Un-deferred Hope

 

Through the ages the human heart has been intimately acquainted with the heavy ache of waiting. Throughout history, we have struggled under the crushing weight of unmet expectations, striving to achieve righteousness, peace, and security through performance and rule-keeping, all amplified by teachings and doctrine of the institutional church. This agonizing cycle is perfectly captured in the first half of Proverbs 13:12:

"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick..." (KJV)

When hope is constantly postponed, it drains the life out of our spirit.

When Jesus marvelled

The Bible records two distinct occasions when Jesus marvelled (θαυμάζω, thaumazō, meaning to wonder, to be amazed, to be astonished). These two instances stand in stark contrast, revealing what truly caught the attention of the Son of God.

To understand our own positions, it may be a good idea to take note of this.

To work out your own salvation …

I titled this post “To work out your own salvation …” because mostly when the Gospel is communicated, people work it out in accordance with their doctrine …

So, I had to balance it out with the truth.

“It Is Finished": The Grace-Powered Outworking of Our Salvation

Philippians 2:12, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," often stands as a stark challenge. Yet, when we view it through the liberating lens of Jesus's triumphant declaration on the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30), a profound shift in understanding occurs. Suddenly, the daunting task becomes a grace-filled journey.

When it is finished, it is finished!

Logic is all we need

The Word Made Flesh: Experiencing Logos as Grace in Our Lives

In the IT world we define “logic” as a system of reasoning used to design, develop, understand and maintain a system of intelligence and operations. It's the foundation for processing information and making decisions based on underlying principles.

I asked AI for some English language expressions where the word "logic" is used to get some sort of understanding of how we humans see "logic". Here is the result:

A sound mind in a sound body.

Logic is the gatekeeper of reason.

Logic is the foundation of truth.

Logic is the bridge between the known and the unknown.

Logic is the tool that allows us to understand the world around us.

Logic is the key to solving problems and making sound decisions.

Logic is the antidote to irrationality and prejudice.

Logic is the light that guides us through the darkness of uncertainty.

Logic is the compass that points us in the right direction.

Logic is the foundation of all human progression.

… and it struck me that logic is the basis for soundness, truth, knowledge, understanding, survival, certainty, and even life. There is a distinct correlation between our understanding of “logic” and Logic Himself!

Charitoō to gush out His Love!

Every now and then I come across a word that I really, really like.

I like certain words for certain specific reasons.

These words then become my special words. Words I treasure.

They end up in my reserved place for special words …

However, for that particular word to become one of my special words, it must comply. It must have certain unique qualities.

Goodness of God

In this post I want to do nothing more than to share to myself (and you), the lyrics of one of my all-time favourite worships songs by Bethel Music. It is sung by Jenn Johnson as part of the Victory album released in 2019. The song was written by Ed Cash, Ben Fielding, Jason Ingram, Brian Johnson and Jenn Johnson.

And the name of the song is “Goodness of God”.

It is a Grace song that flies in the face of traditional doctrine and religion alike.

Immanuel

I sometimes wonder how the institutional church interprets Immanuel.

God with us.

God in us.

God present.

… and then, looking at what is preached, I wonder … who is this God?

Is it the same God that Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 7:14?

Is it the same God quoted in Matthew 1:23 and Luke 1:35 when the prophecy was about to be fulfilled?

Is it the same God who promised never to leave nor forsake us in Hebrews 13:5?

Jesus, the dog and the children

In most cultures calling someone a dog is the ultimate insult.

Similarly, calling someone a child or childish, offends that person maximally. 

However, in the economy of Jesus this is not true and we may even find that the exact opposite is appropriate.

There is this cool, prophetic history in the book of Numbers (13 and 14) which resulted in Joshua and Caleb being the only ones from their generation to enter the promised land - Joshua and the dog ... and the children from the younger generation.

How is this significant?

The poo-free Gospel - part 1

There is a wavering Gospel that says whatever Christ has done on the cross, is not enough - you have to be good and earn it!

It mixes poo with the good …

It modifies the Good News into something man-made.

The Good-News-Message becomes the Message of Doom.

That is why Paul reprimanded the Galatians. 

I can’t believe how you waver—how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing an alternative message! It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are turning the Message of Christ on its head. Let me be blunt: If one of us—even if an angel from heaven!—were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed. I said it once; I’ll say it again: If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed. Galatians 1:6-9 MSG

What does it mean to waver?

I pray

I pray today

Lord, thank You that even though I thought I found You and gave my heart to You, You found me first and not only gave me Your heart, but all of You.

Thank You Yah’shua that when I thought I gave You my life, You had already given me Yours, completely and unreservedly and that I now stand sanctified and washed in your presence.

Thank You Spirit of God that when I first heard Your voice, You reminded me that it was always there.

Healing - distance, delay and matters of control

The other day my daughter asked me to pray for her. She had stomach cramps, pains and something that resembled severe stomach spasms.

And I was reminded

As I prayed against all these things, cancelling the plans of the enemy, commanding the sickness and pain to go, and confirming the finished work of Yah’shua over her physical body, I was yet again reminded of how that we have this precious gift of healing inside of us and how that we often neglect to use it.

I was once again reminded how the institutional church teaches the bride of Christ that God is far, that He is on His own time schedule and that He is always in control. So, we must just accept whatever we get. Their favourite saying is “His time is not our time” and “His ways are not our ways”.

Who is a child of God?

Who?

What qualifies you to be a child of God?

What is it that you should do to be a child of God?

How difficult is it to become a child of God?

At what point can you say that you are a child of God?

Where is the answer to all this and how would we know for sure?

sugklēronomos

This post is all about a deeper dive into sugklēronomos, embracing a crucially important aspect of our position in Christ that is too often overlooked and almost never promoted by the institutional church.

It speaks to our divine inheritance.

The concept

So, the concept of being a sugklēronomos unlocks a profound truth

love and the law

So love has nothing to do with the law ... right?

And, what does Romans 13 say when it says that "... owe no man any thing, but to love one another ..."

Is this a new law?

Stand - the fight is fought

Sometimes something happens and we loose control.

Sometimes when something happens and we loose control we get all emotionally shattered-up and short-circuited (eh). We loose our ability to think clearly and loose or ability to ... stand ...

What?

Yes! We get emotionally muddled ... higgledy-piggledy.

And then we cry onto God.

And it happens so quickly, because we are wired by this world to go into panic mode.

Can we pray to move God?

The other day someone I deeply respect and listen to quite often was teaching on how that when we pray God moves ...

... and the Holy Spirit moved inside of me ...

The Holy Spirit reminded me of an awesome truth that I would like to pen here and remind myself of every now and then. This is the Truth I should NEVER forget and always take into account in every situation ... because this Truth is the GOSPEL TRUTH!

We say things we do not think through

We say things that sound profound. It even sounds Bible-ish, even Godly but these words are frequently the manifestations of our brainwashed religious upbringing.

We proclaim Grace ... and wonder why our prayers did not work immediately. And the "best" reason we can come up with is from the book of Daniel. That is, if you don't subscribe to the ridiculous and insane gesture that God is always in control no matter what.

Yet, there is something we keep missing as New Testament heirs in the kingdom of God that makes the whole Daniel example totally irrelevant to our prayers.

So, here goes!

In grace teachings one would often find teachings or motivational messages that attempt to provide reasons why certain prayers did not work. After all, Jesus did say that we could ask anything in His name and we shall receive.

So, what could go wrong?

THINK truth, honest, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, praiseworthy

You can think what you want ... 

But remember you are as you think. Whatever is in the heart will manifest in the physical, whether you want to know it or not.

Out of the heart flows the issues of life! Pro 4:23

Your life is determined by what (or Who) you behold

Throughout the Bible much emphasis is given to what we think and what or who we spend our time with and on.

Am I making sense?

That is why Solomon, in all his wisdom, gave us the proverb that says As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Pro 23:7

Fruit from receiving in prepared ground, hearing the word and understanding

I was accused the other day of saying that healing, as part of the atonement, was for everyone right now, in this life ...

Well, did I?

... I admit wholeheartedly to have done so. I said it exactly as I stand accused ...

I created a poll that stated "Healing is part of the atonement and finished work of Christ! We have freedom to receive healing. It is our inheritance."

... and I posted it for voting purposes on a couple of social media grace groups.

Did people like it?

One response explicitly reprimanded me

All birthed from One - the Gospel in Psalm 87

Some nations and peoples are condemned to spend an eternity in hell ... or are they?

Worldly springs yield no pure delight; all there are mixed and turbulent: all here are refreshing, satisfying, delightful.

Springs? Wells? Fountains?

Does it say so?

Look and be saved

Sometimes it's just better to sit and enjoy ...

... especially when something is already done!

Stand back, behold ... take it in and receive what is accomplished.

Why do we find it so hard?