BoldGrace

See if you can relate

Peace
Geo

There is much controversy between many in our current world as to whether the Bible is inspired by God or just written by a bunch of men void of any connection to God the Creator.  I am not here today to examine the evidence for either side of that argument.  I am just here to share what my heart tells me after many years of study and reflection. 

What do I believe about the Bible being inspired?  I believe every word of it is not only inspired by our Creator but that it also was intended to have a profound effect on the journey of all mankind. 

Does that mean I believe every word in the Bible is truth?  NO……….I have come to believe that often God allowed men to write absolute truth that came from the hidden image of the Creator within, and that He also allowed men to write outright lies that came from their own ignorance, prejudice, self righteousness, and their own desire to know good & evil.

Now I know the first question I will be asked is:  If what you say is true Cliff then how can we possibly tell the difference between what is true and what is a lie? 

Please think about that for awhile.  Mankind has been arguing over the Bible (scripture) even long before it was in print.  Could it just be that our Creator wanted every single human being to look deep inside themselves realizing that the ultimate TRUTH to be found has always been with them?  Surely, if God gave us a book of complete truth wouldn’t there be more agreement then we have seen?

I believe our Creator is PERFECT and I believe He gave us a perfectly designed environment that included allowing us (mankind) to both write absolute truths and absolute lies even within the Bible.  That’s why I believe every word was inspired by God because He knew exactly what He was doing when He gave us a book that would bring such disagreement.

Now what is the purpose of giving us such a book?  Could it be that our purpose here on earth has never been to know Good & Evil, but rather to know LOVE.  If you go to the Bible with the purpose of trying to know good and evil you will become a person with much fear, judgment, condemnation, and self righteousness.  If you go to the Bible with the purpose of finding LOVE you will find Jesus.

Jesus is spoken of as the HIDDEN MYSTERY.  I believe God placed this most important mystery within a book of both truth and lies to allow each of us to rise to the challenge of finding the God within.  The God within is the Christ.

Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return. Eternity is at out hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny, calling us home unto Thyself. Yielding to these persuasions, gladly committing ourselves in body and soul, utterly and completely, to the Light Within, is the beginning of true life. It is a dynamic center, creative Life that presses to birth within us. It is a Light Within which illumines the face of God and casts new shadows and new glories upon the face of men. It is a seed stirring to life if we do not choke it. It is the Shekinah of the soul, the Presence in the Midst. Here is the Slumbering Christ, stirring to be awakened, to become the soul we clothe in earthly form and action. And He is within us all.

By Thomas Kelly

Hasn’t the past month demonstrated something we all know if we are honest with ourselves?  And that something is "WE WILL NEVER AGREE WITH EACH OTHER BASED ON OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE".   But there is something that transcends the written word and that something is the LOVE that resides in every one of our hearts.  That LOVE is GOD and sooner or later this LOVE will be revealed to every one of us.

God has always been the inspiration behind everything that man does and says.  True peace is found when one is able to trust that God really is PERFECT and so is ALL His CREATION.  If this is not true then we all have much to fear and very little to hope for.

Peace to ALL,

Cliff

Paul said in 1 Thess 5:16-18   16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Rom 8:38-39 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I’ve seen bullys all my life in all sorts of forms.  They are all the same at the core.  They are insecure, they are full of fear, and they really want attention.   They are also people who desperately need to find love.  The problem is they are looking for it in all the wrong places.  We here at Boldgrace tolerate people of all sorts.  We tolerate those who attack us, we tolerate those who disagree with us, and we tolerate those who choose to insult us, but we won’t tolerate bullys.  By that, I mean we will not let them get by with their rantings and ravings without challenge.  We are not here to have long drawn out debates about scripture.  Yes, we love for people to share their views on the subject and we love to share ours, but there is a line that we won’t allow to be crossed without a challenge.  I am putting the following video on because a certain person has been coming here to bully us.  I know without a doubt that a particular name came to your mind as you read this so I don’t need to name that person.  Let me just say that we are not going to allow that person to have free reign anymore. 

Someone awhile ago asked what the "LINE" is?  Well, for me it has been crossed.  We will not bar that person from this site (as they have been by other sites) but we will begin to take a tougher stance on the relentless attacks on not only our characters but several of those who comment here on a regular basis.  I (Cliff) do believe this person comes here because they are crying out for help, but enabling them will not help them. 

TO THAT PERSON:  (you know who you are)  STOP THE BULLYING.  YOU ARE VERY SICK AND IN NEED OF HELP.  PLEASE SEEK OUT A QUALIFIED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL THAT CAN HELP YOU DEAL WITH YOUR CONTROL ISSUES AND FEARS.  PLEASE KNOW THAT WE WISH FOR YOU HEALTH AND HAPPINESS, BUT WE WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO BE A BULLY UNCHALLENGED.

Come on folks, let’s take God’s advice and LEAN ON EACH OTHER.  We will all have a moment in our future where we need someone.  I look back and see so many times where I needed a friend and many of you were there for me to lean on.  I know at times it was not easy for you but the LOVE in you did not let me down.   I count on that because I really believe God wants us to do exactly that and it gives me great peace in trusting the beauty of His perfect creation (that’s YOU).  It’s sad that some come here to this site to argue, condemn, and find fault, all in the name of their God, but just maybe they are really coming here because they desperately need someone to lean on.  It’s not always easy to let people in fear lean on you but the Perfect God within each of us can give us the strength to handle those who are filled with fear.  They really are in great need to lean on someone.  The words to the following song have always touched my heart as I’m sure they have touched yours as well.  I am so grateful that our God created in us LIFE GIVING SPIRITS.  We have SO MUCH LIFE TO GIVE BECAUSE OF HIM.

1 Sam 16:1-7

And the Lord  said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord  said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord . And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. And Samuel did that which the Lord  spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord : sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord ’s anointed is before him. But the Lord  said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord  seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord  looketh on the heart.

In the above scritures we see something quite wonderful about our God of Perfect Love.  God was about to choose a new King for Israel and He made it quite clear to Samuel that He made His choice by looking on the heart of David, not on his outer appearance.

Now as we think about that in hind sight, just what did God see?  We know that David would later become an adulterer, murderer, liar, thief, and well I think you get the picture.  We know that God knew in advance the terrible mistakes that David would make in his performance as a human in the flesh, but God also knew that David wanted desperately to be in touch with what God could see was in his heart.   In the next set of scriptures we see David speaking about his failings and in his words we also see what God saw all along……..a heart that longed to be pure. 

Ps 51:1-10  Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.  Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.  Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.  Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

God did not have to give David a new spirit.  David’s spirit (just like ours) only needs RE-NEWING.  Even David’s view of God was tarnished by his own fear of God.  All of us have been just where David was, gripped by fear of what our life has added up to.  None of us have bragging rights before God and yet none of us have any need to be afraid of Him.  We all can approach Him with a perfect confidence, not because of what we have done, but because of His UNFAILING LOVE. Paul makes this very clear:

Like Paul, I feel compelled to share what is this fellowship of the mystery.  We are all partakers of this mystery and our fellowship together is not and has never been based on us but rather on the FAITH OF HIM.  It is a faith that sees past our terrible choices in this flesh and reveals to each of us the beauty of what God created in our hearts from the very beginning.

Anyone who comes to this site and sets themselves up as separte because they think they have the answers have completely missed the point of where our confidence lies.  The whole point of the hidden mystery was that mankind NEVER got IT!  Jesus DID GET IT and He didn’t ask for help.  It was because of his one act of obedience that righteousness has fallen upon us ALL.

I now get up each new day with a burning desire to see what God has always seen…….THE BEAUTY OF WHAT WAS MADE IN HIS IMAGE (US).

Eph 3:7-12 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

The following I wrote up last night in response to a person that had contacted me through email. The contact came because the person wanted information about house church meetings which I used to be a part of long ago. I told him that I no longer "do" house church or any church but that our belief has still remained only in a different form. It just so happens I am having coffee this afternoon with him and will share these points with him about where I see the church going wrong today. (These are just a few of the points) By the way this person is a pastor of a local church. So it should be interesting. Here are my points

1.    Identity Theft – Adam was told he would be like God if he ate of the Tree. When the TRUTH was he already was like God and made in the very image of God. The serpent stole Adams identity. In the same way the serpent sought to steal Jesus’ identity by saying, “IF you are the Son of God then do this or that to prove it.” Satan’s biggest trap is to try and get people to prove something by their actions and beliefs. (Even well meaning Christians and Christian leaders do the same when they tell others that a “good” Christian does this or doesn’t do that) Jesus knew who He was and did not fall to the temptation of proving who He was by His actions and deeds. And why is that? Because of his knowing His Identity before the Father. The Father had already told him at His Baptism that “THIS IS MY SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED” He was pleased with Jesus before Jesus did ANYTHING! In the same way we must let people know that they are pleasing to the Father before or if they NEVER do anything. And why is He pleased? Because when He looks at us He sees His Son and His Righteousness and not our own. It is the message that is and will set people free. 

And because of Identity Theft the following takes place:

2.    Sin Consciousness is preached instead of Righteousness Consciousness – The New Covenant Good News Message should cleanse the mind of the Old Covenant Sin Consciousness and instead instill a Consciousness of Righteousness. But the church continues to preach sin and sin consciousness instead of righteousness and righteousness consciousness. When sin consciousness (Moses) is preached a veil is let down over a person’s mind and the completeness of Christ and His sacrifice CANNOT BE SEEN!

And the preaching of Sin Consciousness leads to this:

3.    People attempting to fulfill the biggest desire of the flesh, which is to be justified by what they think, say or do. More than any other thing the flesh or human ego or self if you will desires to be justified by what it thinks, says or does. And in doing so will either approve of themselves and others or disapprove of themselves and others. People who attempt to please God through their actions, words and deeds are some of the most judgmental and hate filled people on planet earth. Sin consciousness NEVER leads to peace. It always leads to guilt and condemnation of self and mostly of others. Why of others? Because a person who is trying to please God through their actions, words and deeds will always compare themselves to those who seem to be not doing as they are.

What is the answer to this? The following:

4.    Quit believing and trusting in your own personal faith and belief and embrace the faith and belief  “of” Christ. Accept that you are righteous perfect and holy in the beloved. Accept God’s view and opinion of yourself and not the world’s view or the church’s view and opinion of yourself.  What is the difference? The church mostly teaches that you are pleasing or unpleasing to God through your actions, words and deeds. God says you are righteous, perfect and holy because of what Jesus did regardless of your actions, words or deeds. And God also says there is NOTHING you can do or not do to change that view. So in the end will you believe in your belief in your self or God’s belief about you?  It is only when we are freed from our own belief about ourselves and others that we see Jesus.

5.    Embracing the faith “of” Christ – It is at the end of our belief about God that we meet Him and His belief about ourselves and others. What we believe about God does not matter. It is what He believes about us that will set the captives free to be free. What an individual believes about God can NEVER set that person or anyone else free. But when that person hears about God’s view and opinion about themselves through the Cross and Blood of Christ regardless of words, action or deeds. The soul comes to rest and know that He alone is God.

6.    Remember Sin NO MORE – I have seen it over and over the past 4 years that when a person keeps the thought that they are righteous and holy EVEN WHEN THEY FALL OR FAIL that person will have and experience vices and desires fall off them like dead leaves from a tree in autumn. Things that they tried for years to rid their life of cease because of a Righteousness Consciousness. It makes no sense to the religious mindset because the religious mindset is trying to please God through the flesh. Something that was done by Jesus for us, the religious mindset tries to do for itself. And if you tell this to the religious they will rise up to kill you just as they did to Jesus. It may not be a physical death but they will attempt to destroy your ministry or you as a person.

Peace

Geo

I may have posted this in the past but I love this song! Peace Geo

"You Owe Me Nothing In Return"

You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have
I give you thanks for receiving it’s my privilege
And you owe me nothing in return

From Alanis Morissette

Peace

Geo

What IS the Power of God?

Peace

Geo