Jesus is the Reason for the Season?

Dear Christians, 

I love your zeal especially during the Christmas season, but please note that I was not born on the 25th of December. So please do not be worried about putting me in a celebration that is totally unconnected to me. If you have doubts, just google "Origin of Christmas". 

It's your call though. You are accepted no matter what! 

If you really, really want to express your love for me during this season, love that atheist who is upset with you. Surprise him or her with your kindness, with no strings attached. 

No pressure though; I love you no matter what, just like I love your neighbor who might be celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or simply holidays. ;)

Love,

Jesus

"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them."

- Thomas Merton

Why do we Receive and Give Grace?

Grace is about God's unconditional acceptance towards us, because all of us falls short at one time or the other. 

For example, Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

If we are honest with ourselves, none of us floats around in a bubble of love and grace all the time. 

This, therefore, puts all of us in the same boat. Grace levels the playing field.

So then, who is going to cast the first stone at whom? 

This is the mindset from which we receive and give grace.

Feelings

Religion is about what we must do. 

Grace is about what He has done. 

It is finished and we are complete in Him (Col 2:10), whether we feel it or not. 

While feelings are beautiful, they are not necessarily an accurate indicator of our identity. Right now it is 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and I am experiencing a comfortable 65 degrees inside. But my experience does not alter the fact that the actual temperature is 50 degrees right now.

Cease from Striving

I'm striving to please God."

Trying to "please God" is an OT concept, because in their minds, they were distant from God. Under the new covenant, we are accepted in the Beloved(Ephe 1:6 NKJV). 

"But what about good works? Because it is all 'grace' now, does that mean we are to ignore good works?"

We are masterpieces created in Christ for good works (Ephe 2:10), but the good works does not come as a result of us striving from our insecure need to 'please God'; it naturally manifests as a fruit, because it is God in us, who does the bearing (Jn 15:5, Phil 2:13).

In other words, relax. : )

The Mystics and the Analysts

I think there will always be a tension between the mystics and the analysts. "Why don't they just 'get' it?", says both the camps.

For a peaceful coexistence, I believe the trick is not to worry about anyone "getting it", because truths are discovered, not shoved down.

"The reason people awaken is because they have finally stopped agreeing to things that insult their soul."

- Unknown

"The entire law was based on the performance of man. The new covenant is based on the performance of one man, Christ." 

- Susan Woods Avello

Mirror, Mirror.

We mirror our understanding of what God's nature is.

If our understanding is that God is angry, judgmental, schizophrenic, a conditional lover and discriminates, we become that.

If our understanding is that God is love (without any but's), we become that.

Pray without Discriminating

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." - Galatians 3:28 NIV

If we are praying regarding the crisis (which has abated for the time being) in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians, let's pray without discrimination, for everyone - the Jews, the Palestinians, the victims and the perpetrators. 

"God so loved the world…" That 'world' includes the "other" side, the side we see as the "enemy", depending of who we side with (or not) in this crisis.

Jesus said, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,.."

We may love our labels, the traditions, the Bible, our interpretations and all the associated religious activities. All those things may identity us with a religion or a denomination, but love is the only thing by which people will see that we are the disciples of Jesus. 

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” - Jesus (John 13:35 ESV).

Married to Jesus and Sleeping with Moses

"Preaching a "mixed" (grace & law) message is a form of spiritual adultery . . . . married to Jesus, and sleeping with Moses."

- Ted Nelson

"If we presume that we are to somehow get stronger and more capable over time, then we set ourselves up for disappointment, even despair. The truth of the matter is that if we see ourselves growing weaker and less capable over time, then we are right on schedule. Christ's resurrection power is only made perfect in our weakness, not in any illusion of strength."

- Andrew Farley

"Faith is not a decision; faith is a discovery! The love of God realized awakens belief! Faith is not blind, neither is it unconscious; faith knows."

- Francois Du Toit

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.

Is God an Abusive Husband or a Deadbeat Dad?

"The main problem I have with the mainstream Christian view of hell is that it's starting place is that God's wrath must be satisfied against sinful man. 

I think before we can come to any conclusion about hell, our starting place needs to be "God is love." God's wrath needs to be defined in the context of love and our view of hell needs to be set within the context of love. God's very nature is love and he cannot violate that. 

If our view of hell turns God into an abusive husband (marry me or else) or a deadbeat dad (some are predestined for eternal torture), it can't be the right view because love is never abusive nor does it force itself on anyone, nor would love ever bring children into the world that it did not want and that it wouldn't die for." 

- Annette Hunsberger Presley

Related posts:

The Cosmic Turtle
Love is...
My Thoughts on Raising Hell

Who was the group that hated Jesus the most?

If the Church ever desires to be relevant to those outside the Christian bubble, she needs to love, unconditionally. Not the self righteous and judgmental "love the sinner, not the sin" kind of love. 

The group that hated Jesus the most were not the "sinners", but the "men of the Word" of the day. To those rejected by the religious club, he was a magnet.

Related post: 

Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin?

Love Trumps all the -isms

Knowingly or unknowingly, everyone is associated in some way, shape or form with an -ism. Arminianism, Calvinism, Universalism, Atheism, etc.

Without love, however, our isms have zero value, regardless of how well researched we think our findings are. 

Love trumps all the -isms. 

He may not speak in Christianese, but with love, an atheist experiences and becomes a conduit of God, without him being consciously aware of it. 

Love is God. 

God is Love.

You are no more a Christian than you are a rocket scientist

"Really tired of "Christians" judging who is and isn't saved, who's right and who's wrong, who's good and who's bad. You are no more a Christian than you are a rocket scientist. If you're really a Christian, you're supposed to be known for your love for one another - not being right. Now shut the hell up and love someone." :-)

- Jackson Baer 

Few Differences between a Good Leader and a Weak Leader

Here are some differences between a good leader and a weak leader: 

Before I proceed: By the term 'leader', I refer to an author, preacher, teacher, pastor, a commenter on a social media platform or anyone who is given an ear to.

A good leader's heart is to (among other things) simply be a conduit that awakens people to their original identity in Christ; to proclaim that we are indeed, in union with God; that the same resurrection power abides in all; that God is not mad at anyone; that unconditional love means just that; not heap guilt and condemnation and most importantly - let them be! 

The business is run by the Holy Spirit. He is the teacher (we often mistake Him for the faces we see on Christian TV and/or the books). Once a person is lit, the fire spreads out, one person at a time. True leaders beget leaders, not sheeple. There is only one Shepherd. 

A weak and an insecure leader on the other hand, forever sees his/her listeners as immature babes that need to be spoon-fed, manipulated, shamed, bullied and/or controlled.

The good news is, that won't fly anymore, especially in this age of Internet, where more and more people are asking questions, waking up from the deep religious slumber and connecting through various social media platforms. The Kingdom of God is here and no gates of religion shall hinder its advance.

Did God send Sandy?

Warning: If you are easily offended, please do not read any further.

I can't believe some still believe that storms are from God and that it is sent so people might repent. Another popular interpretation is that storms are happening because America is not supposedly standing with Israel. 

i. If the storms are from God, Jesus was defying God's will when he calmed the storm.

ii. 'Repent' is one of the most misunderstood words in Christianity. It is associated with guilt, deep remorse, beating one's chest, wailing and all the associated actions.

The word 'repent' comes from the Greek word Metanoia, which simply means "a change of mind". Disasters do not make one repent; it is the GOODNESS of God that leads to repentance (Rom 2:4).

Think about it, who in their right minds would want to have a "relationship" with a god who is looking forward to "test" them with natural disasters?

iii. As for the Israel connection, Obama has said time and again that under his leadership, America is and will continue to stand with Israel. And given his penchant for drones, there is no doubt that he will bomb Iran, should Iran act on their dumb idea to "wipe Israel off the map." But I applaud Obama's strong stand for maintaining diplomacy. 

What else does the religious zealots need? Go ahead and bomb Iran without any solid proof that they have nuclear weapons? What was the excuse again, for invading Iraq?

Forget about international politics, do we realize how colossally stupid we sound to 'the world' (that we so love to judge and condemn) when we scream "pro-life", but are for war (regardless of how overt or passive we are in our support)?

iv. This is the New Covenant. God is not angry, as we are led to believe from the Old Testament.

v. God is love. Love does not destroy lives and property. How simpler could it get?

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear..." (1 John 4:18). Any teaching, interpretation and/or prophecy that promotes fear is not from God.

At the end of our lives, may we not say, "I was a faithful parrot all my life". We may not have all the answers, but let's not blindly believe something because "that's what my favorite preacher says" or "that's what I've heard all my life, so it must be right".

God gave us a brain, to think.

The Idiocy of our Popular Belief

Galileo was called a heretic by the church and was arrested for saying that the earth revolved around the sun, because it stood against the church's then-prevalent interpretation of the scripture (even though he did not see that his findings stood contrary to the scripture). 

We look back and laugh at the idiocy of the actions of the church.

There will come a day, probably couple of generations down the lane, when everyone will laugh at the idiocy regarding the now-prevalent belief that, God who is Love, would FRY his creation, ENDLESSLY. 

The forerunners of this revelation, will no doubt, be classified as "heretics" now; but that is the price for sharing what the heart knows already.

This truth cannot be taught or shoved down, but only proclaimed. The seekers will find it.

Related posts:

The Cosmic Turtle
Love is...
My Thoughts on Raising Hell

Time to get it right!

"Here is how the religious system works...ready...."His mercy endures FOREVER" (means only until you die) . "Hell last FOREVER" (which means there is no end to it). " As in Adam ALL die" (which means the whole human race) "even so in Christ ALL shall be made alive" (which means only a few that pray the right prayer and make the right confession). I Cor. 15:22. "For as by one mans disobedience MANY were made sinners" (which means the whole human race). "so also by one mans obedience MANY were made righteous"(which means only a few that pray the right prayer and make the right confession) Rom 5:20......I am afraid the world has caught our double talk more than the Sunday pew sitters..Time to get it right."

- Don Keathley

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Christian

"Sinners in the hands of an angry Christian"..Now that is a thought that will keep you up at night. To think that God has given flawed, messed up, self righteous Christians the sole job and total responsibility of "winning the world to Christ" is mind blowing to say the least. Then on top of that if the Christian does not do his job he goes to heaven but those who were not reached because the Christian did not work hard enough or was too lazy to do his job are assigned to a torture chamber to burn for all eternity is well, just messed up. I just have to believe that an Omniscient, Omnipotent Father and creator of all just has to have a better plan.

- Don Keathley

101 Lies Taught In Church Every Week

In case you have not seen this video series as of yet, here is the link to the Intro video of 101 Lies Taught In Church Every Week, by Steve McVey. The rest of the videos can be found here.

'Worship Service'

"Luther reformed the content of the gospel, but did not change the basic structure of the 'worship service'. This reformed-Roman Catholic-Jewish meeting pattern was baptized by the Baptists, anointed by the Pentecostals, misused by the cults, renewed by the Charismatics, put into uniform by the Salvation Army, dry-cleaned by the Quakers - but was never radically changed. 

The 'services' were essentially still performances, audience-oriented masses... where many spectators and consumers observe a few very involved religious specialists perform for them and with them. (Today's churches) have too often become 'fellowships without fellowship'".

- Wolfgang Simson in his book 'Houses That Change the World'

What is our Motive?

"If you're doing good and being spiritual just so you can avoid hell and get some kind of reward in the afterlife then you're missing the heart of God and the life of Christ by a mile. This life is not about leaving earth for eternal life in heaven someday. It's about populating earth with the life of heaven in the here and now.

Be free!"

- The Free Believers Network

Arrogance Vs Curiosity

Arrogant certainty is the thud that we hear when we hit the walls of the box that we are in at any given point in time.

A child-like curiosity helps us plow through those walls.

Are we sure that we have we examined our Faith?

"If you've accepted every tenet of your faith without questioning and without examination, then it is not your faith to begin with. What you have are the beliefs and teachings of others that you've swallowed whole and learnt to repeat and recite.

God has no grandchildren.

When you take away the books, the traditions, the denominations, the teachers and preachers, the group mentality... and after you've examined your heart... what are you left with? That is yours."

Be free!"

- The Free Believers Network

The Symptoms...

Symptoms you may be suffering from a religious behavior management disorder:

1. You feel spiritual pressure to be a good Christian, rather than confidence that you are able to live from your new and supernaturally-strong heart.

2. The message you’re hearing from church leadership is chiefly about avoiding sin, rather than indulging the goodness of your new heart.

3. Fear of not living up to God’s or others’ expectations is stronger than your sense of God’s delight in you.

4. Spiritual heaviness.

5. You're constantly being asked by leadership to be more committed.

6. Every message is about getting you to do something, or to stop doing something.

7. The leadership is more concerned with managing people's sin, than releasing a new life that is now within them.

- Ted Nelson 

The future belongs to...

"The future must not belong to those who target Coptic Christians in Egypt – it must be claimed by those in Tahrir Square who chanted “Muslims, Christians, we are one.” The future must not belong to those who bully women – it must be shaped

 by girls who go to school, and those who stand for a world where our daughters can live their dreams just like our sons. The future must not belong to those corrupt few who steal a country’s resources – it must be won by the students and entrepreneurs; workers and business owners who seek a broader prosperity for all people. Those are the men and women that America stands with; theirs is the vision we will support.

The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam. Yet to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see when the image of Jesus Christ is desecrated, churches are destroyed, or the Holocaust is denied. Let us condemn incitement against Sufi Muslims, and Shiite pilgrims. It is time to heed the words of Gandhi: “Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit.” Together, we must work towards a world where we are strengthened by our differences, and not defined by them. That is what America embodies, and that is the vision we will support."

- President Obama, from his speech at the UN General Assembly, Sep 25, 2012

Here is the link to the full text of President Obama's speech at the UN General Assembly.

The Unshakable Kingdom

"A Japanese banker said to me: "Before the war we had a saying that 'Business is like a folding screen. It won't stand unless it is crooked. Make it straight and it will fall.' We acted on that. The consequence was that we had a very bad reputation for our goods - beautiful, but shoddy. Then at the close of the war we decided to change and adopt the Christian idea of loving your neighbor as yourself 

and doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. We did this nationally, and the government watched all the goods manufactured in Japan and made them conform to the new pattern. Result? Our reputation went up and now Japanese manufactured goods are tops and our economy is humming."

- E. Stanley Jones, from his book The Unshakable Kingdom And The Unchanging Person

TURN or BURN?

"TURN or BURN", the passionate, well-meaning evangelist screams at the top of his/her voice. 

In other words, fear is the tool that is used to connect a person to God. 

But the scripture says, "perfect love casts out fear" (1 Jn 4:18). 

Perfect love is God (1 Jn 4:8). 

So, to me, it is common sense to conclude that God will not scare a person into accepting him. Love will not coerce and will not be coerced. 

Since God is love and he created us in his own image, and if a loving human being would never want to see someone being roasted forever and ever, why would we assume that God would allow that to his creation?

Are we saying that Adam's offense is greater than Jesus' redemptive work on the cross? (see Romans 5:18)

Please do not receive my words blindly. This is merely a gentle nudge to seek. You have nothing to lose.

Truth can withstand any amount of scrutiny.

Related posts:

The Cosmic Turtle
Love is...
My Thoughts on Raising Hell
Paul has a chit-chat with Calvin and Arminius

Hospital vs Courtroom

"We paste on the outside of our churches that we're a "hospital" yet when people come inside, they find out we're more like a courtroom." 

- Ted Haggard

Without love, unconditional love, we are nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate, as Eugene Peterson puts it.

How Grace is a "slippery slope"

Some say Grace is a "slippery slope".

It sure is.

We slide straight down to the ocean of unconditional love.

Paul and Hell

"Paul NEVER ONCE mentions Hades or Gehenna (translated hell in the KJV) in all of his letters (or Acts) EXCEPT TO PROCLAIM ITS DEFEAT... "O Hades, where is your victory? 

I just find it very strange that the man hand picked by Jesus to carry the gospel to the Gentiles and considered by the church to be the prime theologian of the new covenant does not do some systematic teaching that would be clear as a bell and eliminate any confusion on this doctrine that is the hinge pin of western evangelical christianity... Has that ever stuck you as rather odd??"

- Don Keathley

Related posts:

My Thoughts on Raising Hell
The Cosmic Turtle

Love is...

Paul has a chit-chat with Calvin and Arminius

How a swimming pool lifeguard lost his job

"A swimming pool life guard lost his job today after he purposely let a 7 year old drown to death.

In his defense, the life guard said: "the young swimmer didn't know about me, therefore he didn't believe that I could save him. He didn't cry out to me, he didn't confess to me that I was his saviour. Therefore, I was completely powerless to rescue him. I had no choice but to let him drown as I didn't want to violate his free will, turning him into a robot. I did the most loving thing I could think of. It was his choice to drown."

Does this sound pathetic? This is the "god" many people believe in, and that above is the exact reasoning they use (no kidding).

Thankfully, a real Saviour, (like any decent superhero, lifeguard or fire-fighter) is capable of rescuing people regardless of what they believe or know about Him. God is the Saviour of ALL men, especially (not exclusively) of believers. 1 Timothy 4:10.

If you believe now, then the chances are you're going to have a lot more hope and purpose in this life than people who have nothing to believe in... But the people who don't believe now will be saved too. Everyone shall be resurrected from the dead and God shall be ALL in ALL - 1 Corinthians 15:28. Hell is a mistranslation. This is the gospel, also known as the Good News"

- Caleb Shaw

Related posts:

The Cosmic Turtle

Love is...

Message from the gods

Paul has a chit-chat with Calvin and Arminius

How to Judge Someone:

Here is a rough guide on how to judge a person. Feel free to improvise:

1. Make sure that we don't know the person from Adam and/or have had only very minimal interactions with him/her. 

2. Observe the person closely through the filter of preconceived notions. 

3. Without trying to understand where his/her views might be coming from, choose to be offended by his/her comments or actions.

4. Conclude that he/she does not fit "my" mold of how he/she "should be".

How to be free from the plague of judging:

Love unconditionally - because we don't have the slightest clue of what someone may have been through in life. This may not necessarily be easy as it sounds, but it's so worth it.

Seeker Vs Religionist

The seeker says: "This is the path that I am on right now, in this journey."

The religionist* says: "What path? I'm right and you are all idiots for not seeing things the way I see."

*'Religionist' is a term that is often attributed to a close/rigid-minded person from a religion; but in my opinion, it is anyone who has a closed/rigid mind.

What Make a True Leader?

"True leaders don't try to build a following, they build other leaders."

- Dawn Schale

Injustice

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."

- Desmond Tutu

My translation: If we turn a blind eye to the needs of the poor and the elderly, our theology means nothing.  

7 Things Christians Need to Remember About Politics

I think this is a great reminder for the American Christians this election season:

7 Things Christians Need to Remember About Politics, by Byron Roberts.

A Collective Confession of those who have moved beyond Evangelicalism

Click here to read the "collective confession of sorts reflecting the thoughts and feelings of those of us who have moved beyond evangelicalism", by Frank Viola

Thank you; you have changed my life forever!

A quote that I found online:

"Thank you so much for showing up in my city unannounced and bringing your signs declaring that God hates me. You've changed my life forever. Seriously, thanks so much!

Said No One Ever!"

The Lord's Supper

The Lord's Supper is celebrated "in remembrance of Me." So when you eat and drink, are you examining your sins or your Savior? 

- Andrew Farley

"Bible Based" Church

"My church was a building where everyone would come to once a week to worship God – just like the Temple in the Bible.

I encouraged everyone it was God’s will that they bring their tithe to this building – just like the Temple in the Bible.

I organised musical worship, that placed God high up in heaven and the rest of us far away on earth – we were always ‘reaching up to him’ – just like the Temple in the Bible."

Read the rest of the story by Joey Dazzler at http://mickmooney.com/bible-based-church/

What we believe about the Bible

"No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says; he is always convinced that it says what he means." 

- George Bernard Shaw

My child:

My child:

Who gave you that yearning to seek beyond the obvious? Who do you think gave you that mind to ask questions? Contrary to the folklore, I'm not insecure. Or angry. Or bi-polar. I have better things to do than send thunderbolts your way because you ask a question that does not rhyme with what you have learned all your life. 

I do not live in a church building or in the Bible. Both may say plenty about me through scores of interpretations, but I live and breath in you, 24/7. Do you want to be the guardian of someone else's interpretations about me, or do you want to discover me yourself? 

Dare to be yourself. Dare to RESPECT yourself. I value you. Why do you second-guess that? Yes, the religion may have mutilated you by calling you "unworthy" all your life, but know that you are my masterpiece. Your spirit is fused in mine. We are one. Nothing, no religion, no denominations, no opinions, no interpretations, no scorns, no brickbats, no abuse, no distance, nothing, nothing can ever separate us. 

Try to look and listen with your heart. I am found between the lines. You will hear me between the notes. Formulas are cute, to sell books, but I don't know of any. Always, always, always look beyond the obvious. Leap, trusting that the net will appear. A child-like trust. Would a loving parent drop her child?

I am not a system, I am not a tradition, I am not a book. I am… well, find it yourself. And when you get a glimpse, don't rush to craft a definition and build a monument upon that. We have miles to go together, forever. Our life together is beyond definitions, jargons or dogmas. 

Just know that I am with you always and I love you with an everlasting love.

Much love,

(Call me whatever you want)

The Finger

"A religious belief… is not a statement about Reality, but a hint, a clue about something that is a mystery, beyond the grasp of human thought. 

In short, a religious belief is only a finger pointing to the moon. Some religious people never get beyond the study of the finger. Others are engaged in sucking it. Others yet use the finger to gouge their eyes out. These are the bigots whom religion has made blind. 

Rare indeed is the religionist who is sufficiently detached from the finger to see what it is indicating — these are those who, having gone beyond belief, are taken for blasphemers."

- Anthony de Mello

So have I become a Christian Universalist?

So have I become a "Christian Universalist" now that I have shared my thoughts on 'Raising Hell'? 

Do I believe that Jesus' redemptive work is superior to Adam's offense?

Do I believe unconditional love truly is unconditional, and not a sleazy sales pitch to get people to join a religious club?

Do I believe that it is idiotic to believe that God (who is Love) would deep-fry a created being endlessly for an offense that someone else committed? 

YES to all the three. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with people gathering under a common view, but I will not align myself under any label, because, intentionally or not, labels divide and there is this risk of being tunnel-visioned. In Christ, we are ONE, no matter what particular flavor we favor and/or whether we agree or not. And God is bigger than any labels. 

Related posts:

The Cosmic Turtle

Love is...

Hell is a Mistranslation
Message from the gods

Paul has a chit-chat with Calvin and Arminius

My Thoughts on Raising Hell

My Thoughts on Raising Hell

Doctrines are not crafted based on airy fairy goose-bumpy feelings after partaking a contemporary Christian worship session. They are formulated with solid scriptures. One of which is the popular doctrine of Hell, that states God will allow people to consciously be burned in hell, endlessly.

It's easy to blindly and unquestioningly believe this doctrine, which has been handed down through several generations, but when we think about the very essence of God (pure, unconditional, unadulterated Love), the idea seems quite hard to grasp.

If I, a normal human being, do not ever wish to see someone being burned endlessly, no matter how much evil he or she may have caused, why would I presume that God who is Love, would have less love than I have?

Jackson Baer's book (What the Hell: How did we get it so wrong? Eternity, grace, and the message of love) awakened me to really think about the concept of endlessness. It helped me pop the bubble of endless lava. Most of us, when we say that "God will allow someone to burn in hell for eternity", do not actually comprehend the concept of eternity. Eternity, as it is taught, is not five hours or five hundred BILLION years. It never ends. 

The issue is beyond our sentimental speculations about God's nature. When we believe that God will allow the "sinners" to be burned in hell or the lake of fire, endlessly, what we are inadvertently saying is, that Adam's offense was superior to the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Or in other words, the talking serpent wins.

While Jackson Baer's book helped me pop the concept of the never-ending lava bubble, Julie Ferwerda's book - Raising Hell: Christianity's Most Controversial Doctrine Put Under Fire - systematically dismantles the Godless doctrine of Hell, brick by brick. It's one thing to say, "Hell doctrine is baseless" and another to explain WHY it is so. This book does the latter, in a superb fashion. 

While I resonate and cheer with the core point of this book, which is about debunking the doctrine of hell, there are pages where I zone out at times, not necessarily because I disagree with it or not, but because I merely see them as the author's take on things only. But as I said, it is besides the core point of the book.

The facts we think we know about 'hell' or 'eternity' are mostly the interpretations that we have heard about it for many generations, rather than the root words, that the translators have deliberately mistranslated. 

Consider reading this book if you think the idea of an endless torture of a good chunk of humanity does not align with God, who is unconditional love. Consider reading it if you believe Adam's offense cannot be bigger than Jesus' redemptive work on the cross. By reading this book, you have nothing to lose regardless of what you choose to believe in the end. This book is an invaluable resource for the thinking Christian.

The book can be downloaded from Amazon for $2.99. The paperback is available on Amazon. If you want to order in bulk, you can do so via the book's website.  

I'll wrap this post up with the description of the book that is found on the back of the book cover. 

"Have you ever wondered...do earthly parents love their children more than God loves us? Does God ask you to forgive your enemies—as many times as necessary—when He is not willing to do the same? Is being punished forever for sins committed in a short lifetime really a demonstration of justice? Does everybody get the same fair chance to believe in Jesus before they die? Most of all, if hell is mankind's worst possible fate, and if God is truly loving, then...

- Why does He fail to mention hell in Genesis as the price for sin?

- Why doesn't the Old Testament ever speak of hell?

- Why does Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, never once mention hell?

- Why was hell not part of early Church established doctrine?

Dare to question. What have you got to lose? If you've ever had doubts or questions about the justification for eternal torment, Raising Hell will open your eyes to a radical new look at God's love for all mankind—and what the Good News is really about. Picking up where Rob Bell and others leave off, Julie Ferwerda offers compelling evidence as to why she now believes the doctrine of eternal torment is the biggest deception of the modern Church."

http://www.RaisingHellBook.com/


Related posts:
So have I become a Christian Universalist?
The Cosmic Turtle
Love is...
Message from the gods
Paul has a chit-chat with Calvin and Arminius

Jesus and Osama

A powerful post. And an equally powerful painting.

Check this post by Greg Boyd.

Seek and ye shall find an Interpretation

Jesus did not say, "Seek and ye shall find the popular interpretation that fits your social, cultural or moral conditioning."

He simply said, "Seek and ye shall find."

The Idea of an Airplane is Nonsense

There was a time when, I assume, people laughed at the idea of a big machine up in the air transporting people and goods. The idea would have seemed ridiculous back then.

The dreamers, the thinkers, however, moved past the supposed limitations and saw the manifestation of what they initially saw with their mind's eye. I imagine, their first daunting task was to move past the biggest obstacle, which was simply an opinion held by the majority of people, based on their understanding at the time.

I think this analogy can be compared to what we believe. Our beliefs can sometimes be an echo of a popular interpretation, which was handed down by well-meaning and sincere (and in some cases, angry) people, but I think, it would be presumptuous of us to view them as the complete picture.

This is why I love to keep an open mind. Only when I am open, will I not fall into the trap of being led astray by limited beliefs that does not reflect the heart of the Father.

I can hear the concerned skeptic thinking, "but what if you get deceived?" I trust in the goodness of the Father who only gives "good things to those who ask", over the defeated (why do we always seem to forget that?) enemy's power to deceive me. I know that only "good and perfect gift come from the Father of lights with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning". My exterior shell is a work in process, but I know Whose I am and in Whom my spirit is immersed in. It is with this knowing and boldness that I venture out into the wild. 

Our idea of who God is and how He acts is often a reflection of who we are. If we are averse to challenging questions (because we don't have the typical canned Christian answers), it is very likely that we believe God might be offended with out-of-the-box questions as well. But in my view, it is childish to assume that God, the creator of an ultra complex, yet magnificent machinery called a human being is not emotionally secure enough to handle a question or two.

Why do I love questions? Simply because I am selfish. I do not want to stay on the surface, satisfied with a form of godliness, satisfied with a formulaic, conditioned, domesticated existence, which is what the mainstream religion offers. What I have is an unbridled desire to limitlessly experience the core essence of Love. Only as I truly experience Him, can I be an authentic "witness".

How To Train Kings

"Preaching more against sin has not made the church look like Jesus. It tends to cause sin to increase. You don't train kings to be kings by telling them what not to do, you tell them who they are and how kings act."

- Curry Blake

What The Gospel Is Not About

The Gospel is not about Sin Management, Behavior Modification, Law Enforcement and/or Fruit Inspection. Those are religion's job descriptions.

The Gospel is about the divine union with God. We are fused in him and one with him, whether we feel it, or not.

Who gets to throw the first stone at whom?

God loves the "sinners", just like he loves us, who sin differently than "they" do.

If we are going to live by the law, we cannot pick and choose laws. Breaking one is akin to breaking all the laws (see James 2:10).

If that's the case, who gets to throw the first stone at whom?

When the Pharisees brought a woman who was caught in the act of adultery (note that the partner was conveniently missing; but that's another topic), and when the Pharisees brought her to Jesus, with the intent of stoning her to death (which is what the Law says), Jesus did not say, "Let him who is without adultery among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” He said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Our condemnation and finger-pointings to those who don't fit in our doctrinal boxes and our standards of righteousness will stop only when this finally sinks in. All of us are in the same boat - loved unconditionally by God.

Grace 101

If you have not yet been exposed to the message of Grace that is sweeping the body of Christ and setting many people free from religious bondages, please consider viewing/listening (video and audio links included) to this message by Steve McVey.

This is the message of Grace in less than 40 minutes.

If the video sparked your interest, and you would like to delve in, consider the books by Steve McVey (Grace Walk), Joseph Prince (Destined to Reign) and/or Andrew Wommack (Grace, The Power of the Gospel). [The list is not exhaustive by any means].

Understanding

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!" 

- Upton Sinclair.




Related post: The Cosmic Turtle

Paul has a chit-chat with Calvin and Arminius

When we quote scriptures and vehemently defend what we believe, we do not often realize that in most cases, it usually falls under either Calvinism or Arminianism.

So what is Calvinism and Arminianism?

Check out this video by Alice Dean Spicer:

Roadblocks to Paradise

A very large group of people is standing in the middle of the road, barring the way into Paradise.

The puritan asks: "What are these sinners doing here?"

The moralist bawls: "The prostitute wants to join the feast!"

The guardian of social values yells: "How can the adulteress be forgiven when she has sinned?"

The penitent rends his clothes: "Why cure a blind man if all he cares about is his il

lness and when he doesn’t even say thank you?"

The ascetic protests: You let that woman pour expensive oil on your hair! Why didn't she sell it instead to buy food?"

Smiling, Jesus holds the door open. And the Warriors of the Light go in, despite the hysterical shouting.

- Paulo Coelho



Related post: The Cosmic Turtle

There Is Only One Mediator

"Nothing should stand between yourself and God. Not imams, priests, rabbis, or any other custodians of moral or religious leadership. Not spiritual masters, not even your faith.

Believe in your values and your rules, but never lord them over others. If you keep breaking other people's hearts, whatever religious duty you perform is no good.

Stay away from all sorts of idolatry, for they will blur your vision. Let God and only God be your guide. Learn the Truth, my friend, but be careful not to make a fetish out of your truths."

- Shams of Tabriz

Message from the gods

My dear children,

You may have lived on earth for only 50 or 80 years, but because you did not say a particular prayer, I'm going to allow you to be deep fried for NEVER-ENDING billions and trillions of years.

Love,
The god of Arminianism

PS: My mercy is everlasting though (whatever the hell that means)!

===

Dear "non-chosen" ones,

It sucks to be you.

Love,
The god of Calvinism


Related post: The Cosmic Turtle  

Influence and Authority

“...there's a stinking huge difference between influence and the authority you get with a title. Any dolt can stumble into a title... Lots of people with big-sounding titles have people under them listening only because they have to.”

- from the book Bo's Cafe, by John Lynch, Bill Thrall and Bruce McNicol

Since when did the Gospel assume the role of Law Enforcement?

The Gospel is not about enforcing the Mosaic Law, which was given specifically to the Jews.

If it is, whom do we approach first - the homosexual or the Christian at a Red Lobster?


Related post: The Cosmic Turtle 

WWJD?

Once upon a time, a mother made her son a wristband. On it was written: WWJD. This, of course stood for: What Would Jesus Do?’ She instructed her son to look at the wristband before making decisions on how to live his Christian life...

Read the rest of the story at

WWJD: “What Would Jesus Do?” Do You Really Want To Know?, by Mick Mooney.

Let's Think Before Expressing Our Views

Some people are boycotting a restaurant because its management is anti-homosexual. But by that same argument, one should be even more driven to boycott gas stations as well (unless the gasoline is coming from non-OPEC nations), because the penalty for homosexuality in the member countries of the OPEC that operate under the Shariya Law, is death. We absolutely have the freedom to express our positions however way we want, but this is just a thought to keep in mind before we blindly grab the pitchforks.

That being said, I don't plan to take part in the so-called 'Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day', because:

1. Given an option, I don't prefer junk food.

2. I am slowly but firmly perfecting the art of taking a huge step back when something is super-sensationalized by either camps. The ensuing bliss cannot be explained in words.

3. I prefer to stay away from anything that promotes more hatred. Not everything that is done in the name of God is from God. Sure, not all liberals are "tolerant", just like not all the conservatives are angels, but that still does not give one the license to engage in an eye-for-an-eye match. That is so OT.

The Good News is... Good!

"Something Baxter Kruger said has really been weighing on me lately. He said (in my own words) Most of our theology leaves us at a place where God could die, and we would continue on existing.

John summed this up in 1:3 - All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

We need to grasp that all things that were made, were made through Christ, which leads us to another realization. There is a seed of Jesus Christ in all mankind. Inside all, the very DNA of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell, just waiting for the revealing of the sons of men.

The very reason James said to humbly receive the implanted word (the same word John used for "in the beginning was the word (Christ) and the reason Paul said "Christ is all, and is in all". This seed of Christ that dwells in all men, is waiting for us to point them inward to discover the truth about who they are and what they've been included into.

No longer do we need to evangelize as though we're doing some great work that Jesus forgot to do, telling others to pray some prayer that isn't found in the bible. We are here to direct mankind into the fulness of adoption, and the fulness of reconciliation."

- Caleb Miller

What a beautiful Gospel. And look at how we have messed it up over the centuries. Fortunately, more and more people are waking up to the Good News that does not have a hint of bad news! 

The Free and the Rebellious

"The free person in Christ and the rebellious will always look the same to those who labor under religious obligation, because both ignore the conventions that govern men and women.


But there is a major difference between the two. The rebel does it to serve himself and his passions, always harming others in the process and leaving a wake of anarchy behind him.


The free person in Christ, however, does so because they no longer have a need to serve themselves. Having embraced God’s love at a far deeper level than any method of behavioral conformity will touch, they will guard that freedom even if it means others will misunderstand their pursuits. They reject the conventions of control not to please themselves, but Father Himself."

- Wayne Jacobsen

The Letter Killeth...

Few years ago, I stumbled upon one of the pages of the KJV-Only movement. I was naive, a sincere seeker, and in my infinite ignorance, I believed what they said, that KJV is the "perfect" Bible translation. I remember forwarding the KJV-Only links to my friends and family.

Since I tend to look past the negatives, I dismissed the consistent (red flag) venom that emitted from the KJV-Only crowd, when it came to defending this particular version. Fortunately, I did not stop seeking. And I soon found out that I was merely being a puppet of an organized agenda, which was not rooted in love.

Upon further seeking, I found out that "inerrancy" is nothing but a myth. Among other sources, the book - 'King James Only Controversy, The: Can You Trust Modern Translations?', by James R. White - helped me pop the KJV-only bubble.

The letter killeth, it's the Spirit that gives life, no matter what book we read. God cannot be contained in the Bible or a particular translation. He speaks to us in a myriad of ways, daily.

The Engineer

The Bible says that God made us. For the sake of this paragraph, let's take the Bible from the picture. I still do not have faith to believe that we just "happened" - because it violates the scientific principle of cause and effect. Nothing just "happens". There must be a cause for every effect. So it won't be a stretch to conclude that there is an engineer behind the scenes.

So the engineer brought me to this planet without me asking for it (as far as I know now). Now let's bring the popular biblical interpretation that God would throw his creation in hell for not saying a particular prayer. It is ludicrous to imagine that this engineer would throw me in an eternal oven because I do not say a particular prayer, because of an offense that a guy named Adam committed by eating a fruit from a tree that the engineer himself created, in a garden that Adam lived.

Some might disagree with me, but this engineer gave me a brain that I am beginning to use.

Love is...

"Is it possible for the rose to say, "I will give my fragrance to the good people who smell me, but I will withhold it from the bad?" Or is it possible for the lamp to say, "I will give my light to the good people in this room, but I will withhold it from the evil people"? Or can a tree say, "I'll give my shade to the good people who rest under me, but I will withhold it from the bad"? These are images of what love is about."

- Anthony de Mello

An Interview with Saint Paul

An Interview with Saint Paul

Written by Art Henkel (Paul’s answers are straight from Galatians ‘The Message’ translation).

Q. Paul, thanks for being willing to answer a few questions. It is obvious God has given you a great love for His church so I’m sure your comments will prove to be very insightful. Why don’t we get started? What is your honest response to the message that is commonly proclaimed through today’s church?

A. I can’t believe your fickleness – how easily you have turned traitor to Him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message! It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. (Gal. 1:6,7)

 

Q. Wow, that’s a pretty strong statement Paul. Way to start off with a bang. You know, there are many good people in today’s church who believe that having a right relationship with God is dependent on them trying to serve Him faithfully. Is that correct? Was that the understanding during the early days of the church?

A. We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not by trying to be good. (Gal. 2:15,16)

 

Q. I’m told you were once a very religious man. What changed when you experienced Christ?

A. I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with Him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. (Gal. 2:18-20)

 

Q. I’ve heard you speak against living under the law while being a Christian. Is it that big of a deal?

A. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. (Gal. 2:21)

 

 Q. Many people in the church today understand that salvation is only experienced through Christ Jesus, by God’s grace. But once they come to faith they start thinking that they must add something to the process by doing things for God. What would you say to them?

A. How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough and strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, His Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does He do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust Him to do them in you? The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. (Gal. 3:2-3, 5,9)

 

Q. But there are many Christians today who follow the example of those in the Old Testament that faithfully obeyed the law. They believe that by doing this, they will experience God’s blessings. What do you think?

A. But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent His Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that He might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as His own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance. (Gal. 4:4-7)

 

Q. If what you say is true, why do we seem to hear so much law teaching from our church leaders?

A. They want to shut you out of the free world of God’s grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and direction, making them feel important. Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ’s hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law. I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. (Gal. 4:17; 5;1-4)

 

Q. Okay, I get it. As Christians we are no longer to live under the law but under a new covenant of grace. But how do you go about doing that?

A. Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. (Gal. 5:16,18,25)

 

Q. This sounds so different from the message that many of us have been hearing. Are you saying that what many of our church leaders have been teaching doesn’t carry any substance?

A. People who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive. All their talk about the law is gas. They themselves don’t keep the law! (Gal. 6:12-13)

 

Q. If we start living out what you have been saying, there could be a lot of church people that don’t agree. Shouldn’t we be concerned about that?

A. For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. I have been crucified, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do – submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and He is creating something totally new, a free life! (Gal. 6:14-15)

 

Q. There could be a lot of people who will strongly disagree with what we’ve discussed. How do you plan on dealing with the possible fallout?

A. Quite frankly, I don’t want to be bothered anymore by these disputes. I have far more important things to do – the serious living of this faith. (Gal. 6:17)

Paul, I’d like to thank you for sharing with us today. In talking with you it has become very clear that the gospel message that many of us have been hearing and proclaiming is very different from what you’ve been teaching. It certainly gives us something to think about.