2013
A little girl sings ‘Happy Birthday Jesus’.
Did you say you wanted to see the cutest grandkids in the whole world?
Aslan James Eli Franklin Avalee Joy
And Just for fun…
With all the factional and aggressive knee-jerk reactions from both extremes of Grace, it gives new meaning to the secular pop song; ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’ Or Roberta Flack’s, ‘Where Is The Love’? If we’re all in the same family makes you wonder, why all the fighting? What happened to “love your enemies”… not to mention love your friends and family? It’s crazy… as imperative and central as Grace is, even to our salvation, don’t you wish we could just enjoy and camp out on ‘Main Street’ Grace without all the angst? This title; ‘The Quest for the Radical Middle’, (a book written about John Wimber’s Vineyard movement) says it pretty clearly for me. Let’s major on the powerful central tenets of Grace that are immutable and life changing… and let Grace have it’s epic transformational work in us.
For more on the subject of the collateral damage of hard-line extremists and the importance of ‘keeping our love on’, check my posts: The Dangers of Hardline Eschatology and ‘Main Street’ Grace.
— MLH
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From Jonathan Welton’s RogueTheologian.com
In October 2013, Pastor John MacArthur launched his new book, Strange Fire,with a kick-off conference by the same name.
I remember being at a close friend’s house when I was 15 years old and he showed me a copy of Charismatic Chaos by MacArthur. My friend then proceeded to tell me that it was because of MacArthur’s teachings that his family wasn’t Pentecostal like me, but he would still be my friend, “so long as I didn’t become like Benny Hinn!”
An interesting memory to be sure! Well, years later, I bought and read a copy ofCharismatic Chaos, which was MacArthur’s attack on the Charismatic church almost 30 years ago. I found it to be anecdotal, circumstantial and poorly argued, but apparently it was enough evidence for some people.
In response to John MacArthur’s recent attack on the Charismatic church, Dr. Michael Brown has written a large treatise entitled, Authentic Fire. I was very glad that Dr. Brown stepped up to address these unwarranted attacks from MacArthur. Yet at the same time, I am greatly saddened by what I have been seeing released in the American church in the last 12 months.
The Political Spirit
I believe that since the November 2012 elections, there has been a massively divisive strategy released into the government realm. This same divisive strategy was able to shut down the actual government itself for a time. The church has been lagging behind this government division, but as of November 2013, we have begun to see the same impact of division within the church, and we are dangerously heading toward a shutdown of our own.
What we are now seeing in the church is that the impact of our dividing over theological issues is revealing the cracks in our worldwide spiritual family.
Rather than reasonable and academic debate, we have allowed points of difference to create major division. Rather than honoring each other’s strengths, we have attacked each other’s weaknesses.
At this very moment, we have major leaders in the church which are teaching and preaching a “Grace Revolution” whereas there are books being released against the Grace Movement and calling it Hyper-Grace. There are even leaders going on National Christian platforms giving “warnings from God” about Grace being a major spiritual avalanche devastating the church!
Also there has been an outbreak of rabid arguments about eschatology. Yes, eschatology is important and I understand having discussions and debates about it. But when national leaders begin to use their platforms to call views that they don’t like, “False Teachings.” It doesn’t open the door to communication and understanding.
In light of the argumentation, the name calling, the cavalier dismissal of brothers and sisters as teaching “False Views.” It is time that we recognize that this behavior is (1) grieving the Holy Spirit and (2) destroying our witness to the unbelievers.
Yes, we must discuss and even passionately debate at times as “iron sharpening iron.” Yet, we must also maintain our respect and value for those we disagree with. Whether they are right or wrong, Jesus deemed them worthy of dying for and how can we treat them as anything less?
It can be very hard when people are not living up to their dignity and identity. I have my share of hater’s on the Internet blogs, even one that reads my blog each week and sends me the most insulting and inane comments. Yet for individuals like those, although they choose not to walk in dignity, honor, respect and love; I can still make that choice despite their choice. And maybe one day the love that I chose to walk in will bring us to a place of reconciliation.
Simply put, the strategy the Lord is recalling us to is that we bless those that curse us and not in an indignant way; but that we honestly and genuinely can bless them from the depths of our hearts because we see them as someone worth dying for.
The church has survived 2000 years through some very dark times and very bad teachings. It is not going to be improved by sudden vicious attacks against the things we disagree with. We must return to treating others with love and honor, and finding a way to open communication rather than closing it.
by Jonathan Welton – Blog: RogueTheologian.com – Dec 18, 2013
http://roguetheologian.com/2013/12/18/prophetic-word-from-jonathan-welton/#comments
This is a re-blog from Kilen’s Spot: (Dec 2, 2013) and (Dec 3, 2013)
Now after watching it, read the verses below:
2 Corinthians 3:18
The days of window-shopping are over! In him every face is unveiled. In gazing with wonder at the blueprint likeness of God displayed in human form, we suddenly realize that we are looking at ourselves! Every feature of his image is mirrored in us! This is the most radical transformation engineered by the Spirit of the Lord; we are led from an inferior mind-set to the revealed endorsement of our authentic identity. Mankind is his glory!
James 1:23-25
They realize that they are looking at themselves, but for the one it seems just too good to be true, he departs (back to his old way of seeing himself) and immediately forgets what manner of person he is; never giving another thought to the one he saw there in the mirror.The other one is mesmerized by what he sees; he is captivated by the effect of a law that frees man from the obligation to the old written code that restricted him to his own efforts and willpower. No distraction or contradiction can dim the impact of what he sees in that mirror concerning the law of perfect liberty (the law of faith) that now frees him to get on with the act of living the life (of his original design.)
He finds a new spontaneous lifestyle; the poetry of practical living.(The law of perfect liberty is the image and likeness of God revealed in Christ, now redeemed in man as in a mirror. Look deep enough into that law of faith that you may see there in its perfection a portrait that so resembles the original that he becomes distinctly visible in the spirit of your mind and in the face of every man you behold. I translated the word, parakupto, with mesmerized from para, a preposition indicating close proximity, originating from, denoting the point from which an action originates, intimate connection, and kupto, to bend, stoop down to view at close scrutiny; parameno, to remain captivated under the influence of; meno, to continue to be present. The word often translated as freedom, eleutheria, means without obligation; spontaneous.)We have forgotten who we are! We are all created in God’s image (Gen 1:26). We all have our start IN HIM. Our original DNA is HIS. Through the cross we have the ability to have our spiritual DNA restored. He is in us! He is the I am in me!! He is not far from me/you!
The revelation found within the movie The Lion King basically speaks to your identity and Christ in you. Rafiki (the gibbon) has Simba (the young lion) look into the water and asks him to tell him what he sees. Upon looking into the reflection he responds “No, that’s not my father.” Rafiki says “Look harder. .. . You see, he lives in you.”
Mufasa “You have forgotten me, so you have forgotten who you are, look inside yourself Simba, you are more than what you have become… Remember who you are, you are my son.”
In a way that is the gospel, Christ came to show us who we are. We are all God’s sons and daughters. The finished work of the cross is the act that provides this as revelation. It is that realignment of our thoughts and beliefs as to our identity.
In the movie Mulan there is as good of an analogy of grace as I have ever seen.
Mulan comes home (click on pic to view a very stirring 59 second video)
Mulan wants to come to her father and be accepted and forgiven. She thinks that by bringing medals and the sword she can gain it. Notice her father’s response.
Fa Zhou: “Mulan…”
Mulan: [kneels] “Father. I brought you the sword of Shan-Yu, and the crest of the Emperor. They’re gifts, to honor the Fa family.”
[Fa Zhou drops the sword and crest on the ground and embraces Mulan]
Fa Zhou: “The greatest gift and honor… is having you for a daughter.”
I know personally I have always felt like I have had to work to attain some kind of spiritual ok-iness (my own word). I was taught to do this and do that and I would gain righteousness. I was taught I had to work to gain access to God. When all along (pre-dirt, Gen 1:26) I was made in God’s image. I have had His DNA before the earth was created. All along I have been his son. All mankind is His sons and daughters. We have been deceived into believing we are less. We have been deceived into believing we could do some 7 step method to gain righteousness.
Grace, salvation, and righteousness are all free gifts that we can do nothing to gain on our own accord.
Are you looking for something that is already inside you?
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Mark Hendrickson
Beyond the Map 