Righteousness

Sunday, 6 September 2015

Understanding Grace: An Open Heaven

18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

We are beginning a new study on understanding grace. I am excited to share insights and truths the Lord has been revealing. Why study grace?

The reality is the Body of Christ is experiencing a grace awakening. A grace reformation, if you will. Now, grace is not just some message. There is no "grace camp". There really is no grace message. Grace is simply the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Over the past hundred plus years God has simply been restoring truth back to the Body of Christ. Yet we turned these truths into movements, denominations, and sects to identify and divide ourselves. Even in the midst of this God was working. He was restoring truth that built upon each other.

He restored the truth that we can have the power of the Spirit in our life. That He has provided healing for us. That He has bestowed gifts upon His Church. That His Word can be trusted and we can take Him at His Word. Now He is restoring the gospel to the Church.

God in restoring the gospel is saying this. If you realize I have given you the power of my Spirit. If you see I have healed your bodies, I have bestowed supernatural gifts to confirm my Word. If you can see that you can take me at my Word. Then you can rest in me. You can abide in me knowing I have completed the Work. I am your faith and faithfulness.

God is simply putting Jesus back into the center of the message. The truth is He has always been there, but we haven't seen it. With this foundation I believe we should grow in our understanding of grace.

In this study I will focus on the different aspects of the gospel. I am not going in any order. Or emphasizing which truth is "more important" over another. With that lets begin.

An open Heaven or closed Heaven?

The Word of God in various places reveals actual events where the Heavens opened up. Some were literal and others were by way of an open vision. These are supernatural occurrences that we have no control over. Acts 7 where Stephen before being murdered for his faith in a vision saw the Heavens open and Jesus standing, is an example. These events have occurred as the Lord willed.

There is a concept of an open Heaven regarding our access to God in Scripture.

6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”

4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 So I said:

“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts." Isaiah 6:1-5

Under the Old Covenant we didn't have free access to God's presence. Look what held Isaiah back. He saw his own sin. He saw his own imperfections. Clearly, under the Old, performance, and obedience had much to do with access to God.

We are in a New Covenant today. What does the Word have to say for us in the New about our access to God?
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

In the New Covenant we have free access to come before God. We can come before God anytime. I understand that God dwells inside us in the person of the Holy Spirit. However, we still pray to our Daddy God in the name of Jesus. In this sense we come before the Lord to find help and the answers we need.

Two things we can see in this passage. We come before God boldly. The only way one could come boldly would have to be because they have been made new. They're clean and forgiven and they know it. Secondly we see God's throne is a throne of grace.

God's throne is not a throne of performance. It isn't a throne of judgment. It also isn't a throne of reward. You see rewards are wages paid for something earned. You don't want a relationship with God based upon rewards. This becomes a works and performance and wages expected in return relating between us and God. It shifts our relationship from Daddy and child to employer and employee.

Under grace therefore do we abide under an open Heaven or a closed Heaven? Is it possible to abide under a closed Heaven in the New Covenant? I know religion perpetuates the idea we can. I have heard tradition bound philosophies proclaim this.

Abiding under an open Heaven because of the Son

When Jesus died on that Cross He declared it is finished. That veil that had hidden the presence of God was torn asunder. This reveals we always have free access to God's presence now.

I have heard teaching after teaching about what we need to do or accomplish in order to abide under an open Heaven. We must give so much. We must pray so much more often. We must be obedient to God's voice. Others say it this way. You gotta pay the price for an open Heaven over your life and ministry. That is not true because Jesus paid it all at the cross.

Whenever you hear anyone proclaim you must do this first and then God will respond, know you're hearing Old Covenant teaching. Jesus has already made a way for us to enter in. Jesus has free access before God. We abide in Him. Therefore we have free access to God.

We are forgiven, cleansed and made pure by the blood. We can always enter boldly before the throne of grace. Our Daddy God desires us to come to Him. We therefore abide under an open Heaven. Disregard any teaching that has believers begging God to open the Heavens over them. We don't have to fast and pray for weeks for the Heavens to open. We don't have to give up TV or movies. We don't have to do anything. Jesus did enough. We rest in what He has done. We simply receive by His faith within, what grace already provided. This is growing in grace.

photocourtesyofNattavut/@freedigitalphoto.net

Saturday, 5 September 2015

How Jesus 'the Glutton and the Drunk' Embraced Life Beyond the Religiously Accepted Limit

Mick Mooney Author, 'An Outsider's Guide to the Gospel'

Jesus was a controversial figure in society, outrageously controversial, in fact. He lived in a time that was far more extreme regarding the religious culture, with far more extreme consequences for not towing the religious party line, yet who could live like him today?

It's interesting, upon reflection, to feel that on one side we like to talk about Jesus' controversial reputation, but at the same time we like to remain in the more conservative lifestyle that does not offend the religious structure and those who populate them.

We love the idea of the wildly-free Jesus, but, in our minds, we quietly hold onto the quiet, submissive Jesus. The wild Jesus, though fun to quote, makes us nervous. He doesn't just rock the boat of religion, it's more likely that he sets it on fire and then jumps into the water and swims to shore.

One of the greatest challenges any Christian faces is the risk of falling in love with the idea of being like Jesus (WWJD?) while failing to recognize what a life lived in his footsteps truly looks like.

The life of Christ was not lived in a bubble of holy rollers, going through the same worship songs over and over, hiding away from society in their prayer meetings and revival events. Jesus was in the midst of the party of life. He was at the center of the celebration, with people, all kinds of people, from all kinds of walks of life, with all kinds of world views and lifestyles.

Jesus was in the midst of the brokenness of life. When a woman was set to be stoned for her immorality, Jesus was there to defend her from the angry religious crowd. The Samaritan woman by the well, whom no one would talk with, there was Jesus starting a conversation. The lepers that no one would get close to, there was Jesus willing to touch them.

Jesus didn't get a reputation amongst the religious as a 'glutton and a drunk' because of what he taught, but because he lived what he taught.

Religion wants everything sanitized. More than anything, religion is obsessed with maintaining a squeaky clean reputation, the very thing Jesus didn't seem to care about at all. For example, it's acceptable in modern Christian culture to hand a prostitute a flower and tell her God loves her, so long as you are on an organized 'ministry' trip and wearing a ministry branded shirt so those passing by can clearly see that you are a church person on a godly 'mission.'

But that wasn't what Jesus would do, at least I don't get that impression about him. No, he would more likely stroll up and ask how much the prostitutes rates are. Then he would probably pay her, go into the brothel with her. Then he'd talk to her for the hour, actually chat and enjoy her company, and then tell her he'd be back the next day. And he'd probably do this knowing the 'ministry' team across the road handing out flowers was watching him in disgust.

What would we think of Jesus if we saw him pay a prostitute, go into the brothel with her and come out an hour later with a smile on his face? We'd probably think he wasn't really the Christ after all. Ah, yes, and this was exactly the problem of the Pharisees, wasn't it? Jesus failed to live up to their idea of the Christ, which was, coincidentally, the exact image of their own religiously sanitized ideology.

As much as we love Jesus, I think until we allow our own reputation to become as trampled and dirty in the eyes of the religious as he allowed his to become, we'll never quite understand him, nor his message. Until we break free from the prison of maintaining a religiously acceptable reputation, we will continue to read about the wild Jesus in Scripture, but we'll struggle to truly understand him, and the way of life he exemplified.

Jesus was a reckless lover of people, and he refused to bow down to the religious expectation of loving from a distance. He was up close, real, and embracing of all people, from all walks of life. He was hated by the religious not for this theology, but for his love, for his love was not made up by words he spoke, but by the life he lived.

It's a daring thought, a wild, revolutionary act, to consider your religious image in society 'rubbish' (to quote the Apostle Paul) in order to come to truly know Christ. But I believe it's worth it. You might end up with a reputation like Jesus: "Here is a glutton and a drunk, and worse, a friend of prostitutes and sinners." . . . but isn't it Jesus we hope to be like in any case? You can connect with Mick on his facebook page and also view a list of his books on amazon.

WWJD: What Would Jesus Do? Do You Really Want to Know?

Oct 21, 2014 | Updated Dec 21, 2014

Mick Mooney Author, 'An Outsider's Guide to the Gospel'

Once upon a time, a mother made her son a wristband. On it was written: WWJD? This, of course stood for: "What Would Jesus Do?" She instructed her son to look at the wristband before making decisions on how to live his Christian life.

A week later she was shocked to see that her son had become friends with prostitutes, was hanging out with 'sinners' -- even buying people who were already drunk yet another round of beers!

Worse still, he had walked into their church the previous Sunday and tore down the book store, overturned the tables and threw the cash register through the window, he then made a whip and chased the pastor out of the building, declaring he was turning God's house into a den of thieves.

Most shocking was what happened when his mother went to picket the local abortion clinic. To her embarrassment, her son was also there, but he was standing with the women who just had an abortion, and yelled at the protesters: "You who are without sin, throw the first stone!"

The mother was very distressed, but fortunately she found a solution to this terrible problem. She made another wristband, this time it read: WWAPD? This, she explained to her son, stood for: "What Would A Pharisee Do?" She took the old WWJD? wristband and burned it.

Since her son has been wearing the new wristband, looking at it to help him make his decisions, he has become a dedicated tither, a public prayer warrior, an active condemner of 'sinners,' a passionate defender of the Old Covenant law, and has a great reputation as a godly young man amongst other religious people.

Needless to say, the mother is very happy now. She only wishes Jesus would take notice and follow her son's good example.

Sunday, 30 August 2015

If It’s All About God And None of Me: What About Me? (part 2/2)

july 15, 2014 by bas rijksen 6 comments

Welcome back! Have you picked up your welcome gift yet?

In the last post we concluded that the popular notion that says “it’s all about God and none of me” is actually a lie.

Today, I’ll continue to share some thoughts on the question: If the Christian life is all of God and none of me, what about me now? If I no longer live, but Christ lives in me what about my desires, my goals, my ambitions?”

Here’s the Video in which you get the full episode in one sitting:

Questions to consider

Some might say, “I still believe it’s all about God.” I agree. It is all about Him. I mean, He is the Creator, we are the created.

For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things (Rom. 11:36).

God is the initiator of all things therefore everything finds its relevance only in Him. However, the other side of the coin is that you’ve become like Him in spirit and that you are a partaker of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)!

Therefore, everything that’s true about His nature is true about your nature – your spiritual self. Talking about being valuable, awesome and beautiful!

If It’s All About God And None of Me What About Me2

If you struggle with the idea that it’s not just all about God but also all about you, here are some questions to consider.

Is it not about you?

What if you are made one with God? (1 Cor. 6:17)
What if you are a joint-heir with Christ? (Rom 8:17)
What if you are a son of God? (Gal. 3:26)
What if you are identical to Jesus? (1 John 4:17)
What if you are a heir of all that is God’s? (Gal. 4:1 )
What if you are seated on a throne with Christ? (Eph. 2:6)
What if you are a king? (Rev. 1:6)
What if you are a lord? (1 Tim. 6:15)
What if you are a priest? (Rev. 5:10)
What if you are crowned with glory, honor and power for all eternity? (Heb 2:7)

Is it really not about you?

What if you are a partaker of His divine nature? (2 Peter 1:4)
What if you are a god – with a little ‘g’? (Ps. 82:6, John 10:34)
What if you are on equal standing with the Father as Jesus is? (1 John 4:17)
What if you are not only justified, but also glorified? (Rom. 8:30)
What if you are a son of glory? (John 17:22)
What if you are a ruler on this earth? (Gen. 1:28)
What if you are robed with the same glory as Jesus is? (John 17:24)
What if you are anointed with the same anointing as Jesus is? (1 John 2:20,27)
What if you will be forever ruling the earth with Jesus in this age and the next? (Gen. 1:28)

How can we say, “It’s all of God and none of me?”

In God’s economy it’s all of Him ánd all of me.

You’re caught up in an eternal uninterrupted union and friendship with your Bridegroom. You are His object of love!

To say, “it’s all about God and not about me” is a religious cliche and an insult to Jesus because you are identical to Christ in spirit which empowers you to exercise dominion on earth, now and forever.

Let’s celebrate the fact that it’s all about us in the Father’s eyes and be recipients of His affection and enjoyment towards us.

His face is turned towards you. He’s smiling upon you. He’s always fully pleased with you apart from your works.

Humility or pride?

I can hear someone say, “But brother, this idea that it’s also about us will make people prideful as it will feed their ego.”

Well, it actually has the opposite effect.

Humility is agreeing with what God has said about you; it is having an accurate estimation of who you are.

It is perfect humility to declare about yourself what the Father has said about you. For me to say, “it’s all of God and all of me” is perfect humility because that is what He says about me.

Thinking less of your self is a false counterpart of true humility. It is false humility when you say things like, “I’m worthless, I’m not that important, it’s really not about me but all about God…” That kind of thinking is false humility knocking at your door.

But aren’t we admonished to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but rather to think of ourselves with sober judgment (Rom. 12:3)?

Yes, but before you think to highly or yourself, you must first realize how high you’ve been seated (Eph. 1:20-23), how great the One is who lives in you (Col. 1:26-27, 3:3), and the fact that you are the image of God!

Do you think that you’ve even started to scratch the surface of your unparalleled identity and inheritance? Don’t think so. Rather, we have the tendency to esteem ourselves lower than God esteems us, which is to degrade the Christ-identity in us.

Natural self

Ok, but what about our natural self? Where do my dreams, talents, ambitions and goals fit into the picture?

Living your live to the fullest is when you’re allowing Christ to express His life through you, taking full advantage of your own unique natural talents, interests, strengths and ambitions.

It’s like the sun shining through a stain glassed window. The sun is doing all the shining, but the beautiful colors being projected on the other side are because of the unique, amazing design of the window.

If It’s All About God And None of Me What About Me4

Here’s what it means. The sun is the life of Christ. Your natural self (soul and body) is the window. The unique design in the glass represent your personality, gifts, dreams, desires, goals and ambitions. The beautiful colors is what you create and accomplish in your life.

Because God gave you specific talents, interests, dreams, desires, strengths, likes, dislikes, skills, etc., He didn’t intend for you to ignore them, leave them unused or sacrifice them on the altar. No not at all! He wants you to fully embrace your natural self in the context of your spiritual self.

He wants you to pursue your God-given dreams and desires in order to enjoy what you absolutely love to do.

Your dreams and desires are not to be put to death. Those are things that Jesus put in you. Sure, keep them surrendered to Him just as your very life is no longer your own (1 John 4:17, Gal. 2:20, 2 Cor. 5:16). But please, feel the freedom to make tons of cash, have an amazing family, get a great job, serve the poor, play sports, write books, go to parties, and enjoy your life Go, live life and live it to the fullest! – Blaise Foret

In other words, do what you want to do as you continue to be led by the Spirit.

Empowered by Him, you create, plan, work, accomplish things to be a blessing to others. As you allow Christ to animate your actions it is your personality, physical body, your will and mind that display a unique and astonishing set of colors to the world that we haven’t seen before.

Meanwhile, let others admire your giftedness and your unique expression of your design.

Gods first concern is your happiness and fulfillment. His desire is to give you abundant life. His gifts are to enhance your life and bring you the most joy possible….If you have joy and contentment, the radiance of Christ will shine through you, and His presence and existence will speak for itself. He gets glory and is happy when you are free and at liberty. Your gifts were given for this purpose….His kingdom is not about Him; it’s about you, and it does not benefit Him one iota until He sees that you are receiving that fulfillment. Sadly, we have been raised to expect Gods will and plans for our lives to be something we will naturally hate. For the most part, we can’t conceive of a God who would want us to do the things our heart desire. We’ve been trained to believe that God gets a kick out of calling us in the opposite direction of where we want to go, as though it’s always a test to see if we will serve Him over the things we desire. Love simply does not think this way. It doesn’t look to be served. Love serves, remember? – Darin Hufford

God didn’t intend for you to fit into a cookie cutter mold of being a “good Christian.” Not one of us is the same.

Being like the glass stain window we ought be radiating a mix of beautiful, unique colors that one one else is able to reproduce, copy or imitate. Why? Because there is none like you – both spiritually and naturally speaking.

Just like how a husband and wife become one through marriage but are still two distinct individuals with their own unique traits, so you have become one with Jesus through a covenant relationship but you still have your own distinct personality, skills, ambitions and unique traits.

Even though you are married to Jesus, you are still your own distinct unique person.

In fact, your oneness with Jesus Christ frees you up to not be a cookie cutter person (remember the light shining through the glass stain window).

You are meant to take full advantage of your desires, dreams, ambitions and passions from the place of being animated and empowered by Christ’s life.

It’s from a place of restful trust that you produce lasting fruit and can enjoy life to the fullest.

So go out and don’t try to be like the guy next door. Just start working where your desires and talents are and go from there. You’ll be amazedhow you will change the world by doing what you like to do…and…we will be amazed at your unequaled distinctiveness.

Be different! Because you are.

All of creation longs to know you…with all of your distinctiveness.

Every quirk or peculiarity about you is wonderful.

You.

Are.

Very.

Good.

Again, take a couple of minutes, and just listen to Jesus singing to you. “There is none like you. No one else can touch My heart like you do I have searched for all eternity long and found there is none like you.”

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