The Big Think: Theos Greek: Oeoc,

     God:  A great many things have been said, thought, written and acted upon in that name.  And a great body of work and study by numerous scholars down through history in order to understand that which is beyond human intellect.  At one time I also entered into a great study in hopes to be a Priest or lay leader or common preacher. It is mind boggleing to begin to read all of the tenets of "doctrine" surrounding the one we worship.
Example;

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled; without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost...And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite...The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal.   likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord... But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity."

Need I say Yikes!

  However God has come close:  Jesus Christ, Immanuel God with us.

    So simple that the uneducated could understand and the wise become confounded.  God wants us near to himself, always has always will.  He is jealous for us.  "For he says, Draw near to me and I will draw near to you." Simple, yet the promises are for generation after generation.

     And why does he do this? It is for our brokenness, our waywardness, and all of the things we cannot fix ourselves.  It is for sheer love for us that he planned a way for our health and well being.  Christ on the Cross, bearing all the weight are carrying around daily.  The weight that depresses, causes us to stoop and grow weary of life's troubles when they come and there is no inner strength we have to defeat it on our own.

     If I had to distill every word of every doctrine of a faith statement that exits  in order to believe, I would certainly have a hard time entering into the kingdom.  For Jesus said "you strain out gnats while swallowing camels."

     This warning to the religious of his day!  So draw near, in your heart, repent if you have to, find someone who is a believer, walks out their faith,and is one like Nathaniel, Truly and Israelite without guile.   Peace

Is the ground shifting under your feet? It is under mine!

     Today has been a peculiar day to say the least.  What I thought would be an easy day was hardly that.  Almost everything went wrong that could, and Murphy was not even around!   So something else was at work and testing my limits to be.....nice, calm,at rest,and most of all loving.   So I found that someone had shifted the earth underneath my feet and made it sand for a day.  Same goes for my wife at home, a roller coaster of a ride with news from thousands of miles away that was not easy to bear nonetheless we persevere!  We have to inorder to claim the right to be Christ's.  So throughout the day event after event unfolded in a manner that was vexing and troublesome and yet I managed to keep cool and not say much so that I would not go oops! and have to apologize for some #$%**)#@!! colorful words!  I managed.  Someone had taken my nice little ordered day and thrown it into the wind and it came back tumbled, un-organized, surprising, and downright weird.  This does not happen very much and I'm glad because I would have to eat something akin to a pharmacy prescription  to keep my stomach's acid from entering my mouth,  and somewhere it does not belong.
     So now I know a little more about un-explained events and chalk it up to ^  ^ someone other than perhaps God.  Remember Job....and consider who it might be!     Have a nice day!  
   

Are You In?

3 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
    

     17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f]of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 

     So I ask you, are you included in the grace that the Lord Jesus has granted?  Paul, prayed that the grace he knew so powerfully and that he ministered in so graciously  be administered to the Ephesians.  This fledgling church was planted directly in area which in now Turkey on the Ionian Coast line.  It was a time when the Romans ruled and Gods were many.  The temple of Artemis was well known and frequented by the city peoples.  So Paul had quite a challenge, and so do we.  Lest we forget, faith comes by hearing and by hearing we are saved.  The message preached is not to be a lukewarm non-affecting word that only satisfies or occupies a temporary place on a given day, but rather an ever producing, inner working of our faith.  It is continually progressive and ongoing until our last days.  So the temptation to be complacent lies within all of us and must be fought against if we are to be effective for the Church of our Lord Jesus.  
     It is by deception and "covertness" the Devil wins his battles.  Paul said, "we fignt not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, powers, and principalities in heavenly realms.  In other words, those who still live in the world of the desires of carnality are able to be deceived and used by those powers and principalities unbeknownst to them.  And we are to be aware of that daily.  If we forget, we fall victim to them.  And the very tricky part is....we are to love them...even though we might be despitefully used.
    My last blog, "We are at War"  I mentioned that one of mine had been affected by such an attack, a covert and hidden one that I am now prayerful about and thank God  for that the issue had been brought into the light, where it can be seen and dealt with.  
     Likewise Paul's, preaching was to convert the thinking of the day in those who formerly lived according to their old beliefs.  So we too as we live and work in this current time, as Chritians, must be continually converted in heart so as not to reverse gears and slip into neutral.  
     

WE ARE AT WAR:

      We have a giant target painted on us.  The Devil is raging against us. He is prowling around seeking whom he may devour, and often times it is the innocent.  YOu see he will work in darkness and prey upon the innocent because they often do not know enough to put up a fight.  NOW I am aware, painfully aware,of this because  the battle has been brought into my home.  And it has caught one of my own, and entangled them when they were in a state of vulnerability.  This is the way he works The DEVIL and I should know it by now.  I just didn't expect it.  I consider myself on guard, prayerful, and somewhat wise to his ways but I underestimated my enemy.  I won't do it again.
     I have written weekly for the past three years in this blog about Christian themes, Christ's goodness, the Apostles teachings, and have had some fun with  topics concerning Theology and it's underpinings,  and also some of the unfortunate experiences of my Christian walk I have had along the way.  I bear no bitterness and work on forgivness.  But there is one I will not forgive and that is the enemy of Christ.   That OLD SERPENT< The father of lies, a liar and thief from the beginning.
    When I begin to see his encroachment on my territory and that which is mine, I will fight with all that I know to fight with and that is the weapons of warfare of the Spirit. And God's word.   Jesus defeated the Devil's temptation with his very own word that was written and then spoken out loud back to him. Thou shalt serve the LOrd thy God and him only.  We must not forget that Satan was a created being, created in beauty,rising in arrogance and  rebelling against authority and falling to this Earth, where he is known as the "Prince of the Power of the Air>" Where he might be a Prince, we have a KING.  And we are his................We must also remember that we are fallen also, and because of that,  we must rely on the {Power of the Cross and the Power of Jesus name to come against him.  There is not a day that I live where it is even [possible to forget the price that was paid for my sin so I could be free.  My thoughts always gravitate on him and his ways.
     So I will now take it to my heart to teach the next generation about God and his goodness.
   The Jews had "frontlets or Tephillim" (prayers) to remind them of their God, these were inscribed words placed in a cube and lettered to remind them of their covenant to God. We have the indwelling Spirit in us which much more powerful given out of love and sacrifice and a reminder that he will never leave us.  
                                           
                                                  I will untangle what the Devil has tangled!

And I will be in a state of war if I have to be by prayer and by the written word and by others who share in the faith.
     

Grounded in the faith:resisting frenzy

     I can't help but feel that we are getting worked up into a frenzy by those who have no self control.  The self control I am talking about come from the spirit of God and not from our selves or our flesh tendencies.
     The times we live in are certainly troubled by many evils around us and make us tend to want to jump out of our skin and do something,and that is what I am afraid of for our country especially during our time of electing a President of this counrty.  If a man like Donald Trump can rise to the top of the GOP with a following of people that are disgruntled by the things they cannot change and are worn out by constant media coverage of world troubles and U.S. troubles  by inciting and firing up those places of discontent within them then beware.   The boastful, aarrogant, sometimes blasphemous words spoken flow all  to easily and are picked up by those who would want an instant change by power, money and connections all things that are the antithesis of all the things Jesus taught his disciples.
    We Christians must be level headed and grounded in the faith and open our eyes to the possibility that he just might be elected or at a minimum get the GOP nomination.  To be grounded in our faith means to not go with the crowd, only see with our eyes but see with the eyes of the Spirit.  IN the scriptures is said that the Messiah would judge this very way, not with eyes to see on the surface, but with eyes that penetrate and "knowing what was in the heart of a man."  We must be grounded in our faith by love first of all, look to others needs besides our own, carry others burdens, and resist the Devll where ever he appears and what ever he influences.  HIs influence always is the same.  Love of money, lust of the eye, pride of life.  In other words these are the things we deny when we come to the Cross of Jesus and take on his nature instead our own. Isn't that what it is all about?  We begin to trust that in all things, Jesus has the ultimate control and not worry that the "spin out of control" wil upend our faith.  However that does not mean we toss our our minds and become complacent and not become involved in the things we must be.
     Do the words of Trump bring you peace?  Do they instill inner lifting of those  hoped for qualities within you such as a Lincoln spoke about in his Gettysburgh address? Are they gracious or warlike?  You be the judge and do the right thing!
     Granted we have a limited choice this year in the Democratic side only two to choose from and one seems to court scandal and bring with them all the trappings of power and hidden workings, that have been exposed over the years and that is good for us because then we make informed decisions.
  Don't give in to the immediate gratification of all things we want change in.  Don't be in a frenzy!

Passion

     Passion, it's okay to have it! In fact Christ would rather us be hot or cold rather than lukewarm.  Passion in anything drives us to excell whether it be creativity in the arts, sciences, literature or the world of theatre.  In regards to the calling of those who become Christian and follow the tenets of Christ, passion is necessary also in furthering the good news of the gospel.  However I have seen those who are passionate for the gospel begin to veer off course and then go into "extras" and possible create and teach doctrine that is not of the Gospel or sound doctrine that is original to the eyewitnesses of Christ, i.e. those who walked and talked with Christ himself and learned at the foot of the Lord.You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
     In the mainline churches that have been established for centuries there exists ways to express our worship to our Lord that are naturally diverse and expressive of that particular Church. Also I have found that in our day, there exists those Churches that may be called "fringe" or on the edge simply because the doctines do not exactly hold to original doctrine.  What is original doctrine? 
Just read the bible as is, with a clear mind and interpret it within context of the culture and time it was written and realize that some text is allegorical and all of it is absolutey true and trustworthy!  Recognize what Christ taught, the Apostles carried on in preaching and anything else beyond that ( just might be -add-ons.)  I have been exposed to some Churches where doctrines are twisted and scriptures taken totally out of context to tell a completely different story and in effect malign the word of God for profit (gain) that Paul warns against) and make the faithful follow incorrect paths.  This is a destructive preaching and causes alot of harm to the faithful.  
    The Gospel of Christ was simple but powerful carrying with it power unlike anything written in any other book.    It is a will and testament of God who made himself known to us and continues to do so today and bless us just as much in our generation as any in  other.  The dispensation of grace continues until it does not, stopped by non-other than by Jesus himself when he again appears. Then we will be known as we were meant to be, like him, embraced by him, and ushered into a kingdom that is uncorruptable.
     Until that time beware of "another Gospel" that I know is preached in some so-called Churches that might catch the innocent in a trap.


Beautiful passion flower! God's passionate handi-work!

Don't Get Bitter: Get Better!

Take a drink of Jesus today and feel refreshed,
You will notice the difference right away!
And you will be glad you did! ( to the tune of a 50's t.v. commercial!)
So don't delay, and please pray!
There's nothing on earth or heaven above !
You won' be disappointed, you won't get dis-jointed,
What I say, is as true today
As when the Earth was a piece of Clay!
Molded and shaped by a mind above,
and as beautiful and peaceful as a new morning dove!
So try a bottle of better today
and get rid of the bitter tomorrow!not !

Food is for the belly: And the belly is for food

     "My blood is indeed drink and my body is indeed meat!" These  are the words of our Lord to his followers that surely raised their eyebrows at this statement.    Hebrew law forbid the drinking of blood for the life was in the blood.  While Pagans practiced human sacrifice all around the Hebrews nation, it was an abomination to God.  It also must have seemed to the Jews like a sacrificial statement.  So no wonder it was a repelling statement for those of Jesus's followers and confusing as well.  But now on the other side of the cross, for us and those disciples who saw Christ hanging upon the cross with blood shed from his side it was revelation.
     " If you love me.....keep my word."  " You are truly my disciples if you keep my commands."  Man shall not live by bread alone....but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Christ allowed his body to be broken and his blood shed for all of us.
     As Christians, we must eat a daily diet of God's  word. It strengthens us and keeps us nearrer to him.  It is far to easy to slip into a secular frame of mind and begin to question again the Death of our Lord when all around us there is ample doubt cast our way of this very thing.   Correct belief lies at the very heart of everything we do.  Without it, there is no conviction, no motivation, no reason to do the things we do as Christians.  Take a look at the persecution many Christians now face in many of the world's Dictatorship countries.  Why are they being killed?  Just yesterday a list of leading countries was mentioned in the NY Times of the No. 1 countries where it is dangerous to be one. It is a war of thought and belief and power.
     Power comes from a victorious life in Christ  and those that see this who are not victorious either are enraged or changed, or blind.
     Eating and drinking the Lord is life.......and there is no fear for us when challenged to defend our belief.  For we stand at the Apex  of our time, perhaps the very last days of peace before a great falling away and the ushering in of an  Anti-Christ, then we shall  be seen for what we truly are.  
     

VICTORY

     Every day that you do the right thing is a day the Devil has no power over you.  Now for sure circumstances can overtake you in a moments notice, but what will you do while in that circumstance?   Joseph fled naked and away from Potiphar's wife, Moses fled deep into the desert after murdering a man and standing up for what was right.  Samson brought down the pillars of the coliseum while still blind avenging the betrayal of Delilah and her deceitful ways.  Job sat in ashes, while seeking an answer to the horrendous situation he was now in, all while his friends had left him because he had suddenly become destitute and sick.

     My wife's family turned us away after a 2000, mile trip all in order to help them.  We were told to do anything, "go live in the woods!, I was thrown out of my brother's house 1:00 am in the morning while I watched him curse and go steadily unbalanced and toss our belongings out of his house calling us "trash."  
   

 Jesus said, "In this world you shall have many  tribulations, but fear not I have overcome the world."
And so must we, but not in our own strength.  We trust in our LORD.  After all of this we drove another 2,000 miles back to our home state and stayed three days in a local hotel, not knowing what was next or where we would go.  But... by grace a friend opened  up an apartment ,paid our deposit for rent so we could have an address, so our daughter could get back in school, so we could finally rest and thank God for his intervention. Acquaintances did all of this, not our family.  Go figure!  Why these events happened to us I do not understand.  But I do know this. None of my family know what Christianity is or know Jesus.  So we were basically on enemy ground.  Now I don't hold to and " us and them" way of thinking but, their fruits betrayed what kingdom they were in.  So look up, for your own victory, especially in hard circumstances, and pray hard.   Jesus will answer quickly and surprise you!

What Sin? What God?

Pastor: Do you accept The Lord Jesus as Lord and savior of your life and repent of your sin?

Me: UUHHH!   I'm put on the spot and turning red.........Sin?  (I'm thirteen and I don't know what you mean?")

Pastor: Do you want to stand and say something for us regarding your acceptance of Jesus?

Me: UUHHH?  "(tongue tied...dont't know what to say so I clam up.)

Pastor: Tell us how you came to know the Lord!

Me:  UUHHH>>>>(Still red and now sweating alot...!) I have to go to the bathroom! excuse me...I leave...

Pastor:  Ned, tell us how you came to know the Lord....(.he goes on to the next kid..)


And that was my first intro to an Organized religious Christian Church and I never entered in to another Church again until I was 24 years old.  Can anyone relate?
     It's called proseletyzing and to those who have felt the embarassment of having to make some sort of statement under pressure....it's not fun.   Now I understand that faith comes by hearing the word preached but we were subjected to a dragging out of a confession without God in the MIx!

     Advance forward to the time I'm now 24, had some experiences, am lonely, far from home, and dirt poor and ask me now about God!  Now there is an entrance, there is a heart that is softened, opened for questioning and waiting to be filled with an answer.  Now I begin a journey of faith.............

     That journey is now 36 years in the making and still going.   I have had my answer, have experienced faith in God, had prayers answered and felt the weight of Sin.  This sin for me was never felt however, at the time of repentance like some others I have known. So the repentance was a hard thing to understantd at the time but over so many years, I now know the depths of separation and the gulf that was existing between me and Jesus Christ. You see God is a HOLY God and nothing can come close to him without sacrifice and his own atonement for our sin. It is our turning away from our own ways that he accepts. Sometimes it defys the mind and understanding.  But if you have ever been in the presence of God then like some in the Old Testament, they fell down like dead men....!   It is an experience that one will never forget.
     And so what I early equated sin with as being bad, or doing baaaaad! things was such a misunderstanding of what God calls sin.  And he obviously covered murdererous ragers  (like Paul) with his grace so I know that the magnitude of sin was of a greater consequence than I had ever imagined.

 S0 the little sinners prayer that was asked of me when I was an innocent 13 year old did nothing for me!......... But looking back on that and other experiences over the years up and until the revelation of Jesus Christ  "forming in me a new creation" I appreciate knowing the vast difference.