Read John 14 (Click on the link to read it in NIV or select your prefered version when the window opens.)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

You hear it a lot today… “I’m a good person. I don’t need the church or all that Bible stuff. I’ve tried to live a good life like Jesus said we should. I’m not worried about the afterlife because I believe God will be okay with how I’ve lived my life.”

Others will ask, “How can God punish these ‘good’ people?”

I don’t believe God wants to punish people as much as people want to imply. That isn’t the problem at all. The problem is that God didn’t create a perfect and glorious place like heaven for people who don’t want him.

At the beginning of time God created the heavens and the earth. He brought mankind onto this earth, and he gave them the choice to accept or reject his commandments. Just as Adam and Eve rejected his first and only commandment in the Garden of Eden, man has continued to reject his commandments unto this day.

God gives us the opportunity to accept his forgiveness for our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. It was no small sacrifice for Jesus to endure the crucifixion and death on a cross to pay for our sins. The choice is ours. Do we want God or don’t we? If we choose Jesus we choose God. If we don’t choose Jesus we are saying we don’t want his Father, the God of all creation.

Those who don’t want God, have no right to expect him to open heaven’s doors to them when their time comes. By choosing not to follow God’s commandments people have messed up the earth already. The problems of humankind’s sins are escalating before our very eyes. Why should we expect God to allow this to happen to his glorious heaven as well?

So what about the punishment of hell? Do people who have tried to be good in their own strength but didn’t choose to accept Jesus have to be punished the same way as terrible criminals do? I won’t attempt to give an absolute answer here, only food for thought. If all the people who accepted Jesus go to heaven to be with God, Jesus, and all the heavenly angels; and only those who chose not to accept Jesus are left outside to fend for themselves with Satan and all his demons who are eager to offer their brand of spiritual help, what is it going to be like? 

The final word will be one of two: You wanted him and accepted him. {Or} You didn’t want him - you rejected him.

Father God, I pray for those who don’t understand, for those who are so willing to let themselves be fooled into believing their only measuring stick for entering heaven is how they measure up to the persons around them. Wake us all from our slumber and give us eyes to see who you really are. Show us your compassion.

Read the entire passage of John 14. It is so powerful.

© 2009 by Janice D. Green

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Fragments of a Codex found by a farmer at Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945

‘These are the hidden sayings that the living Jesus spoke and that Didymus Judas Thomas wrote down.’ — Gospel of Thomas

‘The disciple is not above his master, but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.’ — Luke 6:40

‘When somebody wants something, the whole Universe conspires in their favour. The warrior of light knows this.’ — Paulo Coelho

The Gospel of Thomas was found as part of the Nag Hammadi find in Egypt in 1945. Fragments had previously been found in monasteries in the Middle East. It had also been postulated that an earlier gospel upon which later gospels drew, codenamed Q, existed. Whilst not necessarily that document, Gospel of Thomas contains much of what was predicted for Q.

For many people, their first awareness of the material known as the Nag Hammadi find was the mention in The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.

Gospel of Thomas is radically different to the other gospels in that it is mystical, it also differs in that it is stripped of narrative and explanation, merely being the sayings attributed to Jesus, but in this raw form it has more power.

The sayings are closer to koans in Zen Buddhism, similar in form to many of the thoughts of Paulo Coelho or what is found in his Manual of the Warrior of Light. There appears to be a Far Eastern influence, though this is unproven.

As with Zen koans, the reader is to meditate upon the saying. From one person to another the interpretation may differ, there is no one answer, it is the act of meditation that matters.

As we see with

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

There is no ‘correct’ answer, the purpose is to force the mind into different pathways.

There are 114 sayings in the Gospel of Thomas. The first two sayings

And he said: Whoever finds the correct interpretation of these sayings will never die.

Jesus said: The seeker should not stop until he finds. When he does find, he will be disturbed. After having been disturbed, he will be astonished. Then he will reign over everything.

Seek and ye shall find. The sayings are hidden, that is waiting for their hidden meaning to be discovered, he who discovers finds enlightenment, discovers the inner truth.

The Kingdom of Heaven is not something we may attain in the afterlife, it is in the here and now, it is a state of mind, it is all around us and has been since the beginning of time.

Jesus said: If your leaders say to you: ‘Look! The Kingdom is in the sky!’ Then the birds will be there before you. If they say that the Kingdom is in the sea, then the fish will be there before you are. Rather, the Kingdom is within you and it is outside of you.

Unlike the Gospels Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, Thomas offers no explanation. It is for the reader to interpret and thus lies the path to immortality.

It is often stated that the Gospel of Thomas is an agnostic text. It is not. The confusion arises because it was found within a cache of agnostic texts.

Thoughts from a weekend conversation with my lovely friend Sian.

Also see

The Gospel of Thomas

The Gospel of Thomas Collection

How to Know God

God is

Crossing the transition zone

Manual of the Warrior of Light

The River Ministries

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child.  But when I became a man, I put away childish things. – 1 Corinthians 13:11 

Have you ever noticed what small children do when they want attention and don’t get it immediately?  If positive actions do not fasten everyone’s focus on them in a hurry, whining, bawling, and tantrums certainly will. 

A lot of us, although physically grown, try the same tactics on God.  The Israelites of Moses’ day repeatedly complained to get what they wanted from Him. They succeeded, but their bad attitudes brought negative consequences along with the answers every time!  We haven’t changed much.  An awful lot of us still murmur, hoping to twist God’s arm into some action. 

The Bible gives better ideas for how to arrest God’s attention: 

Faith: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. – Hebrews 11:6 

Trust:  The LORD … knows those who trust in him. – Nahum 1:7 

Cheerful, generous giving: As every man purposes in his heart, so let him give – not grudgingly or because he has to – for God loves a cheerful giver. – 2 Corinthians 9:7 

Intimate relationship with Him: Because he has set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him…. He will call upon me, and I will answer him…. – Psalm 91:14, 15

Righteous devotion to Him: For the eyes of the LORD run here and there throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are perfect [blameless, committed, loyal] toward him…. – 2 Chronicles 16:9 

Faith, trust, cheerful giving, intimacy, righteous devotion – all these flow from a deep belief in God’s character, His goodness, and His unlimited love for us.  

Smith Wigglesworth commented, “There is something about believing in God, that makes God willing to pass over a million people just to anoint you. … God will always turn out to meet you on a special line if you dare to believe Him.” 

I’m diligently seeking His heart – to know Him, to be known by Him, to arrest His attention.  How about you?

The River Ministries

One of my favorite films of the new millennium, Kingdom of Heaven is an under-appreciated classic, a treasure of a film that was shunned in many circles at the time of its release because of its incongruity and certain character flaws. It faded quickly into the realms of the forgotten, but I always held a flame aloft for the historical epic. I admitted to most of the flaws, albeit begrudgingly, but I still had a weird attraction to it, and until about a year ago, I couldn’t really explain it. Now, before about a year ago, I would have bowed to conventional wisdom that if I could not put my pro-KoH argument in words, than it obviously was not that good of an argument. But, last April or so, I discovered the reason that the movie seemed so off to me, and the source of a lot of anti-KoH arguments, is that the studio edited almost an HOUR out of the theatrical cut! AN HOUR! That’s a lot of info to leave out! Now, with a lot more backing this time compared to March of last year, I can safely say that Kingdom of Heaven IS a good movie, a great movie even. It’s not a perfect movie, but it skirts very flirtatiously with immortality, something I admire in a work of art.

We’re taken to the 12th century, between the Second and Third Crusades. Balian, a lonely blacksmith in France, grieving over the suicide of his wife, finds no solace in his work or his life doomed to obscurity. As fate would have it, however, a knight traveling through the area pops into his life. He claims to be his father, and offers him a choice; he can stay in the sad, empty husk of France during the Middle Ages and continue his life as if nothing had happened, or he can come with him to Jerusalem, where the knight holds court with King Baldwin IV. At first hesitant, Balian joins the group of Crusaders after hearing that perhaps his wife’s soul can be saved from Hell if he absolves her sins in the Holy Land (people believed that suicides were instant fodder for Hell back then, although some STILL do). Thus begins a journey of the self through the world of the Dark Ages as Balian travels from his tiny, myopic Medieval world all the way to the center of the world’s tumult, Jerusalem, where a new dispute is broiling beneath the surface of the Second Crusade’s short-lived peace. King Baldwin IV is dying painfully from his crippling leprosy, the Knights Templar are restlessly itching for a battle with the Muslims, their sworn enemy, and on the other side of the wall, a new Muslim assault is being only barely kept at bay by the efforts of their sultan, Saladin. The truce will not last much longer, and Balian’s part in this is larger than he yet knows. It will be a long, unforgiving road ahead for him, but with his wife’s eternal soul in the balance, he is willing to do anything to unchain her from the fiery pits below.

Let me start with the big flaw before I start gushing. Before it gets any farther, I have to comment on the fact that Balian is a total Harry Stu. In internet lingo, for those not in on the jive, that means that his character is just a LITTLE too perfect. He just happens to know a lot of things about a lot of things that would be helpful in the Holy Land, including the construction of siege engines, leading large groups of men, and considering he’s played by Orlando Bloom, professional heart-throb, he looks damn good while he does it. It all gets to be a little much sometimes, and by the end, I felt more than a little tinge of disgust for him and his implausible perfection. You know how awesome and perfect Balian is? During a boat trip to Jerusalem, his boat capsizes and sinks in a storm; he wakes up the next morning on the beach with no fellow survivors and a saddled horse ready to give him a lift! How serendipitous!

But when I say that that’s really the only thing I think is wrong with it, I mean it. Director Ridley Scott is so good he can make any subject come alive, and it just so happens that he also found one of my favorite historical periods fascinating. Every detail, with the exception of ultra-perfect Balian, is down to the T. Scott has recreated the Middle Ages with such a realism that they speak to us through the ages in the very subtext of his work. From the weaponry, the architecture, the interactions between people, to even the battle formations and times of day that Muslims and Christians fought during the 12th century, this is all genuine. there are so many stories to be told here, during the reconstruction of Europe from its massive, tragic downfall in the 6th century, I’m so glad someone used this period. And not only that, but I really appreciate the use of the different faiths fighting it out as sort of an allegory for today. It’s the same fight going on with different weapons and words, which Scott cleverly alludes to at one point, making the emotional ties to this ancient era all the more indelible.

The main cast is equally proportionate to the supporting cast here. Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, Michael Sheen, David Thewlis, and other power players make short but memorable appearances that resonate throughout the movie. My favorite of these is Ghassan Massoud, who plays Saladin. While we never see hm that often, his character is similar to Baldwin in that he doesn’t want war, but political and religious pressures are pushing him into a battle that will cost many, many lives. He is excellent, and most importantly he’s a Muslim character that doesn’t give way into stereotypes that so many other films would have. As for the main cast, I’ve said my peace on Balian, but it must be noted that not everyone’s like that. There are some real winners, like Eva Green, who plays Sibylla, Baldwin’s sister. Her scenes suffer the most cutting, and it felt so vindicating to see the Special Director’s Cut edition and piece together what happens to her. She is a force to be reckoned with for me, especially now that the cut has been restored. She is given whole new sets of scenes that add to the emotional complexities, especially the ones involving her son. Without these scenes, her character is very confusing and inconsistent, and it is a definite boon to the film that she not go from one emotional state to the next without any coercing. Jeremy Irons electrifies as Tiberius, the Marshall of Jerusalem and Balian’s moral compass in the Holy Land. His scenes are few, but they are key, and Irons shows his expertise in authoritative but sympathetic words of wisdom as he tries to keep Christian Jerusalem from going into all-out war with the Muslims and Balian from falling off the righteous path. Edward Norton is the emotional heart of the first half of the film as King Baldwin IV. Underneath a silver mask to hide the hideous deformities left by his leprosy, he is trying extremely hard to keep peace in his time by keeping both the Templars at bay and his court satisfied with the truce. But his frail condition has many worried that the Muslims will attack and he will be unable to lead, or, worse, that he is lying down and making too many concessions to their heathen demands. He has so much weight on his slender shoulders, and watching Norton valiantly struggle to keep lives from being lost is heartbreaking and wondrously inspiring.

Sweeping cinematography, an immersive score by Harry-Gregson Williams, an extremely able cast, and a rich realistic tone make Kingdom of Heaven a sweeping film that should be remembered with the ranks of Spartacus and Gladiator in the realm of great historical epics. It’s a whopping three hours for the director’s cut, the only cut there should be, as far as I’m concerned, so there’s a lot going on. Luckily, it’s all great, and with the exception of one or two faults, I would be extremely tempted to call this a perfect film. To get swept away in this historical fervor is a joy and a pleasure that I plan to relish more and more often. Ridley Scott strikes gold again, and the Holy Land is done justice by his beautiful eye and his great cast. I give Kingdom of Heaven 9 1/2 leper kings out of 10. A high recommendation!

Tomorrow’s Sunday, so I don’t know what I’ll watch! It’ll make for a good review, though, I think! Until then!

Jesus once compared the Kingdom to a mustard seed, which, though small, grows up into a large tree. Then, in the same breath, He compared it to yeast, which, when it is placed into a large lump of flour, eventually creeps and crawls its way through the entire lump, permeating every part. I’ve long known that the latter, the yeast, was an insidious metaphor. Yeast was considered somewhat unclean in Israel, and was discarded every year and replaced for the sake of purity. It would’ve had a negative connotation, and been a surprising choice of metaphors for the Kingdom of God.

The story of the small mustard seed sprouting into a great tree seems to be less insidious, stressing instead the size and growth of the Kingdom, which turns into a happy home for chirpy birdies, but Stuart Murray spent a few minutes on this parable that changed my mind. The mustard tree isn’t really a tree at all so much as a sprawling and weed-like bush that grows tall, but also spreads out and digs in. If you needed to clear the ground that a mustard tree was on, you’d wish it wasn’t there. It carries very much the same connotation as the yeast, making this a textbook example of Hebrew parallelism: two stories with the same meaning told to emphasize a point.

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a new semester, which begins with reading and lectures, but slowly takes over your entire life. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a new girlfriend/boyfriend, which begins with dinner and a movie, but eventually doesn’t want you spending so much time with your friends.

So if the Kingdom is not an oak tree but a persistent, crawling bush, then what we need, according to Murray, are churches that keep interfering, that outlast, out pray, out imagine, and out suffer all those who stand against them. Translate this into university ministry, and what you get is ministries who spread themselves out across the campus, embedding themselves into different departments, different subcultures, and different locations to follow the way of Jesus, blessing and working for the good of the U. You get crews that are not dependent on one large gathering, one location, or one leader, but that are diffuse, difficult to root out, difficult sometimes to point at and identify, but springing up everywhere to ultimately, one day, change the whole U for the good of all. It means our measure of success ultimately can’t be how many people are coming to us, but how many people we are going to and living the way of Jesus among, working to make the U a good and just place.

Of course, this takes time. Another theme stressed all through Renov8 was that this is a path that requires patience and endurance. Ten years seems to be the expectation for something like this to take root here in Canada, and along the way it’s going to take some work. At the same time, it’s likely to be a whole lot more fun than event planning, meetings, squishy pigs, and whatever else we so easily get distracted with.

Mike Frost told some good stories of what this looks like, but the best story of all may have been Wagdi Iskander’s story of becoming a follower of Jesus in Sudan. I’m still processing what I need to do about this, and will be for awhile, so rather than adding my own thoughts, I’ll point you once again to the more industrious blogging of Michael Krahn, and his write-up of Wagdi’s talk.

The River Ministries

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free Spirit. – Psalm 51:10-12

The Lord has been speaking to me that this is a prayer for the modern Church, a prayer that paves the way for Awakening. 

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. – If we are to see a massive move of God, a keen awareness of personal sin and a sincere determination to turn from it are required.  Psalm 34:18 says, “The LORD is near those who are broken in heart, and saves those who have a contrite spirit.”  “Contrite” means “thoroughly sorrowful over sin.”  God eagerly answers repentant prayer and restores a clean heart within us.  It is not possible to have a right spirit inside without such repentance. 

Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. – A full casting away from His Presence, for the once-believer, is final judgment for rejecting Jesus.  But God does lift His Presence from His own, so that He no longer hovers closely over them, through their refusal to listen and obey.  It is about having, or not having, His anointing. 

Samson, the man of God, toyed with sin on a regular basis.  His compromise probably started out small.  Compromise usually does.  He came to a point of thinking, “I will go out as before and shake myself” (speaking of using his supernatural strength) “and he did not perceive that the LORD had departed from him” (Judges 16:20).  May God help those of us who are in compromise to turn from it before we come to the place of losing the anointing and not even realizing it! 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free Spirit. – The joy of salvation should not be confined to personal enjoyment of eternal life and relationship with Jesus.  Genuine joy over salvation will produce an uncontainable urge to tell others the good news so that they can know Jesus too.  God wants His Church so re-filled and re-empowered by His Spirit that we cannot help but pour out the gospel to those around us. 

Lord, light the fire again!

The River Ministries

EXCERPT

Kingdom of Heaven

The parallels of this story with the condition of the visible church in America are easy to see. Jesus lamented in Matthew 11:12:

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”

READ HERE:

http://www.apostasyalert.org/REFLECTIONS/kingdom_violence.htm

I had the privilege this week to appear on FamilyNet’s “Mornings ” on Sirius Radio to talk about my book, The Kingdom According to Jesus, published by CrossBooks. Many thanks to Lorri Allen and Larry Estepa for having me on the program.

Here’s the audio file, if you’d like to listen in.

“Mornings” — The Kingdom According to Jesus

THE PRODIGAL WILL RETURN

I’m sure, if you made it to this blog, you have heard the story of the prodigal’s return. You’ve also been taught that this is an allegory for all of us. I used to believe that to be true as well. And yes, to certain extent it is. We all have gone astray and have had realized how bankrupt we were without God, and how lost we were without God’s TRUTH (Christ revealed in us). Even though, God had His hand (authority) on us every step of the way. 

Most don’t believe this of course, not many will go on record and say, “God is in control of everything, even our ignornace!” … well Paul did for us, in the book of Romans 8, he says “The Creature (Our souls) were made subject to VANITY, NOT WILLINGLY, but by REASON of HE who SUBJECTED US also in Hope. You see, even our frustration and pain has a point.  The story of the prodigal is beautiful illustration of this. As the Father allowed the Younger to go into the FAR COUNTRY to learn that only in the Father’s house is there peace, life, and sustenance.

So, we all have seen the story of the Prodigal as a picture of US…  However, about six months ago I came to another great understanding of what this story represents, and who these TWO SONS are.

First the cliff notes, Jacob Israel style!

The prodigal story tells the tale of two brothers and a wealthy Father. One brother stays with the Father and endures the trials associated with laboring in the Father’s fields… The other, the younger of the two, goes buck wild, takes his inheritance, and parties like it’s 1999 all over again. The younger, after what must have seemed like the hangover of the century, comes to his senses. After losing everything and being forced to eat the same pig food he fed pigs with he finally decides to return to Dad and beg for Papa’s forgiveness. He finds the Father was actually waiting for him in the field. A picture of how God never takes his eyes off us, and waits patiently for our return… So the younger, gets to his Dad and says “I’ve sinned against you and heaven” the Father doesn’t condemn him, in fact he throws the younger brother a big party… Now if this was an episode of “Intervention” the counselor would not suggest such a thing, we wouldn’t want the younger brother to relapse now would we?… HOWEVER, the celebration is an allegory, as well as the story as  whole. So the Father demands, “KILL THE FATTED CALF, GET HIM A ROBE AND HIS FAVORITE BUNNY SLIPPERS AND PUT A RING ON THAT SKINNY FINGER OF HIS!” – Everyone of these things you’ll learn are symbolic, beside the Bunny Slippers, they are just awesome and comfy cozy… So, we cut to:  Older brother coming back from working the fields… He hears all the hoopla and gets heated, “DAD!!!!!” He says, “I am the best son in the whole wide world and you never threw me a party!”… The older brother’s jealousy seems petty to the reader, instead of being happy for his brother’s return he stomps his feet like a little whiner baby. His Father has to remind him, “All that I have is YOURS.”

So why this parable? … Well, in Luke’s gospel Chapter 15, a bunch of publicans and sinners came near to hear Jesus. (To understand the things of the kingdom)

Luke 15:2: And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

Them BAD RELIGIOUS loved to condemn the J-man. It’s sad really, when you think the same thing is going on today. Unfortunately, dear old Solomon was right in saying, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Whatever was back then is alive and well today.

The irony is many religious leaders, and devote church goers will in one breath condemn the Pharisees behavior, and then in the other tell you, “You better not get involved with anyone who is NOT A BELIEVER”… This elitism and prejudice is welcome and encouraged in Bad Religion today. NOT in the Kingdom of God I assure you.

Many of the Bad Religious, will even use scripture to justify such behavior… Mind you, they have no clue as what these verses they are quoting really mean. Like the one below.

2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Oh sure, at first glance you might think the unbeliever is someone who just doesn’t know God. But,  consider what a Yolk is… A YOLK is a restraint/bondage that is used to CONTROL AN ANIMAL… In this case, the UNBELIEVER would seek to control the BELIEVER… Now, how many people do you know OUTSIDE MAN MADE RELIGION that try and control you with a bunch of nonsense? Not many… You see, the UNBELIEVER in this case, are the BAD RELIGIOUS — Side note Church: when I say “bad religious”, of course I’m not talking about YOU … or am I? Just kidding, Jacob loves you as God loves Jacob people!)

So the UNBELIEVERS are the IGNORANT RELIGIOUS TYPES that condemn you and tell you, do this, do that! GROWWWWWWLLLLL! 

The UNBELIEVER here is NOT someone who hasn’t been baptized, or confessed Christ as Lord. The UNBELIEVER is the opposite, the Unbeliever is the Bad Religious person who ignorantly heaps a bunch of traditions, laws, and error on top of you, so you will have no joy in life at all.

The worst of which, is condemning you if say, you fall in love with someone who is not a “Christian.”

Now, listen Church, if you look at people as saved and unsaved you have missed the message of the gospel! So catch it now!

Peter worried that he couldn’t hang with those who were outside the faith. God gave him a vision, and rebuked him. Peter was all like… “No God, nothing unclean has ever touched my lips!” — MEATHEAD! Think about it, God says, KILL AND EAT and Peter is like, NAH! I don’t eat that stuff, meanwhile you know darn well, Peter was going back for seconds and thirds at the Bacon Buffet right before Paul called him out… Mmmmnn Bacon is GOOOOD!

Anyway, God whacks Peter upside the head with a vision. All the beasts, insects, basically everything and everyone God created, and God says to him…  Acts 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

He then goes on to explain… “God is no respecter of persons” – You see God doesn’t esteem one better than another, like Man does. 

But now I’m about to throw all of you a curve ball… You’ll find, what is good for the goose is good for the gander, whatever the heck a gander is! (Just Kidding, being the gooseologist I am, I know full well what a Gander is) but that has nothing to do with this essay here. 

What I mean is, if God doesn’t think higher of Pharisees than others, than he doesn’t think higher of the “others” than he does the Pharisees.

You’ll find at the end of this study, the Prodigal returning has more to do with the Bad Religious Pharisee types than it does with those who have come to the knowledge of the truth after being ignorant of it.

I want to really hammer this point home, God does NOT want us to stay away from people who do not know “Jesus”… Obviously, Jesus hung out with, ate, and drank with, sinners and publicans and we are cut from the same cloth. God wants us to accept, love, forgive, and guide all the people of the world…

But we are warned not to be UNEQUALLY YOKED with the laws and false beliefs of the Pharisees of the day.

So marry who you want to marry, just make sure you love each other. And when someone asks you, “Is the person you are dating a believer?” tell them, ZIP IT YOU! … Just because a person doesn’t belong to your local man-made church, does not mean they are not a believer. A person who loves and does not condemn, who forgives and accepts is more a believer, that someone who tithes, goes to church, helps with the annual food drive, etc, and has not love.

Romans 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves

You see, although many would have you to believe that YOU somehow have to allow Jesus to enter your heart, (As if he is somewhere out there beyond the mikyway waiting for YOUR INVITATION)… Listen up, Christ is the LIFE in you already. Christ is the LIFE and LIGHT of all men, which shines in darkness. Even those who do not understand this LIFE, can unwittingly share the love of Christ with others, as Christ is their LIFE FORCE to begin with. Paul understood this, which is why he wrote about it, in Romans chapter 2.

Romans 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness…

God has a new covenant with us today. He is writing the law on our hearts. All will know God the scriptures say. If only more believed this. Now I know what you’re saying… But Jacob, DON’T WE NEED TO ACCEPT CHRIST AS OUR LORD! … What do you think?

Christ is the TRUTH AND THE ONLY WAY to the FATHER… If you don’t UNDERSTAND and SUBMIT TO CHRIST you will NEVER BE FREE! So yes, if you don’t believe on the NAME (nature) Jesus (God’s Truth/Salvation Revealed in Man) than how could you ever be free? … Think about it! So yes, I believe without a shadow of a doubt that WE MUST and WILL! That’s good news people, spread it! 

Back to our Prodigal story.

So the Mean Religious Leaders of Jesus’ day had a problem with Jesus hanging with what they considered the dregs of society…

Luke 2:3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

You see, Jesus (The TRUTH/WORD of God revealed as MAN) does not lose ONE of those the Father gave him to save. “out of all you have given me Father, I have lost not one.” – the only one lost is the SON OF PERDITION (the carnal nature of man) –

The Pharisees did not believe God would save EVERYONE. But here Jesus is showing them, with worldly things, how God is better than man, as man would go after one of his lost sheep, God will go after all who have gone astray…

Now if people believed this, than they would stop looking at others as saved and unsaved. They would understand, that those people, who at the moment seem so far from God, will eventually be FOUND AGAIN.

Which brings us to the Prodigal story.

(For those who have not read it, here it is below. For those who know it, SCROLL PAST AND CONTINUE ON.)

 ¹¹And he said, A certain man had two sons:  ¹²And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.  ¹³And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.  ¹⁴And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.  ¹⁵And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  ¹⁶And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.  ¹⁷And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  ¹⁸I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,  ¹⁹And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.  ²⁰And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  ²¹And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.  ²²But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  ²³And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:  ²⁴For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.  ²⁵Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.  ²⁶And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.  ²⁷And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.  ²⁸And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.  ²⁹And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:  ³⁰But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.  ³¹And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.  ³²It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

It has been taught that this is the story of US. How we are the prodigal that finally returned home…  And the Church says, WE KNOW JACOB, YOU’VE SAID THAT ALREADY…  Settle down people, I’m getting there.

So we’ve been taught, it’s about US (the remnant) …  But I tell you, NAY! (Don’t you love how some people break out the old English to sound all spiritual and such…)

NAY!!!!! I SAY, TODAY, WISHING IT WAS MAY, SO I CAN GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY, IN THE HAY! <— Too far?

No!!!! It’s NOT ABOUT THE REMNANT! It’s NOT ABOUT THE FIRST FRUIT, or FIRST STRIPE, or FRUITSTRIPE GUM.

You’ll soon see, the Prodigal is actually those BAD RELIGIOUS LEADERS. The PRODIGAL are the PHARISEES, the ones we all love to condemn… WHAT? Did I just write that? YES! I did.

Many of you, who have come to this page, have probably had your unhealthy share of condemnation for your differing beliefs. But did you ever stop to think about how far down your nose, you look at those BAD RELIGIOUS LEADER TYPES?… I have, and if you’ve seen my Publicity Shot, you know, My Nose is a BIG ONE to look down! …

So, if you  see the Pharisees of today in a negative light, as I did (Until the parable of the Prodigal become clear to me). Then you may change your tune after reading the rest of this article.

Let us remember, God is no respecter of persons. He does not think higher of one than another. This is why Jesus said on the cross, “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.”

A child who can’t read isn’t condemned for not knowing how. The child is loved and encouraged and taught. The same is true, for all of God’s creation. The Pharisees included.

We cannot think higher of ourselves, just because we have a grander view of God’s plan. We cannot condemn those who we seem to be charlatans or fear mongers, even if they put Plastic Gold Confetti in their hair and tell everyone that God is pouring out his spirit as Gold Dust, or even if, the Pharisees say, God told me to kick him square in the gut to cure his cancer, (Which one of these KNUCKLEHEADS did.) Look, we can’t look down on them, because their total meatheads who haven’t had the truth revealed to them yet. We have to roll the way Jesus rolls, when looking at others who are ignorant and in SIN (error/foolish thinking)

Luke 7:31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.They are like kids, they are IMMATURE, they are the YOUNGER SON, they don’t know any better. So even though, in a round about way, I am sort of mocking the SIGNS AND WONDERS BRIGADE, I really have not animosity toward them. They are my YOUNGER BROTHER after all, and THEY WILL RETURN! 

Just because their ways are false. We have to stop being like the OLDER BROTHER who is whining and complaining and carrying on when the younger brother finally comes home from whoring around and feeding the pigs. All you pastors of The Way know, deep down, you just WISH YOUR CONGREGATION was as big as the Prophets of Baal today… You’re all working those fields, tired, weary, persecuted, struggling to get by, then when the Big day comes, we find out the Prophets of Baal realized their mistake, they humbled themselves before God and God says, LET’S ROCK N ROLL!

 I used to look at some of these big name healers and preachers in such a negative light. I saw them taking advantage of so many people who truly needed to hear the things of God. There was a part of me, that thought I was better than them. Perhaps, there still is a remnant of this pride in me. FATHER REMOVE IT, but keep my wicked sense of humor in tact! Today, I admit, I still can’t stomach to hear things that I know are not true. But like Jesus, we must not condemn and hate those who are merely ignorant of the truth. As they are blind for a moment.

Romans 11:25: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.  ²⁶And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:  ²⁷For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Paul understood this as well. He was telling those who understood the truth, “Don’t think you’re any better, just because right now they can’t understand what you understand. God has done this, so he could have mercy on all… ALL WILL BE SAVED, when God takes away their sin.”

Even the mean old Pharisees, will have their SIN (foolish ignorant thoughts) ripped away and will be “brought to the knowledge of the truth.”

So, truly, this Prodigal Story is about those who may be, right now, fleecing the flock. They are the YOUNGER BROTHER who took the money and ran. Don’t believe me? Well keep reading, ye of little belief!

Let’s rip each verse apart, and see what falls out.

¹³And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living

A younger son is not as MATURE as the older. This is symbolic of understanding. The Younger does not have the experiential wisdom of the older. So we see that the YOUNGER is a picture of someone not as mature in the faith.

This SON (as we are all children of God) took his journey into a FAR COUNTRY, Symbolic of being far from the Truth. LEAVING THE KINGDOM OF GOD as depicted in Jesus’ parable of the man who went into a Far Country and almost lost his property in the process.

1 Kings 8:41 Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake.

So the IMMATURE in the Faith, leave the TRUTH of God, for RIOTOUS living. And what is this symbolic of?

 2 Peter 2:12-14 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceiving while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

Here we see those that spend their time on RIOTOUS LIVING are actually those TEACHING LIES and deceiving people. They claim the truth of God yet only teach COVETOUS PRACTICES… Does that sound like any PHARISEES we know?

 ¹⁴And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

The FAMINE is symbolic of a lack of TRUTH. You see,  In Babylon you don’t get much Fruit, Meat, or Milk… but I hear they have a mean rice pilaf! Okay, of course, the famine in the land, means there is NO TRUTH.  One day, even these Religious leaders who have left the truth of God to teach lies, will find out how VAIN their beliefs and traditions are.

The FAMINE in the land has always been a symbol of Carnal Man coming to his senses and going to God to be fed.

¹⁵And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  ¹⁶And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him

Notice, how the YOUNGER BROTHER fed the SWINE. PIGS have always been a symbol of man’s ignorance and dangerous beliefs. PIGS will eat anything you feed them. This is why the LAW forbid the consumption of pork. Not because literal pigs are the devil, but because it is a SYMBOL of NOT BECOMING ONE with IGNORANCE. Also, a Pig Doesn’t have  A CLOVEN (separated) HOOF! Symbolic of not having a SEPARATE WALK from the world.

The YOUNGER BROTHER (the immature deceiver who left the truth/kingdom of God) is seen FEEDING these swine. It is easy to see, that the YOUNGER BROTHER is an allegory of the PHARISEES who are feeding the IGNORANT a steady diet of whatever SLOP (lies/error/vanity/bondage) they want.

¹⁷And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  

What a great line… WHEN HE CAME TO HIMSELF – For those that can receive it, this means “when HE understands who HE is!” = “Christ IN You” … When he REMEMBERS AND UNDERSTANDS he is a SON OF GOD, he will want to return to Daddy!

When this YOUNGER SON came to his RIGHT MIND (The mind of Christ), he understood, that in his FATHER’S HOUSE there is enough BREAD (truth) and without the TRUTH he is as good as dead (CARNAL).

When you look at this parable through different eyes, it is easy to see, that the YOUNGER BROTHER are the RELIGIOUS ELITE who are IGNORANT today. And the OLDER BROTHER are those God has quickened to understand the Truth, and that may be YOU FRIEND OF MINE READING RIGHT NOW… That is of course, if you made it this far… Glad you’re still with me.

Now, I know, I have been guilty of condemning people who teach lies in the past. Nevertheless, when I understood that I was being like the OLDER BROTHER and condemning my YOUNGER BROTHER (immature religious leader/deceiver) for the ignorance of his ways… I repented.

I understood that it doesn’t matter if I have held the truth longer, and endured persecution by these Religious Pharisees.

How could I say to God, who loves all and is NO RESPECTER of persons… “DAD, HOW CAN YOU THROW A PARTY FOR HIS RETURN?”

One day, even those who are the most lost, and most destructive in the world, will come to understand how bankrupt they are without CHRIST. They, like the Younger Son, will feel that they are not worthy to return to God after they have wasted their inheritance on HARLOTS (Lies/Idolatry) …

However, when they return, and THE PRODIGALS WILL RETURN… God is waiting with open arms.

So, for all you OLDER SONS and DAUGHTERS out there that are suffering the heat of the day. Pray for your Younger brothers return and Thank God, because ALL THAT GOD HAS IS YOURS, AND YOURS IS HIS…

Stop talking bad about them, stop thinking bad about them, and stop hating them… Don’t be hating Church, just  FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO!

Peace Jacob

http://www.JacobIsrael.org

“The Truth Will Change You”

For: The Essentials Course Online Worship Course with Dan Wilt

Essentials Red Final Project: My Matthew 5 Prayer Labyrinth video can be viewed on YouTube ( <— please click on the link)

For Essentials Red, our first week’s discussion on sacred spaces brought to mind a beautiful stained glass window, in an old 1827 Lutheran church, in downtown Lancaster, PA, USA. I admired their windows as we set up for leading worship at at Power and Love conference last summer. During the beginning of worship, everything on the platform turn golden as the sun blazed through the stained glass window immediately to the side of us. I looked up to see where the light was coming from and it was so bright you couldn’t look into it. While the sun was still in it, I was able to take a couple pictures of the window, which contains a verdant vine, abundant grape clusters and a gold chalice.

The sacred space idea was coupled with finding and experiencing a prayer labyrinth in Camp Hill, PA. USA. The labyrinth was designed and built by a seminary student as a required project and was noted in our local newspaper. The labyrinth’s design is a copy from a prayer labyrinth in an old French cathedral.

Out of the influence of Essentials Blue and Green, came an idea for developing a prayer liturgy asking God for the character of the Kingdom of God, described in Jesus’ Beatitudes, from Matthew 5.

My Essentials Red project combines the beauty and symbolism of the sacred art from the stained glass windows, with the prayer labyrinth, my prayer liturgy and the Scripture verses from the Beatitudes, to create the virtual prayer labyrinth experience contained in video. To the video, I added my own music composition containing a cedar flute based on the design of flutes used by Native Americans.

I thought a lot about the symbolism contained in the window and the blaze of light that originally drew my attention to it. For me, there is a symbolic linkage of the gold cup, reminding me of Communion and connectedness to Jesus, with the profuse abundance of fruit (grapes) and the vivid green of the leaves, expressing richness and fullness life in Jesus. From sacred space, time, prayer, Scripture, sacraments, music and art comes spiritual growth, leading to a fruitful, abundant life.

I would use the video as a stand-alone piece to help people reflect on the character of the Kingdom of God, and to help them consider praying for the Kingdom of God to come more in themselves. Please refer to http://mightyrivermusic.wordpress.com for the full Matthew 5 Project liturgy and prayer.

On the technical side, I brought up my original photograph of the church window on my computer, and with the room lights off, shot the video clips of the stained glass window with my iPhone. The prayer labyrinth clips were taken with my Canon PowerShot SD880 IS. I used iMovie to combine the clips and Logic Express 8 to record the music track.

  We hear “kingdom of heaven” and we think “kingdom of life after death.” But that’s the very opposite of what Jesus is talking about. Remember—he says repeatedly, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, has arrived! It’s near, here, at hand, among you! It’s not just about after you die; it’s about here, now, in this life!—Brian McLaren (New Kind of Christian, 107).

  We hear “kingdom of heaven” and we think “kingdom of life after death.” But that’s the very opposite of what Jesus is talking about. Remember—he says repeatedly, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, has arrived! It’s near, here, at hand, among you! It’s not just about after you die; it’s about here, now, in this life!—Brian McLaren (New Kind of Christian, 107).

  We hear “kingdom of heaven” and we think “kingdom of life after death.” But that’s the very opposite of what Jesus is talking about. Remember—he says repeatedly, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, has arrived! It’s near, here, at hand, among you! It’s not just about after you die; it’s about here, now, in this life!—Brian McLaren (New Kind of Christian, 107).

Matt 3:1-2

1  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Have you ever wondered what John was doing in the wilderness?  He was calling the nation of Israel to repentance, which is simply telling them to change their mind about their actions.  They were a people that were not thankful for what God had done for them and thought that they could do it on their own, sounds familiar doesn’t it.  We, at times, are the same way.  But the purpose of this is not why John was preaching but what he was preaching.  He was not preaching the gospel of the grace of God, he was not telling those that Christ died for their sins.  Instead he was telling them that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  He was letting Israel know that their King was there to redeem them.  John was in Judea, preaching to the Israel, not the Gentiles.  So when we read the scriptures, we want to know who is talking, to whom they are talking, when they are talking and what the context of the message is.  All of this will help us in understanding God’s word, especially the verses that are NOT written to us as members of the body of Christ in Romans to Philemon.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

God came into the earth for the purpose of redeeming all of creation, releasing the curse of sin with His death on the cross. Giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, dead raised to life, and casting out of demons.

He has given us the responsibility and authority to change the world, proclaim the good news of the kindgom come, and for making the ways of the world like the ways of heaven.

I had a dream that God is covering my workplace in a mantle of miracles and the coming of the kingdom. At work (I’m a cashier at Meijer-a supermarket) God has been giving me opportunities to release the kingdom on people, and I haven’t been doing it. I have seen the opportunities, and stepped toward them, but I haven’t stepped into them.

Several weeks ago, almost one after the other, there were a couple of customers who were deaf, and I wasn’t able to communicate any sort of kingdom message because the communication wasn’t there. And yesterday, almost one after the other, there were customers with hearing aids, and near 100% deafness and I didn’t step into the healing that God wants to work through me.

These have been the moments that have hit me the hardest. When I haven’t been able to step into the kingdom and release it on the deaf, and the hurting.

I almost feel as though God is telling me that I am not listening to him, that I am deaf to his Holy Spirit’s calling and ministering.

The River Ministries

The testimony of a Christian is a most precious thing. We all have known some with wonderful testimonies and some not as shining. A testimony is not just about how a Christian became a disciple of Jesus, but his life after that event. 

The Bible has a few things to say about people’s testimonies. In Revelation 2:4, Jesus reproved the Ephesian Church: “Yet I have this against you, that you no longer love Me as you did at first.” Paul warned of some, “They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him …” (Titus 1:16).  And in John 2:24, 25, “Jesus did not commit himself to them, because he knew all men, and did not need for any to testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”  The testimony was coming up short in the Lord’s eyes in each of these cases. These would not be testimonies for a Christian to cherish.    

We can be of a different ilk, thanks to God. The Lord has provided for us to shine like the sun. Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). But amazingly, in Matthew 5:14 He also said, “You are the light of the world.” We realize that we are not the light by ourselves, but it is Jesus shining through us. So it comes down to yieldedness. We let Jesus live through us. Galatians 2:20 says, “Christ lives in me.” 

By the grace of God we can press in to have a testimony of shining with Jesus. We probably will have to make some adjustments, maybe repent of things that hinder the light. But Jesus is on our side. He wants us to succeed in this. He has made all of heaven’s resources available to us. He has even given us His precious Holy Spirit to live in us and through us. 

Let’s make the most of our testimony, so that all people will be drawn to Jesus.

The River Ministries

ive been thinking and praying about the next step and wot god wants for me and my fam and its become clear: in the months ahead i will plant a church. in light of this declaration i have decided to establish a manifesto of sorts as a root for the work ahead. so this is that…

1. there are so. many. people. who dont know jesus. i love them and want to bring them into the kingdom.

2. im no longer listening to the chirping voice of defeat telling me im not qualified without letters behind my name. the father has prepared me via training and experience to both connect with people and to introduce them to their king and thats exactly wot im going to do.

3. i realize now that the things i dont know which i have allowed to hold me back will only find resolution as i take steps to plant the churches god has called me to plant – so im ready to move forward.

4. the father has given me the desire and ability to lead and teach so im going to honor that by doing both.

5. im going to stop focusing on all the negative stuff about church that ive ranted about for so long from the comfort of my desk chair and become an active and positive force for change.

6. im going to devote my time to a balance between reading/studying and relational efforts.

7. i want the story of my life to be full of stories about how people who met me were brot into the kingdom for the glory of the king.

please be praying for jesus to be glorified in everything that follows. if ur interested in being a part of this in any way please contact me.

You might have noticed that my number 18 is missing in my chronology – but this time it is totally planned ! I have my reasons for it, but to let not come up any speculations; it is just because I want this # 18 to stay totally exclusive.

But who would complain, since I am continuing with posting my personal artwork. And this time we have my official # 19 – “The Crusaders”. Well, nothing much to say about this one – it is a pure fan project for a certain film that you might recognize. Well, you should – since it is a well-known hollywood blockbuster with Orlando Bloom in a leading role. It is one of the few shows in which I am focusing myself on one single film only. Of course, this is not easier at all – it is even more difficult since the material is, so to speak, very “limited”. The toughest thing is the selection of possible scenes, and putting them along nicely to the music (and the songtext).

I did not really do this show to “honour” the film itself… it is a good one, but nothing more. In this case it went the other way round: I first heard the musical piece (performed by a german band named Crystallion), and thought about possible visual scenes to it – since I liked it very much. And then I found this film which fitted EXACTLY (according to the theme and text).

So, sit back and enjoy this one… as a rather unusual show. But I guess I can not “shock” you anymore, there is just too much of a variety in my shows…

Disclaimer: My slideshows are my personal work – they shall not be used by you and on your site. I never wanted to harm anybodies copyright, nor personal rights and feelings – if you feel like that is the case, please inform me immediately. I declare all the material used within these works as “fair use” of the corresponding material, with all respect to the respective owners of the source material (goes for films as well as for music). If you feel like the quality of the slideshows is rather poor, that is because of the convertion process on WordPress. However, I did not intend to offer them in the full quality. The material as it is should be enough for all my planned purposes, and for your entertainment. If you wonder about the names in the slideshows, that do not match with my nickname Ikarus – they are also former nicknames of me, I would never steal anybodies personal artwork. Feel free to comment on the slideshows that you watched, wether it is a negative or a positive feedback that you are giving. Greetings ! Ikarus/Jimbo (c) 2009