Saved by Christ's "Life"

This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us. For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time that God chose. It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person. But God has shown us how much he loves us---it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! By his blood we are now put right with God; how much more, then, will we be saved by him from God's anger! We were God's enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God's friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ's life!

Rom 5:5-10

Jake Colsen Story-New Chapter (12)

Frustrated by church life in the 21st Century?

>>>> Enter Here <<<<

Rom 9:16

Compassion doesn't originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God's mercy.(msg)

The Fountain of Fellowship

I found the below thoughts over at LifeStream.

The author is Lynette Woods from New Zealand, she hosts the site Unveiling

Enjoy! Great truth.

I just wanted to encourage you with the place Father has you in right now as we've been in a very similar place and it is uncomfortable when our mindsets are in the process of being changed and adjusted! As for who we have fellowshipped with, it was only one person, Christ! And in fellowshipping with "only" Him, we came to see that through Him, we were also in fellowship with all other members of the Body; but not as we'd ever known it!!! John wrote "If we live in the light as He is in the light, we have true fellowship with one another" (1 John 1:7). True fellowship is not something we make happen, but something that is a result of Him and His Life in us! Most of us know that in our heads but experiencing the truth of that is vital! True fellowship is not about the people who are around us, but about who is in us; Life always recognizes Life in another!

So I can see that the place He has you in, that very quiet time, is a very, very special and precious time when He can draw you aside and have your whole attention and teach you about true fellowship with Him! Fellowship doesn't mean just meeting with others, it means communion and partnership and how many people can we be a partner with? Usually only one! And this One is in partnership with each of us so that we are in partnership/fellowship with many through One! Enjoy your partnership, communion, intimacy (in other words fellowship with Him!

Revival is Within!

2Ch 7:14 "if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

I used to believe that the verse above was a receipe for revival in our land......as God has opened my eyes, I now know that this verse does promise an Ishmael blessing but not an Isaac Inheritance.

You see, in my past I tried living in a mixture of old and new covenant reality/illusion. Today, I once again realized, not only did Jesus die for my sins, but I died with Him....."and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."

Wow, what an inheritance......we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters of God with all rights and privledges thereof........Revival is Within!

Revival is realization of Christ within me,the Hope of Glory!

"Things" or Christ?

Born in Scotland, I trained as a surgeon in Edinburgh. With my wife, Margaret, I spent thirteen years doing medical missionary work with the Baptist Missionary Society in the Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo) before the upheavals following independence in 1960. Returning to the U.K. in 1961, I was in private practice in the north of England for three years. Since 1965, I have been in New Zealand, for seven years in charge of a rural hospital in the far north and then in General practice in a small town 50 miles north of Auckland. I have remained a passionate believer and teacher and leader in the congregations I attended. But something stirred deeper in my heart. There was a growing hunger for a better way of church than I had known before. The full story is told in the articles under 'My Personal Testimony' on this site.

I am now an octogenarian and Margaret is nearly there. We live in a retirement village in Auckland. We have four children and seventeen grandchildren - four of whom have been adopted.

In the past week or two I have been rereading Austin Sparks most searching and profound little book, “The School of Christ” the contents of which he says, “Were wrought on the anvil of deep and drastic dealings of God with him” and again “Of all the books that have issued from this ministry I regard this one as that which goes most deeply to the roots and foundations of our life in Christ with God.”

One passage in this book spoke to me with renewed force. Speaking of knowing Christ in a real experiential way, he says that in the severest stresses and strains of life, ”We are going to be brought back to the living spiritual knowledge of the Lord: for He alone personally as revealed in our very being by the Holy Spirit can save us in the deepest hour. The day will come when we will be stripped of everything but what is spiritually, inwardly known of Christ.”

As I grow older I find that more and more I am seeing and living in the truth of these things. As a lifelong reader I have been enriched by the writings of many great saints of God and Biblical students. In my institutional days I attended many seminars and conferences. But all that information, intellectual understanding of doctrine and entrance into the experience of others on the pilgrim way is only of value as it has led me into deeper personal relationship with my Lord. That living relationship is the ultimate and only finally important and lasting thing.

In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul says in 11;2-4, “ I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” Paul was very aware that believers can so easily be deflected away from the essential of that most intimate personal union with Christ in the Spirit, into preoccupation with “things” which are side-issues and tangents instead of the central necessity.

These”things” which lead us away from that simple and sincere devotion to Christ are many and various and we will all encounter encountered at least some of them. There is the “Revival” thing . There are people who seem only to be able to speak and teach about it. It seems to wholly absorb them sometimes to the point of obsession. There is the “End-time scenario” thing in which people major on one or other interpretation of the chronology of end-time events, pushing their view point with crusading passion. Another is the “Jewish” thing, with people persuading us all to put on Jewishness and only to use the Hebrew forms of the name of Jesus or God. There is the “King James only” thing where we are virtually excommunicated if we read or recommend any other translations of the Scripture. There is the “Conspiracy thing” whose proponents seem to spend their time and energies in tracking down the antichrist.

Now there may be good and truth in some or all of these things, but if Christ is displaced from the center and we focus mainly on these things prophetic, doctrinal or whatever else we are in danger.

There was never a more Christ-focused man than the Apostle Paul. “I determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Corinth. 2:2) His cry towards the end of his eventful life was still “That I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10 )

“It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20) His great passion for new believers was that “Christ be formed in you.” ( Galatians 4:19) “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) Towards the end of his life he is able to cry from his heart, “I know whom I have believed and I am sure that He is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.” (2Timothy1:12) It was not what he believed, but in whom he believed. Nothing ever shifted Paul from that life-giving center, his personal relationship with and trust in the Lord Jesus,

The letter to the Hebrews echoes this theme. From beginning to end it centers on Christ. In the twelfth chapter vs.1&2 “Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” For some years now I have kept on my desk a comment from Andrew Murray on that verse. Here it is:

“Always, only looking to Jesus. Looking to Him to see what He is, to hear what He speaks, to do what He says, to follow where He leads, to trust for all He waits to give. Looking to Him and His love till my heart burns with that love. Looking to Him till His eyes meet mine, and I know He watches over me. Looking to Him to be changed into His likeness from glory to glory.” To that my heart says, “Amen!”

Jack Gray

A Q&A regarding "Submission" (Obedience)

By: Jim Minker

Hi Jim!

Lately, i've been thinking and dealing personally with the concept of submitting to (usually male) elders/pastors and others. It's been brought to my attention, in the past and recently, that I am "not submitted" to any spiritual authority since I no longer "go to church." I am not as intimidated by this mention of my "lack of following God's Word" as i used to be, because my increasing awareness of the real life of Jesus in me. I think some of my/our ideas about submission (and obedience) have been bogus.

*************************************************************************************

Hello, my dear brother!

Ah yes, the submission resistance of those outside the confines of the "legitimate" church!! Obedience sure is a whacked out of proportion concept, too. Funny thing is that you never seem to hear this definition from the Hebrew words translated as "obey":

1) to hear, listen to, obey
a) (Qal)

1) to hear (perceive by ear)
2) to hear of or concerning
3) to hear (have power to hear)
4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to
5) to understand (language)
6) to hear (of judicial cases)
7) to listen, give heed
a) to consent, agree
b) to grant request
8) to listen to, yield to
9) to obey, be obedient
b) (Niphal)

1) to be heard (of voice or sound)
2) to be heard of
3) to be regarded, be obeyed
c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon
d) (Hiphil)

1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound
2) to sound aloud (musical term)
3) to make proclamation, summon
4) to cause to be heard

And then the Greek:

1) to listen, to harken
a) of one who on the knock at the door comes to listen who it is,
(the duty of a porter)
2) to harken to a command
a) to obey, be obedient to, submit to

Geez, with the overwhelming reference to the words "hear" and "listen" it seems that somebody would have mentioned it, don't you think? See, at one time we could not hear His voice because we had not the ears to hear, we heard that which pertained to the world. But now, in Christ, we have been given those ears to hear ... which means we "harken to" God.

Now, "submit" is translated so:

1) to arrange under, to subordinate
2) to subject, put in subjection
3) to subject one's self, obey
4) to submit to one's control
5) to yield to one's admonition or advice
6) to obey, be subject
++++
A Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden".

Now, if we consider these meanings in view of still being under law, and therefore subject to the very principles of the world, able only to "hear" the spirit of this world, then we might settle for the usual sense found in those who need to be conquered and forced into "submission". But knowing that we have been set free from the bondage of the world and made to "hear" in Christ then it makes no difference whether we use the military or non-military version of the word. For the simplicity of "arranging" oneself under the true authority of God would be the recognition of our true selves made alive in Christ. Like Paul had written of no longer knowing (or recognizing) according to the old, dead existence, but only seeing ourselves (arranging ourselves) in view of the new creation.

To submit to one another, as Paul wrote, was entirely embedded within the reality of being made alive together in Christ. To "submit" to those who "lead" in Christ also takes into account the topsy turvy twist Jesus stated about those who would be the leaders: they would be the greatest servants. In other words, the "leaders" believers were encouraged to take heed to, were not those who occupied "positions", but were those who had been recognized as simply ministering to the needs of others above their own selves. Of course, these were the people who were truly seeing themselves and each other according to the new creation, not according to appearances.

Neither Paul nor Peter were advocates of the "submission to authority" that is so heavily preached today. When certain men had been recognized as being determined to view those around them only according to Christ then Paul went out of his way to point them out to the others because they would not have been recognized according to the factor of appearance. These are those who truly care for you, is the message he made, and to listen to their thoughts and counsel will encourage and strengthen you in this new life. Give extra consideration to what they say and do because it comes from the perspective of the true life that is in those made alive in Christ. This "submission" was a willingness to give serious consideration to those who demanded that you were just as alive and holy and righteous and justified and sanctified and in union to God as they were! A far cry from what we have been taught by the religious system, isn't it?

New Chapter-Jake Colsen Story

Chapter 11

Follow the link.

THE SECRET OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

By: Gene Edwards

What have you been told is the secret to the Christian life? Pray and read your Bible? Go to church? Witness? Speak in tongues? Tithe?

Let me go on record. I do not believe anything on that list even comes close to the issue of how to live the Christian life. All have one inherent flaw. The fatal flaw? Every item on the aforementioned list assumes that it is possible to live the Christian life. Can you live the Christian life? The answer is no, a resounding NO! You cannot live the Christian life.

That list takes for granted you can live the Christian life. Also note that you are the center of every item on that list. Call it "you-centeredness." You out there living the Christian life. You cannot live the Christian life. Jesus Christ could not live the Christian life. None of us can live the Christian life! If Jesus Christ cannot live the Christian life, what makes you think that you can? You can give up trying to live the Christian life! We can all testify what a colossal failure we have been at trying to live the Christian life.

God the Father lives the Christian life. "How does God the Father live the Christian life?" He doesn't. He is the Christian life. He is the highest life. God the Father is the wellspring, the source, the first motion, and the fountainhead of the Christian life.

The Father indwelt His Son here on this earth for thirty-three years. The Father lived the Christian life inside Jesus Christ. It was the Father's life, and the Father's life alone, which lived the Christian life inside your Lord. It is the Father's life, and the Father's life alone, that ever lives the Christian life. It is the Father's life, and Father's life alone, which will live the Christian life in you. Embrace a formula or a list in order to "live the Christian life," and you are doomed to frustration.

But on the day you quit trying to live the Christian life ...then you will finally give Him the freeway to live out in you what is so easy and so simple and so organic for Him to do. Hopefully, you just got set free from a long list of do's and don'ts (the "do's" you can't do, and the "don'ts" you always do). Why look so shocked; stop and think about it. You never were any good at living the Christian life. Admit it.

From: The Secret of the Christian Life

THE GOSPEL

By: Malcolm Smith

The Gospel is the call to rest, to receive the free, undeserved gift that God has given us in Christ. There is nothing man can do to earn salvation from his past, or his present acceptance and walk with God. It is, from beginning to end, the grace of God.

The body of truth that proclaims the revelation of God is called the Good News. News, by definition, is the announcement of something that has happened, not a list of things that must be done! All that must be done for a man to live in perfect union with God has been accomplished by Jesus in His death and resurrection.

The heart of the Christian life is to stand in wonder before His love and say, "Thank You!"

The Gospel is not a call to do something, but the announcement that all is done in the One Who stood for all.

The Christian life is not living in our own strength and resources, but from the infinite Christ Who lives within those who believe. All human strength will come to an end sooner or later, leaving each of us with charred, burned out life. But His strength knows no end!

We have one function in life: to be the manifestors of His life to the world. Only when we are living His life are we truly living our own! This is the reason for our creation.

We realize that He is not only the past tense Savior from sin, but also the One Who now lives within us in the present tense, our life and breath. Christianity is not a formula, but the Person of Jesus Himself.

Never think that Christianity is a matter of adjusting behavior, but rather, of letting Christ live through us in His strength and power.

From: Spiritual Burnout

FREE FROM THE YOKE OF SLAVERY

By: Bob George

Under the law we become hypocrites. The word comes from the Greek theatre. A hypocrite is not an imperfect person; a hypocrite is an actor, a pretender. What made the Pharisees hypocrites was not their faults: It was their pretense that they were righteous. It was teaching one thing and doing another. But that is what law will always produce: people who are always hiding their real selves, always acting, always pretending, and never being real.

But what happens when we are set free by grace? One of the most common testimonies I hear is, "For the first time in my life, I am free to just be myself! I'm free to be me."

The ultimate consequence of living under law is outright rebellion ­ when you give up because of the hopelessness of ever making it.

Time and time again, I have seen these people who have been branded as "rebels against God" or "back-slidden Christians" come out of their chairs in excitement and joy as they learn for the first time about the incredible grace, love and acceptance of God in Jesus Christ.

In all my years as a Christian, I have never heard anyone say, "I've had it! I am sick to death of the love and grace of God. I'm sick of other Christians loving and accepting me. I'm giving up this Christian life." No I've never heard that. But I couldn't count the number of Christians I've known who have given up because of being under law, who have been broken by the crushing burden of trying to be good enough to earn God's acceptance, who have been mangled by the competition, the judging, and the demands to conform to some group's standards. "We'll accept you if you look like, walk like, talk like, and act like us." And the implication is always, "And God will, too." So what are we to do?

Jesus Christ came to free us from the burden of the law by calling us to a life united with His. We are beloved, accepted children of God, who have been called to His "banquet table" to experience Jesus Christ living in and through us every day. Abundant life is not "pie-in-the-sky" or nebulous theory. It is real, and it is ours for the taking if we will only believe. Let's not settle for anything less.

From: Classic Christianity. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers. ©1989.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Mountain trip this weekend!

" Who fills the sky with clouds, preparing rain for the earth, Then turning the mountains green with grass,"

My Wonderful Parents!

Desire fulfilled is a Tree of "Life"

Alive, In-Christ!

He embraced us........ He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive In-Christ. He did all this on His own, with no help from us! (Eph 2:5) msg

My little Boy, Joshua!

First called "Christians" in Antioch!

By: Tripp Campbell

Since the Church was birthed on Pentecost, many have only embraced a Historical Jesus versus The Indwelling presence of the "Anointed One." In-"Christ" (Christos-Anointed One)

Interestingly enough, The Disciples were first called "Christians" in Antioch............................Why?

It is well known that Saul, who was later to be called Paul, spent (13) thirteen years in Tarsus developing his trade as a (tentmaker). Moreover, as Saul was growing in a practical sense, he also was being given/ministered to, by the Holy Spirit a far deeper Revelation, which would ultimately change the World.

You may ask, well, what was this great "Revelation"? Listen to Paul's own words inspired by God in His Epistle to the Church of Ephesus.

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. (Eph. 3:1-12) nasb

Again, what is this mystery?

I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in me/you, the hope of glory. (Col.1:25-27)nasb

Now, Saul/Paul, after (13) thirteen years, was hunted by Barnabas and brought from Tarsus to Antioch. And it was here, that a large number of people assembled over the course of a year, and Paul ministered this New found Mystery, which had now been revealed which is Christ In Me,the hope of Glory..............................and in Antioch the Disciples were first called "Christians" (Christ- In- Ones).

(It is my prayer, that "all" will begin to embrace,the Reality of Christ-In me, versus the Historical Jesus of the past, and the word "Christians" will be known,as it was known in Antioch... Amen)

"BE"

"BE" all that you can "BE" ....................IN-CHRIST JESUS

If it is of Him and through Him and to Him, where do you come in? You do not! That is just where you go out! That is what Paul meant when he said, "For me to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). The only Person whom God credits with the right to live in you is Jesus Christ; so reckon yourself to be dead to all that you are apart from what He is, and alive unto God only in all that you are because of what He is (Romans 6:1 1).

It is for you to "BE" ­ it is for Him to DO! Rest fully available to the Saving Life of Christ."

From: The Saving Life of Christ., Major W. Ian Thomas, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House. ©1961.

Born from Above!

(Repost, but continues to be very relevant)

by Tripp Campbell

"We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him." 1 John 5:18

Lately, I have been in many discussions with those who are still eclipsed within the confines of "sin/death." What they have failed to realize is that those who are born from above sinneth not. Somehow, many have bought into a mentality that they can please/displease God by their actions/inaction. Generally,what so many have missed, is that by their beliefs/understanding, they have now raised an illusionary Standard, something that can be measured in order to relate to God.

I have found that in my personal walk every time I begin to relate to God by "Doing", within a short period of time my energy and ability begin to wane and I find myself devoid of Hope/Life. You see, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life........" Moreover, as I have begun to rest in the Finished work of the Cross, everything begins to abound. It is not that my "life" is without challenges, it has many, but now it is centered in the only "Life" available to a believer, Jesus Christ. No longer do I live in the illusion of Doing for God, by the works of the Law which ultimately leads to death, but I continue to embrace "fullness" which already has been so gloriously provided for, In-Christ Jesus!

Rom 5:17-21 "If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grandsetting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides? Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right. All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life--a life that goes on and on and on, world without end." (The Message)

CHRIST HIMSELF ­ THE CONTENT OF CHRISTIAN FAITH

By: Major W. Ian Thomas

There is something, which makes Christianity more than a religion, more than an ethic, and more than the idle dream of the sentimental idealist. It is this something, which makes it relevant to each one of us right now as a contemporary experience. It is the fact that Christ Himself is the very life content of the Christian faith. It is He who makes it "tick." "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (I Thessalonians 5:24). The One who calls you is the One who does that to which He calls you. "For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). He is Himself the very dynamic of all His demands.

Christ did not die simply that you might be saved from a bad conscience, or even to remove the stain of past failure, but to "clear the decks" for divine action. You have been told that Christ died to save you. This is gloriously true in a very limited, though vital sense. In Romans 5:10 we read, "If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." The Lord Jesus Christ therefore ministers to you in two distinct ways - He reconciles you to God by His death, and He saves you by His life.

This, however, is but the beginning of the story, "for if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, (now an accomplished fact,) we shall be saved (as a continuing process) by His life" (Romans 5:10). The glorious fact of the matter is this ­ no sooner has God reconciled to Himself the man who has responded to His call, than He re-imparts to him, as a forgiven sinner, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and this restoration to him of the Holy Spirit constitutes what the Bible calls regeneration, or new birth. Titus 3:5 and 6, ­ "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour."

From: The Saving Life of Christ, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House. ©1961.

Jesus Christ vs Delusion?

I find it interesting that sometimes, we "Christians" would rather be Identified/Associated with "dead works" (what "i" can seemingly "do") than by the "Miraculous Life" within............... "BE"!

Reality-Is, Jesus Christ and Him crucified, everything else is mere Illusion/Delusion.

Faith is a Person, not an "it"

(Gal 3:23-25) But before "Faith" came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the "Faith" which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by Faith/Christ. But now that "Faith" has come, we are no longer under a tutor.(nasb)

You cannot separate "Faith" from the Person of Jesus Christ

Christ-IS, the Author and Finisher of [our] "Faith."

Christ is All, and in All

"For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our/your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.........but Christ is all, and in all." (Col.3:3-4;11)nasb

One particular version of verse 3:11, put it this way....."Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us." (cev)

Begin seeing Christ behind everything. When you finally understand that Christ is everything, then you will share with the Father the most precious thing He has-His Son. Christ will become your only perspective, your only hope, your only possession, and your only interest. Everything else will fade into insignificance.

The deeper you forge into this mystery, which is.... "Christ in you, the hope of glory." the more you will begin to realize that He transcends every dogma, that He explodes every religious tradition and perceived natural reality.................. HE IS....therefore i am

One Nature

By: Dan Stone

There's a deep rut in the Christian faith, as most believers experience it. It's like a ditch that you run your car into and can't get out of. Unless God tows a believer out of the rut, he or she will never fully live out of their union with Christ.

The rut is this: most of us believe that in the depths of our being we are both good and bad. Or, to put it in theological terms, we are both righteous and sinful. Using a common illustration, we believe that we have within us both a white dog and a black dog, a good nature and a bad nature, that are fighting for control.

But that is not true. It is vital that we know it's not true, because if we believe that we are both righteous and sinful, it will be impossible to live out of our union with Christ and to rest, trusting that He lives through us moment by moment. Instead, we will be focused on ourselves, on getting our act together, on winning the war that supposedly rages within us, trying to suppress the bad part of us so that the good part will reflect the character of Christ. This endless self-effort is the complete opposite of what Paul wrote:

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God... (Galatians 2:20)

The only way out of this dilemma, of believing that we are both good and bad, is to understand that the realm of the spirit, above the line, is singular. It is one. The realm of appearances, below the line, is a duality. It is two.

In the realm of appearances, there is constant evidence of good and evil, both outside and inside us. If we judge by appearances, we arrive at the logical conclusion that we are both good and bad. That looks entirely valid. Christians have believed this for centuries. Except for a small minority who have come to know their true identity in Christ, the whole Christian world accepts the lie. Unfortunately, although something may not be true above the line, if below the line we think it is true, it still controls us. We must choose to live out of what is singular, rather than what is dual.

The realm of the spirit, the singular realm, is eternal reality. That is where our spirit being lives, and where our true identity is settled forever. The realm of appearance, although we must live in it in the here and now, is false as far as our identity goes. All of life depends on which realm is ultimate reality to you: the realm of spirit or the realm of appearances. That's going to determine what you believe and how you live.

Choosing to believe that you are not both good and evil can be difficult. All of the external proof, all of the apparent evidence, all of the sight, supports the opposite: that you have two natures. "You are good, yes, a little good, but boy, you are still wicked; you are still evil." Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to you that you only have one nature, not two. In the core of your being you are not both righteous and sinful; you are only righteous.

From: Stone, Dan, The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out. Dallas: One Press. 2000. pgs. 89,90.

To be in Christ.....

"To be in Christ ­ that is redemption; but for Christ to be in you ­ that is sanctification! To be in Christ ­ that makes you fit for heaven; but for Christ to be in you ­ that makes you fit for earth! To be in Christ ­ that changes your destination; but for Christ to be in you ­ that changes your destiny! The one makes heaven your home ­ the other makes this world His workshop."


(W. Ian Thomas - The Saving Life of Christ. Zondervan Publishing 1972. pg. 19)

neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything!

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love." (Gal. 5:6)

You could replace the words circumcision or uncircumcision with the following:
1. tithing nor non-tithing.
2. reading the Word nor not reading the Word.
3. praying nor not praying.
4. fasting nor not fasting.
5. any rules or regulations nor no rules and/or regulations.

I think you probably get the point........look again at the first four words which begin this verse, "For In Christ Jesus...." that is our Hope of Glory.......not Law/Rules, but Faith working through Love, In-Christ!

Child of God, stand in the Freedom appropriated by the Cross, and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

The Prodigal Son

By Paul Rupe

Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:7

Remember the story of the prodigal son? We find it in Luke 15:11-24, which says,

A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to [his] father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth [to me]. And he divided unto them [his] living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put [it] on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on [his] feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill [it]; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

The prodigal knew that he had messed up and was certain that his father would accept him only as a hired servant rather than as his son, but what did the father do? He told his servants to put the best robes on him, put a ring on his finger, and to kill a fatted calf in celebration because his son had finally come home.

This earthly father in Jesus’ parable never changed his mind about the identity of his son and believer God never changes His mind about you.

The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans,

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Romans 11:29

This simply means that God never changes His mind about the fact that He has made you His child.

Dear believer, the truth is regardless of what you may have done, you belong to God. God will never be satisfied with you being merely a servant because He has made you His son!

The passing away of "jot and tittle"

By Jim Minker

"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Matthew 5:18, KJV)

What meaneth the "jot and tittle"? A more modern version - the NASB - translates it "the smallest letter or stroke". I mean, we're talking meticulous here. But was Jesus really pushing a technical approach to the things of God? Oh, I have no qualms with the fact that he was holding these people to the "unalterable ... word spoken through angels" (Heb 2:2), after all, he WAS referring to the LAW.

To suggest that he was validating the 100% accuracy of the soon-to-be "completed written revelation of God" in order to establish it as the "supreme authority in every aspect of life" for those he came to set free only underscores a total disregard not only for what he actually said but also for the very freedom he came to bring. Do we not understand the CURSE of "unalterable" words inscribed in stone or written in ink? Or are we really so unaware of the downside of such accuracy? One only needs to consider the history of "God's people".

The state of affairs in Israel had reached the pinnacle of a self-righteousness based upon a massive system of loopholes specifically designed to get around God's "unalterable" commands while creating the appearance of a "Scriptural" godliness. Sounds much the same as the Christian marketplace today, doesn't it? If we were to take our religious-colored glasses off while reading this portion of Matthew's account we might realize that Jesus was nailing their collective religious butt to the wall.

Somehow though, we've been taught to completely overlook how all this plays into the why of what he said so that we often buy into the technical approaches of those who hold to the letter and yet disregard the life. I have no doubt that if I had been born in Jerusalem at that time and had been given half a chance I would have been standing right along side those Pharisees scoffing at everything Jesus said. How about you?

To get a fuller picture of the verse in question check out a bit more of the surrounding comments:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." Matt 5:17-20

If you get nothing else out of this passage, don't miss the most obvious contrast: Jesus fulfilled what religious men broke! You see, the religious leaders constantly followed Jesus around examining everything he did or did not do for the express purpose of condemning him. The fact of the matter is that these religious men endorsed a system that "abolished" or "nullified" the very same law they accused Jesus of breaking (see Matthew 15:6). Not only that, they twisted what they broke in order to justify themselves so that they appeared as "righteous" in the eyes of man! In contrast, Jesus - the righteous one - came to justify the unrighteous. For HIS is the righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees!

Jesus did not comment on the "jot and tittle" to establish a precedent, but to expose a religious game! "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" (Matt 23:24). Do we not recognize that THEY, not Jesus, were the ones examining every minute legality - every jot and tittle - in order to get around their own commandment-breaking? But Jesus demanded that the law would NOT justify, but judge them to the same meticulous degree they attempted to get around it. How is it that so many have twisted Jesus' statement regarding the rigidity of the law in order to validate a scriptural legalism that strains at every little pen-stroke? Have we not long-since discovered that such intense detail has brought nothing but sin and condemnation?

Yeah, but how does this fit with "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law"? You know, the last time I looked the heaven and earth were still standing, and even though many have predicted "The End of the World" it somehow seems to hang on. But what if we're overlooking the most obvious connection - that the law itself is inextricably linked together with the elemental world? In other words, the law cannot be disentangled from the basic principles of a world that has an end ... meaning that which finds its life in the world, or the things of the world, cannot get around the fundamental operating principles of that world.

As to the passing of heaven and earth, why would we restrict its meaning according to an elemental viewpoint? Do we really think GOD is bound by the logic of a world that exists only because He holds it together? Listen, why would we suppose that the passing of the elemental world, as well as every jot and tittle, would be understood any differently than how we learned Christ ... or did we come to know God through all the wisdom of the world? No, knowing God comes despite human knowledge - for it cannot touch Him.

Consider the scenario presented by Paul in Romans 7:1-3

"Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man."

Under law, a man and a woman were joined until separated by death. If one partner died, the other was freed from that specific law. This is ELEMENTAL - and the flesh understands it - for some have even opted for murder to avoid adultery (No one ever said the logic of the flesh was particularly smart). So, according to the law, in order to LEGALLY marry another your spouse has to die first. But this is NOT how we were joined to Christ! Watch how Paul uses the elemental truth of the law as a NEGATIVE comparison to the miraculous life we have in Christ.

"Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." (7:4)

No, He didn't kill your spouse - He killed YOU. In other words, YOU were removed from the jurisdiction of the elemental world ... and the principles by which it operates!! The heaven and earth, along with the jot and tittle of the law, have passed away because YOU have been taken out of IT, even though IT still stands. It has no power or control over YOU who have been made alive!! In Christ, everything has been accomplished, and this is the "word of the cross".

"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Cor 1:18). You see, it makes no difference what the world around you demands, for it cannot know what the Spirit of God within you reveals. We have been removed from out of the world and yet we still reside here ... but as strangers and aliens!! Even our bodies are dead because of sin - as they are connected to the death of the earthly - but God's Spirit is life to those very members so that life oozes out of us despite the decay of dying bodies.

My friends, in Christ all has been fulfilled, the law has passed away even down to the jot and tittle!! We have been removed from the realm of nitpicking!! What is it that we are looking for as we studiously pore over the writings of the Bible: hints of sin, fear, guilt, shame, condemnation ... what? Are we still looking for commands that can be broken? Are we still trying to validate our worth by comparing ourselves to its "standards"? If so, we are only caught up with legal technicalities of an existence done away with! If we truly hear the living witness found in the pages of the Book we will hear testimony to the one and only reality, the one and only LIFE ... CHRIST.

A NEW CREATION

By: Bob George

Being made into a new creation is like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Originally an earthbound crawling creature, a caterpillar weaves a cocoon and is totally immersed in it. Then a marvelous process takes place, called metamorphosis. Finally a totally new creature - a butterfly - emerges. Once ground-bound, the butterfly can now soar above the earth. It now can view life from the sky downward. In the same way, as a new creature in Christ you must begin to see yourself as God sees you.

If you were to see a butterfly, it would never occur to you to say, "Hey, everybody! Come look at this good-looking converted worm!" And it was "converted." No, now it is a new creature, and you don't think of it in terms of what it was. You see it as it is now - a butterfly.

In exactly the same way, God sees you as His new creature in Christ. Although you might not always act like a good butterfly - you might land on things you shouldn't, or forget you are a butterfly and crawl around with our old worm buddies - the truth of the matter is, you are never going to be a worm again!

This is why the usual New Testament word for a person in Christ is "saint," meaning "holy one." Paul for example, in nearly all his letters addressed them to the "saints." Yet all the time I hear Christians referring to themselves as "just an old sinner saved by grace." No! That's like calling a butterfly a converted worm. We were sinners and we were saved by grace, but the Word of God calls us saints from the moment we become identified with Christ.

Some people ask, "But I still commit sins. Doesn't that make me a sinner?

I answer, "It depends on whether your identity is determined by your behavior what you do ­ or by who you are in God's eyes." Do you see how we have continued to do as Christians what the world does by determining a person's identity based on his behavior? The only way to get free of this is to do what Paul wrote in Colossians 3:1-3:

'Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.'

From: Classic Christianity. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers. ©1989.

Covenant

But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says the Lord, I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. And they will no more teach each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they will all know Me [recognize, understand, and be acquainted with Me], from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will [seriously] remember their sin no more.
(Jer. 31) amp.

My youngest son, "Joshua David"
Posted by Hello

THIRD DAY WORSHIP?

By Doug Fortune

As I ministered in New Zealand recently I was asked to conduct a workshop on “Worship in the Third Day.” I thought, What an awesome topic for this teacher to tackle! I think I had even listed that on my website as one of the topics I cover. After all, I was a worship leader for over 15 years. The more I pondered it, the more I realized that I probably knew quite a bit about progressive Charismatic/ Second Day worship. I could easily conduct a workshop on that. In fact I could dig out my old notes from years past...

Suddenly I began to realize that just as every other Second Day paradigm has shifted, worship was no different. I had to stand up in front of the group and admit that in reality, I was absolutely clueless when it came to “Worship in the Third Day.” Sure, I can still pick up my guitar and easily lead a group in a time of exuberance, transition, and intimacy, weaving in Scripture reading, prayer and prophetic expression. But that’s what we’ve been doing for years. That is still a wonderful thing to do, but that’s what we’ve been doing.

In the First Day, we sang a lot ABOUT God. Songs filled with theology and doctrinal positions. In the Second Day, we sang a lot TO God. Songs filled with intimate cries of love. We even went through a strange phase in the Second Day where we sang about and sang to the devil to ‘beat up’ on him. Thank goodness that didn’t last long! Eventually I guess someone actually read 1 John 3:8 and Colossians 2:15 and realized that Jesus actually accomplished what He came to do; “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil... And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

The Third Day is different. Yes, we can still sing ABOUT God and TO God if we like, there’s nothing wrong with that (however, if you’re singing to the devil, just stop that silliness!). This new Day is different because in the Third Day WE don’t sing, God sings THROUGH us. But how does that happen and what does it sound like? I think I’ve possibly had glimpses, but that’s about it.

For one thing, my concept of ‘worship’ has changed dramatically. ‘Worship’ used to be that musical thing we did before the preaching. It was to prepare people’s hearts to receive the Word delivered by the speaker. Don’t worry, I believe it’s still fine to do that. But I’m not so sure that worship is something we DO, nearly as much as worship is something we ARE. Many are preaching about wineskins, how we DO things. I’m more concerned with the wine that fills the wineskin, what we are BEcoming. I think perhaps there are a lot of new wineskins in the Church today that are missing one thing- the WINE. “I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1 Amplified Bible) We can also read in 1 Peter 2:5 about spiritual sacrifices that are ‘acceptable’, “[Come] and, like living stones, be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood, to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5 Amplified Bible) I believe that the only thing that really pleases God is His Son.

The book of Hebrews is quite clear when it says, “Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a BODY hast Thou prepared me... Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin Thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said He, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second.” (Hebrews 10:5,8-9) According to these verses, obviously sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin are not acceptable to the Father. So exactly WHAT offering IS acceptable? The only sacrifice we can really offer that is ‘acceptable’ is Christ Himself. Friend, the acceptable spiritual sacrifices that we are to offer is the REVEALation of the deposit of Christ within us.Our spiritual sacrifice is to give back to Him the Life of Christ that is being revealed IN us. I will say that again to make sure we are getting it- our spiritual sacrifice is to give back to Him the Life of Christ that is being revealed IN us. It’s like what God is really looking for is Himself within us.

This sounds like what science would call the phenomenon of resonance. When I am not away traveling and ministering or writing books, I like to cook. Sometimes I sing while I cook. Often our kitchen is filled with the sound of Italian arias. Actually I don’t sing in Italian, the closest I can come is pig-Latin, but that just sounded so poetic as it flowed from my pen... well, actually it flowed from my laptop keyboard, but ‘pen’ sounded so poetic... At any rate, when I sing in the kitchen I sometimes can hear resonation happening. You see, we have this apparatus hanging from our ceiling that our pots and pans hang from. Sometimes when I hit certain notes, a pan will start to ring a bit. That means I have hit the particular tone that is the natural frequency of vibration of that particular pan. It is like the frequency of my voice goes out looking for the same frequency, and when it meets the same frequency in the pan, then the pan begins to resonate. I might mention that occasionally my dog chimes in too, but that’s another story. Different pots and pans will resonate with different tones because they are different sizes and shapes. Each container has it’s own frequency because it is fashioned and shaped based upon its’ intended use.

We are all ‘containers’ of God, we are all vessels, we are pots and pans in the ‘kitchen’ of the Kingdom. “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17) According to Zephaniah, I believe that God likes to sing in the ‘kitchen’ too. The Voice of God that spoke your calling and your very being into existence goes out looking for the same frequency, and when it meets the same frequency in the ‘pan’, then the ‘pan’ begins to resonate. We are all different shapes of ‘pots and pans’ in the body of Christ. All resonate differently because we are fashioned and shaped based upon our intended use. You see, Third Day worship is not about a particular style of music. Third Day worship is becoming the resonant expression of Christ in the earth. Third Day worship is resonating the Voice. And what does this resonation sound like? Is it simply one note, one tone? After all, we all like the way our particular ‘pan’ resonates. No, it is the Voice of MANY waters; “And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters... And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:” (Revelation 1:15 & 14:2)

Many tones, ONE Sound. Remember, it is God’s ‘kitchen’, He is the one who fashioned each ‘pan’, and we are made in His image. He is the one who predetermined the tone of each ‘pan’. Keep in mind that when I speak of tone and the Sound, I’m not just speaking of music. Third Day worship is not about just music, it is more of a lifestyle than an event. Third Day worship is not so much about something we DO, rather it is all about who we ARE. The main question we need to be asking ourselves is this, Are we reproducing A sound or are we resonating THE Sound? There is a huge difference.

The difference between reproducing A sound and resonating THE Sound is the SOURCE of the frequency. When we reproduce a sound, though it may appear to sound like THE Sound, WE are the source of the frequency. When we resonate THE Sound, the Voice of God is the origin of the frequency. Allow me to illustrate by recalling an old television commercial. They were selling a particular brand of tapes for recording. This was before the days of digital recording on CD’s and DVD’s. On the commercial an opera singer would sing a note that would shatter a wine glass simply with their voice. The catch phrase was, Is it live or is it Brand-X? This shattering of a wine glass simply with the voice is due to the phenomenon of resonance. Here is how it works- the singer must first tap the glass to find its natural frequency of vibration, and then sing the same note (frequency) back to the glass. This joining of the natural frequency of the glass and the frequency of the voice causes an increase in the amplitude of the vibrations, that can result in a vibrational impact that shatters the glass. In other words the amplitude, or the size of the sound waves, goes beyond the physical limitations of vibration that the glass can withstand, thus causing a vibrational impact. The glass shatters, and the resonation can no longer be contained.

God calls us to go beyond our physical limitations. He has already spoken a Word of destiny into the very fabric of our being, and it is ever present within us. That, my friend, is our ‘natural frequency’ of vibration. It is the ‘natural face’ spoken of in James 1:23; “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:” The word translated as natural in that verse is ‘genesis’ in Greek. We must behold our ‘genesis’ face, the face that is in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). As we behold our ‘genesis’ face in the image and likeness of God, hearing and doing that Word of destiny, we begin to resonate. We are offering back to the Father the deposit of Christ, the Word of destiny that the Father spoke into us from the foundation of the world. It’s time to resonate THE Sound! It’s time to crank up the amplitude! We must shatter the ‘glass’ and go beyond our physical limitations! This is worship! The ultimate form of worship is becoming ONE with the One you worship!

As Jesus taught on worship He said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24) I think that as ‘true worshippers’ we need to closely consider these words of Jesus. First we need to ask, Who are we worshipping? Most of us worship Jesus. This seems apparent when we look at the words of our songs and the emphasis of our attention. Worshipping Jesus seems fairly safe, as we can relate to Him a bit better because He was ‘one of us’ when He walked the earth. However Jesus taught that “true worshippers shall worship the Father... for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” Worshipping the Father can seem a bit frightening. Images of thunder and lightning and smoke on the mountain top come to mind. “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” (Exodus 20:18-19) They stood far away and their assessment was, Let not God speak with us lest we die! In reality, I believe their assessment was fairly accurate. It seems that when we truly worship the Father, generally something has to die. And yes, you guessed it, WE are that something! Let us remember that the very first mention of worship in the Bible is found within the context of Abraham setting out to sacrifice Isaac; “And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” (Genesis 22:5) Why is this death necessary? Because you cannot have a resurrection without a death. It takes a ‘resurrection’ to truly worship in SPIRIT because a ‘resurrected’ life is a Spirit life. This is what Paul spoke of when he said, “That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].” (Philippians 3:11) When we translate John 4:24 literally, it says God IS Spirit. It does not say God is A Spirit. It does not say God HAS a Spirit. It says God IS Spirit, that’s what He IS. Our worship must be Spirit to Spirit, nature to nature, face to face, the Christ IN us connecting to God and resonating God... in Spirit and in truth.

If indeed we are to worship in spirit and in truth, then this brings us to the question, What is truth? This makes me think of another one who asked the same question of Jesus, “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?” (John 18:37-38) The word translated as truth, aletheia in Greek, means truth, truly, verity. It is from the Greek word alethes, and its’ root word lanthano which means true (as not concealing), not hidden, not secretly, not without knowing. Something that is not concealed or hidden is REVEALED. Jesus gives us a big hint concerning truth when He said He came into the world to bear witness to the truth. He came into the world to bear witness to that which was REVEALED in His life. The word translated as witness is martureo in Greek, from which we get our English word martyr. It’s meanings include to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration, to give (to not to keep back) testimony. He came into the world as a living martyr to reveal what He knew and experienced by divine revelation. Jesus goes on to say, “Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice.” Now when we put all this together, we begin to understand that to worship in truth is really to be a living martyr revealing what we know and experience by divine revelation because we hear His voice! As we hear His voice we resonate! We become the resonant expression of Christ in the earth. Third Day worship, worshipping in Spirit and in truth is resonating the Voice of God, bearing witness to the Truth.

Remember that first mention of worship in the Bible we just read of? When did it happen? “Then on the THIRD DAY Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.” (Genesis 22:4) Just as it was with the first worship of the Father, so shall it be in this Third Day. Like Abraham, we must lift our vision higher to see the true place of worship. Abraham also said, “...I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come AGAIN to you.” He said Isaac was going to return with him! He believed that even if he sacrificed the boy that the Father would resurrect him. He was determined to bring a resurrection life into manifestation. Like Abraham, we must determine to bring resurrection life into manifestation! True Third Day worship is resonating and revealing the resurrected Christ-Life! Once again, it is time for a paradigm shift. For most of us our concept of worship has been that intimate place where it is just Jesus and me in our secret place of communion. Don’t worry, I believe it’s still fine and necessary to do that. However, to worship in truth is not concealed, not hidden, not secretly. In fact, worship in truth may not even happen in a church building that much. Worship in truth is openly revealing the Christ IN us, resonating the Voice of God wherever we are. It’s time to resonate THE Sound! It’s time to crank up the amplitude! We must shatter the ‘glass’ and go beyond the physical limitations of that which we have called Church! THIS is the time to BE the resonant expression of Christ in the earth. THIS is the time to resonate the Voice! “But the hour cometh, and NOW IS, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” (John 4:23)

Everything, In Christ!

How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people--free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ,a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth. It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free--signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the Christians, I couldn't stop thanking God for you--every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask--ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory--to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him ersonally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him--endless energy, boundless strength! All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever.He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. (Eph. 1:3-23) msg

"Mother's Day"

"Happy Mother's Day"

"......never forget what you learned at your mother's knee." (msg)
Posted by Hello

Christ - All, And In All

by T. Austin-Sparks

".....What is Christian service according to the mind of God? It is not necessarily our having a very full programme of Christian activities. It is not that we are always busy in what we call 'things of the Lord'. It is not the measure and amount of our activity and business, not the degree of our energy and enthusiasm in the things of the kingdom of God. It is not our schemes, our enterprises for the Lord. Beloved, the test of all service is its motive. Is the motive, from start to finish, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence, that Christ may be all, and in all?

You know the temptations and the fascination of Christian service; the fascination of being busy, of being occupied with many things; having your programme, schemes, enterprises; being in it, and always at it. There is a peril there which has caught multitudes of the Lord's servants. The peril is that it brings them into prominence, it makes the work theirs; it is their work, their interests, and the more they govern the thing and run it the more pleased they are.

No, there is a difference between going the round of the clock in Christian service as the mere enjoyment of activity, with the fascination of it and all the advantages and facilities it provides for ourselves, and its gratification to our flesh - there is a great difference between that and this, "Christ all, and in all". Sometimes this latter is achieved by our being put out of action; and then is the test, as to whether we are, or are not, quite satisfied to be altogether put out of work if only the Lord can be the more glorified thereby. If only He can come into His own, it does not matter a scrap whether we are seen or heard. We are getting somewhere, in the grace of God, when we are quite content to be put up in a corner, unseen and unnoticed, if thereby the Lord Jesus can come into His own more speedily and fully.

Somehow we have got caught up into this thing and think the Lord can only come into His own if we are the instrument. The rivalry on platform and in pulpit; sensitiveness because one is put before another, because the address of one is given more attention than that of another; the favourable remarks all made in one direction, etc! I know all about it. After all, what are we after? Are we seeking to impress our audience by our cleverness or to make known our Lord? A great difference! Sometimes the Lord gets more out of our bad times than we think, and it may be that when we have had good times He has not got the most. Therein is the necessity for our being set aside, kept weak and humble, that He might have the pre-eminence.

The challenge of service according to God's thought is just this - What are we doing it for? Do we want to be in the work, because we like to be busy? Or is it utterly and only that, by any means, He may come into His own, that God's end may be realized? If He can be all, and in all, by our death as well as by our life, have we come to the place where we truly desire "that... Christ may be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death"? (Phil. 1:20). That is the explanation of service from God's standpoint.

Of course, this is the explanation of many other things. It is....."

A HUMAN VEHICLE OF THE DIVINE LIFE

By: Major W. Ian Thomas

"Faithful is he that calls you, who also will do it." (I Thessalonians 5:24).

The One who calls you to a life of righteousness is the One who by our consent lives that life of righteousness through you! The One who calls you to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, is the One who by your consent, goes into all the world and preaches the Gospel to every creature through you!

This is the divine genius that saves a man from the futility of self-effort. It relieves the Christian of the burden of tying to pull himself up by his own bootstraps! If it were not for this divine provision, the call to Christ would be a source of utter frustration, presenting the sorry spectacle of a sincere idealist, constantly thwarted by his own inadequacy.

If you will but trust Christ, not only for the death He died in order to redeem you, but also for the life that He lives and waits to live through you, the very next step you take will be a step taken in the very energy and power of God Himself. You will have begun to live a life which is essentially supernatural, yet still clothed with the common humanity of your physical body, and still worked out both in the big and the little things that inevitable make up the lot of a man who, though his heart may be with Christ in heaven, still has his two feet firmly planted on the earth.

You will have become totally dependent upon the life of Christ within you, and never before will you have been so independent, so emancipated from the pressure of your circumstances, so released at last from that self-distrust which has made you at one moment an arrogant, loud-mouth braggart, and the next moment the victim of your own self-pity ­ and, either way, always in bondage to the fear of other men's opinions.

You will be free from the tyranny of a defeated enemy within. You will be more than conqueror, for even death itself is conquered by His life. Christ through death destroyed "him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14). This indeed is victory!

You will be restored to your true humanity ­ to be the human vehicle of the divine life.

From: The Saving Life of Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House. ©1961.

HE WHO ALONE IS YOUR LIFE

By: Bob George

Christ knows us, He understands us, He loves us, He accepts us, and He is the only true wisdom available to us. He is the solution to all our problems, and our peace in the storms of life. He, and He alone, has given us "everything we need for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). He, and He alone, is the One who is "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14), and therefore the only one who can teach us "to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope ­ the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12,13).

A misunderstanding of this truth forces the Christian to become what the Bible calls a "double-minded man, unstable in all he does" (James 1:8) He studies the Word to get to know God, but he studies the psychology books to get know himself.

Paul said, "For to me, to live is Christ . . ." (Philippians 1:21). In Galatians 2:20, he said, "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Since it is true that we no longer live, but Christ lives in us, let me ask you this question: If you want to get to know who you are, who are you going to have to get to know? Him! In other words, to discover your true identity, you will have to discover Him who alone is your life.

This eliminates the need for analysis, self-actualization, and going back into memories of past experiences to "understand yourself." When Paul said in Romans 7:15, "I do not know what I am doing," he didn't go on to say, "I therefore need to go for counseling." He merely recognized his condition of sin and death as revealed by God's law and claimed God's solution: "Thanks be to God ­ through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:25).

From: Growing in Grace

My Beautiful Wife!

Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh.
Posted by Hello

Everyday "Life"

Another Wonderful Morsel by Jim Minker!

"So, what do I say, how am I to react ... how am I to live? I discover the reality of this by discovering that I have been abandoned by everything I thought to be life, by everything that seemed right to me, even though true life and true rightness has come to be realized as being far more substantial than my former perceptions ever could imagine. In my every day I am out there ... out where truth contradicts the boxes that attempt to hold snippets of true things, even to the point of contradicting the conclusions of varied collections of true things, as well as the individual things that may be true in and of themselves, but made to be untrue by the contamination of fleshly perceptions. Simply stated, regarding myself I am not concerned by another's fleshly judgment of me, whether it be according to man's laws or those recorded in the Bible. I live according to Christ, for he is my life. His life cannot be truly assessed according to the flesh, and we already know that his life while living on this earth was examined by God's law - according to man - and found wanting.

The truth is that my everyday life might not appear so miraculous, even to myself. In many ways my life is very scheduled - my job, my sleeping and eating patterns, etc - so that the routine of one week often seems to roll into the next. I used to imagine that true freedom would bring about freedom from routine, and yet I have come to see that it is neither bound by routine or by amplified by its lack. I am content, even though I may pursue a change here or there. I am not bound by my fleshly perception of freedom ... nor by anybody else's perception of it (no matter how authoritative that perception seems). I am alive in Christ and that is all that counts ... as it is all that counts regarding everything and everyone."

Link to entire Letter 2005