Christian Universalism

I am so thrilled that several friends are starting to know the truth of the reconciliation of all mankind! What a blessing to watch others experience the release of fear and guilt and a troubled relationship with our Father. I can almost feel them relax and rest in Him, knowing that their place in Him is secure and final. Thank You Papa for not losing even one!

Law and Grace

I've been thinking quite a bit lately about Law and Grace. Whenever we try to "balance" the two, Grace comes out the loser. However, we seem to consistently wind up back at Law. How many messages or sermons have you heard that focused far more on what you need to do for God or how you need to do more, be more, clean up your act? I thought that the redemption of mankind was God's idea and His work - when did it become ours?

A couple of years ago I remember reading about the early history of the church and about the changes it went through and its effect on scripture. Up until Augustine and Constantine, the early church predominantly believed that redemption was accomplished at the cross. When Christianity became politicized through Constantine, the message began to change. The church and political leaders found that if they threatened punishment for non-compliance, they could maintain control of the people. Augustine was also instrumental in inserting the message of "hell" into the common man's thinking.

The church lost its authority in the message and power of Grace. When it superimposed the Law over Grace, the Law won out and Grace died. The only purpose of the Law is to kill, and kill it does, and that's all it does. Grace brings life and hope and knowledge of God's infinite love and mercy. It does far more than that - it lifts us from the mundane human experience into the realm of the supernatural. Natural limitations no longer exist and we flow easily in the Spirit. I believe that the insertion of the Law into the message of Reconciliation has resulted in the current powerless condition of the church. When the church abandoned the true message of the gracious Good News, it forfeited its power.

The good news is that the power of Grace is still available to all who will abandon the Law and seek God for the truth of Grace and Reconciliation. God help us in our search! The Good News really is good news!

Every Life Has Value

In the last couple of days I've been thinking about God's perspective on the value of a "single solitary life." When we've heard or read those words, they were always used in reference to the life of Christ, or some heroic individual who gave their lives, their fortunes, and their passion to change the world around them. History abounds with such figures. We, in turn, are all enjoined and prodded to "make our lives count" for God. We talk about "service" and being "good servants of God." Our lives are to be about service, first and foremost.

As right sounding as this mindset is, it's still based upon the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and will still kill us all dead as a doornail. Instead of performance-based value, what if the value of a life depended upon the One Who valued it? What if the value of any life, irrespective of any form of productivity, had value just because it existed and was created by the One Who gave it value? What if this life was all about Him, and not us? What if God really meant it when He said that He sent Jesus to be the Saviour of the world, and not just the success stories? What if, God really loved us all?

More on the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

Gratis to Joseph Prince for this insight: The fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil wasn't just evil - it was both good and evil. Here it is - good will kill you just as quick as evil! There is no Life in knowing good or in knowing evil. We want Life. We need Life.

You can find Jospeh Prince at http://josephprince.org. He is an excellent teacher. You can also find him on Daystar, TBN, USA and Family Channel. He teaches radical grace - something we all need to hear a lot more than we do.

The Problem of Suffering

I keep coming back to this topic, far more than I would like. My back and hips are aching like crazy. Only prayer, time and the chiropractor can help right now. One question that always comes up when I'm in pain - how much is this is my fault, and how much is just the human condition? Why does that matter, really? Will it mitigate the pain by knowing? Will it help in anyway? If I determine that somehow my suffering is my fault, will that cause me to be at peace about it? Am I just trying to be in control, when God is the only One in control?

I think of other friends who are suffering, far worse than me - or maybe, just differently than me. Only God knows. Only He can heal us and restore us. I cry out to Him for all of us, whatever our source of pain, for relief and restoration. If you are suffering right now, just know that somehow this fits into His plan for you, and one day, He will heal you. God bless you, my friend!

Longing for Home

Here I am again, 3 a.m. and wide awake. A good time for clarity of thought. Last night I was on the phone with a friend, talking about the struggle of life. She said, "There's really nothing wrong - everything is okay, but . . . nothing is okay." I understand those feelings - a general discontentment without being able to pinpoint anything specific. We all have those times, don't we? Times of restlessness, times of wanting more, or wanting less.

In a moment of insight, I think, I said that the real problem is that we were never intended to be content with this life. We were made for another place, we were made for the perfection of God's presence. God has put eternity in our hearts. Hebrews 11 tells us about people who had their sights on another city, a far better place. They never found it in this life. We will never find our home here either. Our hearts, our spirits, our longings, all belong to another place. We are just traveling through. Maybe it helps to know that we are not alone in that struggle to live in the here and now. One day, though, our faith will become sight.

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

I was thinking this morning about how much we all are controlled by that first fateful bite. As you may recall, there were two trees in the garden of Eden - the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. As you also know, the latter tree was the subject of God's prohibition. They could eat all they wanted of the Tree of Life, but avoid the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil at all costs, or die. Wow! I would have cut a wide birth, wouldn't you? At least, I think I would have. Who knows for sure?

Anyway, biblical teachers tend to focus on the death sentence of the fall to the exclusion of other foci. What about this - what about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil would bring death to mankind? Think about it . . . I'll wait . . . .

The knowledge of good and evil seems like a good thing, doesn't it? Shouldn't we focus on being good and not evil, and knowing the difference? How else will we know how to live? And yet, God said that that knowledge would bring death to us, each and every one. Knowing life brings life - knowing good and evil brings death. What does it mean to know Life? Jesus said that He was the Life, the Way and the Truth.

I find myself too easily grading life, grading others, grading myself according to that good and evil tree. Every single time it brings forth death, and only death. When I extend life, love and grace, it always brings forth the good fruit of Life.