Outdated lingo... "original sin"

“By defying God and eating the fruit, they doubted his goodness—God must be keeping something from us—and challenged his authority—we know what’s best for us better than God does.” 

                              -Explore God blogger

     The trickery is not in the enticement, but the lie “you will not die." The tree gave knowledge of good and evil, thus being like God in this knowledge. This is one of the defining differences between us and The Creator. We were created with limited knowledge, only knowing that which is good. The Creator being the Origin of what is good, knows what is not of him, that which is outside good; evil. However this knowledge does not affect who The Creator is, like it does us, for it is we only who were created. The problem with humanity is that we cannot handle this knowledge. God notified them that eating this tree would bring death. It is an interpretation upon the reader that this is a command because of the “you shall not,” but to view this as a command is to misunderstand the purposes of commands. Paul says that the law was to point out our sin, yet no sin existed when the “you shall not” was spoken. Is telling a child they are free to play in the front yard, side yard, backyard, and even in the drive way, but they cannot play in the street because they could be hit by a car a command of authority? Is the “you shall not” a dictation of power and law or a statement of protection and love?

     Authority is exerted because of a desire to rebel. Humanity at this point had no such desire. Humanities focus was on accomplishing the purpose of the Creator (to be an ever expanding carbon based presence of God on Earth). The “shall not” statement was a warning concerning the destruction of humanities purpose. Since there is not really any “authority” to be exerted, they could not have been challenging God’s authority.

     Now, they did believe the lie; that what God said is not reflective of reality. And why did they believe the lie; because there was a compelling argument against the Creator? Or was it because of their past experiences of being let down by God? Since neither of these is described in the story we can safely assume those were not the cause. The only thing we have to go on is the enticement, “You will be like God.” Man and Woman would no longer be the arbiters, but the standard bearers of all that is. The I AM would be replaced by the WE ARE. The enticement was of self-focused delusions. The interest in self was the “original sin”, and the same sin we still commit today.

     So how is our selfishness abolished? By clinging onto the selfless act of a loving God taking our curse of death that was not his punishment and offering our lives to be lived through, thus fulfilling our original created purpose.

Sin = Disobedience???

Our problem might not be disobedience.

Many say that the “original sin” was Adam and Eve’s disobedience, yet Paul taught that

sin existed before the Law. The Creator did give an oral command to not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil.  The oral command was disobeyed, but is that all there is to sin? In the book of Romans, it was stated that death came through sin. Consider that when reading the words “Do not eat for you will die,” and there seems to be something a bit more complex to this sin idea than just disobedience.

Our God is one of logic and sense, for our universe is reflective of that and if he were not logical then we could by no means say that “God is good” for it is only logic that can differentiate between good and bad. Much of the writings in the bible relate God’s will or desire, his purposes. God is one of purpose and not of purposelessness (logical deduction). Therefore there is purpose to why eating of the tree would

bring death and purpose as to why the tree was called Knowledge of Good and Evil. These two purposes are directly tied to each other.

The Creator declared everything good, and humanity was created in the likeness of the one who created it. Thus, humanity was originally good and had knowledge of what was good, for it was natural. This tree was of knowledge of good AND evil. By eating of this tree humanity became dual natured. Humanity carries the intrinsic value of the created good, but also operates in the futility of self-based enthusiasm. It is from this dual natured existence that death is now our curse and the perpetuator of our ongoing sin (self-based enthusiasm).

The curse of death is not a punishment for disobedience but a consequence to the choice of eating the fruit. This was clear from the start. For if you eat, you will die. Humanity chose self, over The Creator’s purpose, thus bringing the curse of death upon humanity. The other curses the Creator placed on man, woman, and the serpent fell on them like a domino effect. Humanity was made from the dust of the earth and in death humanity returns to the dust of the earth. The spoiling of our Earth is in the curse of death, for it is in toil that humanity labors to survive, and it is in pain and suffering that we continue to survive as a species. The serpent (representing all of the animals on earth) was changed bound the ground to eat the cursed earth, no longer in peace, but death and enmity. All of this not because of disobedience, but because of what they ate, and how it changed them. 

Age to Come

There is only one one left, when this one is said and done.

Heaven, a place of tranquility and peace, where all is perfect and love is in the air, sound nice? Is that really what heaven is going to be like? Many think so, the lion lying with the lamb and all that. Why go through creating the world, watching it fall apart then do everything in your power to restore it to something you never created it to be in the first place? In the creation, humans were given a purpose, to be the emissaries of God on earth, and this purpose was in The Creator’s words “good.” You cannot get a better grade, score, or recommendation when the author of the test is judging with his own standard and declares A, 100%. God is good, and is the standard of what is good, to label his own creation as good, means it is exactly how it is to be. But...then it goes to crap.

The Kingdom of heaven is at hand, but there is an “age to come.” Eternal life was

taken from human kind after we messed it all up; it is given back through Jesus. Our understanding of good is now only in comparison with evil. This too is being corrected for the age to come. Our purpose as God’s emissaries to God’s “creation” was declared good and was a pre-blunder condition. The question stands, why would The Creator change his purpose for his creation when he already said it is exactly what I want it to be? Not sure he would.

Many people dream about aliens and extra-terrestrial life on other planets. Not going to go as far to say that we will meet ET in

heaven, but exploring the “heavens” might be a very real possibility. For the old earth and heaven will pass away, and there will be a new earth and a new heaven.  A new star (or stars) to call the sunlight, a new land with water and trees, animals, fish and birds, a new solar system to call home. And how will we get there? The dead in Christ shall rise first and we will meet them in the air. Fly! Our bodies will be transformed to be like the glorious body of Jesus Christ, who flew into the clouds at the ascension. Is heaven going to be perfect, and peaceful, and full of love? You bet, and it is going to be fun and exciting, and adventurous, as we eternally live out God’s purpose for our existence in the infinite expanse of space-the age to come.

What do you have for your calendar for then?

Bad Grammar for Jesus

It is not only possible to believe in Jesus with bad grammar, but possibly preferred.

                In conversation, it is fairly difficult to not talk about “I.” “I think your right.” “After you get home, I’m going to the store.” “I don’t know if you heard this but…” Could it be that “I” consumes way too much of my…ahh I mean…ehh…um…our focus? To leave out the I’s and me’s in grammatically incorrect, but in doing so a better alternative than good grammar can be achieved. Have a mirror that has Jesus on the cross etched into it. Two things come to mind when thinking about that mirror. 1. Who do you see in it, Jesus or yourself? 2. A reminder that it is my fault, guilt, mistakes, and self-absorbency that is the reason for the crucifixion. Yes, “my” was used in that last sentence because it is the I that Christ died for so that the I would give up and let the You take over. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me.” Jesus said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” People seek to find “God’s will for my life,” and have difficulty figuring it out. The problem is the little two letter word at the end of that statement; “my.” It changes the focus from God’s will to “me.”

                Personally, been making an effort to remove the personal pronouns from vocabulary. Makes for bad grammar, but good Christology. Take for example the song “I Give You My Heart.”

This is my desire
To honour You
Lord, with all my heart
I worship You
All I have within me 
I give You praise
All that I adore 
Is in You

Lord, I give You my heart 
I give You my song 
I live for you alone
Every breath that I take 
Every moment I'm awake
Lord, have Your ways in me

The personal pronouns are used 15 times; Lord or You 11 times. A difference of four is not that big, but if taken into account, I, me, and my is mentioned 15 times in these two short stanzas, and that that the Lord is mentioned even less the resulting conclusion is disheartening. The use of the personal pronouns is the direct noun (the one doing the action) and the Lord is the indirect noun (the one receiving the action). So who is the subject of this song? One would have to say that the focus is on the one singing, despite the lofty concepts being espoused. To sing to God about what “I” am doing does not seem to be worship of God, rather worship of self doesn’t it? There seems to be too much “I” in today’s christIanity. “I” has been crucified with Christ. If “I” is never crucified, grammar could cost you everything.

                Not been using the personal pronouns, especially when typing and writing (easier to control). Have noticed an increase in the awareness of how many times they are used. Also, have noticed a genuine change of focus towards others. When talking less about self, it makes room to talk to other people about other people. To look in the mirror and see less of me and more of You. You loving people, You helping people, You living out your purpose, and your desire, for Paul said it is You that works in us to will and to act according to your purposes.

The Upper Room

How can something small be famous?

There is something to be said of the use of multimedia and a sound system that fills a room with music capturing the attention of a crowd; the gathering of thousands of believers as they worship the God they feel great affection for; a towering monolith of architectural beauty proclaiming to all who stand in its shadow the purpose of worship. And yet, there is Jesus in an upper room washing the feet of his disciples.

During a shared meal celebrating and worshiping the Creator’s providential salvation of his people, Jesus took the time to show humility in washing his student’s feet. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, his students were again in an upper room and Christ came to them at that place. The early church was marked by people gathering in homes to lift high the 

name of Jesus as the One God. The fame of Christ was spread far by those devoted to his cause. Household after household was converted from a home to a church. Then something changed. People started to think that glory had something to do with “big.” Now in today’s time there is more attention given to how church looks than to who the church is.

A friend posed this question recently, “Is there a better way to spend a Sunday morning then in a hallway?” A hallway converting into a church, where the Creator of the universe meets with his people by the intimate connection

of His Spirit with ours made possible by the birth, death and resurrection of Christ? No. The people willing to meet in an upper room, or a house, or a hallway do so for no other reason than the purpose of their gathering.  The beauty of the raw dedication, unwavering faith, and absolute dependence of Jesus in the small things far out-shines any production or display.

Jesus once told an individual, “There will be a day when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” Jesus was telling this person that people argue about relics like a mountain, created by God, or the relic of the Temple, built by the devout, are the place of true worship; but that neither was what the Creator desires. The Creator desires the people, not the place.

No matter where we are or what style of location we have big or small, fancy or shabby, we are the church. We are the indwelling of the Almighty. We are his image, through Christ, we are his presence.

Darkness that shines within.

Matthew once wrote, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

                At one point, the words “I don’t see any color in life anymore” were uttered to my mother. Life seemed grey and dull. Boring is not an adequate description of the viewpoint. It lacks the depth of hopelessness. Life had no color, because life had no promise; no purpose; no living. There was only

darkness that shined within, driving out all things that held light. This dark nothing soon made all things as its own; keeping me a prisoner of nowhere, and in the company of no one. To be lost and alone would be one thing, for there would be hope in being found. This darkness stripped away even the purpose in searching for rescue and help. The darkness claimed me and became me. There was only one thing to do. Die.

                The god of purpose and love had been preached to me. And preach to me they did, telling me I could find hope in him because of a prayer made by my mouth. As before, when needed, I went to this god and asked for the end, for this was the only hope I could see: to

die before him and all others so that the lifeless existence would finally cease. I prayed and planned for death as if it was mid-day meal. How is death best served on a Tuesday in late Spring? Standing outside a church building starring into the sky wondering why this god won’t answer this one little prayer. Now I lay me down to sleep, in hopes to die before I wake.

                Death was the only answer, and I am glad it came to me. Though the way it came was not what I was expecting. The strong suspicion that I could not hear god was made denser by the darkness. But, what the darkness did not understand was that true light was about to show up. While musical notes filled the air and stage lights flooded the scene, with my eyes closed I heard a voice and saw green. Three words to change life forever, spoken from my savior; “I love you.” My Lord and my God, I give you my life! My will died that day. The promise and hope of a life worth living was given to me, because a long time ago Jesus died the death that I asked for and is now longer required of me.

Jesus is my God.

We are a GMO.

Eating a fruit not made for us changed our biochemistry.

       I am not going to claim to know much at all concerning the GMO debate, but I am fairly certain that the concern is that the genetically modified organism is effecting humans when they eat it. Despite the fact that all of nature is genetically different than it was 5,000 or so years ago; this could be a valid concern. I would venture to say that our current state of our world is because of a GMO.

       The tree of knowledge of good and evil brought death, not just because the creator said we would die (so we do as punishment for disobedience), but because that is what would happen if the fruit was

eaten. The fruit genetically modified us and not in a good way. Humans gained an understanding that we were not designed to have. A friend explained his view of evil to me as the absence of God. When considering the Creator’s goodness (the standard of all things good), it is logical to assume that what is not of God is evil. This view can lead to a dualism in nature of prime reality. However, the Creator, describes himself not as the Good God, but as the I AM. God is, and the absence of “is” is nothing. God is existence and life, in which the opposite is death.

       The tree of knowledge of good and evil, made in us the existence of life and death's dualism. We fight to stay alive, but eventually death claims us all. Our survivalist instincts (to cheat death), bring about a self-focused reality and distorts our view of what the Creator declared as good. Our bio-electric and biochemical response to stimuli has been negatively modified. Public nudity…good or bad?

I know some will disagree but it is typically viewed as bad, hence the reason we have worn some type of clothing for the past 6,000 years. Adam and Eve felt shame for how they were, even though the epitome of goodness said it was good. They had an improper bio-electric and biochemical response to the stimulant of seeing each other and themselves naked.

Humans are now Genetically Modified Organisms.

Virgin Birth?

It’s Easter not Christmas…I know but it’s relevant.

                For the resurrection of Easter to mean anything, Jesus had to actually die. Returning to life is a nonevent if there was no death in the first place. Thus he had to actually die. And not a death that was in thought only, but a death of tissue and blood cells, for that is what was returned to life. And that is what our hope is as well. For Jesus to experience a physical death he had to be human. Yet, what kind of human?

                The curse of death was placed on Adam and Eve and passed onto their children. Our DNA is encoded for death. One way is the mitochondria death trigger. What kind of DNA did Jesus have? He was born of a virgin and did not receive chromosomes from a male father. This leaves two options. One, that Marry was Artificially inseminated by the Holy Spirit, which in my opinion is weird. Option two, is that Jesus was another creation of a human. In other words that he was a new Adam.

                I lean heavily on Jesus being a new human, closer to the original set of DNA, like Adam was before the fall. Thus, death was not his curse to bear. He willing took on the curse of death, even though his body was not going to die. And he cried out when he felt this forsakenness from the Father as he took on death, our curse. So, no we make a trade, his death for our life. We accept his death as our curse and offer our live to be lived by him.

We then have the hope that our view of death is the same as Jesus’ view. Sleep now, to be awakened again. This is the promise of Easter, the resurrection because Jesus was a new man and through him we become new again. 

The Pitfalls of Worship

Could it be that you look at it all wrong?

Are your defenses up after that question? Consider the Children of Jacob, or Israel as they were called. They built a golden calf by melting down their jewelry and worshiped what they “made with their own hands.” They gave up on Moses coming back and worshiped a god of their own crafting. When Moses came back down the mountain he was furious and he threw the tablets of testimony and burned the golden calf in a fire. After that Moses was setting up a tent outside of their camp where he would go and meet with YHWH (I AM/God).

When Moses met with YHWH in the tent, a pillar of fog would stand at the entrance. All the people would stand outside by the entrance to their own tents and they would bow down in worship. YHWY then gave Moses specifications for the people to follow in order to build a Tent of Meeting or Tabernacle. They took gold and jewels, wood and dyed skins for the finest craftsmen (male and female term here people…) to construct articles of worship. They made the Tabernacle, the arc of the covenant, a table, lampstand and more with their own hands. They then worshiped YHWH as a god of their own crafting via YHWH’s instruction.

So, could it be that great articles of faith that we even have today are simply tokens of our own crafting? Gen 2:8 “When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.” They heard (sound vibrations in the air) God walking and recognized the sound (they knew who to hide from). They had been walking with God up till that point. God had a physical presence in the garden. Adam and Eve walked with God in Paradise. Noah also walked with God (Gen 6:9), it is this walking with God that made him the only blameless person at that time.

God of the cosmos and DNA

What has any of this to do with the other? The Creator reveals himself to show us the immensity of his being, and we seek to make him a creation of our own hands. We can reduce God to prayer, reading the Bible, singing in church, listening to a sermon, when he is so much more! And our worship of his should be so much more. Worship and walking with God are inseparable. True worship is done by understanding that we are no longer the death cursed loner we used to be, but that the One True Creator God is living and walking in us. When we remain in that understanding and keep our mindset bonded to it we abide in Christ and he abides in us and we are one with YHWY.

As we go Lord…

Gnostic Gospel

Is what this world made of bad, and only what is of heaven good?

There is much confusion about the seemingly distinction between the physical and the spiritual. Is it not it true that the physical blood of Christ purchased our spiritual redemption? So, is there really a distinction between the two? Current Christian thinking has a far to Gnostic approach to the Kingdom of Heaven, then what is taught by Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and the other writers of the New Testament collection.

People do not seem to grasp the fact that God our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness, and by our trust in his resurrection as our complete rebirth is complete. We now live a life in the body through faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us. The life we live now while working out this salvation is by Jesus to increase his fame. To pray to God and say, I know I am nothing and have nothing good to bring you, except by your grace is not a continual prayer for someone who is not now nothing but has been made to be a “son of God” or heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.

There almost seems to be a Deistic flavor to this Gnostic interpretation of the Kingdom as well. Heaven is some other realm where the Father dwells and is beyond our reach. However Jesus said the Kingdom of heaven is near. We are read also that the return of Christ is near. Neither of these usages of “near” has anything to do with time, but space. The Kingdom and the return of Christ are close, right next to us.

James taught that true and pure religion is this: to look after widows and orphans. In other words to do something actual and physical for people is the true spirituality. To say to someone I’ll pray for you, or do you want to talk, is well and good, but if that is all we ever do, is there any action to our faith? Is our faith working out our salvation by interacting in a physical world with eagerness to do good?

It is by the physical blood and body of Christ that we are who we are now, a people of the Anointed One. To separate the laws of physics, biology, chemistry and the like from what is “spiritual” is not only a non-ancient Jewish thought, but a non-Christian ideology as well! Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, which means to love God by every facet and fiber of your being, down to the very cellular fusions and bioelectric impulses.

There is no sacred and secular to a Christian, for by our connection with God all we do is done in the presence of the All Mighty! Live accordingly.

Home Worship

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Home Worship on Prezi

The Great Commission

Jesus said, go into all nations evangelizing them and bringing them to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and the Spirit.

Actually the word used by Matthew, when writing what Jesus said, was the Koine Greek word mathēteuō.  This word is a verb and its etymological root word is mathētēs, which means (a) disciple. The verb, as all verbs do, denotes action, which in this case is the teaching or instruction of another who is to be the “disciple.” So, what does any of that have to do with the great commission? Follow this to the end and it will be clear.

Jesus made his disciples simply by saying, “follow me.” Those to whom Jesus spoke agreed to be his disciples by following him. Their great statements of faith did not come until later. Their baptism was more than likely before their commitment to follow Jesus (Acts 1:21-22). Their union with the Soul of God (Holy Spirit) was after their discipleship from Jesus had ended. So, what is discipleship?

Discipleship (as referred to in the Bible) is an ancient practice of education and training. Consider a master potter maker taking on an apprentice; this would be a close resemblance to discipleship. The apprentice would study with the master, learning from him the trade. Not only would the apprentice learn how to make pottery but learn the tools and how to make specialty tools. The apprentice would learn how to market the products, acquiring new clients as well as retaining customers. The apprentice would spend great amounts of time by the master’s side in order to learn all of this. Jesus, a Rabbi, was training his disciples (apprentices) His brand of Judaism. Being that Jesus is the Son of God, his brand was God’s heart.

The point being, that the hearers of “go make disciples of all nations” would not have taken that as “go get people to follow me (Jesus).” They would have understood that as, you are now trained as Rabbis go and call others to follow you in order to train them, and baptize them in the name of Father, Me, and The Great Soul Connecting Us. (The baptism was more of the conversion or declaration of faith.)

Today we keep calling people to follow Jesus, yet where is the discipleship? Where are the trained, training others; follow me as I follow Christ? Telling people to read their Bibles, be a part of a local church, pray as much as you can, and listen to your pastor; is not discipleship. Our call to discipleship does not necessarily mean we must quit our job or sell our business, but it has to be far more involved in the re-training of people’s minds than the one to three group meetings a week allows for.

Go, and make disciples, find someone and say 

Fear God

It seems an odd statement for someone who is supposed to love us.

We are made in the image of God. This is not to say that God is like us. We reflect God in our creativity, imagination, love, intelligence and many other ways. This again is not to say that God loves the way we do, imagines the way we do, has the same intelligence we do. Therefore, to fear God is not to be afraid of him like he is a monster but to understand his ability is far beyond that of our own.

Just because a grizzly bear is wearing an apron and holding a teapot, does not mean you should fear it any less. You might not know if it will attack you, but it could. The same can be said of one in the wild amongst the trees and rivers. There is a common theme amongst animal lovers who are attacked by their exotic pets. These people project their own feelings of affection onto the animal, which is not capable of the same emotional responses. It is healthy to fear a wild Grizzly bear as well as one in captivity who is cared for by humans, because both bears have the capability and capacity to destroy you.

Too often, we as humans try to impose our limited sense of love and understanding upon God. The result is a lack of genuine respect for whom and what God is. Is God going to destroy you like a wild grizzly? Probably not, but could He; yes. To fear God is not to be afraid of Him like he is a monster, but to have a proper perspective on the fact that He is Creator and we are his creation. Like the bear, God is bigger and stronger, but more than that God is smarter, more imaginative, has a greater sense of creativity, and is much more knowledgeable than we are.

As a wise man said, “Fear God and don’t do stupid.”

Knowledge

Where does knowledge come from? God or man?

The Disciples were "un-educated" people. Their instruction did not come from their society's standards of education, yet they were at the head of the movement that altered the world’s history. Yet, today's churches require a "Christian" equivalent to our society’s education to be a minister... A high GPA is the beginning of wisdom; or the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, it just needs to be finished out with an accreditation from man? Something seems to be amiss...

The area of Galilee was an interesting area filled with people of zeal for the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus picked his first followers from an area filled with home schooled, synagogue saturated communities (Deuteronomy 6:5-9). They, were not schooled in the rhetoric of the Roman Empire like what Paul (Saul) would have been. His education, he considers loss for the sake of Christ. (Philippians 3:4-7)

Where is the church going to be in the decades and centuries to come if they continue to reject those who are not educated by our societies’ educational system? Jesus could have chosen the people from the most affluent, schooled, and politically connected people to be his first followers, but he picked those who were from families that loved the Lord God with all their will, actions, and life. Jesus knew that “true” wisdom comes from God. Those willing to be “schooled” by the very Soul of God will be those filled with knowledge and not information.

True Religion

Perspective is the key to “good” religion.

I have a no religion shirt, which has on the backside the words written Embrace Jesus. No one can argue the point that many “bad” and destructive things have been done in human history using religion as a cover. From nations and people groups to individuals, religion can be used for selfish purposes. What is it that makes for “good” religion? Perspective or definition is the key to that answer.

^{James 1:27 “}Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Many point out that the orphans and widows would be those people who are poor in that ancient society. Therefore, they make the point that we should care for the poor. I have no disagreements with that assessment. However, are these people overlooking something more?

The widows and orphans are the neglected and victims of that ancient societies political and social structure. Widows and orphans would be completely dependent on others and have nothing to be able to sustain them. Single mothers can find work in today’s society, and un-married women can be quite successful (as well as married women). Therefore, the idea of a widow being poor just because she has lost her husband is not something that is epidemic in our society as it was to James’ readers. So, who are the victims of today’s political and social structure? One of these is the students of this nation (not that they are the only). Suicide is the third leading cause of death among those from ages 15-24. Many churches still see ministry to the young as teaching them bible stories and showing them that church can be fun. Yet they do not engage their minds on what true discipleship is and show them the reality of God’s presence. Many pastors want a “youth minister” to run some programming so that the church looks better to it potential prospects. Moreover, many pastors do not view the “youth minister” as a leader in the church, but simply the youth person. This view of the person seeking to reach the students is also telling of the view of the students themselves.

It is not just the students who are “loners” or dressing odd that are susceptible to the suicide problem, but also many students who are “popular” and doing well academically. Students live in an academic system that looks over the individual in favor for the corporate all the while the philosophy of our society is “me.” They are inundated with age equivalent peers, while the “world of adults” is non-age specific. These factors plus several others has led to an entirely different culture among the young that leaves them suspect of adults and cling to their “friends.” Church is therefore just another adult place and they typically do not open up in adult places. They may comply for a while and show some interest, but once they are in college or out on their own, their worldview, which classified church as not really a place for me, manifests. Many walk away from not only church but also faith in the reality of God’s presence and the power of the resurrection of Jesus. In many ways, the students are the victims of our society. True religion will look after the young of our nation and not persuaded by our culture!

Be true!

Love

Is love a title wave of strong emotion, or simply an action by force of will?

Have you found your “soul mate,” “true love,” “the one”? Is this even a valid question? I say no. Romance in movies is usually about finally finding that one person that completes the two parties. In my own experience, I believed that God led me to my wife, and that we were supposed to be together. As if it were his plan, to play cupid in our lives and have us “fall” in love. “Falling in love” is another statement that misses the point, as if you can fall out of love with someone. Also, the distinction I heard Chelsea Handler make in a movie once; “You can love more than one person but you cannot be “in love” with more than one person.” If love is this title wave of emotion that is so strong, why is it so fickle? Again, I say it is not. Love is a conscious effort to put another’s concerns, passions, interests, and all around everything above your own.

Jesus said it this way, “No greater love has a man than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” ^{John 15:13} Love is sacrificial! Love is submissive! Love ignores self, and gives all it is capable of giving! To fall out of love is simply a choice that a person makes where they have decided to care more about their own well-being than that of the other. It may be warranted, and have justifiable reasons, but it is not love that failed, rather the person failed to continue to love. Our world, and more importantly our Church, could do with a better understanding that love comes by act of will.

Love takes intentional thought filled action, not emotional response to stimulation. Here is a simple test. If an action meets these four criteria, you can be sure it is love.

1.      Is what I am doing or about to do motivated primarily to benefit another?

2.      Am I more concerned about how I will look, by doing this or simply doing it for another?

3.      You do not feel like being supportive, and sacrificial, but you do anyways.

4.      Am I thinking of other ways to make this more about “you” than me.       

God is Love, let us also be love.

Spirit and Soul

Is there a distinction between the two or are they of the same essence?

Pneuma and psyche, spirit and soul, inner life and inner life. Both Koine Greek words can be translated to mean inner life. God is spirit and we are called to love God with all our soul. Could it be that these two words are in reference to the same life force? I would like to put forth a different idea on what is considered the “spiritual” realm. Ancient people classified or described things they experienced in terms that were knowable or at least fathomable for the time. Bioelectric transmissions, cosmic plasma electro-magnetic fields, and our modern use of electricity was not something they could fathom. The electric charge in synaptic fires in our brain carries information from one spot to another. Our modern use of electricity transmits information as well. Electric charges can be found in all plasma and since nearly (99.999%) all things visible are in a plasma state, our entire existence is electrical. Outerspace is a vacuum, however it is permeated with the plasma of solar "Wind" What if this electric interface is the spirit. Not to get into a new age philosophy, but that the very Soul of God is not like humans in their organic state, but an infinite network of electrical transmissions that function similar to how our brain transfers information.

This means that when the Soul of God (Holy Spirit, Counselor, Comforter) comes to dwell within us, it is in our very brain that he dwells. That infinite network of life intimately connects to our thoughts, ideas, knowledge, wisdom, insights, hopes, and dreams. ^John15:26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father —the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” (John 14:23-28 is superb for understanding my thoughts on this as well.)

Jesus, being the Son of the Living God, did not have a soul-hybrid (for lack of a better term) like we do. He is the Word of God in organic form. Jesus was that infinite electrical network encapsulated in a biological human brain. He never once had the fear of death as we do, and thus was able to be free from the “instinct of me” for his entirely earthly life. We struggle to let go of old pathways of bioelectrical communication and rely solely on the Soul of God. Where our biology fails us, the Grace of Christ claims victory!

You are not alone!

What is sin?

Is it simply an action that is forbidden which makes it a "sin," or is it the motives behind the action?
           In the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus starts to show a different ethical insight that most of those who worshiped Yahweh did not hold.  Jesus preaches more about purpose and the “whys” of many other teachings. He offers up the reason why you should not swear on earth and states that at the “heart” of an oath is agreeing to something and that by adding all this extra collateral, you are admitting that your word is as good as the “evil one’s” word. He talks about how if salt and light do not fulfill their purpose then what good are they? He clarifies that our purpose is to do good deeds so that those who see them may glorify God, for the work He has done in and through us. He also talks about that if you do something good for another in order to be looked well upon by people then that is all you are going to get as a reward. Your motivation was selfish and therefore your “good” deed was not so good.

            I contend the same would be true for “sin.” Sin by its very nature is a self-focused desire brought into fruition. If the motivation behind an act is not sinful (self-motivated) then is the act in of itself sin? No. Paul’s teaching in I Corinthians would seem to back up this statement in regards to meat sacrificed to pagan gods. This may seem like I am trying to turn everything grey, or to make excuses in order to condone certain actions. I will say that there are actions, which cannot be non-selfish, and therefore, those actions will always be sinful. Jesus brings up murder as an example. People can use an excuse to argue their “basic goodness” by stating they have never hurt someone else. Jesus, contends that if you call someone a dumb sheep (a crossbreed sheep, but statement is much like our use of the alternate word for donkey) or a fool that you are guilty of the same sin as murder (hate and selfish desire to consider your life better and more important than another’s life).

            Those who want a checklist of sins, to abide by are not living in grace through the power and presence of the Soul of God. Instead, the checklist folks are living by law and through their own prideful power to adhere to the list. We need a much more reflective view of “sin” to be able to understand who Jesus wants us to be and not what Jesus wants us to do. The distinction is in the motive. Are our actions being governed by a list of not-to’s in which we are concerned about making sure “I” am a good person (in which self is the focus)? Alternatively, are our actions being governed by a sense of loving others and devotion to showing God glory? When Jesus told the woman caught in adultery “go sin no more,” he was not saying go now and stop doing what you have been doing; instead he was saying go on and stop focusing on your life as if it is what is important. He gave her an example of what it is to give grace to others, and wanted her to live her life likewise. 

Go, be self-focused no more!