It's the Truth that will set you free................

On the broken crucified body of Jesus Christ the false, deceitful, charade of the demoniacally inspired  Adamic lifestyle was crushed. 'It is finished'. Those triumphant words of Jesus echoed around heaven, earth, and hell, with such power that from that moment on all things would become new. In His death and resurrection a new species of human beings was birthed. The old false self centred lifestyle gave way to a new Christ centred lifestyle. Once it was 'me' who had to make his way in the world working, achieving, sweating, striving for love, success, and identity; and not finding reality. How could I have found reality in deception and fiction? How could I have found truth in lies and confusion, how could I have found light in darkness? Now it is Jesus Himself who has become my life. There is no independent me, no I central to the cosmos. That is the deception of satan, he thinks he is an independent god, but he is mistaken. He has passed on the lies and false information to all in Adam. 
But now in the truth that is Christ I see I am free to be. I am free to be a container, a branch of the vine attached to Life which is Christ. I am in the Godhead united with Father and Son in the Spirit. Grace means I don't have to strive to be, I am. I don't have to 'do' anything. You can't imagine what that feels like. All I have to do is believe, believe I am loved as Jesus is loved. Believe I am free from falsehood, and lies; free to believe I am who I've always wanted to be. Most importantly free to allow the Holy Spirit to show me the slendour of God's plan, and desire for His loved ones. I can trust because His extends His trust, I can love because He is love, I can believe because it is His faith that's given to me. The exchanged life is so much more rewarding, so much more fulfilling, so much more abundant; as Jesus said it would be.

Reformation is Real.......

I call it reformation, you can call it reformatting if you like, the results will be the same. Revelation is coming to us as a torrent in these days causing a reformation of our minds, and  post religious thinking can embrace the gospel like never before. I am deeply appreciative of the Holy Spirit for His faithfulness to us in the body of Christ, and particularly in the way He is able to bring truth to us as individual unique saints. I have, because of my generational habits I guess, been a man who can receive truth from the written word. I don't do as well with the spoken, or visual, though I do enjoy it. Jesus lead me to the bible in my seeking years, and to two christian authors who He used to open my eyes to the truth about Him. That truth was in those days limited I agree, but it was enough to get me 'started' as it were.
But what magnificence in these days as the Spirit of Christ is pouring out truth as an Niagrian explosion. It has been wonderful to share truth with those dear ones not in my particular stream. Now that's a silly saying as I'm in the river, not in a stream. I don't wish any longer to have a denomination handle, but what I mean is I am so glad Holy Spirit gives His truth to any who will receive. I am learning so much today about incarnation, adoption, reconciliation; which enlarges my picture of the Father's heart. Just this week I've had my idea of creation/evolution challenged, my concept of a holy Jesus coming to earth but not really experiencing the pain I have been through, blown away and much more.
I'm excited as never before and I'm so glad to be part of what God is doing in these days. Much more is to come I am sure. I just want to say thank you to the ones that have helped me, and been gracious enough to walk with me. I love you very much.

Freedom

Christian Thinking on Freedom.

Christian thinking has always encapsulated freedom as an intrinsic part of humanity. Every human being is created free. The concept of slavery, dis-empowerment, inhibition, is alien to the concept of freedom to be. Freedom to be is a fundamental, a given to humanity. It was a gift from He who is free. Freedom to be loved, freedom to love, freedom to give ourselves is who we are in our humanity. Freedom is essentially a part of my consciousness as a human being, it is part of who we are. So in a way no external circumstances such as war, prison, famine, persecution, abuse etc. can take away my freedom if I maintain the correct perspective. There are profound stories from the concentration camps of the last war where men have never allowed themselves to be enslaved to the inhumanity that was part of their existence at that time. So no matter what the current Government comes up with, no matter the high fuel prices, my arthritic hip, the breakdown of human relations, or the injustice of the stasi Eu. nothing can take my freedom from me.

But I know, and I see by experience, that I am not really free. Fear, anxiety, discomfort, dis-ease, sickness, poverty, death fill my world. These realities scream at me telling me I am not free, and the freedom I crave for is somewhat illusionary. Freedom is mine, but how can I live in it and experience it in my day to day living? It is here that we need to interject the biblical concept of the fall of man. It is evident that every thing in the garden is not rosy. What had been created perfectly has undergone a massive trauma, resulting in a reverse of perfection, and a slide to degeneration. The earth itself groans under this pressure and mankind lives now as a shadow of that which was intended. Coupled with the damage done to my soul I see my freedom, a gift of God, is now perverted into a self centred exercise in what is best for me. Left without civil law, checks and balances, I would use my freedom to steal, molest, rape, or even kill. I am free to do so as freedom is part of who I am, but now I am aware that this precious gift has been so distorted, and I am not truly free to be the person I long to be.

Is there a solution to this very negative situation? Well yes there is, and we need to take a look at real freedom in action on the face of the earth. Two thousand years ago Jesus walked the dusty roads of Israel as a living human embodiment of God. Look closely and we can see the true nature of He who is invisible. Everything Jesus did was 'other centred'. He was free to be love itself, though love is, and that produces the action. Love is for others, God is love, and love is for others. Our concept of love has been tainted by the fall. Many of us have never experienced love, and we don't know what it is outside of some romantic illusion from Hollywood. Love has it's roots in the care and well being of another. True freedom allows me to live my life for others, to have the care and well being of others on my mind constantly. Jesus said that no man has greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.

What the church has not been very good at is proclaiming the good news. Humanity in it's fallen state cannot love perfectly. Only God can love as He is love. But on the cross at Calvary Jesus loved us enough to rectify the fallen state of humanity and opened the way for us to be reconciled to God and His plan of re-generating the human race. When the Holy Spirit came into the upper room at Pentecost it wasn't to give the frightened disciples a bit of a lift, but to implement part of God's plan to incorporate all of humanity into Him, by Him coming into humanity. Christ in me is my hope of glory. Christ in me as my life means I am free. Free to be loved, free to love, and free to give myself away.

He loves you......

'I can see you but I can't see God.'
"That's what happened when Jesus came on the scene teaching parables, and doing miracles. Not everyone saw God in Him. He was all the time telling them that it was the Father working through Him, but they were still confused"
'So am I.'
"Jesus was God in human flesh?"
'OK, but I'm still confused.'
"I am Jesus in human flesh."
'WHAT.'
"This is the truth of the gospel. Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father after His resurrection, then on the day of Pentecost the believers in the upper room received the gift of the Person of God. We call Him the  Spirit of Christ. They received Him internally, and externally, prompting the apostle Paul to later declare Christ in me the hope of glory."
"You see my friend God didn't want to leave any body out and His plan was to have a physical presence of Jesus on the planet manifesting the Glory of the Father while Jesus sits at the right hand of God.. You see it's a relational thing. God doesn't want you to be left out."
'I don't understand it, but I want in, what must I do?'

He Loves me

'You said God loves me, why?
"Because He does."
'Why does he love me?'
"The bible says God is love."
'What does that mean?'
"God is a Spirit that has a nature, and that nature is love."
'Is God a ghost, or something? What's a Spirit?'
"God is a Person, the Person, who has a nature, and that nature is Love. But He is Spirit and you can only see Him in a form."
'That's even more confusing, in a form?'
"Look at your hands, your feet, your arms, and body, you are a form; a human being form."
'Ok so I can see me, but I can't see God.'
"LOOK AT ME."

Just a Thought.

From the MSM two stories catch the eye of our political editor. Theresa May, the Home Secretary has criticised universities for their "complacency" in tackling Muslim extremism. Mrs. May said, 'We are looking at a set of values we believe we have here in the UK and those people who are opposed  are people who the Government won't be funding or engaging with.'  So that's really radical then! Rather than instruct ALL schools in the UK to hold a daily assembly where allegiance to the Queen, to the British flag, and the rule of law is pledged, where all literature from the state is sent to everyone in English, and convicted terrorist are expelled from the country, the Government will settle for withholding funds; and not talking to you.
Yesterday the Telegraph covered the story that Judges at the European Court in Strasbourg have ordered ministers to make a formal statement on whether they believe Christian's rights have been infringed in British courts, which have repeatedly dismissed their entitlement to dress and act according to their beliefs. The court has selected four cases that they feel are of such significance as to be examined further. It seems we have a situation in the UK where legislation to protect minorities has superceded  Christian belief, and conscience. Maybe this pressure from the ECHR will cause the Government to  overhaul the Equalities Act, and other diversity legislation. But I am not holding my breath.