Elements: Basics of a Healthy Christian

1.)     Doctrine must be sound: Christ must be risen: Repentance is first and foremost and a belief in turning away from our own ways and to his.“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah."

2.) Second Baptism: Must be done and acknowledged and a performance before the brothers and sisters of Christ, symbolizes going into Christ's grave and rising again a new creation in Christ. We must "come as we are to him." There are no works to enter into him. We enter into his rest. Grace as Paul taught.
 “I baptize you with[b] water for repentance." Jn 3:11

3.) Acceptance of this new life and a relearning how to live unto Christ and not to ourselves. Embracing the word and doing his commands; as Jesus tought, we love one another as he loved us first.

4.) This is how we know that we are his;  "That we love one another."12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

5.) There is and can be a laying on of hands and reception of the Holy Spirit to the new beliver. Waiting on Christ and he will fill those who seek for it. This is an observable and tangible happening for all believers.
17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans."

6.) Praying in the Spirit of this new language (tongues) and also praying with my "Mind" as Paul taught in Corinthians.7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

7.) Praying without ceasing, (in other words: always imersing oneself in the Spirit in daily life and seeking God for his wisdom.

8.) Learning how to be content in any and all situations

9.) Being Non judgemental as a Christian,   "innocent as a dove but wise as a serpent."

10.) Seeking the welfare of others first "washing each others feet" (not necessarily an act) but inwardly also as Christ washed his disciples. (sanctifying one another) Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

11.) Visiting the sick, the imprisoned, feeding the poor, waking out our salvation in our actions shows our faith. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

12.) Recognizing light and dark (within the Church itself discerning your brother and sister "who are they" do they do what they say? "Not all who say Lord,Lord" are who they say they are according to Jesus; " I never knew you." Those who are mine continue in my word." Discernment

13.) Giving of oneself

14.)Understanding that the "Letter killeth but the Spirit gives life. Not  turning to law or works to fulfill our calling. "Colossians."

15.) Understanding what we came from and where we are going.6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[a] and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites,[b] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.

16.)Not Lording over one another or in "Christianaese"....speaking something into anothers life that may be totally wrong and inappropriate. Having a sense of right  balance, does that person want your advice? Are you that person that can give it? Are you close enough to that person to see their need? If not back off.

17.) Again sound Doctrines    Repentance from our own works
                                        Salvation in Christ He is risen and Alive evermore: there is only one                                                    way “I am the way and the truth and the life.                                                                         
                                                 Baptism
                                                 Reception of The  Holy Spirit
                                                  Understanding and walking it out
                                                    Reading the word
                                                     Forsaking not the assembly of Saints
                                                      Resurrection:13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformedabout those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Footnotes:

                                                        
                                                     
                                                     

"Quod Scripsi,Scripsi"

                                                                          Passover morning:

     I awoke earlier  today than I wanted to.  The sounds of much human traffic outside my window provoking me out of my sleep.  My bed was already empty as my wife had arisen early in the morning. Apparently she couldn't sleep well either.  Today, "The Gods be cursed, he muttered. Passover!" 

 Looking down at the massing crowds his stomach tightened and his brow furrowed thinking of the impending riots to be quelled today.  

     'Prefect of Judea', was my official title and duties, administrative in the Roman republic, one of which meant subduing these rebellious people I governed. Taxes and rebellions seemed to take all of my time here in this small distant and dustpatch of land in our great and glorious Roman Republic.  

     I turned and closed the window coverings and headed towards my eating chambers and sat and mulled over the day.  My wife visible in the distance of our spacious quarters seemed distracted. I motioned to her and she came to my side.  After talking I found that she was greatly disturbed by a dream depicting a one called Jesus.  Seems she had "revelation" to leave this man alone. 

     "Shall I, as prefect bend to this vision of yours?  Shall I also subject myself the the many superstitions of this land and it's people and now include yours as well?  Nonsense!  I was troubled but did not care to show it.

     I rose and walked away, quartering myself in my study, I dressed for the day. Gathering my robes, rings and light armor I was fully of a mind to forget anything of what my wife said to me.  The voices below echoed hollow in my hallway bringing to mind again what day this was.  

   Centurions were now banging at my door, furiously wanting entrance to my house.  Usually they were circumspect owing to my perceived authority but not today.  

     "Prefect! they shouted we have need of you now! Please come out and see!"

     Opening up the door I was confronted with a man, a Jew in between two of  my Centurions staring me in the face.  

    " It only the first hour of the day! And I have just barely finished eating my first meal and you bring me a stranger to my house!"

     "It's the Jews, prefect, they want you to rule on this man."  He is their King and has broken their law and Caesars by his claims!"

     "King?  Have they crowned a King, without my knowledge? Surely you are mistaken! I have heard of no such thing. Take him away."

     "Prefect, the crowds grow riotus, and they will not leave until you rule on this man. They will protest to Caesar if they do not get satisfaction!"

        I knotted up inside, it has already started.  "Very well, leave me and this man outside I will rule in one hour!"  I closed the heavy doors and wanted dearly to be free of this decision.  His eyes, eyes that were so serene and full of a certain depth made me wonder.  "He was their King?" dressed in no attire that would suggest royalty or any standing at all he stood mute before me. I startled as I turned, my wife had come up behind me  quietly.

      "Leave this man in peace, I told you, now you are involved in their squabbles!"

"Yes, Yes I know.  One hour and it will be over. I assure you it will not continue to ruin this day!"

     I walked slowly and returned to the room still cloaked in darkness,the  morning sun had not reached yet.  I sat and waited trying to relax before I presented my self to their inevitable insults.  

     I turned, dipped my hands in the bronze laver and then dried them carefully and quite openly infront of all those before me.  "Here is the man!"

  I instructed those who led him, to  prepare a sign and mount it atop the cross. It was over......

                                                           

                                                              'KING of THE JEWS'

                                                             "QUOD SCRIPSI,SCRIPSI"

     

     

     

There is a side of truth to choose:

                                         
                                    " Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”




20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message." "in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God."

                                     38 “What is truth
     

     There is a side to choose to be on , there always will be.  From our earliest times as a child we are taught from the beginning to "choose up."  Borrowing a phrase from baseball we choose exactly where and when, how and why we make the decisions we do.  (I was sometimes the last to pe picked for a team!)
So even with weighty issues facing us we always have a choice to make.
     Making a choice in the name of religion seems to be the heavy. And in doing so we align ourselves on a side of "righteousness" that may or may not be correct!  Pilate was forced to make a deliberation on the fate of Jesus. His famous "What is truth" still rings out to us and remains to this day a line for posterity.  Saved for us to possibly mull over for ourselves what this means.
     Peter out of fear for his life denied Jesus rather quickly in the midst of those who were prepared to judge him and judge him harshly.  He knew there was murder in the hearts of those who were questioning Jesus.  Jesus told them so many times over and he had just finished telling his disciples that they would also be persecuted.  "No servant is greater than his master."  So they were warned.  Are we also warned today?  Do these words still ring true? Or are we numb to these words after all these years? 
    Do we even know any more what is the side of truth to be on?  Take the Jihadists', they kill for the belief that they are doing "God a Favor." as Jesus predicted.So there is no second guessing their motives and that makes fighting them so difficult and hard to eradicate. There will always be converts to a side.  The twenty-something American who blew himself up two weeks ago was led very far astray  and believed a lie. Why? It is because the Prince of this world whom Jesus defeated...blinded him and twisted the truth along with all those who cannot see.  
    We only have a victory over these types of things when we believe that Jesus did indeed defeat and overcome the world,  If we do not embrace this then there is absolutely no power in anything we do.  " Without me Ye can do nothing." Quoted from the word.  So if we choose sides on "issues" then we align ourselves with that issue whether right or wrong. Some of these issues are benign some are not. We make the choice.
     So if we can believe the words of Jesus even today then we can be assured we have aligned ourself with" the side of truth."
     The evidence is overwhelming that the Man Jesus did indeed exist and is written about in history as well as those men and women entrusted with the good news of the Gospel.  They were eye witnesses of those times and events and we can entrust ourselves to believe in.The choice is then ours to make. Unfortunately so many times I am afraid the message is lost in some of the ways it is presentd to us. There was a happening after the Jewish Pentecost. 
The outouring of the Holy Spirit given to those who belived in the "Name of Jesus." Jesus had been taken away and was no longer seen.  His death on the cross all but gave the certainty that death prevailed once again.But the evidence of the Holy Spirit in the Disciples overuled that death and all but proved that Jesus rose again and poured out the "Advocate" (or one who is for us) on our behalf.  Those who do not believe in infilling and the new language of tongues as evidenced by the speaking of it deny the power of the Spirit given.  This was simply "Immanuel" God with us playing out before our very eyes.  It is not an arrogance to hold this stance of belief. It only becomes so when others use it to brow beat doctrines into others and make it hard for those to come to know the mercy of the one who gives it out of love. It was to be  a helper and a reminder of Jesus himself (poured into us) and all that he did for those who began a new labor in the birth of the Church, Paul, Peter John and all the others who lost their lives...executed  by those ...".doing a service to God"
     

    







     

Kill Him! Really ? Are You So blind?

     10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

  

     Who were these men that were plotting the death of Lazarus?  The man had just been raised from the dead!  (Days earlier) and now reclining in peace with his sisters and Jesus and his disciples!  These men so hard, of heart, deaf of hearing and eyes so crusted over with their sin they could not see Jesus for who he was!  Stupid? No, but full of fear of their loss of their positional standing. They must have been, here was a man that stumbles out of a dark cave with grave wrappings still on him coming into the light in front of the Lord of life himself and the news was enough to" cause many to follow him to Bethany!"  Yet instead of glorying in God for the miracle of life they plotted to kill him and Jesus.  Religion kills, the letter kills, the Spirit that resides in all who believe in Jesus will raise those the same way Lazarus was and the same way Jesus took up his life again after three days of darkness, descension in Hell, freeing the captives of Satan and rising to heavenly places.  
     Glory to God!, Glory to God! should have been their response!  Instead they were full of fear of losing their positional standings, hard of heart and an eye towards murder!  Lovely, warm and converted people they were! 

      So here we are in the last days awaiting Jesus's return, how will the many religious of our day react?  Will it be the same?  Will there be fear and an eye towards murder? Or will there be mass repentance at his coming?
     
       Joy for those who know his voice, unfortunate judgement for those who resisted the calls.  

The Magnificent Sufferer:

     But for the joy set before him Christ went to the cross silent as a Lamb and innocent of sin.  He made no protest before Pilate, he made no remarks to the High Priests when bound before them while those around him mocked him, beat and berated him and pulled out his beard.   Jesus was the magnificent sufferer....for us.   With us in mind he suffered like no other, and man of sorrows and aquainted with grief he went to his death so that he, firstborn from the dead could lead many sons and daughters into the Kingdom of God. He abolished death and made an open show to all principalities and powers once and for all time showing his majesty to all Angels while bringing dread to those fallen ones in Hades forever enraging them.
     The name of Jesus was raised above all other names named, imbued with power and  utilized by the Apostles to heal, deliver, teach, prophesy, and lead many more to the faith in the "new way."
     As Paul said. " how can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" This meaning that no one will escape judgement now that the price for our disobedience was paid, a line in the sand was drawn.
     From now until the end of time there is opportunity to free others who have not heard the good gospel.
                           
                     "Blessed are those who have not seen but believe as Jesus taught.
 
      There is a mystery to unfold. Jesus said that no one can come to this revelation unless the Father draw him.  Why?  Are some drawn and some not?  Some hard of heart and others ripe for the harvest?  Yet he also said go ye into all the world....in other words do not be silent about this... amazing and saving grace.
     There is no other way( narrow is the road and small is the gate) that leads to the....  the magnificent sufferer
 .  

Action & Truth

18 Dear children,let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

     Action and truth, that is what John is telling his fellow believers teaching them to carry out the commandments of Christ.  Love then consists of actions backed by the love of Christ in God.  We merely must not be so minded that we talk out our Christianity but instead walk it out with faith and works.  Paul also understood this well and said, "show me your faith and I will show you my works." Faith and works are hand in hand.  

    Abraham the Father of Nations and an example of Ancient faith was ready to sacrifice his only son to the New God he followed.  But in a moment, he was spared the anguish of loss of a promised heir by God himself providing the atoning sacrifice of a Ram caught in a thicket.  So much more in Actions did God himself prove to us that his love for us was unbounded by sacrificing his only son on the Cross.  God's actions were sound and therefore saved us through them.  By God's actions and proof of them the whole world gained salvation through his son. 

     So now it begs the question?  How do I as a Christian satisfy the commandments of My God.  It has to be by Actions and Truth as John has written.  I have spent many, many years inserting myself in Christian fellowships in hopes to find a place of being.  Many times over it has been a disappointing experience.  Disappointing because I find limited outreach is being manifested  to those "lost" and on the outer edge of life. The poor, disenchanted, the lied to masses seduced by a Christianity preached that is promulagated and forced to the masses in anything but the real and basic tenets of true Christianity.  Programs and prosperity doctrines shallow in nature and leaving behind the love John writes about in his letters for brothers and sisters in the Lord.  

     Seventeen years I labored in a closed fellowship of Christians building with brothers and Sisters building up the body of Christ.  In this fellowship we actually built each other's houses over a period of 17 years.  It was in true love's labor for one another that we did this to free each other from debts and so the "ministry for the saints would not be neglected.  It was I guess the closest thing ever to the book of Acts living the New Testament church I have ever found.  

    There was however one great flaw that undid seventeen years of works and faith and that was betrayal and a controling spirit from within the Church itself.

  Works of love and faith mean nothing when love waxes cold. How could so many who profess Christ be so cold as to( "shun" like the Amish) the very people on whose backs the Christian Church was built? How could families be torn apart so easily in the name of correction and leading of the Spirit? How could legalism present itself in the form of laws of dress code, hair styles, how many hours of work men must perform (or not) and be told instead "have faith"  the Lord provides... when Paul himself admonished those who do not work do not eat! All the while pouring precious energy into the Church while the lack of food and housing of some, went unnoticed by the leadership?  

     How it got there after such a great beginning and powerful witness of the Spirit still to this day saddens me and causes me to be wary of types of Christianity that are closed and only witnesses to itself.  The very ones who need to hear the gospel are left out on the cold.  The preaching of sermon's with content like "us and them" should have been a warning bell.  

       The crux of 1st John then is the hallmark of love.  It must be like Christ. It must not be judgemental, critical and wax cold in the name of doctrines of teaching so called Christian principles that love gets lost and brothers and sisters no longer function with a heart that is soft and tender, but instead swap it in the "name of Christ" while building something else entirely.  

    John said that if we hate a brother or sister then we are murderers!  Strong admonition.  But in essence they have killed off something valid in that sister or brother when love waxes cold.  

     9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.

     

       

     

Wrap Your Mind Around This:

       I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.


13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

     There is never a time like the present or so goes the saying.  Paul is equipping his fledgling church of Corinthians with an exhortation to continue in good works and reminding them of the promises of God.  Having poured out his Spirit (God) on the Corinthians he now encourages them to look up and see there is more...than what you are experiencing now.  There is a place pre-pared for us in the heavenlys.  And as proof, Paul uses the phrase "deposit" to get their attention. This Spirit they have received is not earthly as Jesus was not earthly as he had pointed out numerous times.  ("My kingdom is not of this world!") 
     The Corinthians had just repented as a Church because of Paul's first letter to them as correction in their bad behaviors. Now however he points heavenward to fill them with a sense of awe in the God they serve.  There is more! So much more! Look, we've been beaten, shipwrecked, hungry, poor and imprisoned and on the verge of death...why? all for your sakes.  You have become like me, (saved) and so I want you all to know that I no longer regard you from a "worldly" point of view!"  In other words he was saying you are no longer just mortal but immortal in Christ and there is a place prepared for those of you who now have come to believe.  There has been reconcilliation between you and God so rejoice!  

     So we now have no time like the present to experience the selfsame things as Paul and his Corintians did so many thousands of years ago.  It is covenant and is unbroken and it will one day end and there will be no more chances.  Salvation is and always will be by faith and by grace.  And grace comes by "hearing the good news."  So transition your self and wrap your mind around the possibilities you have not yet tried!...and remember salvation is not found in religion or it's practices...it is personal revelation of a true God indwelling in a new creation. You will be the temple. 

The World Suffers Violence and the Violent Take it by Force: There is another way:

30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[d]
     
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

([c but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.)

     The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.13

     These words are from Paul's written letters to the Corinthians.  Having birthed their Church and labored for their understanding he now writes to set them straight and correct them in proper understanding of their faith.   

    Their church in a short time has become infected with incest, lawsuits, leadership errors and arrogance.  In short their faith has been perverted.  "The kingdom of God is not one in talk but of power."  Paul warns them he will discipline them when he comes.  

     Quite quickly the people reverted to old ways of sinfulness and left the Spirit behind, violence threatened to wreck what Paul birthed in grace.

     Our world is suffering violence every day and I think rapidly increasing because we have left God out of it.  Daily we are bombarded with horrendous  stories of violence, bombings, kidnappings and suffering unustly at the hands of governments that rule with tryanny and fear.  Blackouts of facebook and media outlets are the first to be utilized in controling free thought. In Crimea power stations and news outlets were seized first so that a stealthy coup could be staged with minimal media coverage in that country.  

     In Iran women are arrested for uncovering their hair in displays of freedom that  we take for granted.  China imprisons their young intellectuals for "free thought and subversive ways." Nigeria desolates the young women, the hope of their future, and the list is so much longer.

     THERE IS ANOTHER WAY!  And it has to be a paradigm shift in thinking! 

Go back to the first opening sentences of this blog....righteousness, holiness, and redemption.   These are God's ways of replacing all of our shortcommings and changing from the inside out. A complete and total new creation and a destruction of the "OLD Man."  New wine has to be put into a new wine skin as Jesus said.  Only in this way will change be complete and then it has to be worked at...as the Corintians found out.

     The tears will not cease and the suffering will not end but perhaps in the midst of a world without peace and joy there can be renewal within...by Christ in you.