Within much of the world of Christianity there is a missing element which makes an honest understanding of the New Testament scriptures virtually impossible.

What is this element called?

Well there are many labels you could put on it, but the one the new testament translators like to use is ‘church’.

Now I understand that many who read this blog will say to themselves, ‘Well, no. I go to church’. But you see, that is part of the problem. Church is not something that we go to.

Yes, we must all travel to arrive at the same place, this is true. But that is beside the point.

The church as depicted in the New Testament was not a place where the saints went once or twice a week in order to hear a message and then try to apply that message to their lives.

Neither was it a place to simply enjoy a ‘worshipful’ time of entertainment.

And neither was it a combination of those two things.

Sure, there were messages, and there was application, and yes there was worship, but the overall context of their lives was entirely different from ours.

You see, something happened to these saints that was so profound that it caused a dramatic change in their lives.

The first century saints were not, for the most part, a people who felt that they needed to ‘go to church’ every Sunday to ‘get their fill’ of the Word and Worship.

They were a people who had been touched by the Saviour in such a way, that they were drawn to one another. Once they experienced the love of God through Jesus Christ, they began to experience something else.

Love for one another.

That was their life context.

They realized that they all had the Spirit of God within them and that when they came together, in a free, although not chaotic way, that the Lord would speak to them as a people.

These meetings were so powerful, that when unbelievers would come in, they would fall on their faces and worship God.

Now it’s not like they didn’t have their issues, but there were some things that they certainly didn’t have.

One of those things was nearly 1900 years of so called ‘christian tradition’.

The closest they had to that was the ‘leaven of the Pharisees’ or Judaistic legalism.

Another thing that they didn’t have was a leadership hierarchy (or a clergy) which ruled over the congregation (or the laymen).

I never said that there wasn’t the function of a pastor. I never said that there were no teachers. I never said that there were no elders or servants (the word ’servant’ is more accurate than ‘deacon’, by the way).

But those things were not the power structure.

They were the varying functions of the body of Christ expressed organically through the individual members within a corporate setting.

If you want an idea as to what a church meeting in the first century might have looked like, I encourage you to read and then re-read, and then re-read again I Corinthians chapter 14 of your New Testament Bible.

I have been in these kinds of meetings.

They can be glorious (and to be fair, they can also be bone dry).

And…, by the way, it’s not just about the meetings. It’s about life together as it is the life together which helps generate a good part of the ’substance’ of what is being shared in the meetings.

I want to share more about this soon, but I figure this will be a good conversation starter for now.

Also..

I’m going to get back to Colossians at some point, but this is the matter the Lord is impressing upon my heart at this time.

Well, it’s been a while since I just journaled straight from the heart.

I have really enjoyed the time in Colossians and will be getting back to that soon, but for now, for today, I just feel the need to speak from the heart.

I must say that for the last few years life has been pretty normal. No real highs or lows, nothing too extreme.

Yes there have been difficulties as well as times of excitement, etc… but for the most part, life has been pretty much on an even keel.

My family life has been pretty good.

I do wish that my wifes work schedule were more well suited to our liking, but for now, we have to do what we have to do to pay off some debt.

Nothing major, but we really are aiming to truly live within our means and not have to use credit for stuff anymore.

Our personal relationship with one another is really very good.

We have completely different personalities and tastes, which although at times can make it a little difficult to relate, it mostly makes life pretty interesting.

She is a wonderful woman with such a pure childlike (and I mean that in a very good way!) faith in the Lord Jesus.

She’s not all that interested in having this big head full of bible knowledge so much as she is just very aware of the Lords love for her.

That is what makes her who she is, and she is beautiful.

I have two step children, Samantha and Chad, who are both great kids.

They are growing up so quickly and doing very well in school.

Samantha is very well mannered, very patient and even tempered.

Like her mom, she likes to go rollerskating, which they do together every now and then.

She told me the other day that she is the fastest girl in her ‘road runners’ track group that meets once a week after school.

She is growing up to be a very sweet young lady who, I’m sure, has a very promising future ahead of her.

Chad is also doing well in school and very athletic.

I think I see him walking on his hands more than I see him walking on his feet!

I teach him and a couple other young boys martial arts one day a week, which he enjoys.

He also loves riding his bike, jumping on the trampoline, and…well, anything physical.Of course he likes his playstation II and is always trading little games and gadgets with his buddies at school.

He’s a fireball and good boy.

And then there is Becky, whom some of you have been ‘virtually’ introduced to here before.

This one is ‘daddy’s little girl’.

She is just a real character and a genuine sweetheart. She loves doing just about anything, but I think some of her favorites are playing with bugs and lately, building with legos.

She is also very artistic and likes to draw, color, and paint.

Praise God that her symptoms are going away!!!!!

I thank you all, so much, for your prayers, and I ask that you continue to lift her (and our family) up to the Lord.

(I plan to post a more detailed update on her condition soon, so check back!!!)

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Of course none of us are  without our flaws and weakness’ but, that pretty much goes without saying, amen?

I was chatting with my friend Jeremy last night, and we have both recognized that just about everyone we know seems to be going through some kind of hard time right now.

The more I thought about that, the more I realized that, at least in my own life, that is just the way it has always been.

As far back as I can remember, there have always been hard times. It is just part of living.

No, that doesn’t make it any easier, but it is true.

(Did I tell you that I busted my two front teeth at work yesterday? OUCH!!)
Look all the way back through the history books, and even the scriptures themselves will testify that this idea of the ‘perfect family’ or the ‘perfect life’ is only just that…,

an idea.

(Well yes, there was ONE perfect life. ;-)  )

Honestly it is refreshing and even enlightening to come to this realization.

It relieves the pressure of trying to be something that we are just not.

It helps us to live more honestly before God and one another and causes us to grow in His grace and to gain our strength from Him.

No, it doesn’t mean that we ‘just don’t care’ about our conditions or situations.

Instead, in the midst of this truth we discover just how much we really do care about the Lord and one another.

I’ve come to realize that it is just impossible to accurately talk about or explain certain things.

Words just do not cut it.

But I’m going to give it a shot.

Living the Christian life isn’t about trying harder.

It’s not about lining yourself up with a holy standard.

That, my friends, is called Legalism.

Now I know some will read this and start pointing out scriptures about this or that, but I guarantee for every time you do that, I can point to just as many scriptures that will prove you wrong.

The bible is not a rule book.

The bible IS NOT:

Basic

Instruction

Before

Leaving

Earth

The bible is not a how to manual. Not unless you wanna get into Torah and taking that route (no thanks, I’ve already died once).

The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

It is a collection of Inspired writings.

I tell you the truth….

If the scriptures do not point you to a living encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, then they will only lead you down the road of religion.

Before you know it YOU and your ‘christian life’ will be the center of everything.

Believe me, saints.

This happens so subtley.

Everything in our culture already has our mind bent around in that direction, and so when we take that mind and filter the bible (or anything else) through it, we will end up with the same thing.

Now that I’ve made such an extreme statement from that end of things, I am going to completely contradict myself and say to you that the bible agrees with what I am saying here.

Discover the Lord Jesus Christ.

Re-discover Him.

May we learn what it means to lose our own lives (even our ‘Christian life’) so that we might find them.

Just wanted to pass this article along to my brothers and sisters.

It has proven helpful for me this evening (and echo’s the same voice that I have been hearing through many of you).

Please keep us in your prayers.

Brothers and Sisters, I sit here tonight with a heart that is growing heavier by the hour.

As some of you already know, my youngest daughter, Becky, who is four years old, has been battling a staph infection/ cellulitis for the past month.

I have read reports on the internet that this bacteria has, in many cases, mutated to being anti-biotic resistant.

Which is scary.

The antibiotic-proof form of staph is called MRSA.
Her first bout with staph we combated for ten days with a prescribed antibiotic and steroid treatment.

After about a week, the visible symptoms disappeared and for a few days everything seemed to be back to normal.

About four days later, it resurfaced as cellulitis.

Her symptoms were that her face was swollen and dark pink. The area around her right eye was so puffy that it was almost closed completely.

The doctor prescribed another ten days of the same treatment but with an increased dosage of the antibiotic.

Today is the tenth day and while the swelling has gone back down and her color is normal, we have noticed what appears to be yet another little spot on her wrist which is itchy and pink.

Looks like more staph, but could be something else (?)

For a man who talks so much about Jesus Christ, I find that in times such as these, my faith is little more than a glowing cinder.

While most cases of staph are treatable, and are usually resolved easily with proper treatment, some have proven to be fatal.

Brothers and Sisters,

I don’t know if I could come to you in a more vulnerable way than I am right now.

Please pray for her, that she would be healed of this wretched illness.

In Him,

Your brother johnny

(Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Remember, “in the beginning, God…”.

Here we have Christ, the very image of this invisible God, and He is the first-born over all creation.

Since my last post was a combination of an overload and a cop out, I want to look at and partake of these scriptures a piece at a time.

Susan is right.

These little nuggets speak volumes in themselves.

Now we all know that we are not all in the exact same place in our walks with the Lord, and I thank God for that. If for nothing else it keeps life interesting.

Keeping that in mind, I say to you that regardless of where you find yourself in your walk there is something that will never change.

God was first, and therefore Christ was first.

First let me tell you what I am not saying.

I am not saying that you should feel bad for not keeping Christ, truly, as first place in your life.

No.

What I am saying to you is that He has always been first, He is first, and He will always be first.

Now we may not always act like it, and we may not always recognise that fact, but by His very nature, regardless if men see the truth or the reality for what it (He) is, Christ is first.

Many of us want to put our ‘walk’ first.

Many of us want to put our ‘ministry’ first.

Many of us want to put our ‘victory’ first.

Our defeats, our agendas, our ‘cross’, our transformation, our sin, our salvation, etc….

But the truth is that it is Christ.

What a glorious reality this is!!!!

May we begin to agree with this fact, and to live in the light of such a revelation!!

Moving along in our look at the this letter to the church in Colosse, I have come to realize that sometimes you just have to let someone else say what you want to say, when they can say it better than you.

(whaddya’ say?    )

Furthermore, without any reservation, I want to be clear in stating that much of what I have to say, and have already said, has already been, and is still being said by other men and women who have done, and still do, a much better job than myself.

However, although I have been enlightened by reading the works of many others, I do believe that I can say that the Lord has not only shown me many of these things directly and personally, but He has also walked me through some of these things experientially.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

I make no claim to attainment, but I would be a fool to count what the Lord has both shown me and worked into me as being without great value.

It is my hope that you can say the same for your self.

It is at this time that I set before you what I consider to be the very heart and core, the most primary and even all consuming matter, which, without a doubt in my mind, is something that we absolutely must get hold of.

If you get hold of what I am about to present to you, you shall have no worries of ever getting hold of anything else, as the heart of this message is all inclusive.

Perhaps you have read the following message before. If you have, I encourage you to read it again.

Now I understand the limitations of messages, in that they can only point to a greater reality.

This one, I believe, is probably the best Christian message that I have ever read, personally.

I present to you, Mr. T. Austin Sparks.

Be blessed.

(BTW…If I never post here again, I can rest assured knowing that my heart of hearts was expressed, albeit through the words of another.)

Definitions:

Delivered 

From Strongs-

1) to draw to one’s self, to rescue, to deliver

2) the deliverer

American Heritage Dictionary -

de·liv·er
v. de·liv·ered, de·liv·er·ing, de·liv·ers

v. tr.

1. To bring or transport to the proper place or recipient; distribute: deliver groceries; deliver the mail.
2. To surrender (someone or something) to another; hand over: delivered the criminal to the police.
3. To secure (something promised or desired), as for a candidate or political party: campaign workers who delivered the ward for the mayor.
4. To throw or hurl: The pitcher delivered the ball.
5. To strike (a blow).
6. To express in words; declare or utter: deliver a lecture.
7. 1. To give birth to: She delivered a baby boy this morning.
   2. To assist (a woman) in giving birth: The doctor delivered her of twins.
   3. To assist or aid in the birth of: The midwife delivered the baby.
8. To give forth or produce: The oil well delivered only 50 barrels a day.
9. To set free, as from misery, peril, or evil: deliver a captive from slavery.
   

v. intr.

1. To produce or achieve what is desired or expected; make good: The senator delivered on her pledge. He is a manager who just can’t seem to deliver.
2. To give birth: She expects to deliver in late August.

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conveyed (or ‘translated’)

From Strongs-

1) to transpose, transfer, remove from one place to another

a) of change of situation or place

b) to remove from the office of a steward

c) to depart from life, to die

American Heritage Dictionary - (kən-vā’)
tr.v. con·veyed, con·vey·ing, con·veys

1. To take or carry from one place to another; transport.
2. To serve as a medium of transmission for; transmit: wires that convey electricity.
3. To communicate or make known; impart: “a look intended to convey sympathetic comprehension” (Saki).
4. Law To transfer ownership of or title to.
5. Archaic To steal.

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He

has

delivered

us

from the power of darkness

and…

conveyed

us

into

the kingdom of the Son of His love,

in whom

we have

redemption

through His blood,

the forgiveness of sins.

Hello everyone!

After posting a slightly modified version of a portion of Pauls letter to the church in Colosse, presenting it to the ‘virtual church’, Our dear sister in Christ, Marie, asked if I would give my perspective on just a small bit of it.

Well, if you are able to read this post in it’s entirety, you will find that I do, finally respond to her questions

Marie,

I had to back up a little for some context to the scriptures that you wanted to focus on, so let me start here…

(And I will get to the rest…)

*****************************************************************************

“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit“.

Alright then, now for the portion which Marie brought to my attention:

“For this reason…”

Wait! For what reason?!

“…your love in the Spirit”

I believe it is safe to say that the reason Paul gave thanks was because he had come to know these two things about the saints in Colosse:

1) Their faith in Jesus Christ
2) Their love for the saints (one another)

These two things are love in the Spirit.

He also was thankful for:

3) The hope which was laid up in heaven for them, which they heard of before in the word of the truth of the gospel …

This hope was already bringing forth ‘fruit’ in them since the day they heard and knew the grace of God in truth (Since the day the seed was planted, sprouted, and took root).

This was very important to Paul.

To him, he was like a gardener planting seeds, hoping for a fruitful harvest. When Paul became aware of the ‘fruit’, their love in the Spirit, that was popping up in ‘the garden’, he couldn’t help but give thanks!

Before going much further, I feel that I must take a moment to emphasize something.

Because we are all in different places, I believe that it is of the utmost importance that we all take a closer look at those scriptures again:

“…because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth…”

Notice that at first Paul says, “You heard BEFORE in the word of the truth of the gospel…”

And then He follows with, “It is brining forth fruit…among you since the day you heard and KNEW the grace of God in truth…”

No matter where we are in our walk with the Lord, it’s not a bad idea to bring to remembrance those things which were the foundation of our life in Christ–

(Okay, just a little paraphrase here,…but I assure you that it stands true to meaning!)

“(The word of the gospel in truth) (has been) bringing forth fruit,…among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth”

Now this is where it is all to begin;
When we know the grace of God in truth.

This is something that is often rushed through and reduced to, “Just say this sinners prayer”.

Oh no. It is so much more.

Yes, we do come initially to the Lord as broken sinners and yes we pray, but we must be exposed to something much more substantial than those things.

To stop at, “Lord, forgive me,” or “I repent” is to miss out on the knowing the grace of God in truth.

While our brokenness and attitude of repentance are absolutely necessary for knowing God, we must also be exposed to the grace of God in truth and not only mere mental assent.

Think about it.

MANY people know that Jesus saves.

That’s a fact (and a well worn one at that).

Thanks to Churchianity, everyone knows that “Christian aren’t perfect, were just forgiven”.

Conceptually, this is common knowledge.

“Got sin? Get Jesus.”

But how many of us who ‘know’ the grace of God really k n o w the grace of God in truth?!

Too often the ‘Christian life’ is peddled to us in a form similar to this:

1) Get saved (sinners prayer).

2) Go to church.

3) Read Bible.

4) Pray.

5) Tithe.

6) Witness.

7) Get ‘plugged in’.

There we have it.
So we trade ten commandments for seven. I guess you could call that good news (!?)

So many believers only think that they’ve been set free from the law when, in reality, they try to do all of the ‘Christian things’ to get or be right with God.

Now I’m not at all saying that these things are bad things, and yes, of course these things are in the scripture (however misrepresented they are today) and, in fact, one can benefit to some degree from doing these things, but these things are no substitute for the grace of God in truth.

The grace of God must be something more to us than a teaching, or an idea.
It must be in TRUTH.
We must come to a place, before we can move along any further in genuine growth in Christ, where we have had an “AMEN LORD!” experience of receiving the grace of God in truth.

And not only once, but we must, on a regular basis, be nourished up in the sincere milk of the word of God before ever hoping to grow up into ‘young men/women’ much less spiritual ‘mothers or fathers’.

“Is this yet another ‘Christian’ law that must be kept?.
No!
This is a matter of life and death.
This is a matter, not of doing something to improve who you are, but it is a matter of RECEIVING SOMEONE who lives His life for you.

Is not the ‘milk’, the very substance of the ‘mother’?

Jesus Christ is The grace of God in truth

Unfortunately, today (not unlike the first century), the message of Gods grace has been mingled with too many other things.
Everything from law, to prosperity doctrine (which is also, by the way, law).

Very few people are sharing Jesus Christ.

How is it possible that Jesus Christ is but seldom mentioned in the midst of a group of believers, and then when He is mentioned, it is said in a way that makes the people feel guilty.

No!

That is NOT the way it should be!

Jesus Christ IS the grace of God in truth!

Jesus Christ, in His person and in His work. Everything about Him is the ultimate proof that God is, indeed, good.

Jesus Christ must be, in our lives, both individually and corporately, first place.

Knowing the grace of God in truth involves experiencing a genuine encounter with God through Jesus Christ.

We approach Him in true reverence and HE showers us with His grace and His mercy.

Here is the heart of the gospel, it is what Paul delivered to the saints at the very beginning:

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…”

This is all about eternal life and the resurrection, but it is truly about Christ.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection…”.
Think about that.

If you have Christ, then you have the resurrection!!

Christ is All!!!

Hallelujah!

We may freely come to Jesus Christ and find that He is the One who forgives and saves.
We may come to Jesus Christ and discover that He is the One who has presented to God the one time eternal sacrifice for sins.
We may come to Jesus Christ and hear Him say to us, “Where are they that condemn you?”
Ahhh…
But there is a catch,… right?
The whole ‘Go and sin no more’ part?

Isn’t this always the stickler?
But what really happened at the scene? After bringing the woman to the feet of this controversial Rabbi, and testing Him with their clever words,

“Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”

“Whoever is without sin among you, may throw the first stone”.

His words frightened her accusers away ( even though her accusers were ‘right’), and they scurried off from the oldest to the youngest.
(why do you suppose the Spirit kept that little detail in there? ‘From the oldest to the youngest.” Hmm)
As for her, she sat before him, guilty as charged, and Jesus asks her, “Where are your accusers?…neither do I condemn you..”

Then she stood up.

“Go and sin no more”.

Here is the pattern:

We are found to be at fault.

We are ’set down’ before the Lord by our accusers.

Accusation rail.

Jesus speaks the Truth.

Accusers leave.

Jesus does not condemn.

We are able to stand up.

Now that we have experienced the true nature of the Lord Jesus, we become empowered to ’sin no more’.

Hallelujah! The Grace of God in Truth for this one caught in sin!!
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Behold Him, for He is glorious!!!!!!!

“Oh, all of this ‘hyper-grace’ is going to cause worldliness, and act as license to sin…!”

Then why is this the pattern shown forth in scripture?

Paul dealt with this same concern in his letter to the Romans:

WHAT shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

THEREFORE

we were buried with Him

through baptism

into death,
that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of
His resurrection,

knowing this, that

our old man was crucified with Him,

that the body of sin might be done away with,

that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.
Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Likewise

you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in
Christ Jesus our Lord.

Therefore

do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

For sin shall not have dominion over you,

for you are not under law

BUT UNDER GRACE (the Grace of God in Truth).

I’m not, at this time, going to expound on the above scriptures, but I will ask you to do this.

Read them slowly.

Get to know them.

Reckon them to be true.

And finally, now that I have ranted together some kind of stream of consciousness basis, I can get to the questions that Marie brought to our attention:

“How do you relate this to the Kingdom Gospel?”

Honestly, I believe that there is only one gospel.

The “Kingdom” means the “Reign” or the “Lordship”. Therefore all scripture is related and, in fact, points to this very thing. Basically a life walked out in the Spirit.

“What must take place to be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”?

Whatever His will is, and we shall get around to that soon (please, if you already know, share it with us) it is to be apprehended in ‘all wisdom and spiritual understanding’.

We must move on beyond a natural understanding and into a spiritual understanding which is accompanied with all wisdom.

Two things to keep in mind.

First, in answer to your question, this comes about by prayer, not academics. It is spiritual and not natural.

Second, this admonition and prayer was for a people and not a person.

This was for a group of people who were being built up together.

The first century reality of this gathering, and what passes for ‘church’ today are two dramatically different things with two dramatically different modes of operation.

May we all have a more clear revelation of the Life of the church, and the functioning of the members.

“What must take place in order to be “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might”?

That same prayer.

Now let me throw in the next portion of scripture:

“that we all may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

Here we have a little light shined upon what God’s will is to look like.

Keep in mind that a divine ‘filling’ of the saints with the knowledge of God’s will, accompanied with all wisdom and spiritual understanding must come first. Once this is apprehended, we begin to find ourselves ‘walking worthy’ of the Lord (Hint: It has to do with us first receiving the grace of God in truth, and getting hold of the fact that, because of Jesus, we have been made worthy), being fully pleasant to Him, etc…

“By “steadfastness and patience” does he mean peace in knowing God will work it all out?”

The nkjv says it like this:

“strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;”

The might that we have in Christ is for the empowering is to be expressed in our patience and longsuffering with joy.

This might doesn’t come with our long, drawn out, teeth grinding prayers and acts of penance, but rather, it is ACCORDING to HIS GLORIOUS power.

“And, what does it mean; “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light”?

And finally, because of all of above, we are able to genuinely give thanks to the Father.

Why?

Because HE HAS QUALIFIED US TO BE PARTAKERS OF THE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINT IN LIGHT.

Can I get an amen?!

How about a ‘Hallellujah’?!

Hallelujah, amen!!!!!

What do you think the “inheritance” is specifically (other than Jesus Christ Himself)?

Paul said that “The Kingdom of God is peace, joy, and righteousness in the Holy Ghost”.

We are told that we may inherit the Kingdom of God.

I think it is just that.

The kingdom is not so much a place (although I do indeed have wonderful expectations of the afterlife), but it is a reality, but yet it is also a Person.

The way that I see it, is that it all boils down to this one Purpose…

Gods eternal purpose, which is Christ in you (or y’all), the hope of GLORY.

Not just Christ alive in us, but Christ living through and among us (hence the glory).

But is there more?

Do I know and have I said all that needs to be known and said?

Absolutely there is more! With God, there is always more!!

Absolutely, I do not know all, and therefore cannot say all!

I only have my perspective and my glimpse of the whole truth.

As a matter of fact, I encourage everyone who reads my words to weigh them out, ask the Lord to reveal to you if they be true.

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I apologize for such a lengthy and maybe somewhat disjointed response to your questions, Marie, but there were some things that needed to be said prior to answering your questions.

Again, my comments about ‘the seven Christian Commandments’ with the church at large, is referring to just that. The rule rather than the exception.

Now, did I tell you that it was good news?!