise over scriptures that make no difference to salvation anyway. Ego's become involved using a false guise of humility in effort to elevate personalities. When Jesus is dethroned, 'supposed' ministering angels take His place under some 'new' type of ministry. Debates over unclear passages used to manipulate and birth a new doctrine stating, 'you must do this or that to be saved or to be a part of us.' 

These are the kind of things that happen when we forget who The Ultimate Word and Authority actually is! He should always have the final voice and approval of all we do. Sadly, too many have lost or perhaps never developed a sensitivity to His voice. It remains foreign to their heart. Just imagine how much smoother our lives and fellowships would operate if we trained our heart to listen!! He should have precedence over and above even the bible. If you disagree, then something very tragic has occurred in the heart. Always remember this; Though the bible does  contain 'expressions' of God, it does not claim to be 'The Word'.

Think about this; 
The proof of who The Word is, is that it will have power to give you eternal life. Jesus let it be known that day that scriptures did not have that power.....only He did! The scriptures pointed to Him! We are told that God and scripture are one and the same, and though scriptures do point to Him, according to Jesus, they in fact are separate.

I did not say that. He did!

The bibles whole intent and purpose was to point. That's it. It was to direct us like a road map, straight to Jesus,the Living Word! It must have served its purpose well, for here we are thousands of years later still loving Him!

The bible. Do I love It?  YES! I most assuredly do!  It will always remain my steady companion as long as I live, for it describes to me the lover of my soul. It is packed full of His love letters to me, and for that fact alone I will forever cherish it.

Is the bible 'the word of God?' I'll let you draw your own conclusions. One thing I can tell you, is that it never makes that claim of itself. It does, however, emphatically and plainly claim that Jesus, God in flesh, IS THE WORD! I know that to many this will sound sacrilegious, for we have reffered to the bible as 'The Word of God' for a lifetime. Yet that is not how Jesus saw it. It is words 'about' Him, but it never states that it IS Him.

 We should never add what scriptures doesn't just to prove 'our' point. It may sound good and right, but we have an obligation to ourselves to check the facts no matter how 'right' they sound. Sound has nothing to do with it. Truth does.

 We hear from many pulpits every Sunday through generations of time, particular statements made over and over. Soon we begin to think what is said is actually scriptural. They 'sound' right, right? We owe it to ourselves to check it out. Man does not have authority to change scripture or add to it to suit himself....ever. Just remember,.... Nothing is equal to God! There can only be one master. One supreme authority. One final say.

Yes, scriptures are God breathed (inspired) but so is all of His creation and so are you! Yet creation is NOT God's Living Word! We all came out of His inspiration! 'Inspired' defined simply means: Arising from creative imagination. All you see around you in nature is the evidence of God's creative imagination and some of it, namely the bible, came via his creation....man.

 Why make this a major issue? Because I believe thoughts such as this has gradually built barriers between us and God...a God who longs to speak even today! His words are spirit and life. He spoke to the bible authors of long ago, but He is still alive and still has a voice! Don't limit it! What a thrill you will miss if you only look for it through past times. Yes, He can and will use scripture, but oh how He longs to be personal with you!

Allow scripture to inspire you! Learn from the ancients through their mistakes and triumphs. Walk the roads of evangelism with Paul, seeing what he endured in order to ensure that The Good News would someday reach you and I!  As you go, just keep in mind the words of Jesus............

 'You might 'think' scriptures can give eternal life, but in truth, only I (Jesus, The Word) can!'

John 1:1-In the beginning was The Word (Jesus) 
              And The Word was with God
              And The Word Was God!

How can this be so? Because Jesus was already in Gods plan to be the HUMAN 'carrier' of His spirit to earth. He was already residing in the mind and spirit of God from the very beginning! 

 'I and my Father are one' (Jn. 10:30)

Jesus told the Jews one day, 'Before Abraham was, I am.' There was no Torah, no bible at the time of Abraham...but Jesus was already there!

He came to earth as the very embodiment of God! The revealing of a formerly unseeable spirit that could now be viewed with human eyes.

In the Old Testament, the 'word' of God is often symbolized as an object used to carry God's will, so, for the Jewish audience, by introducing Jesus as The Word, John is pointing them back to the Old Testament , proclaiming who The Word really was all along. He has been revealed! He had been held with God as a mystery to man until this moment of revelation.  Jesus Christ 'was' the instrument, the agent, the the carrier of the will of God! The Word in flesh... which means, HUMAN! 

Once you understand that John's whole purpose was to convince the Jews who Jesus Christ actually was, (God in flesh), you will see that his sole aim was to get them, the doubter's, to see that all Jesus had been and all He had done was to prove that 'HE' was The True Word they had heard about for so long. This is what it all lead up to...the fulfillment of scripture! The fullfillment of The Law! He was God, come in the flesh.

Only the one that could die, only he that had blood to shed, the HUMAN that could feel pain, the one that could give eternal life, was the only one worthy to be called 'The Word!'

Remember Jesus words; 'You may 'think' the scriptures give eternal life.....but they point to ME!'

The bible is held within my hands,
But the Word (Jesus, the carrier of God's spirit) is held within my heart. 
The Living Word can still speak! It is not stationary. It still longs to write on the tablets of your heart to this very day! (2 Cor. 3:3)

Let Him!


*For those interested in recorded historical facts of when the bible was first declared, 'The Word Of God':


The Bible was VOTED to be called, 'The Word of God' by a group of men during the 4th century.
 The Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great, (274-337 CE.) was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity. He needed a single canon to be agreed upon by the Christian leaders to help him unify the remains of the Roman Empire. Until this time the various Christian leaders could not decide which books would be considered "holy" and thus "The Word of God" and which ones would be excluded and not considered the word of God.
Emperor ConstantineEmperor Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 CE until his death in 337 CE. He used what motivates many to action - MONEY! He offered the various Church leaders money to agree upon a single canon which would be named; Biblios which is Greek for our english word, Bible. Bible simply means, Books. This collection would then be approved to be used by all Christians as The Word of God. The Church leaders gathered together at the Council of Nicaea and voted the "Word of God" into existence. The final version of the Christian Bible was not voted on at the Council of Nicaea, per se. The Church leaders didn't finish editing the "holy" scriptures until the Council of Trent when the Catholic Church pronounced the Canon closed with no more changes.


POST CONCERNING THIS TOPIC ON OUR P.O.G. FACEBOOK FORUM:

Because we have come to believe for so long that the bible was The Word

( and not because that fact was scriptural based either), it actually stole 

something from us! Our own misconception stole the voice of God that 

still speaks to our heart....fresh and new! We are so used to going to

 scripture for all the answers that we tend to forget our God is STILL a

 personal God who still has a voice. He has words specialized for me and

 you, but only if I am willing to believe that fact and listen. We are more

 apt to believe it if it is through a tongues interpetation or prophecy at

 some big meeting, but have a hard time accepting it to come straight to

 our own heart. I believe that accepting the notion that scripture is The

 Word and has final say, has taken a vital part of a precious and 'personal'

 relationship from us.

For too long we have informed God how 'we' expected Him to be, instead

 of letting Him be the God He is. Not only did we put Him in that rigid ole

 box of conformity, but we buried it to boot! We buried His precious voice

 as He tried so desperately to have a two way conversation. Instead, we

 did all the talking and reading but hardly ever listening. I think one of the

 big reasons for that, was that we were taught not to trust our own hearts

 (where He speaks) because we were told it might deceive us. (old

 testament teaching before the cross and before Christ moved into in our

 hearts) What a lie from the enemy.

 And oh what we missed by believing it!



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The Relationship God Wants

by



                              John & Brenda Gregory


I believe that our biggest mistake in reading and understanding scripture, is first failing to realize that it was written by Middle Eastern authors who lived in a totally different culture, over two thousand years ago.  I agree, this should be a simple understanding, yet so many fail to take this into account when endevoring to explain passages from a time and place not their own. Biblically unsupported rules and doctrines have been erroneously devised from those who fail to acknowledge this simple yet obvious fact. 

We Westerners will spend a lifetime of hard confusing study, trying to fit another time and place into ours. We mistakenly interpret and make the bible reposition itself to agree with our way of thinking and living, instead of letting it live in its own. You just can't make it work that way no matter how hard you try....though I admit, many have tried. It will never be defined in truth if you do. Our life and times are world's apart, so foreign to the bible times and its own unique reality. 

  The problem is, lack of understanding or refusing to accept this important fact, makes us miss out on so much!  I agree it takes some time and effort to study the ancients, their customs and ways, but it will open a brand new door to verses that used to confuse and baffle you. I'll grant you, we've shared enough of those moments, haven't we?

 It was a very primitive time where these biblical examples were used. Many times they won't seem to make the slightest sense to our way of life! This is the world though, that Jesus chose to step into, and for that fact alone it would do us well to get an understanding of a life so different from our Western one. We should start being very observant and careful lest we miss major examples that use words, phrases and true life depictions during that time. They might easily be passed over as insignificant, yet were meant to relay an extremely important message....ones that could even make huge adjustments to our way of thinking about our own salvation. That is what this post is all about. It concerns....

The Most Valuable Example....One that Almost Got Away!

This is what it is:

In the New Testament under the Roman Empire, there was a system of 'Trade and Purchase' that was very prevalent. It was called the.....
  
                                'Charis and Pistis' System .
                                        (remember these two words)

Business was almost always conducted through this elaborate method. This was a Patron/Client relationship that was unique and binding. The Patron treated their clients as close friends always looking out for their needs and welfare. They were dedicated to one another, keeping a lifelong mutual commitment. The client trusted the Patron absolutely and without question. In our terms, 'The Patron had the Client's back.'

The very powerful Roman government and its banking structure, kept a long reaching and tight controlling grasp on most of the tradesmen and farmers, making it almost impossible for most of them to conduct business on their own. They were entirely dependant upon the Patrons to do it for them in order to make a living with their trade.

The Patron was usually a very wealthy individual who could pull strings and get you whatever your heart desired. He was even a financial problem solver for his clients, making sure they were treated honestly. Yes, this man had contacts! 

The Client was the one who desperately needed the Patron in order to obtain things he must have to live and enjoy life. He trusted, or had faith in the Patron to always be on the look out for his welfare.

 This union was a very close knit one. It invariably grew into one of the most enduring friendships to be found in that time.  To the Roman understanding, the Client could not do anything to 'earn' the favor of the Patron, rather the Patron out of his own kindness and commitment to their relationship, simply helped out his friend. This bond was tighter than any, for it was based on;

Charis (Grace) and Pistis (Faith)! (remember those two words?)

This is where the example of Grace through Faith began! This is its back story. It was the Ultimate Honor System of its day!

The only thing the Patron ever asked of his client was that he reciprocated with loyalty and praise of all He had done for him. His reputation was dependent on his Client's word. He wanted others to know, so that they could see that He could be trusted as a good and honest Patron who truly cared for His Clients. He wanted to be known as one you could put all your confidence and faith in. That was a high honor to him.

Grace and Faith.  No, this was not simply Paul's off handed description of what he felt relationship to God should be like. Rather, it was a tried and true-to-life kinship, a daily example of the type of spiritual connection that God Himself desired!  He would freely give,

Grace to honor Faith!
Love to honor Loyalty!
Kindness to honor Belief!
Affection to honor Confidence!

When the Patron gave unearned gifts in assistance, they were commonly called, 'charis' or grace/gifts. The Client responded not in monetary ways or physical deeds, for this would have been the ultimate insult to their friendship, cheapening it. Instead, he reacted with Pistis (faith) and faithfulness to the Patron for life.  The Client would be careful to vocalize his confidence in the Patron's abilities so that all would hear. This was the highest praise, for it was a witness of the Patron's respectable and trustworthy character.

 When Paul explained our new relationship with God, he used an example that everyone at that time fully understood without question; The Roman System of Patronage.

This is the relationship God wants! He will grant you all favor  through your simple trust! He will supply every need because you have faith in Him! He honors with kindness your childlike belief. He offers affection for your total confidence.  He doesn't want pay, that would insult Him. He just wants you to spread the good news of His unmerited favor to every soul! 
               Just tell them how good He treats you!

Most importantly, you have been saved by this charis (grace gift)!


Eph. 2:8 says this; (red italics mine).......


'By grace 'from the Patron' you have been saved 'by the Patron' through faith, 'from the client'. 
And this is not your own doing;
it is the 'grace'/gift of God 'the Patron' 

Keep in mind what the 3rd line of the scripture says,
'This is not your own doing'.... 
Say it again and again until it really sinks down deep!
This is not your own doing....This is not your own doing!

Remember, You are the client, the receiver but,
HE IS THE ALL POWERFUL  PATRON, THE GIVER!

What does He want for His gifts? Simple Faith!
Plus, don't forget to praise Him so that all will desire His Patronage for themselves!



Filed Under: Uncategorized

Back To Jesus Alone

by



After you've heard and tried it all and.............

You can't figure out whether to,

  • sit at His feet,
  • walk in a manner worthy of His call, or 
  • run the race with all diligence,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When you can't even remember the 

  • twenty-two characteristics of a good wife or husband,
  • the seven steps of appeal to authority,
  • the eight things to do when you are worried, or 
  • the nine ways of love,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When the proof of authority is simply

  • "they say":
  • "Have faith, 
  • just trust; 
  • let go and let God",
  • "Just find the sin and repent",
  • "Just love; 
  • have joy;
  •  receive peace, and pray",
  • and you can't figure out who "they" are,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When some Pastor/Preacher/Teacher/Evangelist/Prophet/Apostle, et al says:

  • "Hear the Word",
  • "Read the Word",
  • "Memorize the Word",
  • "Study the Word",
  • "Meditate on the Word",
  • and you are lost in the middle of Leviticus or Lamentations,
  • and even Luke is just too much,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When you hear:

  • "It's pre/mid/post/pan/all tribulation",
  • "Don't take the 'mark'",
  • "It's 3 times, time and a half,"
  • and you can't get through the next half hour,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When you hear testimonies of others:

  • raising the dead,
  •  praying all night, 
  • fasting forty days,
  • leading thousands to the Lord,
  •  memorizing the entire Bible
  • and you hear it from someone who hasn't done it
  • and they expect you to do it, and you feel obligated,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When you hear:

  • "Have faith, 
  • work hard,
  •  repent,
  •  conquer,
  • tithe, 
  • give, 
  • suffer,
  •  evangelize,
  •  make disciples,
  • wait on Him,
  •  walk in Him, 
  • pick up your cross,
  • claim your possessions, 
  • pray, 
  • fast,
  • and you feel pulled in 16 different directions on a rack,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When it is:

  • Home school, 
  • Christian school, 
  • public school,
  • Sunday school,
  •  Bible school,
  • the school of hard knocks, 
  • no school.
  • and the discussion is heating up 
  • and you feel like skipping school all together,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone..

When you are getting a multitude of
letters, newsletters, magazines, etc
from 700 CLUB, CBN, TBN, AOG, UPC, BOM, CBN,
CCC, CFI, CFNI, CMA, CORE, IVF, LCM,
POAC, WCCF, YFC, YWAM....ABC.....XYZ......
and each of them contains a request and a return envelope:
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When you can't figure out whether to

  • wash the dishes, 
  • do the laundry, 
  • mow the lawn, 
  • fix the car 
  • or read,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When you been through the circuit
and you've heard and watched preachers preaching on, 

  • exercising  faith,
  • building ministries,
  • movements, and 
  • monuments,
  • pray, 
  • praise, 
  • teach on power, 
  • signs & wonders, telling you to
  • laugh, 
  • cry, 
  • dance, 
  • prance, trying to
  • motivate and 
  • manipulate 
  • and you can't stand any more,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When you are asked,
"How's it going at your church, your ministry?" 
and you know it really means
 "Ask me how it's going at mine",
and you know you are about to hear about:

  • increased miracles, 
  • money,
  •  numbers,
  • new buildings,
  •  broadcasts, 
  • converts,
  • and you feel a failure,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When you hear about and go to another conference that promises to "be it":
and you went,

  • listened,
  •  prayed, 
  • paid, 
  • bought the books and tapes,
  • tried it, and it didn't work, 
  • and the preacher left town
  • and you're left wondering why it didn't work; "what's wrong with me?",
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

When you just heard another:

  • "Thus saith the Lord"; that contradicted the last "word from the Lord",
  • that was contrary to the previous "the Lord told me",
  • and you finally get the picture that the Lord's name is being taken in vain,
It's time to get back to Jesus alone...

It is time to hear His voice,
It is time to seek His kingdom,
It is time to simplify,
It is time to love Him with all our soul, heart and strength,
It is time to commune with Him alone in the secret place,
It is time to get back to Jesus alone!

Written By: Jim May 

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Taskmasters Of Conformity

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At the very bottom of this post there is a link to a live podcast    titled; 'Where Conformity Is King'. PLEASE, take time to listen!
Wayne Jacobsen,  who is the speaker in the following podcast, was a former pastor in a religious 'conformity' group. This podcast will confront head on man's invented requirements for the church body to obey. They are ones you've always silently questioned but were told that you should accept blindly or risk being called 'rebellious'.  It will challenge your thinking on scripture that is often misquoted either for personal benefit, lack of study, or simply out of loyalty to a particular religious system. Instead of building up the church, verses have been used as a weapon against them, robbing them of their own unique identity and personal relationship to God. His Bride is continually intimidated to try and fit a human manufactured form of false 'godliness'. Please, take the time to listen with an open heart! J.G.

Where Conformity Is King

Having just spent his last two trips with people
who are freshly coming out of extremely
legalistic groups, Wayne takes on the Scriptures
that were used to justify those environments and
to bully people with fear and shame so they will
follow the dictates of those who claim to be leaders.

These scriptures were meant to speak of relational

realities that set us free to live in Him, but when they are

applied inside conformity-based systems they are easily

twisted and bring great confusion and devastation. So

Wayne takes a look at how.... 

Hebrews 13:17

Hebrews 10:25

Matthew 16:24

Romans 16:17, and

I Corinthians 5:1-7

...... are misapplied to cause great harm while completely

ignoring the Scriptures that would mitigate against this

damage.

Mark 10:42,43

Ephesians 4:11,12

Colossians 2:16-18

Mark 7:6,7

Mark 7:14,15
  • Whenever we decide it is our mandate from God to
make other people act the way we think they should act,

we become partners with evil. (No different from the 

Pharisees of Jesus day!)

* Here is the Link: WHERE CONFORMITY IS KING 
 On following page under this title, there are a set of small  arrows that start the podcast.

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What Do I Have To ‘Do’ To ‘Get?’

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                                                            John Gregory

Once a religious expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. He asked,
"Sir, what must I 'do' to 'inherit' eternal life?" (Luke 10:25)

It seems that some things never change! Though many years have come and gone since Jesus was first asked,'what must I do,' it is still being asked and promoted to this very day.  Why can't people simply understand the sacrifice has already been made for them?  Many are still clinging to the false belief that we must do something (work for) our eternal life.... long after the point of our salvation. 

  Jesus, understanding that the 'law teacher' could only relate to  law alone,  wisely answered his question with a question;

 Jesus: 'What does the law say?' 

 Law Teacher:  'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.'

Jesus: 'You have answered correctly! Do this and you shall live."

The point Jesus was trying to drive home to a man who had spent his life in trying to please God through duties, rules and sacrifice, was the fact that this was NOT what really pleased Him nor gained any favors from Him. Jesus was trying to communicate to him in the only language  this 'law teacher' could understand, what His heart truly desired.

 That desire was this,

Please just love me (heart)! 
Take time to know me (mind/soul)!  
Search out my ways with all your might (strength)! 
I desire a ' HEART to HEART RELATIONSHIP' with you more than anything else!  Then through this relationship, take on my passion to love other people around you! 

Jesus then said that if you do this, YOU SHALL LIVE! In other words, have eternal life.

The 'law makers' always want a list of what rules you should keep because sadly, they can relate in no other way.

Jesus describes a way of life far different! A way in which pleasing Him comes naturally because you have fallen in love! Imagine loving Him so much that you just automatically respond in ways He desires you to.....without being told how to! If you have to be told how to please God, you simply must not know Him yet.

 Eternal life is not gained by lists of 'do and do not's!' It is received as a gift from God simply because you desire more than flimsy heartless lists! He does not need to be 'manipulated' into loving you...HE ALREADY DOES! You captured His heart before you were ever born! He hungers for and honors a genuine 'I want to please Him because I love Him', type of relationship. 

 Knowing what pleases Him, comes by my own personal knowledge of Him! His desires and even His cautions to me, are carefully personalized for me alone!  Keep in mind that for this relationship to be personal, it will not always be the same for another child of His. That is why a uniform list of 'one size fits all' will never fit all! 
That's impersonal!
Relationship is not! 
Please Cherish it with all your heart!

The two words 'do' and 'inherit' showed a great lack of understanding from this 'expert' of religious law. Relationship is always foreign to those who teach that pleasing God comes by laws contrived by their own concepts or suppositions for you to obey. That's not what Jesus said.

Think about this; 'Do' and 'Inherit' are contradictory terms. Being an heir comes through relationship to the person leaving behind the will. It is not something you 'do' in order to gain rights to. If it was, anybody could contest it by 'out doing' you in order to take that inheritance from you. 

 It is because you are related (have relationship) to the giver that insures the contents of that inheritance are yours alone!

What must I do to inherit? Sad to say this question is answered so differently today than how Jesus answered it so long ago! You might be given lists longer than your arm to follow. You might be told how you must always sacrifice to pay your debt to Him. You will be dumped under a load of duties so numerous that the weight of man's yoke eventually makes you forget the joy and peace you initially knew in Him so long ago.

What can I do to gain my salvation and any extra credits in Heaven's Bank in order to doubly insure my inheritance ? 


Answer:  Ephesians 2:8-9 

.......... you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

 (NLT)



                  

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Philip. 2:12- Work Out Your Own Salvation ????

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                                                       John & Brenda Gregory

Philipians 2:12............. work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

When you mention the words 'work out' in our society, you always attribute it to strenuous physical exercise....something that 'you' produce through your own efforts. I suppose that this is why so many take the scripture above and naturally assume that their 'salvation' falls into this category . They feel that it (salvation) is ultimately secured by what they 'work out' by their own strength and labor through sacrifice.

When you read just a portion of scripture and make it stand on its own, it is easy to build a philosophy, a way of thinking that lines up with what you want to believe or what you have been taught to believe. This verse is one of those examples. It is also one of those verses that if misquoted, can be used to pressure and manipulate God's people into believing it is by their own 'efforts' that they will be saved..... trying to gain more points with God. This is NOT what this scripture is implying at all.

The message that Paul is trying to relay in the two words 'work out,'  is revealed in only a few verses above it where it says,....

(5) 'Let this 'mind' (character, attitude, personality, nature, temperament etc.) be in you which was in Christ Jesus.'

In other words,  'Let this same mind (attitude) of HIS spirit in you (your salvation) 'work its way out' to others! Display His nature of humility and love to those around you! 

Paul. who was getting ready to leave the church in Philipi, was encouraging them to continue on being and doing what they had been all along while he was with them....reflecting the HUMILITY and LOVE of Jesus toward one another. He was reminding them that they needed to continue on displaying the spirit of Jesus Christ who had become their salvation and now lived inside them.  In other words, 'let' Him shine out in you! 

Paul was reminding the church what these attributes of Jesus were, .......what it was they needed to continue to do to if they were to model themselves after Him, He said......

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.


4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus

7 He made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant.....

8 ...... he humbled himself..

12 ........work out your own salvation (LET JESUS NATURE WORK OUT THROUGH YOU) with fear and trembling (REVERENCE AND AWE)

*This next verse emphasizes this point*

13 For it is God which 'WORKS IN YOU'  (not your works) both by His will and to do HIS good pleasure.

So simple to understand! What a difference when you read and define the scripture inside its setting. It's not near as complicated as some would have you believe. Not only does it bring clarity, but it releases you from a constant pressure of trying to do something so impossible on your own. There is absolutely nothing you can do to ever match or pay off what He has done for you. He never asked you to!

 IT IS 'GOD' WHO WORKS 'IN' YOU! GOD'S ONLY REQUEST IS YOUR COOPERATION IN....

                    'LETTING HIM!'
  • 'LET' HIS SPIRIT, HIS PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER WORK THROUGH YOU!
  • 'LET' IT WORK OUTSIDE OF YOU IN HUMILITY AND LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER!
 'LET' THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS


For far too long this verse has been used to manipulate a type of 'forced labor' on the precious people of God...stripping out all the pleasure and joy  our joint union with Him should have been. Instead of it being one based on devotion and love, it gradually became one of joyless 'have to'...the price required to make it to heaven.

The phrase "work out" was translated from the Greek verb "KATERGAZOMAI," and according to Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, it means "to carry out to the goal, to carry to its ultimate conclusion all the while growing more in the knowledge of Him". In other words;

Continue learning and 'working out'  His divine nature inside you.

Last post, we dealt with the many translations of the word 'fear' and its different meanings in different scriptures. The word 'fear' in this setting (verse 12) is the ('יראה,) 'fear'  it is referring to, REVERENCE AND AWE.

VERSE 12: Work out your own salvation with reverence and awe!
In other words.. While you are imitating Him, do it in reverence to the One you follow. Your sincerity of humility will be believed by those you are showing Him to, causing them to desire Him all the more.

Keep in mind.... WE ARE TO WORK 'OUT'  OUR SALVATION.....

                                 NOT

                            WORK 'FOR' IT!

 He already did that for you all on His own.

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Save Some With FEAR?

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'Hell is hot and the torment forever!' yells the preacher, pounding the pulpit to emphasize his point. Those listening in the pews tremble not only at the terror of his words but also at the harsh condemning expression he wears on his red stern face. "Repent! Repent! Repent!" he warns one last time while slamming his bible shut as if to dramatize that today is possibly, 'The End'.

Sad to say, this is the type of introduction so many experience with God their very first time. He is presented with such horror that they can almost feel the flames of hell licking in anticipation at their feet. How ugly and disfigured the King of all glory is falsely revealed to be! The worst part of this whole presentation is that in so many cases, the first 'mind' visual of Him will be carried throughout a whole lifetime.

FEAR! How I despise the way it has been used not only against the body of Christ, but also against those who watch us and listen from outside religion's walls....keeping them from ever wanting to know Him for themselves.

But! Some argue, 'Don't we need to save some with 'fear' as Jude says? First of all, let's see what the original word meant in Hebrew and Greek..Old and New Testament.

uד, pakhad' (noun), is fear (terror) in Hebrew. But if you were referring to "fear of God," the Hebrew word 'יראה, was used though sadly mistranslated to English as 'fear' (terror) in the King James Bible and it stuck.... even in the more modern translations, also. The word 'יראה, is closer to the English word, "awe".
It also means:

  • to reverence.
  • stand in wonder,
  • amazement,
  • astonishment,
  • gratitude,
  • admiration and 
  • worship.....
A good example is how one might feel when gazing into the Grand Canyon....you are overwhelmed with a sense of His glory and beauty and majesty.

The Greek translation adds yet another definition where this word is used in the New Testament. One example is where it is found in Jude 1:23. 'Fear' in the original Greek in this verse  is;
                                        'Aywvia' 
.....which is more closely translated;
                   'using caution and concern'. 

Whether ignorantly or intentionally, 
only too often, scripture verses have
been misinterpreted and used to strike torment in the 
heart of the hearer. How this must grieve God whose
whole DNA is LOVE and goodness!

First of all, read this passage of verses carefully then 
ask yourself, to whom is it referring to.

20 But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, (with cautious concern') pulling them out of the fire; ( out of a life of self imposed misery and heartache) hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

These verses were alerting us, the believer, not the one we were to bear witness to! It was advising us that when we share our faith in God that we were to keep ourselves in His ways, not being drawn back into an ungodly lifestyle of those we are trying to help. In other words, use 'cautious concern', guarding your own spirit in the process.

First, Jude says, use only compassion! Who? You! This is dealing with our attitude toward people we are trying to rescue.

Second, with others who may or may not be receptive to your testimony, use 'Aywvia'- caution and concern in protecting your own spirit. Make sure you are the salt...the influencer.

Again,  keep in mind that this is in no way meaning we are to express tormenting fearful words to manipulate others, but rather it has everything to do with guarding ourselves from sinful persuasion. We might have to approach some with caution, not being negatively swayed by their sin. Love them but at the same time do not let yourself be drawn into their lifestyle. Be the gentle persuader not the persuaded.  Use wisdom and be strong while displaying love and compassion for their soul.

'But shouldn't we sometimes use God's law and judgement to 'fear' people into 'repentance?'

Romans 2:4- ...it is the GOODNESS of God that leads to repentance.

Ask yourself, how exactly did Jesus deal with the the sinner? One prime example is how He drew Peter to Him! Remember? By His goodness alone! He (Jesus) first blessed  Peter with such an abundance of fish that it threatened to break his net! He could have introduced Himself by rebuking Peter of his sinful life but instead He blessed him! What did Peter do in response? He fell at Jesus feet in repentance! What came first....Peter's repentance or Jesus goodness? You answer that!

Remember the woman caught in adultery? Did Jesus preach her a 'hellfire' message regarding her sin?  NO!...He blessed her by rescuing her from her accusers!  Did He rebuke Zacchaeus for his thievery? NO! Rather, He blessed him with His presence, going to his home for personal one on one fellowship! His goodness came first in both cases!

Jesus went everywhere yelling, screaming, condemning sending people to hell! 

                       NO! NO! NO!

 He went everywhere doing good!
He never had to raise His voice to manipulate people into following Him. They were drawn to the gentle peace and love that emanated from Him. Dealing with the lost, He showed great compassion and mercy. His GOODNESS and GOOD NEWS made Him the talk of the town! That is what people are hungry for!

When fear manipulation has to be used behind any pulpit or in any situation dealing with bringing someone to God, there is an utter lack of confidence in the power of God's goodness. Somehow, deep in the heart of the messenger, they themselves have never been persuaded of how powerful His message is. They feel He NEEDS their feeble human tactics to control people's emotions. He doesn't! If only His people could understand that! What a difference it would make in the response of the lost.

Remember, Jesus always poured out His love and grace on people. He never had to preach hell nor condemnation for if He had, people would never have followed Him, trying their best to touch Him. 

Preaching on law and condemnation will not promote a true heart felt repentance nor will it cause people to fall in love with Him. It will only 'make' them serve Him out of fear and cause them a lifetime of spiritual ups and downs as they constantly try to win a love that is already theirs.

Always keep in mind that when you lend a hand to someone in need, let it not be based on manipulating their emotions through fear. Tell them of the goodness of God and what He did for them. When they give their heart, it will be because they have fallen so deeply in love with their Savior!

It is His GOODNESS..not condemnation, that brings the broken heart starving for His love, to a lasting repentance.

Just an afternote: There is an instance in the New Testament where the word translated 'fear',
 (uד, pakhad') is used and defined as 'terror'. This is that scripture:

1John 4:18-There is no fear (terror) in Love (God) for Perfect Love (God) casts out all fear (terror).

In other words, God will take no part in any fear manipulation. It anyone tries, they operate all on their own.









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