Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

  When religion frustrates me I return to the basics I learned from my parents. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 KJV) "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23 KJV) How "sin" is dealt with is not that complicated. The bible tells me sin is dealt with as follows: The flesh and blood "mortal" bodies that all humanity are born with "in Adam" will be destroyed in death and returned to the "soil" from which it came. It is replaced by a glorified "immortal" spiritual body that all humanity will have "in Christ" at the consummation of the ages. "As in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22 KJV) Jesus was the first to come out of death into immortal life but the rest of us will follow. That is the good news that even a child can comprehend - efforts to expand this...

"Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all humanity. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God... And now I commend you to God and to the word of His GRACE, which is able to build you up and to GIVE you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified." (Acts 20:26-32) The revival was over. We had listened to a dynamic speaker for two weeks. During that time there were over 90 decisions for Christ and many other rededications. At one service, everyone there walked the aisle to make one decision or another or to pray at the altar, myself included. At the end of the last service, we had been challenged to "go win the world to Christ, one person at a time, bcause he who wins souls is wise ". Everyone was saying Amen and left fully intending to be a part of a great renewal. The evangelist received a big love offering and off he went to his next scheduled revival. Sound familiar?  Problem was that two w...

"For we are aware that the entire creation is groaning and travailing together until now. Yet not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the spirit, we ourselves also, are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body." (Romans 8:22-23 CLNT) "It is better to travel well than to arrive." - Buddha Such is the opinion of false religion and its leaders who set their minds on this life because they fear or are ignorant of the next. The Buddha has millions of followers who he has taught to focus on the journey rather than the destination. Quite frankly, Christianity is not much different. It focuses most of its attention on the journey because they fear the destination. But that is the religion of men. The truth of the God is not focused on our failures and suffering along the way, but the "glory" of our destination... "For I am reckoning that the sufferings of the current era do not deserve the glory abo...

"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Corinthians 3:17) Ponder the above outside of some religiously constructed box because the bible is not the instruction book for some religion, it declares itself to be the very word of God, and if it is, which I have chosen to believe, then we should let the words in it speak for themselves to us without commentary from religious gurus. So, “the Lord is Spirit” , and “He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being . ” (Acts 17:27-28) So every day we are living and moving and having our being in God.  And where God is there is liberty - again - “liberty” , not bondage to some religious man made box of doctrines. “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you...did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? ... It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of s...

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ…that I may know Him." (Philippians 3:8, 10) Sometimes we have to lose our religion and be willing to suffer the loss of the esteem of others in order to have the true excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus and what he has done for mankind. Religious men teach that their particular thoughts and doctrines are the truth, and one is welcomed within that religion as long as he or she accepts that teaching. The few who are willing to abandon misleading religious doctrines will gain the knowledge of Christ Jesus. They will be...  "...set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God " (Romans 8:21) That is how Paul came to know Christ. The esteem he ha...

"For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God." (Romans 5:10-11 NLT) I was a City Councilman at one time when a disgruntled man came to a meeting and expressed his displeasure by telling us that he hoped “we would all burn in hell”. At least he was honest in expressing his feelings.  Mankind does not have the capacity to love those we deem our enemies, in spite of the pious, self-righteous rhetoric of some folks. We generally prefer to “nuke” our enemies. There is nothing wrong with expressing our feelings. I like an honest view. The problem is assuming that God feels the same way about His enemies. However, unlike us, God actually LOVES His "enemies"  , SAVES them, and calls them FRIENDS. Religion makes friendship with God...

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the GRACE of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ…” (Galatians 1:6-8) A truth that benefits everyone, no matter how good it is, is rarely popular. The good news of the reconciliation and salvation of all is a good example. For some reason, believers inevitable fall away from the reality of this Grace into some form of law keeping which separates those worthy of salvation from the unworthy. Instead of growing in Grace, they retreat to the bondage of the Law. They continue to call it Grace, but it is a mixture of Law and Grace, another gospel altogether…which is no gospel at all. Mankind does not want anything for FREE, they want to believe they had some part, however small, in obtaining it. The ultimate Salvation and Reconciliation of all to God is the prime example….But it is free regardless of what religio...

“For if the dead are not raised…your faith is worthless…Then those also who have fallen asleep…have perished…. If we have hope in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:16-19) People are born and live with various problems…ALL have problems. You’re particular problem does not dictate you are more to be pitied than someone else. Many Christians deal with their mental and physical state by seeking and hoping for some miracle from God to cure them….and some get temporary relief and attribute it to prayer …but we all will eventually check out of this present evil age! Some can’t deal with their problems…so they check out early. Don’t feel sorry for them, and don’t condemn them. They just play the hand that was dealt to them. I have found that there is only one thing that gives HOPE…the biblical promise of life after death, where there is no more tears, pain, sorrow... or pity. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the fir...

In a nutshell, here is what our Apostle Paul shared from house to house… “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of ALL MEN… This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who WILLS ALL MEN to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom FOR ALL, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle, I am telling the truth, I am not lying, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth….It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of ALL MEN, especially of believers. PRESCRIBE AND TEACH THESE THINGS.” (1 Timothy 2:1-; 4:9-11) I do not claim to be smart and I am sure not a theologian. But I have lived a few years and have studied the Bi...

“Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do." (Exodus 19:7-8) Man centered religion is based on Law and always focuses on what we have to "do” . The gospel of Grace, however, is focused on God and what he “has done”. When men get caught up in Law based religions (and ALL religions are Law based) they enthusiastically say as did Israel “all that the LORD has spoken we will do” . Of course they don’t and reap the consequences….death. "You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them" (Leviticus 18:5) In other words Christianity, as all other religions, tries to live by promises MAN makes “TO GOD”. That is the Old Covenant which fails to save mankind. Those who understand the Grace of God in saving mankind live by promises GOD makes “TO MAN”. That i...

Jesus asked... "...whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God...And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona....  But a few minutes later Jesus said to Peter.. . But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me." (Matthew 16:15-23) What happened? In just a few minutes Peter went from the blessed Saint to the offensive Satan, the enemy of the cross. Why?  He stopped believing Jesus. He knew who Jesus "was", but did not believe what he "SAID". Christians are not immune from what happened to Peter. Even faithful Christians can have a personal relationship with Jesus and yet deny the truth he gives in the Scripture...especially the truth given to Paul. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15) "God was n Christ ...