The TRUTH is NOT ALWAYS in the MIDDLE (part 3)

Paul also wrote the Corinthians concernings spiritual gifts, and showed the equality of the members of "the body," comparing each believer to a member of the human body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 
I Corinthians 12:21-26  NIV, emphasis mine.

So with truth there is justice and thus equity and fairness.  The truth does sometimes bring about balance and moderation. 

But not always.


Our commitment is to the truth, whether it is extreme or moderate, whether it causes unions or separations, for sometimes truth unites, and at other times truth divides. 

Christ was and is the Prince of Peace who blessed peacemakers.  The death and resurrection of Christ brings peace between God and people, and between people and each other WHEN HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTED ARE ACCEPTED!

But if Christ is rejected, then He does not bring peace.  He brings a sword that divides families and friends.  The Scriptures declare these absolute truths:

Friends of this world are enemies of God.
Those who are not for Christ are against Christ.
No one can serve two masters.  One master will be loved and the other hated.
God is light.  In God there is NO darkness AT ALL.

These truths are not "in the middle."  Truth, by definition, excludes falsehood or that which contradicts it.  This does not mean we should strive to be as obnoxious, abrasive, and blunt as possible, "in the name of the Lord!"  It does not mean we should see how many people trust in Christ, NO THANKS TO HOW RUDE AND STUPID WE ACT!!!

No.  We should speak the truth in love always, being as gentle as possible.  Yet at times, no matter how gentle we try to be, and no matter how loving we say it, the truth will indeed offend some who hear it!  Who is more gentle and meek than Christ?  Who has EVER been more loving and wise than the Lord Jesus?  Yet He was hated and called demon possessed!  He was accused of blasphemy and crucified as a result.  Therefore, as Christ warned His followeres, if we are as committed to truth as Jesus was, then we will experience the same responses He did.  The Lord Jesus said:

"For this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world:  to bear witness to the truth.  All who are of the truth hear my voice." 

Our cause is His cause.  Those who hear Him will hear us.  Those who reject and hate Him will reject and hate us.

Followers of Christ are His witnesses, as well as witnesses of the truth.  They cannot, do not, and will not tolerate contradiction or compromise.  If a truth is "moderate," they will proclaim it.  If a truth is "extreme," they will proclaim it.  They live for and are willing to die for the truth.

Are you?

What DID Jesus DO? (Part 2)

Alright.
So we're not in Galilee.
How do we apply the last post?

I'm an officer.  As a God appointed governing authority (see Romans 13) I demonstrate the authority of Christ Jesus in heaven and on earth, a spiritual/supernatural authority as well as physical/natural authority. Whenever I enforce the laws of the land that agree with the laws of God, I manifest the fear of the Lord on earth, and bring about order on earth as there is in heaven.  I "bind" demons to silence, inactivity, and absence, destroying the works of the devil--the works of lawlessness, chaos, and rebellion.  I experience the power of the presence of God by the Spirit's power.

A teacher would experience the authority of THE TEACHER.  It was said that Jesus taught with authority, an authority that astonished and amazed those who heard; an authority that even struck fear in those who challenged them, silencing them in shame.  So it should be with the believer who is a teacher, whatever he teaches, whatever instructions she gives.

A homeschooling mother proclaims the good news to her children, teaching them the ways of the kingdom, manifest in her children's relationships to each other, their father, and their mother.  If any of them are sick, she lays hands on them and heals them, just as Jesus did, and would do, in the same situation.  And if, God forbid, her kids are attacked by demons, she casts them out with calm authority, and they leave at her word.

A mail carrier becomes God's messenger, and when he speaks with neighbors that meet him in his deliveries, he heralds the good news of God's kingdom, a heavenly mail carrier, if you will.  If any need prayer, healing, or deliverance, and sense The Healer with her, the mail carrier prays as she is asked or sought out, and those who receive their mail also receive Christ the healer in the mail carrier.

Wherever the believer goes, the Spirit of God goes with him.  Wherever the believer goes, the power of God goes with her.  The presence of God, which is the kingdom of God, has indeed come to earth, and is experienced in Spirit filled, Spirit lead followers of Christ!

A believer who sees an accident on the road can stop and heal the ones in the accident.  When the paramedics come, they will find no one in need of medical attention.

A security guard can silently cast out a demon when encountering a violent person, and then skillfully subdue the criminal physically. 

The power of God is univeral and all applicable. 

In whatever situation you find yourself in, you possess power and the Spirit if you believe in Christ the Lord.

He is the same yesterday today and forever.  He is in you if you believe. Therefore, do what He would do in the same situation.  If someone is sick, in His name, heal them.  If someone suffers mental torments, in His name, cast out the demons, the source of the mental oppression.  If someone is down, in the name of Jesus, preach the good news.  If someone is confused, in Christ's name, teach the principles of the kingdom.

Do what Jesus did.
Do what He would do.

What DID Jesus DO?

You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.  Acts 10:37-38

The question used to be asked: "What would Jesus DO?"

I believe the answer lies in what Jesus actually DID.

Wherever He went, He did good.  What good?  Miraculous good.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.

Matthew 4:23-24  NIV

1. Preaching

2. Teaching

3. Healing

4. Liberating

These are the good things Jesus did wherever He went.

He proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom of God:  that God's kingdom had indeed returned--by His very presence and the presence of the Spirit of God.  God was (and is) with those who believe, and will be with all who believe.  He also taught the ways of the kingdom of God, the means by which God's kingdom and will are to be done on earth as in heaven.

What better news is there than this--if it was true...

BUT IT REALLY WAS TRUE!  How do we know?

In heaven there is no sickness.  Therefore, Jesus cured all who came to Him or were brought to Him.

Christ cast Satan and the demons out of heaven.  Thus when they were in men and women, Jesus cast them out. 

Now we should know the answer to the question, "What would Jesus do?"  And indeed, for those who believe, we should do likewise.

Christians should preach and teach the Kingdom of God, and demonstrate the truth of God's kingdom by healing the sick and casting out demons--by supernatural power.  With power the proclamation of God's kingdom is made.  The Spirit of Christ is on earth.  Where the Spirit is, the kingdom of God is.

We know what Jesus did, therefore we know what Jesus would do in every situation, as it is written,

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." 

What He did is what He still does, and what He will do for all who will believe in Him.

BEING BORN AGAIN (PART 2)

All possess conscience.

All will die.

All face their Creator.

All choose their destiny, for all eternity.

All choose where they want to be, for all eternity.

All choose heaven.

Or.

All choose hell.

All in heaven wanted heaven.

All in hell wanted hell.

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Birth happens without our choice.

Rebirth cannot happen without our choice.

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Slavery exists. 

Slaves exists.

All are slaves of Satan from birth.

All are slaves of God from rebirth.

All choose slave masters, and none can possess two masters, unless one loves one master and utterly hates the other.

Those reborn submit to One:  The Spirit of Life.

They refuse to respond to selfish desires, to the ways of this world, to external laws, and especially Satan and demons.  They possess laws, but internal, written on their minds and their hearts by the Spirit who is in them by faith in Christ Jesus. 

They choose a spiritual mindset, focused on spiritual things; focused on the desires of the Spirit.

This is therefore how you know them, and how you know yourself as one of them:  by what they have chosen, and by what you have chosen. 

Being Born Again

God formed Adam’s body.

He breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life—his spirit. 

Spirit+body=living soul.

Spirit=God consciousness:  Conscience-intuition-communion-divine conversation between God and man

Soul=Self-consciousness:  Mind-self comprehension; emotion-self experience; volition-self expression

Body=World consciousness:  The physical-visible, tangible, audible

God’s Breath or Spirit is Adam’s breath or spirit.  There is a connection between Creator and creation.

Adam sinned, bringing a separation between Creator and creation.

His spirit and body died, meaning they became unresponsive to God.

His spirit followed his body instead of his body following his spirit. 

All of his children experienced the same.

Enter Christ, the last Adam, the second man.

Christ became a man, son of Mary, son of David, son of Judah, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.

Christ became the last “Adam,” the last of son of Adam, the last son of God.  He was born of God and woman.  His connection to God was the Spirit, and His own Divine Identity.  His connection to Adam was Eve.  God decided Christ was the last Adam, the last descendent of Adam.  All humans came from God through Adam, thus from Christ through Adam.  So Christ is the true father of the human race, the true source. 

Being the God Man, He is in time and beyond time.  So in time He is a son of Adam, and beyond time He is a Son of God.  He takes all before Him and all after Him into Himself, because all before Him and all after Him come from him.  So He has the right to be the last Adam and the second man, being the beginning and the end of all creation.  At the resurrection He became the firstborn of the new creation.  All who accept Him join him, being one with Him.  Their old spirit died with Him on the cross, since spiritual reality is not bound by time or space.  His death is eternal.  Our spirits journey back in time and die with him, rise with Him, and ascend with Him.

The old me was a slave of idolatry and adultery.  The new me is a slave of the spirit, completely free.  Only the Spirit has authority over me.  This takes faith.  I believe God can do more than I imagine.  Amen. 

JESUS

"I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He died for my sins."

As I said before, I say again, after saying the words above, I felt peace cover me like a blanket, and I no longer wanted to die.  Before I said these words I felt intense turmoil and suicidal.  Jesus saved my life.  Jesus gave me life.

"Jesus is God, and He died for my sins."

I gave this answer when asked point blank, "Who is Jesus?"  The one who asked this question questioned "religion," and knew my devotion to the only one who gives salvation for sin.

Jesus is the truth, the meaure of all reality, the means to the end of knowing God by His Spirit.  All of the word of God is measured by these words of God:

"Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures.

He was buried.

He rose the third day, according to the scriptures."

Jesus is the truth.

His gospel is the measure of all words of truth.

By these declarations one knows the Spirit of God:

Jesus is Lord.

Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.

To see Jesus is to see the Father.

To love Jesus is to love the Father.

May all who read be certain of the identity of God's Son:  JESUS!