This topic will raise eyebrows, stir emotions, and arouse anger from the self-righteous but the fact remains Jesus was not a Christian.

The reason for this topic is to bring to light how Jesus has been misunderstood, used, and misused from the time he was born in a manger to his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.  Even while he was ministering his last three years of life on earth he was misunderstood and misrepresented.

Communication has altered the perception of Jesus.  Many children during their school years have at one time or another participated in an exercise where everyone is seated in a circle and the teacher whispers a secret to the child next to them.  The teacher has instructed each child to turn to the one next to them and whisper the secret they just heard.  Once everyone has heard the secret and whispered it to the person next to them the secret is finally repeated to the teacher who initiated the secret.  Typically, the secret the teacher hears from the final child is totally different or skewed and not the original secret; The content and context of the original secret has been changed.

Why is this?  Perception.  Everyone has a slightly different perspective and the way they interpret what they have just heard is interpreted followed by an attempt to explain and relay what they have just heard.

Christianity began after Jesus ascended into heaven.  Many believed and followed him and each had a different experience and understanding of him.  This caused describing him to develop into multiple perspectives which were also passed down the communication trail.

A Christian is one who follows the teaching of Jesus Christ.  A Christian practices what they have been told and taught about Jesus.  Jesus, however, is the REAL DEAL.  Therefore, it is best to read scripture, pray, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you BUT compare it with what you have been taught or previously thought.  Allow God’s Holy Spirit to reveal new truths.  The new truths revealed by the Holy Spirit is NEVER inconsistent with the BASICS of Almighty Most High God’s will, intent, or plan.

This is not to say today’s perspective of Jesus in not correct but it is to say there may be inaccuracies or fluff.  The best way to understand and perceive who Jesus is and was, is to read scripture AND rely on the Holy Spirit of God to reveal Jesus.  This is why reading the Bible is fun.  Each time one reads the Bible, the Holy Spirit reveals new truths.  Those who have read the Bible for many years will often say and admit, a New Revelation they just discovered was not recognized by them over all the years they previously read that same passage. God works this way.  God views things different than we do.  God views us as His children and children grow and develop; This means they change over time.

God is the father, and He enjoys nurturing His children.  Nurture means to encourage and assist growth and development.  This concept is important because it infers changing over time.  The beauty about God is He understands, loves, and cares for us and desires we GROW in Knowing Him.

Jesus did NOT die for the purpose of saving us from death and eternity in hell.  He died for something far more valuable – A relationship with Almighty God our creator.

Too often we are taught, and many believe, Jesus died to save us so we wouldn’t go to hell after we die a physical death.  This teaching cheapens the value and meaning of Jesus’ suffering and dying.  Jesus is not a lifeguard throwing us a lifejacket to help us float until help arrives so we won’t drown.  He didn’t swim to a flaying or lifeless swimmer to bring them to shore so he could perform CPR.

Nobody really wants to die unless they are severely depressed and/or insane.  Nobody really wants to be tormented in hell forever.

The work of Jesus, his suffering and dying, was for the reason of love.  He loved his Father, and he loves us, his Father’s creation.

Too often we are taught we are sinners because we lie, cheat, steal, covet, are sexually promiscuous, get drunk, gamble, or maybe even kill.  These are all behaviors of the one and only sin, choosing to be our own god and “leaving” God out of our life.  This was all done collectively, as humans, as represented by the sin of Adam and Eve.  They “bit the apple” of knowledge to learn and have knowledge how to live life without God’s presence and leadership.

This choice, to be the god of our own life leads to death, spiritual and physical death.  Spiritual death is really what Jesus died to save us from; Physical death is no problem because God is one day planning to give us a New Body.  Spiritual death is “The Absence of God’s Presence”.  Hell is a place where God does not rule; He is absent, allowing Satan, and those who refuse to ask God into their lives reside, forever.

Easter is about to be celebrated, but first “Good Friday”.  It’s good for us if we seek God’s forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrificial death.  It’s good because death is not final, Jesus’ death gives us life everlasting.  The life everlasting is being in God’s family as God’s children, with God as our Father.  It’s a father-child relationship, not a defective father-child relationship, but a perfect father-child relationship with Jesus as Lord and King of our family.  This is BEAUTIFUL!  This is why Jesus died, to give us family, a perfect family with God as our Father.

Take time to reflect on this and think about what God sacrificed by allowing His begotten son to suffer for us humans AND how Jesus, His son, was willing to both suffer and die so we could be family and enjoy the benefits of being in God’s family.  Amen.

Think about it; Religion is not fun.  Religion is dry and boring.  Religion is going through the motion of a ritual, liturgy to praise or show honor to a God you’ve never seen or met.  You were told he is our creator and worshiping him will save you from eternal torture in hell after you die.  Liturgy is often performed in an emotionally cold but beautifully adorned building and auditorium.

Why wouldn’t you worship him? Who wants to be tortured for eternity?  With this understanding of God, you might as well live your life to the fullest and enjoy as many carnal pleasures as you can; Life is short.  In the end, God will save you, just follow all the rules you’re told.

“Real” religious people not only attend required services, but they pray and read the scriptures frequently, periodically offer a suffering of penance, watch their language and give to the poor.  Isn’t this in the Bible?  Isn’t this what Jesus taught?

What does God say?  What does He really want?

God says “My children have rebelled against me” …  “They have abandoned me and turned their backs on Me” (Is. 1:2-4).  This is what Sin really is; Sin is rebelling and turning our backs on God.

Notice, God says children; Who are his children?  The answer is those He created.  Some would argue not everyone ever born since creation of the world are His children.  This is NOT true.  The apostle Paul says, “We receive the Spirit of adoption allowing us to cry out “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15).  Those who are adopted call God, Father.  Why were they adopted?  They were originally His children but separated from Him because of sin; they left God’s family and His being their Father (Is. 59:2).  They chose to be put up for adoption but adoption by who?  The answer, No one; God’s children turned from God the Father to “grow-up” and be their own father and do it their way (Is. 53:6).

For those who claim, not everyone ever born are God’s children, they are right in a way.  God treats us individually but when it comes to humanity, He treats us collectively as the human race.  What God is saying is, the humans He created, collectively have chosen to leave His household where He is the Father.  Humanity collectively wants to manage and run their own household.

It takes a lot of “resources” and “knowledge” to run, manage, and provide for a household of children as large as all the human race.  With a little help maybe mankind could do it but, with help from whom?  Satan maybe?  Yes, what an opportunity for Lucifer to rise above the God of Heaven and rule, rule God’s creation.  When Satan tempted Eve in the garden he told Eve “God knows when you eat of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge, you will become like God” (Gen. 3:5).  What knowledge?  The knowledge to understand how to run, manage, and provide for Yourself.  Good is Trusting God, Evil is Relying on Self; The knowledge of knowing Good from Evil (Gen. 2:9).

Sin, in the eyes of God, is leaving Him to live life without Him.  This is the sin that leads to death.  Sin, in the eyes of God, is mankind focusing on his abilities, accomplishments, and being admired by others for achievements.  With mankind focusing on achievements to be self-sufficient, jealousy, envy, and strife ensue.  Competing with others drives us so we can be admired by others.

We can easily become “puffed-up” subconsciously thinking we are a little better than others because we achieved more and have more.  Being “puffed-up” makes one feel they have earned more and maybe even have the right to take from another (steal, rape, murder).  We call all these – sin, but they really are consequence of the only sin, leaving God and turning our backs on Him to be the god of our own life.

Being religious is boring, that is not what God wants.  God is not delighted with our being religious (Is. 1: 11).  What is important to God is our Heart Attitude in every aspect of our life.  With a Heart Attitude like Jesus we are pleasing God because He is Lord over every thought we think and action we take.

Being religious is a lifestyle not a liturgy.

Who is Jesus?  Why is he honored and worshiped?

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of parents having poor to average income.  His family wasn’t special nor were they royal or popular, yet we worship him.  Why is Jesus special?

Jesus is special because of his Father.  His father was not Joseph but was Almighty God.  At the age of 12 Jesus revealed his real father was his Heavenly Father (Lk. 2:49).  Angels from heaven revealed to Mary she would become pregnant, not by a human male but by the Spirit of God.  We should not question how this could happen if we believe God is the creator of all that exists.  Gabriel, the angel who stands beside Almighty God and was His messenger declared, “with God, all things are possible” (Lk. 1:37).  God is God, He is Almighty and Most High, there is none like Him in heaven or on earth.

Why is Jesus to be honored and worshiped?  Because Almighty God said so.

Jesus is the image of God (Col. 1:15).  He is not the Almighty Most High God; he is the image of the Almighty Most High God.  It is the Father, the Almighty Most High God who gave Jesus, His beloved son that position, elevating him to have equal authority.

Jesus, from God’s perspective, is a package of two separate entities being one in position and authority.  Jesus is the human version of God but equal to God because God elevated him to that position.

Jesus is like any other son.  A son is lower in position and authority than the father but is given the position of being equal to the father when either the father dies, or the father transfers the authority to the son before his death.  God is eternal and will never die so God transferred His authority to Jesus making Jesus equal to Himself, but not greater than Himself.

Why did God make Jesus equal in power and authority?  He was 100% submissive and obedient to the Father.  He was faithful unto God the Father even unto death (Ph. 2:8).  He humbled himself to God the Father.  Jesus ALWAYS pointed to the Father, gave credit to the Father, asked the Father, deferred to the Father, worshipped, praised, and gave thanks to the Father.  He reflected all the attention he received back to the Father.  He reflected the Father, therefore becoming the image of the Father.  Because of this, God raised Jesus to the position of having equal position and authority as Himself.  Jesus is, because God made him (Ph. 2:9-11).

Because of Jesus and his perfection in the eyes of God the Father, he became the perfect sacrifice to satisfy God’s requirement of the death penalty for sin.  Jesus obeyed and complied.  Jesus 100% trusted the Father.  Because of this, God resurrected Jesus back to life by the power of His Spirit and declaring Jesus to be Lord and King over his Earthly Kingdom.  Therefore, we worship Jesus.  Thank God for his coming and his obedience; God’s gift to us!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This is from: (Sapphires@hopeoftheworld.org)

TODAY’S MISSION – Whatever guilt, shame, or sin you’ve been dealing with, release it to God. It has His name on it.

The above is from (Sapphires@hopeoftheworld.org)

TODAY’S MISSION – Stand firm against the enemy. Rebel against

Football is not only a sport of strength and endurance, but also a sport that requires strategy.  When there are only a few minutes left in the game and the final play can either win the game or lose the game, a lot of pressure is on the head coach to make the right call.

The coach is the one the team looks to for leadership.  The coach better make the right call!  If the team with the ball is winning and wants to maintain the lead, is it better to run-out the clock or attempt another play, risking a fumble and potential loss of the game.  If the team is losing which “Hail Mary” play should be attempted.  The coach has a great deal of responsibility.

Team members are dependent on wise leadership which usually comes with experience.

The game of life is no different in many ways.  We The People rely on good leadership.  We rely on wisdom and experience.  We need to have confidence in the leader trusting they have our best interests at heart.

More often than not our leaders stumble and fall, failing to put the interests of We The People first.  They are not always the best coaches.  The plays they call are sometimes in the own self-interest.

When it comes to the “Game of Life” we want a strong leader, one we can trust, a good coach who knows what plays to call.  God would seem to be the best choice for position of Head Coach when it comes to the “Game of Life”.  Who knows better than God?

The truth is, God does not want to be the coach of our life.

A coach stands on the sidelines and watches the game closely.  The coach has a good perspective of what the other team is doing and how they are reacting to the plays he is calling.  A good coach will identify the weakness of the opposing team and call plays to counterattack the opponent.

God is different.  God does not want to call in the play; He wants to participate in the game.  He wants to be the captain of the team, call the play, and participate in executing the play.

We often want God to stay on the sidelines in the “Game of Life”.  We want to be on the field, observe the coach call the play, but we want to execute the play with possible modifications.  Some games are played that way.  The “Game of Life” should never be played that way.

Men’s failures in the “Game of Life” are because we want to call the play or modify the play.  God needs to be God of our life NOT the coach of our life.  He needs to be in full control AND captain in the game; Only then will we win the “Game of Life”.

Unforgiveness is something we do that God does not do.  Unforgiveness causes shame, the feeling of being guilty.  Shame is a tool of the devil because it makes us feel guilty.  Real unforgiveness is damnation, condemning to punishment for a wrong committed.

The penalty for sinning against God is death but the gift of God is Mercy, the sparing of death.

Satan, that serpent, lied and deceived Eve when he said, “You will not die” if you sin against God (Genesis 3:4).  Satan lies by telling partial truths.  He told Eve, “God knows, if you eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you would be like gods (Genesis 3:5)”.  Satan knew this was true, but he downplayed the major consequence for eating of the forbidden fruit, death.  He tried to get Eve to focus on the benefit, the pleasure she would experience if she partook of the forbidden fruit.

Sin can have its benefit which appears as good from the beginning but leads to dire consequences.  Satan hates, God and Jesus, the Messiah.  His way for revenge is to destroy God’s creation, God’s “stuff”, hoping to make God feel misery.  Satan knows his destiny and he has chosen NOT TO REPENT but to seek revenge by destroying and killing God’s creation.  He still has the desire to “rise up and be like the Most High”.  This is his downfall.

Satan wants us to feel shame, feeling guilty, to take our focus and attention away from God.  Satan is the great deceiver.  The best way to deceive is to present half-truth and to distract.  His goal remains the same, to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).  He is a thief.  He is a thief because he owns nothing of himself, so he takes it from the one who owns it.

Unforgiveness leads to death.  God forgives us, so we need to pass that forgiveness on to others and forgive them.  Forgiveness does not mean the natural consequences for bad behavior is eliminated, but forgiveness can be extended.  Forgiveness, removes the shame of guilt even if consequences for bad behavior is negative.

Jesus tells us if we forgive others, God will forgive you (Matthew 6:14).  Does this mean our forgiveness is dependent on our forgiving others?  No, it’s Jesus telling us God releases us from the shame, feeling guilty.  By forgiving others, we release them from shame, feeling guilty.  There may be natural consequences for their bad behavior, but the shame is removed.  There is liberty in forgiveness and the removal of feeling guilty.  Forgiveness, pass it on.