I am driving down the road in the middle of an older subdivision.  I see the stop sign coming up but can see that there is nothing at all coming or even a sign of life in sight.  I drive on through the intersection without stopping.  I break the law, intentionally. 

Have you ever done this?  Do you drive 75 mph on the interstate highway instead of the posted 70 mph?  Do you speed up at yellow lights or slow down?

There are laws in our society.  They serve dual purposes.  They serve to keep us or someone else from harm or they serve to stave off the chaos that could result from a lack of laws.  I am sure most of the readers here have never murdered someone.  I am also sure that most of the same readers have broken a law of society. 

Sometimes there are consequences such as fines or incarceration.  Sometimes we get away with breaking the law.  In fact, we actually get away with breaking the law most of the time. 

How does all of this compare with the laws of God?  Do you believe there are any laws of God? 

We know that God gave us the Ten Commandments.  Some of us know that God gave an exhausting list of laws to the Israelites while they were in the desert.  There are 613 recognized laws to be observed in the Torah.  This is known as the Mosaic Law.  From the study and implementation of these laws, the priesthood, by the time Jesus came on the scene, had developed the practice of following these laws into what I am calling pharisaical legalism. 

Pharisaical legalism.  This is an old tactic that the enemy still uses in our day and time.  I define this as; the forming of a set of rules and laws that man decides are necessary for righteousness.  These laws come from interpreting the bible with the help of the wrong spirits. This tactic is losing its effectiveness, I believe, in most religious settings today but, it is far from gone.  It was not that many years ago, in my own denomination, where a bunch of manmade interpretative laws were followed to assess the state of one’s soul.  Laws such as the length of hair and what jewelry, if any, could be worn by a servant of Christ would signify whether you were right with God or not.

Some will argue that some of the Mosaic Law is for Christians to follow, some for all, and some for none.  How are we to know?

Jesus said the following in the gospel of Matthew:

Mat 5:17  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

What does that mean?  Are we to follow the laws or not? 

The word interpreted as fulfill is pleroo in the original language and according to Thayer means the following, in part; to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full, to render full, i.e. to complete, to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim, to make complete in every particular, to render perfect,  to carry through to the end, to accomplish, carry out, (some undertaking), to carry into effect, bring to realization, realize, of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, to fulfill, i.e. to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfillment. 

Our modern dictionary has the additions of these two meanings; to satisfy and to bring to an end.   

Paul had the following to say;

Gal 5:18  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

So we do not have to follow the laws of God, right?

Wrong. 

God’s purpose for the law was twofold.  First it allowed all to realize certain things are required of us to experience a real relationship with Him.  But it was also given in an era, before the Holy Spirit, when man was incapable of following the law because we were slaves of sin.  This is the second reason He gave it.  It was to show us we could not keep the whole of the law.  If we could, there would have been no need for Calvary.  The intent of the law was over and done with when Jesus came

We have to follow the law of God but, it is not through the system of legalism that the enemy pushes so diligently, it is through holiness.  There is simply no place for legalism of any kind.  Grace is the order of the day.  When Paul says that if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law, he is saying that a true believer, one that has sold out to Jesus, listens to the Spirit inside himself, cannot break the law of God. 

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

We are slaves to sin and death no longer.  Paul says a whole lot more about the Law and Grace.  Read the book of Romans, especially through chapter eight.   I used the statement from Galatians because there is absolutely no way I can see that it can be misconstrued.  And Romans 8:1 affirms we cannot be condemned. 

Are there any rules or law for us to follow?  Yes, there certainly are.  But they are not to be understood in the enemy inspired legalistic form of keeping or memorizing a sin list.  They are not to be realized by coming up with acceptable dress or hairstyle.  There are many more ways that the enemy has corrupted these laws.  I won’t keep on here. 

The Holy Spirit is the spirit of grace and He is the only one that can tell us what God wants from us.  Listen to Him.  He is the only one that can change us.  Let Him.  He is the only one that can lead us down that narrow path.  Follow Him.    

We must stop trying to do His work, before and after, we let people in the door.  Jesus told us that the whole law was simply to love God and everybody else.  If we do this, we won’t keep breaking the law.

Love you all

Tags: Combat Readiness, Enemy, God, Grace, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Law, Legalism, Murder, Sin, Strategy and TacticsSpiritual WarfareSpirit, Ten Commandments

I believe at the fall, when Adam turned everything over to the enemy, it somehow affected all of creation.  How that could possibly be so, I haven’t got a clue.  But in Romans 8:22  we are told that creation groans and is either working strenuously or as if in the pain of childbirth.  And according to what the ladies say, there might not be much worse pain than that. 

What is creation waiting for?  It is waiting and groaning and screaming out in pain to be released from the bondage of corruption.  (Romans 8:21)  So our sin corrupted all of God’s perfect creation. 

That last statement has a problem though.  Was creation perfect?  I know I have thrown that statement out in a lot of different applications.  I have even thought about saying to cabinet customers that complained about knots and mineral stains in wood doors that it was Adam’s fault.  When creation was perfect, there weren’t any knots.  I must ask for forgiveness about that. 

There is only one perfect.  He is the creator.  And could He create Himself?  Note the title. 

God never claimed a perfect creation.  He did say it was good.  He even proclaimed it to be very good when He was done.  But it was not perfect.    We probably even know this.  But we do not express it in our thoughts or words very well. 

The point I am trying to make is simple.  A lot of the time, in thoughts and words, we believe there is nothing that God cannot do.  We throw around the word omnipotence like it means that there is nothing outside of Gods capabilities.  I believe that is wrong.  And I do not see this view as belittling God either. 

Take this spiritual battle that I believe God to be in.  To say that it causes God no strain or stress is to actually make it out to be nothing.  If God is not genuinely fighting, then the battle is not real. 

When my boys were little, in a few of my less self focused moments, we would wrestle around.  It was not a real battle between my five year old and me.  But today, with their ages ranging from 20 to 30, it would be a real battle.  There is nothing wrong with the implications that God is in a serious struggle.  He limits Himself from using the power He does have at His disposal because of his love. 

I also believe God has to work at maintaining creation.  I think it is probably a little like running machinery for us.  For any of you that make your living this way, think about how it seems to get harder and harder the older a machine gets.  Well, creation is getting a little age on it. 

Everything wears out.  Our cars wear out.  Our clothes wear out.  Our toothbrush wears out.  Our body wears out.    Creation seems to be wearing out. 

At the end of the book of Job, God asks Job a series of questions.  These questions are rhetorical, with the intent of letting Job know exactly how much bigger God is than any of us could imagine.  But we can also ascertain that God is actively on the job also.  He is not just lounging around in the throne room.  

There is nothing perfect about creation.  And it is not even very good anymore, thanks to us.  But we can thank God that He is still at work.  Managing and maintaining and fighting to keep creation going for us all. 

Next time your job seems to be too much, thank Him that you do not have His.

Love you all

***Your comments are welcome.***

Tags: Childbirth, Creation, Creator, Fall, God, Good, Perfect, Spiritual Warfare, War

Please click here for audio edition of running.

Running.  Not fast.  Not slow.  Just running. 

I am running, and have been, for so very long.  I can’t even remember when I started.  Why am I running?  Because I am being chased. 

I don’t know who is chasing me.   I know that I cannot let them catch me.  I can’t see them when I glance back, but I can feel them.  Somehow I know they, or he, is close.  I pick up the pace, even though the pain is becoming unbearable. 

Breathing. Just catching enough of that life sustaining substance called oxygen, has become one of the most important things, in life.  I gasp, for that sweet, invisible element of life itself, with an urgency, that displays my struggle.  The effort to catch my breath almost, overwhelms the pain.  Almost.

The pain.  I try to work through the pain. The pain is in every part of my body.  Needles piercing my shins.  Fire settling into my thighs.  Intense pressure on my lower back.  Cramps in my sides.  Acid filling my lungs. 

Running.  Endlessly.  A glance over my shoulder again.  No sign of my pursuer but, I know he is closing in on me.  I can feel it.

The pain grows. Transforms.  Metamorphoses’ into a wholly different kind of pain, that is worse than before.  The needles, fire, and pressure, are still there, but seem distant. Still excruciating and intense.  But now there are new pains. 

The sweat has drenched my clothing and causes it to rub raw any part of me that is in contact.  And that, is all of me.

Running. How long must I keep this up?  As I said, I don’t even know how long I have been running.  Maybe all my life.  How long?  Had I really been running all my life?  Impossible, but, I cannot remember a time, when I was not running.  When did I start running?  I JUST WANT TO STOP!  Just let him catch me and see what will happen.  But I can’t.  I am scared. 

The pain again.  My shoes hitting the ground with a wet sloppy sounding plop.  This is probably from the sweat and the blood.  Yes, blood.  I have been running so long, that the blisters seem to form, fill and burst every second.  Or so it seems.  And the raw places, all over my body, are starting to bleed.  Looking back, I see a trail of blood, sweat and tears that my enemy cannot help but follow easily.

Tears?  They start flowing like a steady stream as if someone, has left a faucet on.  Mixing, with the sweat and blood.  Or, am I just, crying tears of, blood?

The sweating stops.  The tears form dry crusty trails on my face.  Nasal passages are dry, and on fire.  I need hydration.  But the blood still flows freely, from various parts of my body.  Who would have thought, that you could run yourself to death.  This is what I am doing.  Maybe, I will just stop. 

I stumble, and almost fall.  Barely catching myself in time.  Another glance back gives me the impression that he is almost on me.  Still can’t see him though.  The enemy.  Why is he chasing me? 

Running.  The pain.  A wave of terror engulfs me as I realize that, I have to stop.  Can’t go on.   Every inch of my body is screaming in pain.  Even the cells.  A human being is not made to be in perpetual motion.   

A truth suddenly occurs to me.  It is okay.  I do not have to fear anymore.  It is time to die.  Nothing in life is worth keeping on this way.  And the sting of death, cannot possibly, compare, to the pain I have endured.  Running.  From my invisible enemy.  Maybe all my life. 

I stop.  Ready to die. 

Then I am hit from behind, and tackled and taken to the ground.  Bowled over by the moon.  Or so it seems.

The power that is against me is, incomprehensible.  I struggle.  I cry out with a sound that I cannot imagine a man could make.  I only thought I had felt pain.  But this, is pain.  The running had caused excruciating pain but this is torturous, unendurable.  It feels like mountains are being slammed into me.  I scream, and wrestle, and scream.

All while I marvel at the realization that my enemy is, really, invisible. He seems to be absorbing me.  Becoming one with me.  Taking over my very being.  I am no more but, I am still here.  Please, just let me die, or kill me fast. 

Suddenly, I realize the pain, is subsiding.  I realize he is not, and has not caused me any pain.  He is, actually, removing it.  But, the removal is more intense than the original occurrence.  But the pain, is decreasing.  And in its place, another sensation.  One that I don’t know.  I have never felt this.  I do not know the name for it.  But it is, good. 

Then, in an instant, all of the pain is gone.  And the enemy?  Or is he?  The presence, seems to be separating from me.  I feel like me now.  But not me.  He is gone, but not totally.  He left some of himself, with me, and in me.  And I am not me.  I am new.  Different.  Alive.  For the first time in my life. 

I know all things.  I know nothing.  I have been reborn.  Or born again.  I am a new creation.  Sensations I could not name a few moments ago.  Could this be-peace.  And joy unspeakable. 

My enemy?  Chasing me all my life.  To harm me?  No. Only trying to give me a precious gift.  He was not my enemy.  I was his.  But for some strange, and incredible reason, He loves me.  And gives me the gift– of Himself.

Why?  Why did I run? 

Now I stand.  Alive for the first time in my life. 

Amazed.

Love you all

Tags: Audio, God, Grace, Hope, Love, Personal, Rebirth, Running, Salvation, Testimony

Jesus walked into the room and all conversation stopped.  The place was known as a place where all the tax collectors gathered.  They didn’t have many places where they were welcome.  Since their sin was so great, turning against their own people for financial gain, they were reviled or avoided and very much hated wherever they went. 

All of them had heard of this Jesus, though.  How he had just begun to teach and how many thought he was unlike any who had ever come before.  And there was some talk of miracles also.  What was he doing here?

Jesus just looked around and finally said, “Go on with your conversations. I just came to spend a little time with you. Some of you may think otherwise but, I do not hate you. I hate who you are. I hate what you do. But I love you.”

That sounds terrible.  Jesus would never hate who people are, would he?  He would never say He hated who they were.  He would just let them know He hated what they did.  We Christians have a favorite little slogan we love to throw around whenever someone thinks we are being judgmental.  Especially when it is about a certain lifestyle.  We supposedly hate the sin but love the sinner. 

But what exactly does that look like?  And where is the line drawn?  Just look at that word.  Sin—ner.  One who sins.  It is pretty much a given that we all sin.  We all miss the mark of Gods perfection in some way.  Do we have to?  I don’t believe so.  We are no longer slaves to sin.  But it still seems there is much sin in the body of Christ.  Just look at any Christian news site or even around your own church.

The difference between us and the tax collectors though, is that I am forgiven.  I am washed in the blood of Christ.  I have repented and should have stopped sinning.  But have I?  I have repented, turned from purposefully sinning but, I still mess up sometimes.  I know it and confess it and repent again.  I sometimes don’t realize it though until someone points it out to me.  Then I hurry to go through the process again.  But it makes me wonder how often I sin and do not realize it and no one points it out to me?    

So are we what we do?  In our western mindset, we don’t actually think we are.  We think we can separate who we are from what we do.  But can we?  I read, so am I a reader?  Yes.  I talk, so am I a talker?  Yes.  I work, so am I a worker?  Yes.  I eat, so am I a eater?  Yes, even though that sounds a little strange. 

I have sat here trying to think of one thing that I do that would not add to my identity.  I cannot come up with a thing.  We all do a lot, a whole lot, of things which help to identify us.  Including whatever sins we might have in our lives. 

I know that Jesus hates a lot of things we do.  I believe He hates a lot of things that we do that we do not even think twice about.  I believe He hates sin most of all.    But I don’t think He would ever walk in a house of sinners and say that He loved them but hated their sin.  He knew their sin made them sinners and that that was who they were.  And He loved them in spite of their sin. 

I believe that He loved them, those rotten tax collectors; even if what they did made them unlovable.  And He chose to introduce them to His Father, instead of condemning them.  He let His Father convince them of their wrong, where and if necessary. 

Whenever I hear someone say we have to love the sinner, but hate the sin, I wonder two things.  First, what on earth might that look like?  And second, didn’t Jesus condemn the Pharisees for adding to Gods law with their legalistic interpretations and additions.  In fact, doing exactly what we do. 

I have scoured the bible and I found where it says to love the sinner, to love everyone, as a matter of fact.  I just can’t find the instruction to hate the sin. 

That seems to be reserved for God Himself. 

Disclaimer:  I am in no way suggesting that anything the bible says is sin is not.  I am suggesting that we may overdo some things, in our zealousness, that hinder the growth of the Kingdom when another attitude might increase it.  I know some out there will find fault with my portrayal of us as sinners.  That’s okay.  Even Paul, after years of faithful service, declared himself a sinner.  So who do you think we are? 

Love you all

Tags: Culture, God, Grace, Love, Mercy, Sin, Sinner