BoldGrace

I was reading some of the “talking points” Jesus spoke through the bible, and it keeps occurring to me that much of what he said wasn’t a “hope” for the future or some "command" for faithfulness, as scholars teach, but in actuality… near-term prophecy! Prophecy that manifested in the Cross of Christ!

Examples:

“that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee….”

Religious scholars will tell you that this is the hope for the future… when Jesus returns. But, I say this was a prophetic word of what would soon be (and did happen). We keep looking to the future for deliverance when we should be living in the present “of what is”. The Cross of Christ was God’s revelation to all mankind regarding our condition - here and now! It is not “what will be” but “what is!”

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he does not have the power to see the Kingdom of God.”

This wasn’t a command, or some sort of requirement, or even proof of proper belief (as the religious leaders would have you think), it is prophecy. Jesus was pointing to what was about to happen on the Cross! The entire world was “born again” all in one amazing, bold act of kind mercy on the the Cross of Christ! Believing it, or not, doesn’t make it so… having faith, or not, doesn’t change the fact… striving for it, or not doesn’t bring it about… nothing can change what happened. Nothing can change what was revealed through that incredible demonstration of God’s love. Nothing can undo what the Father has done!

The church keeps missing the mark, and will continue to be powerless and ineffective. They will continue to build their earthly kingdoms instead of choosing to see the kingdom they already own!

As I have moved into this wonderful position of understanding the power of grace I often thnk about what the difference is between those of us who preach the gospel of Grace & Peace and those who are still involved in traditional Christianity.  Looking back over my early years in the church and observing others who are still involved in organized religion I have come to the conclusion that the main difference is between these two words "Grace & Forgiveness". 

Grace is not something we have any power whatsoever over.  Grace is God’s unmerited favor that has always been freely ours whether we believe in it or not. 

Forgiveness on the other hand is something we receive in our minds by accepting it and believing it.  My experience with most Christians is that here is where they struggle because of the message they are being taught.  Most churches, if not all have regular alter calls or invitations to repent in order to stay within God’s good Graces.  They are taught that unless they repent of their sins God is unable to deliver His grace and they could be in danger of spending eternity in torment.  They are taught that God has done His part but they MUST do their part in order to be in a right relationship with HIm.  The problem with that is their consciences are never made perfect because it always depends on their performance.  It was the same way under the old covenant.  Listen to the writer of Hebrews:

Heb 10:1-9 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

Those who do not understand the Grace of God to be completely unconditional can never have their consciences purged of sin.  Those who do understand that their performance or belief has NOTHING to do with receiving Grace enjoy a peace  because all their fears have been cast out.

1 John 4:17-19 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.

Jesus is PERFECT and so are we because He has taken us all into his body on the cross.  I long for the day that all my fellow travelers will understand this GREAT TRUTH and I know that all will eventually bow down on their knees in utter adoration at the LOVE that has always been there for them.   Until that time arrives I will keep preaching to all that will hear "BEHOLD, THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD."

Peace and Love to All,

PS.  By the way, I can say I have NO fear of punishment or death.  How many Christians can say the same thing?  I have not know many in my experience that can make that claim who are still involved in organized Christianity.

"Your mind is not your mind. It is God’s gift to you to recognize, to reconcile, to harmonize with His creation." –Anonymous

This is powerful to me because growing up we are told to use our minds and learn as much as we can so we can become successful, yet as we become adults we learn to judge and be judged based on what others think of us and it seems like we lose the gift to think for ourselves and be confident in who we are.  Why is it so scary to think for ourselves, be confident in ourselves, be confident in our decisions and be proud of our lives and our stories?

I was at our local meat market today and while I stood and waited for my order to get placed I had to stand there and listen to this man lecture this poor woman behind the counter on the book of Romans. He was trying to persuade her into coming back to his church. The lady taking his order use to teach Sunday school and stopped teaching because she didn’t like the politics of her church. This guy was practically falling over the counter trying to convince this woman that Church is the only thing that will give her the answers to life. He told her that she had to be careful playing around in the war of the religious vs the non-religious.

As I stood there waiting for someone to check me out she happened to be the one to take care of me. She seemed very relieved to get away. I told her that I thought what she did was very courageous. She said, "what do you mean"? I told her that it is hard to think for yourself when you are being controlled by other peoples interpretations of the bible. She smiled soo big at me and then I told her that she should try reading the bible on her own and keep and opened mind while she is doing it.

I don’t know if I should have said anything to her, but I followed my heart and she seemed to respond to it. She had some questions for me so I told her about our website and I told her that I typically like to use my own mind and follow my heart and it seems to lead me toward peace. She assumed I went to some kind of Church and I told her that I went to Saint Mattress of the Springs. She giggled and I wished her the best!

I don’t know if she will check this out or not, but if you do my advice to you is this: Keep your heart and your mind opened and stay true to who you are AND never stop searching. Just trust in yourself because for me that is where God truly is.

Peace

Ultimately we all seek a place of peace, but where is it to be found in a world so focused on division, violence, and pain?  Speaking for myself I find that the only peace that can truly stand up and survive in this type of world is a peace that has its roots in our true identity.

In Wayne Dyer’s book "Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life" he gives us his interpretation of the 13th Verse of the Tao of which I personally think is critical in finding our peace.  Let me quote from his book.

13th Verse: Favor and disgrace seem alarming.  High status greatly afflicts your person.  Why are favor and disgrace alarming?  Seeking favor is degrading:  alarming when it is gotten, alarming when it is lost.  Why does high status greatly afflict your person?  The reason we have a lot of trouble is that we have selves.  If we had no selves, what trouble would we have?  Man’s true self is eternal, yet he thinks, I am this body and will soon die.  If we have no body, what calamities can we have?  One who sees himself as everything is fit to be guardian of the world.  One who loves himself as everyone is fit to be teacher of the world.

This verse alone was worth the cost of the book and far beyond.  Wayne says the essential message of this 13th verse of the Tao Te Ching seems to be that it’s crucial to remain independent of both the positive and negative opinions of other people.  Regardless of whether they love or despise us, if we make their assessments more important than our own, we’ll be greatly afflicted.

If you gain approval, you’ll become a slave to outside messages of praise—someone else’s opinion will be directing your life.  If you gain disfavor, you’ll push even harder to change their minds, and you’ll still be directed by forces outside of yourself. 

Your worldly self isn’t your true identity, it is only an illusion you have allowed your self to believe by being focused on what outside forces say about you.  To find your place of peace you must begin to trust your eternal self and allow that identify to communicate with you.   Paul the apostle spoke of our minds being re-newed.  For this to take place we must place no importance whatsoever to what others think of us, good or bad.  If you allow yourself to be dependent on the judgments of others you will never know the peace I am talking about. 

What was so special about me that Christ was willing to go to the cross for?  Answer that question and you are a long way toward seeing your true identity.  Once you see your eternal self, you will also see it in others because we ALL have it. 

Try for just one day to allow your mind to see the true eternal self that is connected to not just to a God of love but a God that IS LOVE.  Know that you too are that LOVE.  For one day, give up all need to be praised by others or to seek their favor.  Try for one day to listen to what this beautiful eternal self has to say to you.  What you will find is a place of peace from which there is no return. 

"The folks from Presence.TV and Graham Old from the incredibly awesome and inspiring Leaving Munster are interested in connecting with anyone from in and around the UK who would be interested in exploring the message of fulfilled eschatology."

There you go Graham. Just as you wrote! hahahaha!

On a serious note, those of the Bold Grace Community that live in the UK we encourage you to contact Graham and engage in conversation with him. His email is      Graham Old <graham at  anabaptist  dot  com  dot  uk>

Peace

Geo

As I was reading tonight I was once again reminded by King David concerning the nature of God.  Understanding our Creator is a task that will never be accomplished (at least by me) but I can understand the most basic things that are needed for feeling good about my journey here on earth.  Allow me to quote David:

Ps 130  Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.  If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?  But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

David makes it clear that if God were to keep a record of our sins no one would be left standing, but he doesn’t stop with that, he also makes it clear that we can not only count on His love but that His love will never fail us.  And then he tells us why that love won’t fail——HE HIMSELF WILL REDEEM US FROM ALL OUR SINS. 

You see, the only possible way that any of us could ever rest our head at night in peace is to know that God is NOT counting on us to accomplish His unfailing LOVE.  Sometimes I really get tired at those who attack me for giving God all the credit due him.  Why do so many christians fight so hard against this idea that God is the Potter and we are the clay?  Does the clay have any say whatsoever concerning how the Potter will fashion it? 

I don’t suppose I will ever understand why we humans make so many stupid choices as we journey along.  I am 56 and still find myself saying and doing things I know to be wrong and hurtful to others.  I am always sorry about it and yet at the end of each new day the only thing I’m sure about is how grateful I am that God doesn’t keep a record of my wrongs, always loves me, and my redemption is never in question.  Those three simple things are what allows me to get up each new day with a great desire to be all that I can be.  

So, as I lay my head down tonight I will utter some silent words into the darkness——"Thank you Lord for loving me in spite of my poor performance, and teach me Lord to love others the way you have loved me."

The following scriptures put to soft music speak the message of bold grace better then any words I could ever put together.  Please listen over and over.  If you are struggling or going through a difficult time know that He will never let you down.

Isaiah 29

 13Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.

According to Isaiah fear of God is but a precept that is taught by mere men and it is not of God. That very reason still stands in the church today. People draw near to God with their lips but their hearts are far removed from Him because of the fear, guilt and condemnation that is taught by men and women in the church today. As long as fear is taught, people cannot draw near to God in their hearts.

It’s time we quit listening to the precepts and writings that are taught of men and started listening to what the scriptures say. (The Scriptures being, the law, the psalms and the prophets)

Selah

Geo