Bunny Trail O ‘ Grace and Adoption (ii)
In church today a older gentleman shared a snippet that follows or strengthens a post I wrote last week.
The gentleman told how he had been at an early morning prayer meeting. When it was over he had a couple hours before church. A few people asked if he wanted to go out and get something to eat and spend some time together. In his head he heard a small voice saying “but I want to spend some time with you.” He listened to the voice and went solo to McDonalds. After eating he went and sat in a parking lot in his car. He prayed asking “but God I don’t get it, why would you want to spend time with me?” The response he he heard was “you don’t get it that’s correct. Think of your grandson Cooper, does Cooper have to ask that question? He gets it because it is what it is.”
Sonship in a right relationship has no need to ask “why do you want to be with me.” Children understand the relationship with their parents. They know they are loved and accepted without having to be told.
With that personalize it, and internalize that epiphany. The God of the universe created you not for servants or minions, he created us to be sons and daughters.
He sent his Son to bridge that connection or transformation from just an organic being to an eternal son.
If you haven’t read the first Bunny Trail O’ Grace and Adoption (i) ….. .
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Corey Russell Onething 2011 New Creation/Grace (Remix)
Found this on YouTube, I’ve known Corey for 10+ years. He is one of the most real peeps I’ve ever known. This is an awesome remix of a message her delivered at the Onething 2011 here in Kansas City.
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Bunny Trail O’ Grace and Adoption
I’m taking a class and me being me I have a tendency to go on bunny trails. Here is one of my bunny trails.
If you notice I’m only on the introduction but I’m in micro-contemplation bunny trail mode. One of the questions that was presented to us to get us to think was “What is God’s greatest purpose for His children?” Some of the possible answers in the manual were;
● Serve the Lord
● Obey the Lord
● Love the Lord
● Glorify the Lord
Does anyone ever say I’m having kids so that they can serve me. This might work if your Amish and need lots of hands on the farm but I doubt many people would make that statement. Or how about “I’m having children to obey me. Also, probably not a politically correct response. The last two, love and glorify, are a little easier to understand or work with.
Think on this, what does it mean “to glorify God?” Try changing it to “what does it mean for a son/daughter to glorify their parents? ” or ask yourself “my kids glorify me when? Fill in the blank.
My kids glorify me by;
● showing kindness to people.
● when they succeed at something.
● reach a goal.
I like this concept but in honesty I have to admit something, even if they didn’t show compassion, be a success, or reach a goal I would love them unconditionally no matter what. I have four kids and I have a different relationship with each of them. At the beginning and end of the day no matter how they treat me or how I react to them I love them with my whole being no matter what. They don’t have to reciprocate this love I will love them no matter what.
My immediate thought to the classes question was to walk in sonship. The greatest purpose in my relationship with my children is that they would walk as my kids. I desire for them to come to me with their ups and their downs, their success and their failures.
This is how I see God. I have been going through Romans (if you’ve followed my blogging you may notice my pattern). I desire my children would walk in that identity as “my kids.” As a dad I want them to have a relationship, an open relationship where they know they can come to me no matter what the condition of their heart. As a dad I want to be the one they come to when they get a scholarship or they need bail money. If they know and are confident that in both extremes I have done well as a father. (*disclaimer, not sure if I’m there yet.)
By Christ going to the cross and being crucified and resurrected we were co-crucified and co-resurrected with him. He died and took our sins we were put into a re-genesis state where the curse of the law was and is now forever broken and grace was given freely to all at that precise time. He died and paid for all my sins both past, current, and future! It was a free gift! He doesn’t see my sin any longer. This is not a license to sin but an invitation to step into His fullness. We do not have to work for gift. There is no 12 step program to walk in a grace. It is simply a gift.
Often, christians feel they are not worthy they feel they have to compete for God’s affection or acceptance. I remember when I was a teenager and it was home group night I would do everything possible to be gone before people would show up. I was scared of the church people showing up. I was scared thst they would be able to read my spiritual mail. I lived in fear and condemnation. I didn’t like going to church because I felt like I missed the mark with God. I lived under the paradigm of works. I needed to meet all requirements of the ten commandments and live holy. I felt I always fell short. I lived like that over 30+ years. I was in full time ministry for msny of those years and ministered under that influence. Recently I have experienced grace and had the breakthrough into the realization of what the act of Jesus’s death on the cross and what the resurrection did for mankind. Romans 8:1-2 has become more than just words, it has brought freedom.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:1-2
The analogy I heard tonight was very insightful. Imagine a vagrant (Tom)who is penniless. He had a distant billionaire uncle who died and left all his money to Tom. Tom is now a billionaire but since he is homeless they are having a hard time getting this information to Tom. Is he a billionaire? Yes! Yes, but he is not walking in this new identity because he has not been education about his new status/identity.
This is how mankind is. We are walking around like vagrants. We are unaware of what are true identity is. We are heirs. We are sons and daughters adopted in to God’s family with full access to the throne.
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” – Romans 8:15
He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace – Ephesians 1:5-7
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Keys to life…
Ok, this is going to be short and it comes from personal experience as of late.
Romans 5-8 has totally rocked my world in the past 5 months! I believe it is a key to changing ones spiritual and emotional identity. Around January I was challenged to study chapters 5-8. I took the challenge and I’m so happy I did. Grace and the ramifications of the cross hit me like a nuclear bomb, blowing away all of my pre- established beliefs.
What changed? My identity or how I perceived myself. Jesus died on the cross and we (all mankind was co crucified with him AT THAT MOMENT) were co-raised with him. This act was a re-genesis of our spiritual man. Our sin man was decimated. The law of sin and death was revoked. The free gift of forgiveness and grace was appropriated to all mankind. We were given the ability to accept this gift and step into His fullness. The verse ” there is now, no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, behold all has become new!” actually means literally what it says. I no longer have the notion that I have failed and fall short and and am filled with guilt and shame.
My identity is defined by God, I don’t define myself, he does. He says he sees him in me! (2 Corinthians 3:18)
I said I would keep this short so if you have questions or comments please reply below.
Grace grace!
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The Contradiction of the Cross
By Andre Rabe On April 22, 2013
The cross is the greatest contradiction. It is an evil act of murder and it is our salvation. This horrific death is the ultimate goal of false accusation, but simultaneously it exposes the deception of this accusation and so forever strips it of its power.This scripture summarizes the tension of this paradox: “For the Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.””(Mark 14:21 HCSB)
In other words, it is God’s plan but it is an evil act that should not happen. The scriptures simultaneously declares that he was innocent, that he was unjustly accused, that those who murdered him was guilty of the blood of all innocent victims … it was wrong in every way, yet the scriptures maintain that this was exactly what had to happen.
If we become so familiar with the story that we no longer see the contradiction, then we’ve missed the central revelation contained in it. Like all other pagan ideas of sacrifice, much of christianity looks at this sacrifice and are mystified by its magical powers – we allow the very revelation it is supposed to bring, to be swallowed up by sacred awe.
The murder of the innocent man Jesus Christ can never be justified – it was wrong! He was falsely accused and brutally abused by a frenzied ignorant crowd. Nowhere else was the true nature of our religious and secular institutions revealed more clearly than in this senseless violence. This is where God in all his innocence, in his most vulnerable state, faced evil in its most articulate expression – the unjustified violence of man. Evil incarnate met God incarnate.
Yet it is exactly here where evil is most real, that God intersects, turning our act of murder into our salvation. He uses the occasion of our most brutal violence to demonstrate His most extravagant love. He bore the brunt of our hostile minds, of our sinful thoughts. The event in which we bruised him and wounded him, is met with healing. At the very moment in which our rejection of him is absolute, he demonstrates our absolute acceptance.
However, we have often ascribed both the good and the evil of the cross to God! Lets expose that myth.God obviously anticipated these events. He knew that the open display of truth, in a world bound by myth, would be a confrontation with only one possible result. The very fabric upon which our societies were build, the false accusation, the prince (principle) of this world, the father of lies, would not take to this exposure kindly. Yes God knew and planned to make the most of this confrontation, but in no way is He the source of the violence that it exposes. In no way does He delight in the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.
The unjustified torture and death of the innocent Jesus Christ does not satisfy God’s justice in the sense that He delights in this punishment. The blood of Jesus does not satisfy the blood-lust of an angry God. Such theories is a mixture of ancient pagan thought and the very biblical revelation that came to expose the corruption of these myths. We were the angry deities who satisfied our blood-lust in this iconic murder.Why would God then use such an event? The scriptures describe this event as God’s victory over evil. In what way did He conquer evil?
This was the event in which the deceiver would deceive himself; the act in which our unfounded accusations would be exposed for what it is. The story that would deconstruct all our myths into the nothingness that they are.
These false models are exposed in the very moment when our true model is revealed. We are now able to see the true God and reflect Him – a God who loves and adores; a God in whom there is no accusation.
Wherever the gospel is declared and understood, sacrificial systems cease; victimization ceases, the oppressed and downcast are given hope by a God who identifies with them; a God who is able to overthrow the established corrupt overlords and make all things new.
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Galations 2
I’m not going to say too much this morning. At New Day Lloyd Rindels opened quoting Galations 2:18-20 out of The Mirror Translation.
18 Only a con artist will try to be a law-man and a grace-man at the same time!
19 My co-crucifixion with Christ is valid! I am not making this up. In his death I died to the old system of trying to please God with my own good behavior! God made me alive together with Christ. How can any human effort improve on this!
20 The terms, co-crucified and co-alive defines me now. Christ in me and I in him! His sacrificial love is evidence of his persuasion of my righteousness!
If you have read any of my blog in the past this is probably the common thread, your identity is in him! He defines you not your actions or abilities. If I could do anything to attain a place of position before God the act of the cross would have not been necessary.
The law has been superseded by the cross. We were co-crucified and our original identity was restored. Freely given, freely recieve it. Step into his grace, his freedom, his faith… A hard reset was done to this world at the cross. That relationship that God had with Adam in the garden (pre-sin) has been restored. Your redeemed innocence is restored.
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It’s all past tense baby!
God relates to you through your identity not through your behavior. He defines your identity not you.
He says you are made in his likeness. You were created in his image. His image of you is spotless. He sees eternity in him in your identity now. He likes you now. He liked you before he created the world. He is not wanting you to be something or do something to gain his acceptance or love. If we could do something to please him on our own merit he would not have had to send Jesus to the cross. It is a free gift given to us at the time of the cross, that’s right he did it prior to our being conceived. He forgave us and extended the gift of forgiveness and grace freely to all at the time of the cross. It is simply a matter if accepting the gift and walking into the place of sonship he has supplied.
We were created to not only be partakers of his divine nature (in fullness) in heaven but also to partake here on earth. He says who I am not me or my actions. My significance is or should not be defined by anything but the word of God.
2 Corinthians 5:16-19 TMT
16 This is radical! No label that could possibly previously define someone carries any further significance! Even our pet doctrines of Christ are redefined. Whatever we knew about him historically or sentimentallity is challenged by this conclusion.
17 In the light of your co-inclusion in his death and resurrection, whoever you thought you were before, in Christ you are a brand new person! The old ways of seeing yourself and everyone else are over. Acquaint yourself with the new!
18 To now see everything as new is to simply see what God has always known in Christ; we are not debating man’s experience, opinion, or his contribution; this is 100% God’s belief and his doing. In Jesus Christ, God exchanged equivalent value to redeem us to himself. The act of reconciliation is the mandate of our ministry.
19 our ministry declares that Jesus did not act independent of God. Christ is proof that God reconciled the total kosmos to himself. Diety and humanity embraced in Christ; the fallen state of mankind was deleted; their trespasses would no longer count against them! God has placed this message within us. He now announces his friendship with every individual from within us!
Romans 5:17-18 TMT
If death saw the gap in one sin, and grabbed the opportunity to dominate kind because I’m a one man, how much more me we now she’s the advantage to reign in righteousness in this life through that one act of Christ, who declared us innocent by His grace. Grace is out of all proportion in the superiority to the transgression.
18 The conclusion is clear: it took just one offense to condemn mankind; one act of righteousness declares the same mankind innocent.
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“You don’t have to claim another promise when you discover that the promise already claimed you! 2 Cor 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”
Francois du Toit
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Incarnation by Kristian Holms:
Had to share!
When the Word becomes flesh in Jesus a radical statement is made by God! God’s original thought, His logic that has been preserved from the beginning manifests on earth! What is amazing about this is that the real God is revealed as well as the true man. Jesus as fully God becomes fully man and does not reduce His expression of himself as God. In fact, the fullness of the Godhead is in him bodily. What does this mean for man? It means that we also accurately and completely express God by our design. It means that we also house the fullness of the Godhead within us. When God’s logic becomes flesh we see what He really thinks about ‘flesh’ and that we do not have to continue to war with our ‘flesh’ against sin because He dominates sin in the flesh.The amazing thing about Jesus is that he simultaneously reveals God and man in the incarnation. This means that there is no separation between us and God. Also it wasn’t a temporary arrangement for him to be a man for 33 terrible years until he goes back to heaven free at last. He was raised as a man to show that we could never ever be separated. He is forever united with us! This is why Paul can make such a radical statement in 2 Cor 5:14 when he says, “If One has died for all, then all have died.” We see that Jesus wasn’t alone in His life or on the cross. 2 Cor 5:19 says that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself.” So man and God were united in Christ’s life and cross. Jesus says in John 14:20, “On that day, you will know that I am in my Father, you are in Me and I am in you.” He comes and reveals a union that cannot be broken. There is one mediator between man and God, the man, Christ Jesus. As long as He is a man, mankind is completely united and reconciled to Himself.Why was sin destroyed? Because it wasn’t in our true design. Why are we in perfect union with the Godhead? Because we were designed for that. Why does Jesus look like us? Because He made us in HIS image and likeness. Why did love win over rule-keeping? Because love designed us to live in His heart and He put His heart in us. The incarnation is a radical statement from God that WE BELONG!
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The Church without Religion
I recently was told I should look at two books by Andrew Farley. The first was The Naked Gospel and the other was God without Religion. I am working my way through the second ine right now. I am finding it falling in line with what God has been impressing on my heart.
In my opinion they are good reads and very provoking. I also found to two YouTube videos that give a good overview in kind of a shotgun blast. I listened to both 4+ times each last week. I find repetition works well for myself.
Dr. Andrew Farley is senior pastor of Ecclesia: Church Without Religion, a non-denominational, evangelical church that has resided on the high plains of west Texas for more than 55 years. Andrew is a bestselling author of three Christian books, and his writings have been featured in national news and media outlets including PBS, CBS, and FOX. Andrew serves as a faculty adviser for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and he frequently speaks to Christian university groups like Campus Crusade for Christ and at churches around the United States and in Canada.
God without Religion session 1
God without Religion session 2
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God don’t take your Nacho’s away
I was up early after being pounced on by a five year old (literally awakened by a 50# sack of inhibition saying “daddy get up”). I might not have appreciated it at the time but I know I will look back 15vyears from now and wish I could re-live it over and over. With that being said I arose and prepared the morning cereal and sat down for a morning snuggle. We turned on some cartoons and one of the characters had a quote “I have two words for you, Nach O’s.” Ok, so it wasn’t actually two words but it has been stuck in my head ever since. I have been in Romans again.
Romans 6:6-9 NLT
We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.
He died ONCE for sin. We died with him we arose and were set free from the earthly hold of sin. He did it! I have walked 99% of my life living under the paradigm of living under the weight of bwing a sinner and because of this the guilt, condemnation, and performance based Christianity I have lived under has been well… awful. In the past 6 months God has changed my perspective towards the sin nature. This brings me back to my Nacho’s.
Picture a party scene, the host has put out a platter of nachos, they are there for all. They were freely put out and were assumed to be there for all the attendees. To eat those nachos do you have to;
1. Pay for them?
2. Do a stupid human trick to gain access?
3. Bribe the guy watching the food table? 4. Beg?
5. Put on sack cloth and cover yourself with ashes?
6. Go mission impossible, drop from the ceiling via zip line snd stealthy grab them?
7. Dress in your Sunday best and look marvelous?
8. Have the high score on Pac Man or Halo?
The answer is none of the above. The nachos are yours freely, they came with the invitation.
Drop dead to your own efforts. God is not sitting in a revolving chair. He does not turn his back and pull the nacho tray if I/you sin. He already died for my/your sin past, present, and future. He no longer sees it (past, present, and future). We don’t have to grovel and reach if we make a mistake. He is not sitting in a chair looking at us continually, he is permanently set in us. Whether I fall on my face or am sprinting forward he is in me and likes it there regardless of me.
Confession of sin is not your telling God about your sin it’s teling sin about your God. Sin lost its authority to run my life. It’s a done deal.
Romans 6:6 TMT
We perceive that our old lifestyle was co-crucified together with him; this concludes that the vehicle that accommodated sin is in us, was scrapped and rendered entirely useless. Our slavery to sin has come to an end.
Romans 6:9 TMT
It is plain to see that death lost its dominion over Christ in his resurrection; he need not ever die again to prove a further point.
How many sins have you commited? How many have you confessed? I’m looking for a number. Do the numbers match?
Guess what God died once and took care of your sin one time. He doesn’t have to die again and again. Your sin was taken care of past, present, and future all at the same time. He does not pull the nachos if you mess up. Grace covers you eternally.
Paul’s message throughout the NT was of extravagant love because he was extravagantly transformed, his identity was not of this world he saw the eternal here on earth. He was able to withstand life long persecution because he saw the other side here and now.
Kilen's Spot 