Open-faced

I am an advocate of good health, organic living and simplicity.

What many people don't know is that I am also a propagandist for open-faced-freedom.

Subsequent to my previous post (this one), I will in this post get to learn and document myself as a reckless, zealous proponent of the unadulterated Gospel of freedom …

I will do so open-faced! Anakalyptō!

Exact day of the birth of Christ

Unraveling the Celebrations

As the year draws to a close, a season of feasts descends upon cultures worldwide. This annual occurrence, an undeniable highlight for many, arrives with predictable regularity. Yet, surprisingly, few pause to consider the origins or birthplaces of these celebrations. In our increasingly confused world, it begs the question: what, precisely, are we celebrating?

Consider the diverse array of feasts: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Muharram, Dasara, Mawlid an Nabi, Christmas, Diwali, Ashura, and Rohatsu, among others. Each commemorates a specific event or figure. To truly celebrate with understanding, participants must delve into the facts behind the rituals and customs they observe, and understand its origins.

Despite their varied subjects of celebration, these feasts share a common thread: none of them center on Jesus Christ, not even Christmas. Even devout Christians, who may believe they are celebrating His birth, are often mistaken. This warrants a deeper investigation.

Time out!

We have a habit of speaking to God. Me, my wife and our two daughters.

We speak to God on many matters. Even trivial ones, sometimes. And we ask many questions. Even stupid ones, sometimes.

But Abba always answers.

We tend to talk about current matters.

Sometimes we speak to God on pressing matters that lay heavily on our hearts as well.

James and the pirate of the soul

What is this James and pirating all about?

Google “James” and you’ll find the name to mean supercede and replace, it is to displace and override and to remove in its totality.

And pirating is to attempt to attack with a purpose to unjustly profit. It is to rob and plunder which belongs to someone else.

I titled this post “Pirate of the soul” because of something James said in James 1, but I felt that I should remind myself of who exactly James is and what the significance of his name is before getting into the whole pirate thing.

Do we know James?

Defeat your affliction

Over the course of the last week or so my wife and I were again reminded of the rotten thinking of so many sincere Christians, and how we used to and sometimes still think ourselves … sincere, but defeated Christians.

Here is the story

We have heard so many stories of people who plainly accepted sickness and set-back circumstances that they have been struck with, saying that it is a burden they have to carry …

Why?

Passion - pepoithēsis

Driving to the office this morning, I was given one word by the Holy Spirit this morning.

Passion.

Right.

Where to start?

I could google search …

… or use e-Sword …

And I did.

Meet John

Earlier this week

Earlier this week I started writing a post on John and Jesus … mostly about Jesus, but also about John.

My blog post was birthed from a place of intimacy reading John 15 and 16. It touched me deeply. I was awakened to the fact that the Gospel of John was different from the others in that John is the disciple who refers to himself as the disciple that Jesus loved. John talks more about life compared to the others that talk about the kingdom (but synonymizing them). John talks more about the cloak of the Spirit Who abides as the Comforter, the Aide-memoire of Jesus instead of the mere spirit referred to by the others.

I started writing on how this is the Gospel where Jesus categorically prepared those who loved Him to what was going to happen to Him, the most significant event ever in HIS-STORY.

The unforeseen

My post was at an advanced stage, and the emotions and precious revelations that came to me spilled out on the screen until the unforeseen happened.

Power in receiving

We are mistaken

We get it wrong on so many levels when we think that life (everlasting life) and liberty can be self-attained …

by what we say,

by what we do,

by what we pay,

by what we offer,

by what we confess,

by what we give,

by what we do right,

by how well we repent,

by what we align ourselves to or how good we do these prescripts of religion.

The Gospel is straightforward

Catechism denied inheritance

My journey through the broken back roads of religion made me discover that salvation involves so much more than just redemption from eternal condemnation. In fact, it comprises every aspect of life itself (Himself), including relationship, provision, healing, authority, restoration, peace, and every other glorious, divine aspect that comes to mind. And all of this is part of the New Testament inheritance of the saints (you and me). As I walked this tiresome path, I transitioned from a totally oblivious, brainwashed churchgoer to someone who became more and more secure and content with the perfect provision of Christ.

Background please!

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.