And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 1 Corinthians 15:49

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

In Light Of His Love For You!

On a recent trip to Berkley Springs WV my wife and I attended a ministry conference there. It has been a couple of years since the last time we went, and so we were really looking forward to going again this time. We were not disappointed!

There were a couple ministers who preached who we have heard before, but most who we have not. I got something out of every message preached that impacted my Spirit, and one particular point from a message by Mark Sanchez that I want to share in this post.

Mark tells of someone that goes to his church who's boss is an open homosexual. One day this boss calls the Christian guy into his office and closes the door, and says: "Jesus appeared to me last night!" The boss goes on to say, "Jesus stood there and said, 'I want to have a relationship with you.'
 'I said, you can't I am a homosexual.'
Jesus said, 'What does that have to do with My Love for you?'
 The boss responds, 'But I hate your people'
 Jesus said, 'What does that have to do with My Love for you?'
 The boss then says 'And I hate you!'
Jesus said, 'What does that have to do with My Love for you?' And then He vanished. The boss tells the Christian, 'Tell me about this Jesus!'"

Isn't that the whole message summed up right there that we should be bringing to the world? What does your sin, and failings and short comings have to do with Jesus' Love for you? I cannot tell you the amount of sermons that I have heard over the years that dictate the do's and the don't's of what is permissible and what is not! We are told that God's love for us depends on our actions. God loves you, but only if you clean up your act!

Oh, you might be told to come to Jesus, and he will wash your sins away, but once that happens, it is like it is up to you to make sure He doesn't have to wash your sins away again! Of course once you are saved, then it is possible to look down your noses at all those other people who don't live a righteous life like you do, and you can warn them of the fiery torment that is waiting for them when they might die any moment, and loose their chance to repent. Then it will be too late! NOT! (I hope you can read the sarcasm in this previous paragraph).

 All of this is focusing on your efforts to keep the law; to obey the Ten Commandments! When in fact, the purpose of the 10 commandments is to show you how futile your efforts really are! And just to make sure you know it, in the sermon on the mount, Jesus points out the intent of the heart is enough to condemn you if you are trying to justify yourself by your own efforts!

 But Jesus was not sent into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him would be saved! (John 3:17)

II Cor. 5:19 "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

Take note of the bold words. Not imputing. Not laying to their charge, is how one translation puts it. Not imputing their trespasses against them! Well, if Jesus is not holding their sins against them, then who is? The dead letter of the law has no power to change a persons heart or nature or condition.

The NLT version puts it this way in Romans 2:4 "Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?"

The biggest complaint I hear from Christians when they hear such a message of Grace is: "So are you saying that you can live however you want, and sin all you want and God will just forgive it all and let you into heaven?" To which I reply, "How do you want to live? Didn't you ask Him into your heart? Isn't His nature within you? Don't you want to please him , or are you just living by what ever rules you think you need to in order to avoid going to some hell you have devised for sinners?

Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? Don't you know that you have been bought with a price? When Christians wonder why they should witness if everyone is going to be saved anyway; the short answer is because we know by experience the love of God, and they don't until you tell them!

This message even works for Christians, who have put themselves under condemnation because of their own short comings, and sins, and failures! How wonderful to have such burdens lifted, and freedom restored when you take it to Jesus and His forgiveness reminds you: what does all of that have to do In Light Of His Love For You!





Saturday, October 5, 2013

God Is Not Mad At You

Perhaps you have seen this sign before. "What's missing from CH--CH?" and then it would say "UR". as if it was saying "you are" missing from church. Cute, and catchy sign for sure, but it is also cute and catchy if  I say that the two letters can also stand for Universal Reconciliation! What really is missing from Church is the message of the reconciliation of all mankind! And I am of the firm belief that if U. R. were proclaimed within their walls, then not so many "You Are's" would be missing from church! The world is waiting for someone to tell them the Truth!

"And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to US the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given unto US the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God" (II Cor. 5:18-20).

It is hard to fathom that such a concept is so foreign to the so called preaching of the Gospel by most churches. I say so called Gospel, because if you put a condition on the good news by suggesting that the Love of God is conditional on the actions of a persons mortal life on this earth, then it is NO Gospel at all!

The LOVE OF GOD FOR ALL MANKIND IS THE GOSPEL!! If you are preaching anything else but that; if you are hearing anything else but that preached; if that is being said with any kind of condition on the part of mankind to merit it, then it is NOT the Gospel, but rather a LIE

There is a singing ministry couple from Lake City Tenn,  that Cindi and I met a few years back by the name of Gerald and Kathy Hovater. They sing a lot of their own songs, and they have a couple of CD's available to purchase.  One of the songs that they composed and sing is called "God is Not Mad at You". This song has touched the hearts of many, many people that have heard it; saved and unsaved alike! Just the title alone is enough to cause joy and relief at the sound of it, and for some even disbelief, that it could be true based on what the church system has been telling them!

Think about it. God is NOT mad at you!! Is that the message you hear from the church you go to? Is that the message you hear from other Christians? Is that the message of the Gospel you share with others? God is not mad at you IS the message of the Gospel! Unfortunately, most Christians preach the kind of message that says God is not mad at me, but He is mad at YOU! I earnestly hope that as the reader of this post, you would make sure you do share the full measure of the Love of God for ALL creation, and that His Love is NEVER ending!

Meditate on this verse from the Phillips translation of Ephesians 3:14-19

14-19 When I think of the greatness of this great plan I fall on my knees before God the Father (from whom all fatherhood, earthly or heavenly, derives its name), and I pray that out of the glorious richness of his resources he will enable you to know the strength of the spirit’s inner re-inforcement—that Christ may actually live in your hearts by your faith. And I pray that you, firmly fixed in love yourselves, may be able to grasp (with all Christians) how wide and deep and long and high is the love of Christ—and to know for yourselves that love so far beyond our comprehension. May you be filled though all your being with God himself!

I believe many Christians put a limit on the Love of God for themselves, which is why they can also think that there is more of a limit on the Love of God for the unbeliever. They attach conditions to their own salvation, (conditions that do not exist in Scripture!) so that the same conditions and more can be attached to non believers, limiting God's love to their own carnal understanding.

I am persuaded by personal experience that if you ever got a momentary glimpse of the Love which God has for you, where Paul describes as "so far beyond our comprehension" that you then could not imagine such immutable Love could ever be overcome by the evil actions of any person, no matter how great. In other words, to the same measure you understand the Love God has for you, is the same measure you believe God could have for another. And if such Love is beyond your comprehension for yourself, then it is much more likely that you cannot believe such Love is extended beyond comprehension for All Creation. Truely you would need a revelation of the Love of God for yourself, to see that not only would you believe that God is not mad at me, but indeed you can freely tell the world: God Is Not Mad At You