The moral law is for all time.........(???????????)

Oh really??? Is it? But isn't Christ the end of the law? Some would say, 'well yes for salvation'.  Is that even in the Bible? Sounds made up to me. But it also sounds sad to me as if salvation is just one glorious moment in time and then we go back to the Old Covenant method of seeking perfection through attaining our own righteousness, which isn't even possible in the first place. 

C'mon people don't you even understand what the purpose of the law was? To seduce you to sin! Yup! To stir up the sin in you. That is the whole dang point of the law. So you are telling me that the moral law is for the 'believer' the born again Christian who now has a new nature and doesn't want to sin anymore, you are saying that the moral law is for them to follow. How ludicrous is that? Have you read your bible? (try reading Col. 2:14) Hello - what part of 'end' don't you understand? 

Once the law does it's job and brings you to the point where you know you need a Saviour cause there ain't no way on earth you could ever possibly measure up to the law's demands, then the law has had it's way with you and you no longer need it! Now you have come to Jesus and accepted His complete work, part of that being that He fulfilled the law so you don't have to!! How great is that! But yet you want to revert back to those cold stone tablets of the law as if they have one single thing to offer you. Nope! The law cannot save you, nor can it make you holy or righteous. 

So if you are suggesting to me that I am to follow the moral law, which by the way when you are dealing with the law you are dealing with it as a whole. You can't divide it up and pick and choose here people. God's law is God's law. So you want to hold on to that moral law, well let's see what that really means. How about the command to 'remember the sabbath'? It says on that day you shall do NO work. NONE! How many of us get up on the quote on quote Sabbath day and literally do NO work? Hmmmmmm. Is this subjective? Do we get to decide what no work is? Do we get to say well the times have changed? No, God's law is God's law. If you want to follow it - freakin' take it seriously!!! Perhaps a study of Jewish culture would do you some good. 

Okay so yes I am a bit miffed - but here's the thing, Jesus paid the price for you and for me to go free. To be dead to the law and to sin, and alive to Christ. Are we suggesting the law was better? Are we suggesting by wanting the law still that Jesus wasn't enough? Hmmmmmm. Enough said.............

More preaching from Bertie.........

Last night I had the privilege of going to hear Bertie Brits speak, this time a bit closer to home in Northwest Philadelphia. The church that held the meeting was also an Indian fellowship, and when I entered the sanctuary I quickly realized I was THE ONLY white woman there, without a sari and head scarf. Very cool! Thankfully, I sat on the right side, as I also quickly noticed the men were on one side and the women on the other. We only sang one song in english, then several in, well forgive me, but whatever dialect, not sure if it was Hindi or not. I actually was quite thrilled to be fellowshipping with like minded believers yet of a whole different culture. It's a beautiful thing!! 

Bertie was on fire last night! Yow! He was preaching to a much larger crowd than on Friday night, and he was preaching with a translator. He reiterated a lot of what he shared on Friday, and really just spelled out the radicalness of the Gospel with such passion it was powerful! He started out in Rom. 5:19, and explained how it's not your disobedience that made you a sinner. We were born sinners, because of one man's sin. It is also not through your obedience that you were made righteous. Through the cross and Jesus shed blood you were made righteous, and born into newness of life. So it's important to see that our good works or efforts have nothing to do with our righteousness. 

You simply cannot measure temperature with a ruler, you measure it with a thermometer. In the same way good works can never measure holiness. The Cross is the way to measure your holiness. Praise God!!!  Salvation is NOT a process, it WAS a process and Jesus completed that process. It was finished!!!

He also read in Luke 24, about how the two men were walking on the road to Emmaus and Jesus found them and they were sad. So there is a way to perceive the 'Word' with sadness. If you view it in the wrong way it will produce sadness. But after Jesus shared the 'Word' with them, they said did not our hearts burn within us. When we read scriptures pertaining to Jesus our hearts should burn within us. That is the true 'Word of God'.  It is what Jesus came to do for you. If a word you read is not God's love for you, it's not the Word of God, because God IS love. Jesus was full of grace and truth. If your message is not full of grace and truth, it is not the Word of God. 

Then he went on to James 1:23 and talked about what being doers of the Word really means. Now that he had laid a foundation for what the 'Word of God' is, he said it does not mean be doers of the law. Being a doer of the Word, means being a partaker of what Jesus has done for you, and of no condemnation.  Then he went on to explain how it's not just the 10 commandments that believers try to assume is doing the Word of God, but any rule you come up with in the church and put on people. He also said, 'Now I am going to shock you - God gave the law so you can sin more!'  Think Romans 5:20. If you want to sin more, get more rules. 

What followed was hilarious. He started giving examples of how the church makes up rules, but then can't even follow them, and often they are not even in the Bible, and even if they were they should not be trying to live by them. The church was laughing quite a bit during this part. He really shook some religious mindsets I am sure. 

Unfortunately, I had to leave before it was over, cause my nose was running like a faucet and I was sneezing my head off. Ugh. As I got ready to leave, standing outside of the sanctuary, wishing I didn't have to go, the pastor approached me. He asked how I came to be at the meeting, and I explained how I followed Bertie's teaching. He kindly invited me to visit them anytime. I am glad I was able to go, it was a lovely experience altogether despite my overactive sinuses. 

Also, Bertie asked this question and now I ask you; "What is the perfect law of liberty?".............

Tools.......or benefits and blessings!

Here's the deal, if we are looking at grace as a complete work that we get to rest in, believe in, renew our minds with and enjoy fruit of the spirit, we are peaceful. Not worrying about what we need to be doing, or what tools we need to be using to 'sanctify' ourselves. Since we are confident in what Christ completed on our behalf. However, if we think we have some part to play and that we need to actively be involved in pursuing holiness or helping the Holy Spirit out with the 'process' of sanctification, we will not be at rest, or at peace. Nope! 

I have noticed a pattern with many christians that turn the wonderful blessings God has given us in the New Testament into tools. Such as christian fellowship, the gathering of the saints, bible reading, prayer, speaking the truth in love and so on. You see tools are something you use to work with and to get results. Blessings are gifts, or privileges bestowed UPON us. Not something we use to get results, but something we receive for our benefit, or as the Merriam Webster dictionary defines, to confer prosperity or happiness upon. 

The way I see it, is that in the New Testament there are lots of benefits and privileges and opportunities for us to be encouraged in Christ. There are lots of directions in the New Testament given by Paul and others that many christians turn into laws and rules, instead of seeing how they will benefit us. Not by striving, not by trying to 'fix' our sinful condition (which by the way is indeed already fixed), but by enjoying the benefit of being encouraged in the truth. And we all know that TRUTH sets people free. I don't think it's freedom when we bind ourselves to these practices as a sort of new form of law. 

I believe Paul exhorted the church in the New Testament to live in the freedom Christ brought them. He exhorted us to live as Sons, to live as who we are. To remind us we have been freed from the old sin nature and that we no longer need to submit to that mentality. We can choose to walk in newness of life by the very Spirit of Christ that dwells within. He knew that being unified with other like minded believers would be a benefit to us. I don't think he would refer to it as a tool for sanctification. That puts the focus back on us and what we 'do'. Not on what he has done. 

So that said, let's enjoy all of the benefits that we can, there are many to choose from!! Peace to all!! 

Introducing..........

A while back I mentioned I was reading through Ryan Rufus' second book entitled, "Sanctification by grace."  At that time it was not available publicly for purchase, but guess what, now it is. So I am happy to introduce to you New Nature Publications. 

This is a website founded by Ryan to get out great resources on grace, identity and the finished work of the cross!! So by all means go check it out, and enjoy!!!

Only Believe........

We know that the only thing we 'must do' as new covenant believer's thanks to the finished work of the cross the Jesus did on our behalf, is to believe. A simple concept, right?!! Straight forward enough to know if you are sweating and striving you are missing it. But, I am coming to realize that as simple as the truth of that is, it's the hardest thing to actually 'do' much of the time. I find myself lately, getting caught up with worry, and with condemnation. I realize I am being hard on myself, when God is not. Why is that? Because I am not 'resting' to believe in what He already accomplished for me. The fact that it is Christ in me, keeping me, holding me and molding me. Not me figuring out my life into categories and seeing which ones need the most work, and which ones I have down pat. Nope, nuh uh. When I realized I am worrying, or letting my heart be troubled, I soon realized I am not resting in His shalom peace. Only I can 'let not'. So thankfully, here I am again at a point of realization that I am trying to make something happen in my time, that God is not. He just wants me to lean back in His arms and love on me. Wow!! Is it really that simple and yet SO incredibly difficult at the same time. I suspect this will be a life long lesson for me. How about you?

Easter reflections.............

Celebrating Easter to me is a wonderful reminder that my Jesus lives! It is no different than any other day of the year! This year more than any other year, I am remembering what Jesus accomplished for me at the Cross and through His resurrection. The fact that this event happened 2000 years ago, does not make it just an historical event. Jesus is alive!! Yes he conquered the grave those 2000 years ago, and death did not defeat him. And He now sits at the right hand of God in heaven as well as in the heart of every one who believes in the truth of what happened for them at the cross. I just want to revel in the fact that He is, the I AM. So many Christians across the world today will remember this event as though it is an event in history. The truth is that the event happened and I can live in the benefits every single day! Jesus is with me every day! I am in Him every day!! I believe that God is the God of today. He wants us to live in the present every day! He is the I AM!!! 

Today I am reveling in the eternal truth of what Jesus accomplished through His resurrection. Jesus rose and we were raised up with him!! We are now seated in heavenly places with Him at the right hand of God!!!! We now have the very life of Christ in us, as us!!! He has become our new life and identity!!! Hallelujah!!! This is good news indeed!!!

Reflecting.......

It is amazing to me that yet another year has rolled to an end, with a new one beginning! I love new beginnings! I have much to be thankful for and I am very blessed. Jesus has taught me so much this year, and he has been so patient and so loving. Coming to a revelation of grace and it's purity is one thing, living in it is another. I guess the initial revelation seems like, yeah I finally got this, yet there is ongoing revelation as the old thinking is shed off and the new takes it's place. This past year was a dramatic one for me as I had to continue to shed off the strongholds I once clung to, and began to truly learn to rest in HIM and HIS FINISHED WORK. Learning to live as though it is HIM living through me and not me trying to live right has taken some time to get used to. I know I will continue to learn how to get out the way and let Him live, and just abide in the vine. Living the let go life, as some may call it. Like a little child I am learning to trust my Daddy is in control and has my best interests in mind. How refreshing!!

There have been so many things I have wrestled with over this past year, not regarding others according to the flesh has been a big one. I am slowly getting the idea though, did I mention, SLOWLY........!! Yet, it has been a revelation that has made a huge impact on how I relate with others. When we look at people the way God does, instead of how the law does, relationships mend, trust forms and people feel safe.  Jesus continues to show me just how compassionate He really is and I am in awe over and over again at just how tenderly loving He really is! Words just cannot express it!

Life has become more filled with joy, peace and contentment. I am truly content. I get tickled over the silliest things anymore and no longer feel like something is missing in my life. Isn't that how it should be? The shalom of God has come to me, nothing missing, nothing broken. Even though to an onlooker my life may not look whole or complete, God declares it so and I am grateful to live on HIS authority and not the world's perspective. Isn't that so freeing, to know what others think about your life doesn't truly matter. Just believing God at His word and resting in the finality of it, the truth of it. Whether you can see it in the natural or not.

I could say I have a long way to go, but that would miss the point. That would be me, regarding me after the flesh. I am not who I used to be. His love changed all of that. He gave me new life in Him so that we could be in right, pure relationship together. His life flowing in my veins. YES!! Imagine that, the very Life of Christ alive inside little ole me! I still revel in this awesome truth!!

I pray those who stop by would be greatly blessed as they celebrate the New Year rolling in. I pray that you would not ponder the past with any regret,  He is always doing a NEW THING, always providing hope for a great future in HIM..........!!! May this year be a year of greater and deeper revelation of His Lavish Love for you!! 

False humility = bondage, fear slavery, guilt and condemnation

Slowly but surely I have been transcribing "Victory over condemnation", as I mentioned a few posts back. As I listen to it I reflect back on many many things in my past church experience with regards to how I was under condemnation far more than I ever realized. I wondered as I typed if many Christians even know they are under it! I wondered to myself if they listened to this message would they even realize what guilt really really is like. When I was in the "ministry of death" (sorry, sounds harsh, but it's true!), I thought it was godly to draw out my faults and shortcomings to truly see them and then work on them. Or at least I was told that was godly. I remember a particular time, when I was in a care group meeting and we were required to go through the book, "War of Words." Now, if you haven't read this book, DON'T. It will not lead you into the truth of Jesus. It will only show you how you fall short in your flesh to live up to a standard that you cannot.(guilt, guilt, guilt and more guilt!) So, that said, I remember this particular meeting we were told to split up, men with men, and women with women. We were given an assignment to pick 3 areas in our spouse that needed the most improvement in their words toward us. So, we had to sit there for the duration and focus on our spouse's shortcomings and ponder them. Then we had to submit the list to them, so they could then see where they needed to improve. ( I almost feel like I remember that we had to talk about the lists out loud in the group, can you believe that?) Boy were there a lot of somber souls walking out of that meeting that night. Not to mention, we were not encouraged to share their strengths or how God was transforming our spouse at all!! No one pointed to the finished work of the cross! (You know the work that satisfied God!! - if he's satisfied, why aren't we?)

Okay, so what's my point in sharing this tale. Well, this exercise was viewed as godly, and if we were truly humble we would except our spouses critique with openness and "humbly" go and seek the Lord for change. Now this may possibly "sound" godly, but it is the farthest thing from it!! I know when I received my list I wanted to cry. I was horrified that that was how my husband viewed me, and he now was given "permission" to bring it to me and ultimately believe that I should and would want to change in those areas. That is pressure, guilt, and sin focused and it negates what Christ did at the cross! 

So I was left with my failures to stew over. Did this cause me to look at Christ and his finished work? Did this cause me to see myself as God already sees me, as he sees Christ, perfectly righteous? Does this list empower me to be transformed? No, No and No! Even if I did take that list and try and change, would it be done in faith or in fear. Wouldn't I be striving by my own efforts, instead of being transformed by the renewing of my mind?

The Gospel is so simple. It's all been done!! We are winners, not sinners! Freedom in Christ is not us going on and on about how we need to be better in any given area of our life. That is bondage. When we begin to believe the truth about who we are, perfect forever, then we will begin to be transformed. It is by renewing our mind, and by thinking on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely or admirable. Is it admirable to point out each others weaknesses? Are our faults lovely? Are we believing the truth when we feel the need to rip each other to shreds and pick out sin, sin, sin? This is a recipe for some serious condemnation, especially when we can now rest in the truth, that He remembers our sins NO MORE!

What happened in that care group may have been meant to be a good thing (and I do not blame or condemn anyone for it. I am simply pointing out an actual situation to make a point.) But it was far from good, it was demonic, very harmful and very dangerous. God has declared to his people there is therefore now, no condemnation. NONE! It's time for the body of Christ to stop putting condemnation on the body of Christ! And start to rest in the utterly FINISHED, FINISHED work that Jesus did at Calvary!!!!