.
Jesus, with his dying breath on the cross, exclaims, "It is finished!" What he and the Father and Holy Spirit had determined since before the foundation of the world was completed. Jesus did NOT say, "I am finished", as if there were other things left for man to do in order to effectuate the plan of salvation for mankind. In other words , "I did my part, now you humans do yours".
The Father sent Jesus to do a WORK. That work is found in Luke 19:10, Jesus said, "I came to seek and to save WHAT was lost." What was lost was the entire cosmos and humanity through sin. Did Jesus accomplish what the Father sent him to do? In John 4:34, Jesus said his "food" was to do the Father's will and to FINISH the work he was given to do. In John 17:4, Jesus said he had brought the Father Glory by finishing or completing the work the Father had given him to do.
As we look back on a couple of scriptures we see the impact of Jesus' work on this earth in the REMOVAL of Sin for the benefit of all mankind. In John 1:29, John proclaims this when he sees Jesus coming into the midst of the crowd, " Behold, the Lamb of God who takes AWAY the sin of the world!" Again in I John 2:12, John writes that our sins have been forgiven--even before we were BORN. Paul says the same thing in Ephesians 1:7, "...we have been forgiven." Notice the past tense of these writings.
What makes the New Covenant in the blood of Christ so tremendous is that it is a GIFT of God, from God to all of us-You included. It is a PROCLAMATION of God's love for us and what he has ALREADY done in Jesus for all of us.
There is NO remaining part of "finishing" anything to make our salvation secure in Jesus. We are not "Co-Saviours" with Christ by having to DO ANYTHING. Except-----Believe. Believe WHO we now are IN Jesus. We are the loved and ADOPTED children of God made true by Jesus Christ.
Notice Ephesians 1:3-14. This passage declares this eternal truth to all of us as being true from BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. The Father simply loves us and wants us to live with him and IN the Trinity forever. He made it so in Jesus.
Can we believe this? Maybe, maybe not. It sounds too good to be true, but it still is true. Scripture attests to this fact. Believe it. "IT IS FINISHED."
God bless,
Paul
.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS
Life on other planets in other Solar Systems and Galaxies??? Maybe, Maybe not.
While no one can be totally demonstrative on this subject, we can make a few observations with some degree of intelligence.
Hebrews expressly tell us that Jesus is the complete atonement for ALL sin. He has reconciled the entire cosmos back to God. He is the complete Atonement for EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. With this in mind let's discuss life on other planets.
It is possible that God created life , just like life we have here on this earth, on other planets in other galaxies in other solar systems. Possible.
( Aliens from outer Space is a totally different subject.)
IF, and this is a big if, God created life as we know it on this earth on other planets, I believe He did so AFTER Adam and Eve's creation on this earth.
After the "fall". After the "original" sin.. After the atonement. After the salvation of the entire cosmos.
If this is so, then these people would have no need for 'another' atonement since Jesus' life, death, resurrection and asension covered ALL things. Those people too.
They could be living out what God intended for Adam and Eve to accept originally.
The Tree of life. Life. Eternal life.
Again, if this is possibly true, then I believe it would have occurred AFTER Adams's sin and After Jesus life , death, and resurrection and ascension to the Father.
So, there are many philosophyical and Theological implications to this question and I do NOT pretend to know the answer.
What do you think. Post your comments. If you wish.
Paul
While no one can be totally demonstrative on this subject, we can make a few observations with some degree of intelligence.
Hebrews expressly tell us that Jesus is the complete atonement for ALL sin. He has reconciled the entire cosmos back to God. He is the complete Atonement for EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. With this in mind let's discuss life on other planets.
It is possible that God created life , just like life we have here on this earth, on other planets in other galaxies in other solar systems. Possible.
( Aliens from outer Space is a totally different subject.)
IF, and this is a big if, God created life as we know it on this earth on other planets, I believe He did so AFTER Adam and Eve's creation on this earth.
After the "fall". After the "original" sin.. After the atonement. After the salvation of the entire cosmos.
If this is so, then these people would have no need for 'another' atonement since Jesus' life, death, resurrection and asension covered ALL things. Those people too.
They could be living out what God intended for Adam and Eve to accept originally.
The Tree of life. Life. Eternal life.
Again, if this is possibly true, then I believe it would have occurred AFTER Adams's sin and After Jesus life , death, and resurrection and ascension to the Father.
So, there are many philosophyical and Theological implications to this question and I do NOT pretend to know the answer.
What do you think. Post your comments. If you wish.
Paul
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
DO YOU ACCEPT "FALSE" TEACHINGS?
This CAN'T be right! This probably will be many, if not most's reaction to this blog." I never heard it this way and I don't believe it!" Rather than ask you to just believe me here, I do ask that you do your OWN research into this subject as there is much information concerning this topic. More info at the end of this blog.
Churches which have come from the Roman Catholic Church, and the Catholic Church as well, have adopted and preached a wrong concept of salvation along with a false and pagan Platonic concept of HELL which originated with the Greek philosopher Plato in the 400's B.C. ( Just Google search for yourself, " PLATO'S HELL.") This false doctrine was incorporated into the Catholic Church by St. Augustine of Hippo in the
5th Century A.D. Augustine was an avid reader of Plato and saw that by putting this philosophy of eternal torture and punishment into church doctrine it would keep members "in line" and paying their money and through FEAR obedient to the teachings of the church.
Many churches today do NOT teach such torture in any "hell fire", but for the lost SEPARATION from God. But this is ALSO a false teaching as well. Humans can no more be separated from God than they can be separated from their own shadow.
So what is hell then? To make a long story short, hell is simply living one's life making one's own decisions based upon one's own thinking coming from a darkened mind with a fallen sinful nature which we all have inherited from the first Adam. This
"eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" leads only to a life of sin, strife, misery, suffering, angst, unhappiness, war, divorce, addictions and every other evil existence man experiences described in scripture as...HELL. AND, this suffering can last FOREVER if one never comes to see WHO he or she is IN Jesus Christ. Even at the 'Final Judgement' before the Throne of God one can STILL refuse to accept and believe that God LOVES them and that they have forgiveness and salvation and eternal life GIVEN to them IN Jesus Christ. They can Continue in HEll.
The Good News is that The Father does not give up!!! Just like the father in the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, the Father continues to seek for the older son to come into the party.
The GOOD NEWS is simply this: Salvation has been given to EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER LIVED. Universal redemption and reconciliation has been extended to ALL. ( I Cor.15:22). All died in Adam and the same ALL have been made alive in Jesus, the Second Adam.) We do not try to 'get someone saved', they ALREADY ARE SAVED IN JESUS. Sharing the GOSPEL then is INFORMING someone that they ARE saved and loved and adopted and included in the life of the Triune God all made to happen to them by the life, death, resurreciton and ascension of Jesus Christ. Then it is up to them with the help of the Holy Spirit to accept it and believe it and then EXPERIENCE IT.
Sadly, scripture allows for some to not accept it and believe it even forever. They would then simply exist OUTSIDE the party not enjoying the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and not experiencing the 'pleasures at the right hand of God.' ( See Psalms 16:11).
It may take another Millennium for a deceived Christian world to come to see these truths. Until then all may know that they are loved by God and that their eternal life is secure in Jesus Christ.
I know I shall get raked over the coals for this post, but I ask you to do your homework on the subject. Much information exist on this topic. Check out the Blog Roll on this site. Go to www.Newlifewcg.org for more information. Go to www.gci.org.
Go to PERICHORESIS.ORG. And these are just for starters. So much is available to lift us out of the darkness and into the light of Jesus. (John 8:12.) God bless you in your studies.
Paul
.
.
Churches which have come from the Roman Catholic Church, and the Catholic Church as well, have adopted and preached a wrong concept of salvation along with a false and pagan Platonic concept of HELL which originated with the Greek philosopher Plato in the 400's B.C. ( Just Google search for yourself, " PLATO'S HELL.") This false doctrine was incorporated into the Catholic Church by St. Augustine of Hippo in the
5th Century A.D. Augustine was an avid reader of Plato and saw that by putting this philosophy of eternal torture and punishment into church doctrine it would keep members "in line" and paying their money and through FEAR obedient to the teachings of the church.
Many churches today do NOT teach such torture in any "hell fire", but for the lost SEPARATION from God. But this is ALSO a false teaching as well. Humans can no more be separated from God than they can be separated from their own shadow.
So what is hell then? To make a long story short, hell is simply living one's life making one's own decisions based upon one's own thinking coming from a darkened mind with a fallen sinful nature which we all have inherited from the first Adam. This
"eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" leads only to a life of sin, strife, misery, suffering, angst, unhappiness, war, divorce, addictions and every other evil existence man experiences described in scripture as...HELL. AND, this suffering can last FOREVER if one never comes to see WHO he or she is IN Jesus Christ. Even at the 'Final Judgement' before the Throne of God one can STILL refuse to accept and believe that God LOVES them and that they have forgiveness and salvation and eternal life GIVEN to them IN Jesus Christ. They can Continue in HEll.
The Good News is that The Father does not give up!!! Just like the father in the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, the Father continues to seek for the older son to come into the party.
The GOOD NEWS is simply this: Salvation has been given to EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER LIVED. Universal redemption and reconciliation has been extended to ALL. ( I Cor.15:22). All died in Adam and the same ALL have been made alive in Jesus, the Second Adam.) We do not try to 'get someone saved', they ALREADY ARE SAVED IN JESUS. Sharing the GOSPEL then is INFORMING someone that they ARE saved and loved and adopted and included in the life of the Triune God all made to happen to them by the life, death, resurreciton and ascension of Jesus Christ. Then it is up to them with the help of the Holy Spirit to accept it and believe it and then EXPERIENCE IT.
Sadly, scripture allows for some to not accept it and believe it even forever. They would then simply exist OUTSIDE the party not enjoying the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and not experiencing the 'pleasures at the right hand of God.' ( See Psalms 16:11).
It may take another Millennium for a deceived Christian world to come to see these truths. Until then all may know that they are loved by God and that their eternal life is secure in Jesus Christ.
I know I shall get raked over the coals for this post, but I ask you to do your homework on the subject. Much information exist on this topic. Check out the Blog Roll on this site. Go to www.Newlifewcg.org for more information. Go to www.gci.org.
Go to PERICHORESIS.ORG. And these are just for starters. So much is available to lift us out of the darkness and into the light of Jesus. (John 8:12.) God bless you in your studies.
Paul
.
.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE !!!
When The Triune God decided to make mankind, see Genesis 1:26-27, He determined that He would have man live inside of His life forever. He wanted humans inside of His Triune life upon whom He would lavish His love. Ephesians Chapter one is about how God chose humanity IN Jesus to be Adopted and Included in His life forever. You and I were included in that decision at that time. You had NO CHOICE. All humans were included and none had a choice either. God simply did this for His good pleasure and in His will.
When Adam and Eve sinned by taking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which brought misery, suffering and DEATH on them and their human family--see I Cor.15:22, now not only did Jesus have to come to create UNION between the human family and the Triune God, He had to now come to provide ATONEMENT, forgiveness and sacrifice for the sins of the whole world and all humans, AND, even the entire Cosmos was redeemed and reconciled in the blood of Jesus. ( See Colosians 1:19-20).
The entire Cosmos and humanity had become lost through sin. Jesus came to seek and to save what was lost and He did. ( Luke 19:10). And, yes mankind was lost and dead in the first Adam, but in Jesus Christ the same mankind was made ALIVE! (I Cor.15.22)
We simply did not have a vote. We had no choice in the matter. God loved us all to much to allow us to have a choice. Salvation is His idea, not ours. It is because of His great love for us His children that He devised this plan in the first place.
So, we ALL are bought by God with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus saved all of humanity 2000 years ago and in His resurrection and ascension took all of us to the right hand of the Father in Heaven. ( See Ephesians 2:6). Again, you nor I had a choice in the matter. The blessings and joy in this eternal relationship with the Triune God will be beyond our wildest dreams. We will inherit ALL things including the entire Cosmos/Universe.(Hebrews 2:5-8). Life will never end. The abundant life Jesus brought will continue on forever. God is Good. So Good in fact we can not fathom His Goodness.
There is one caveat to all of this. You nor I had a choice in this matter, but in order for us to experience this inheritance we MUST BELIEVE who we are IN Jesus and what He has done TO, FOR, IN and THROUGH all of humanity. If we refuse to believe it thus denying our position in the Father's plan there is no way we can experience "Heaven" and only then a 'hellish' existence of being outside the party in Heaven will be one's lot.
Again, you have no choice as to whether or not this is so, it is so! But you do have the option of believing it or not. I pray you will BELIEVE.
For more information on this subject, go to WWW.GCI.ORG.
Blessings to all,
Paul Kurts
When Adam and Eve sinned by taking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which brought misery, suffering and DEATH on them and their human family--see I Cor.15:22, now not only did Jesus have to come to create UNION between the human family and the Triune God, He had to now come to provide ATONEMENT, forgiveness and sacrifice for the sins of the whole world and all humans, AND, even the entire Cosmos was redeemed and reconciled in the blood of Jesus. ( See Colosians 1:19-20).
The entire Cosmos and humanity had become lost through sin. Jesus came to seek and to save what was lost and He did. ( Luke 19:10). And, yes mankind was lost and dead in the first Adam, but in Jesus Christ the same mankind was made ALIVE! (I Cor.15.22)
We simply did not have a vote. We had no choice in the matter. God loved us all to much to allow us to have a choice. Salvation is His idea, not ours. It is because of His great love for us His children that He devised this plan in the first place.
So, we ALL are bought by God with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus saved all of humanity 2000 years ago and in His resurrection and ascension took all of us to the right hand of the Father in Heaven. ( See Ephesians 2:6). Again, you nor I had a choice in the matter. The blessings and joy in this eternal relationship with the Triune God will be beyond our wildest dreams. We will inherit ALL things including the entire Cosmos/Universe.(Hebrews 2:5-8). Life will never end. The abundant life Jesus brought will continue on forever. God is Good. So Good in fact we can not fathom His Goodness.
There is one caveat to all of this. You nor I had a choice in this matter, but in order for us to experience this inheritance we MUST BELIEVE who we are IN Jesus and what He has done TO, FOR, IN and THROUGH all of humanity. If we refuse to believe it thus denying our position in the Father's plan there is no way we can experience "Heaven" and only then a 'hellish' existence of being outside the party in Heaven will be one's lot.
Again, you have no choice as to whether or not this is so, it is so! But you do have the option of believing it or not. I pray you will BELIEVE.
For more information on this subject, go to WWW.GCI.ORG.
Blessings to all,
Paul Kurts
Monday, July 19, 2010
CAN'T OVERCOME SIN, IT'S O.K.
To start this blog post, please read my last one to set this one up. We still often see things in our life from a past paradigm of Western Theological philosophy in a rewards and punishment perspective. One which we in Western Christianity have inhereited from Plato and St. Augustine of Hippo. With this warning in mind let's proceed to this present blog post.
In our humanity we all live in the fallenness we received from the first Adam and with a darkened mind also received from him. Just because we acknowledge who we are in Jesus Christ and believe what He says applies to us does not mean that we all check our humanness, weaknesses, lusts, carnality, vanity, greed, jealousies and all other fleshly human foibles at the door of the Church of Jesus Christ. We all too often walk in and after the flesh and not as often do we walk in and after the Spirit. And what I am telling all of us is this. " THIS IS O.K. "
Jesus did not come to stop humans from sinning. He came to FORGIVE SIN and become sin, all sin for all of us His children. Paul says it this way in Romans 5:18, "...the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life ( eternal life) for ALL men " Jesus simply makes us righteous by His declaration as an act of God made possible by His perfect life.
Jesus is not going to let our sins slip under the door and miss some of them and thereby we find sins in our life that go unforgiven. Silly I know, Jesus "has our back" as the terminology of the day goes.
Paul speaks to this dual life we lead, one in the flesh and the other in the Spirit , in Romans 7. Paul illustrates that we as humans will always have the two sides of our life warring against each other. But , in Jesus, we have the victory in that war because He says SO! Then Paul says in Romans 8:1, "...there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." All actually are, they all just do not know it yet. And they will.
( Again, if you have not read my last blog post, please take the time to do so now.)
Jesus even said himself in John 5:24, that we have passed from death into life through faith and belief in Him. In Matt.11:28, Jesus speaks to all of us trying to become perfect in the flesh by doing this that or the other thing or NOT doing this that or the other thing. He simply says REST. Come to Him and Rest. I will give you rest, He says.
To illustrate the continuing corruption we all are in the flesh, Paul says it this way in ICor.15:53 (OKJ), " This corruptible must put on incorruption." What Paul is saying that even until the day we die or are resurrected we are still sinners and we are still corruption or corruptible. We NEVER attain perfection of the flesh in this life. We can improve but only in Jesus Can we be PERFECT. And we ARE!!!
We all too often go around beating ourselves up over weaknesses and sins or lusts which we may NEVER humanly conquer in this physical life. Alcoholism. Drug addiction. Pornography addiction. Sex addiction. Tobacco addiction. You name it and someone has it. But we all have victory in Jesus Christ who Gives us the Victory. ICor.15:57. We simply win because declares us winners.
I love the verse in Romans 14:22 which says, " blessed is the man who does not condemn himself in what he approves." Jesus says to quit judging each other and rest. Rejoice. Celebrate what He has done to us and for us. He loves us unconditionally which I have been describing here.
We are ALL weak sinners. We all live in a body of sin and death. We all have a darkened mind. We all live in the fallenness of the first Adam. And it is while we are YET sinners Christ died for us the ungodly. Thank you Jesus. Eternity with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit awaits all of us who believe.
In our humanity we all live in the fallenness we received from the first Adam and with a darkened mind also received from him. Just because we acknowledge who we are in Jesus Christ and believe what He says applies to us does not mean that we all check our humanness, weaknesses, lusts, carnality, vanity, greed, jealousies and all other fleshly human foibles at the door of the Church of Jesus Christ. We all too often walk in and after the flesh and not as often do we walk in and after the Spirit. And what I am telling all of us is this. " THIS IS O.K. "
Jesus did not come to stop humans from sinning. He came to FORGIVE SIN and become sin, all sin for all of us His children. Paul says it this way in Romans 5:18, "...the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life ( eternal life) for ALL men " Jesus simply makes us righteous by His declaration as an act of God made possible by His perfect life.
Jesus is not going to let our sins slip under the door and miss some of them and thereby we find sins in our life that go unforgiven. Silly I know, Jesus "has our back" as the terminology of the day goes.
Paul speaks to this dual life we lead, one in the flesh and the other in the Spirit , in Romans 7. Paul illustrates that we as humans will always have the two sides of our life warring against each other. But , in Jesus, we have the victory in that war because He says SO! Then Paul says in Romans 8:1, "...there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." All actually are, they all just do not know it yet. And they will.
( Again, if you have not read my last blog post, please take the time to do so now.)
Jesus even said himself in John 5:24, that we have passed from death into life through faith and belief in Him. In Matt.11:28, Jesus speaks to all of us trying to become perfect in the flesh by doing this that or the other thing or NOT doing this that or the other thing. He simply says REST. Come to Him and Rest. I will give you rest, He says.
To illustrate the continuing corruption we all are in the flesh, Paul says it this way in ICor.15:53 (OKJ), " This corruptible must put on incorruption." What Paul is saying that even until the day we die or are resurrected we are still sinners and we are still corruption or corruptible. We NEVER attain perfection of the flesh in this life. We can improve but only in Jesus Can we be PERFECT. And we ARE!!!
We all too often go around beating ourselves up over weaknesses and sins or lusts which we may NEVER humanly conquer in this physical life. Alcoholism. Drug addiction. Pornography addiction. Sex addiction. Tobacco addiction. You name it and someone has it. But we all have victory in Jesus Christ who Gives us the Victory. ICor.15:57. We simply win because declares us winners.
I love the verse in Romans 14:22 which says, " blessed is the man who does not condemn himself in what he approves." Jesus says to quit judging each other and rest. Rejoice. Celebrate what He has done to us and for us. He loves us unconditionally which I have been describing here.
We are ALL weak sinners. We all live in a body of sin and death. We all have a darkened mind. We all live in the fallenness of the first Adam. And it is while we are YET sinners Christ died for us the ungodly. Thank you Jesus. Eternity with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit awaits all of us who believe.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
SIN IS OVER- YOU ARE FOREVER FORGIVEN AND CLEAN
Luke 7:40-50, speaks of those who are forgiven much ( us ) who love much and those who are forgiven little, loving little.
Romans 5:20 speaks of Grace always outrunning our sin. "You can't outsin Grace," as I put it.
Romans 5:1-7, speaks of while we all are yet and still sinners, Christ died for us.
I John 1:7, speaks that the blood of Christ cleanses/purifies us of all sin.
Even when John first laid eyes on Jesus, his comment was, "Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." Foolish John, he actually thought that Jesus took away the sin of the world. Either he did or He did not.
In Heb.9:26, we see that Jesus did away with the sin of the world.
And, In I John 3;5, we see that in Jesus, Us being in Jesus, there is NO Sin.
Jesus became sin for us. See IICor.5:19-20. Why? So that we can be called the Righeousness of God.
Where do you stand on the sin question in your life? Are you feeling shame? Do you feel guilt? Do you "want to do better"? Why?
Did Jesus pay it all or did he not?
Let's just cut to the chase:
We are unconditionally loved by the Father.
Jesus' blood forgave us of all sin, past, present, and future.
God has forgotten all of our sin.
If He does, why do we still remember it?
We stand ever present in God's eyes , loved, forgiven, clean, righteous, holy, without spot or blemish, and INSIDE of God's life forever by Jesus declaration.
Can it get any better than that?
What does God think when we sin? Answer: NOTHING. Why? because He has forgotten it. It is covered, forgiven in the Blood of Christ.
We are great sinners. Always in the falleness of Adam. But in Jesus Christ, we are the recipients of Great forgiveness and adoption.
Jesus simply undid or overturned what Adam did and Jesus makes it all right before God the Father. You are in there someplace.
Whatever question you may have, Jesus is the Answer, as Billy Graham says. He is your answer, He is your life. He is your future. He is your everything.
Sin has been dealt with 2000 years ago. Rejoice when you sin. Thank Jesus that He took it on Himself 2000 years ago and you forever stand clean and forgiven and righteous in His eyes.
How good can this get?
Paul Kurts
Pastor Paul
Madison, Alabama
256-468-8081
Romans 5:20 speaks of Grace always outrunning our sin. "You can't outsin Grace," as I put it.
Romans 5:1-7, speaks of while we all are yet and still sinners, Christ died for us.
I John 1:7, speaks that the blood of Christ cleanses/purifies us of all sin.
Even when John first laid eyes on Jesus, his comment was, "Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." Foolish John, he actually thought that Jesus took away the sin of the world. Either he did or He did not.
In Heb.9:26, we see that Jesus did away with the sin of the world.
And, In I John 3;5, we see that in Jesus, Us being in Jesus, there is NO Sin.
Jesus became sin for us. See IICor.5:19-20. Why? So that we can be called the Righeousness of God.
Where do you stand on the sin question in your life? Are you feeling shame? Do you feel guilt? Do you "want to do better"? Why?
Did Jesus pay it all or did he not?
Let's just cut to the chase:
We are unconditionally loved by the Father.
Jesus' blood forgave us of all sin, past, present, and future.
God has forgotten all of our sin.
If He does, why do we still remember it?
We stand ever present in God's eyes , loved, forgiven, clean, righteous, holy, without spot or blemish, and INSIDE of God's life forever by Jesus declaration.
Can it get any better than that?
What does God think when we sin? Answer: NOTHING. Why? because He has forgotten it. It is covered, forgiven in the Blood of Christ.
We are great sinners. Always in the falleness of Adam. But in Jesus Christ, we are the recipients of Great forgiveness and adoption.
Jesus simply undid or overturned what Adam did and Jesus makes it all right before God the Father. You are in there someplace.
Whatever question you may have, Jesus is the Answer, as Billy Graham says. He is your answer, He is your life. He is your future. He is your everything.
Sin has been dealt with 2000 years ago. Rejoice when you sin. Thank Jesus that He took it on Himself 2000 years ago and you forever stand clean and forgiven and righteous in His eyes.
How good can this get?
Paul Kurts
Pastor Paul
Madison, Alabama
256-468-8081
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
DID HE OR DIDN'T HE?
Modern religionists want to make the Gospel SO conditional that it is beyond the reach of most human beings. Statements like, "you CAN be saved," or "you CAN be forgiven" permeate the doctrinal landscape of many professing Christians.
Verses such as " God so loved the world", become God so loved 'most' or 'some' of the world with that love being limited to only those who would somehow 'qualify' for that love.
Or, I Cor. 15:22, "As in Adam ALL die, in Christ ALL are / will be made alive." This is read as , " If one does the appropriate applications then one CAN be made alive in Christ." My point is that either we are made alive in Christ or we are not. No if, ands, or buts.
In Ephesians 1, either we ALL were chosen in Jesus Christ BEFORE the foundation of the world to be blameless IN HIS SIGHT ( By His declaration as an act of God) or we were not. Which is it? What hoops and ladders do we have to jump through or climb to attain this blamelessness? What do we have to do to be a part of His pleasure and will? Can we just be allowed to play God for a little while so we can make all of God's plan work out so He will LIKE it? Either we ALL were chosen before the foundation of the world or we were not.
God's plan and the Salvation of the Cosmos and humanity is not Conditional. It is not a potentiality or possibility. The Good News is not contractural. It is not based on us or anything humanity can do. The Good News is simply an ANNOUNCEMENT OR PROCLOMATION of what God HAS DONE ALREADY for all of humanity IN Jesus Christ.
The Good News is that you--ALL of you- have been given a part in it by our Great Triune God and loving Saviour, Jesus Christ. Did He or Didn't He?
He Did.
Amen
Verses such as " God so loved the world", become God so loved 'most' or 'some' of the world with that love being limited to only those who would somehow 'qualify' for that love.
Or, I Cor. 15:22, "As in Adam ALL die, in Christ ALL are / will be made alive." This is read as , " If one does the appropriate applications then one CAN be made alive in Christ." My point is that either we are made alive in Christ or we are not. No if, ands, or buts.
In Ephesians 1, either we ALL were chosen in Jesus Christ BEFORE the foundation of the world to be blameless IN HIS SIGHT ( By His declaration as an act of God) or we were not. Which is it? What hoops and ladders do we have to jump through or climb to attain this blamelessness? What do we have to do to be a part of His pleasure and will? Can we just be allowed to play God for a little while so we can make all of God's plan work out so He will LIKE it? Either we ALL were chosen before the foundation of the world or we were not.
God's plan and the Salvation of the Cosmos and humanity is not Conditional. It is not a potentiality or possibility. The Good News is not contractural. It is not based on us or anything humanity can do. The Good News is simply an ANNOUNCEMENT OR PROCLOMATION of what God HAS DONE ALREADY for all of humanity IN Jesus Christ.
The Good News is that you--ALL of you- have been given a part in it by our Great Triune God and loving Saviour, Jesus Christ. Did He or Didn't He?
He Did.
Amen
Monday, June 14, 2010
FAITH OF CHRIST OR FAITH IN CHRIST? WHICH?
Some have never even thought of this question which is of vital importance and relevance to all humans on earth. That question is, " is one saved by the FAITH OF CHRIST, or is one saved by FAITH IN Christ?" At first this may seem like a non sequitur, but in fact it IS the WHOLE Gospel in truth.
Karl Barth, the great Swiss/German Theologian said that the Gospel turns on prepisitions. How true.
We hear often, " Do you have faith? Do you have faith in Christ? Like that is something great and is going to do all there is in this great Cosmos to save a person. Don't get me wrong , faith in Christ is GOOD. To believe in Jesus Christ is VERY GOOD. Well, how much faith IN Christ is required for salvation? Is it a little, more, or much? Well, how much? Any room for error?
I posit that it is impossible for a human to have faith enough to secure salvation. At best humans can GUESS, OR POSTULATE, OR HOPE, OR ANY NUMBER OT OTHER THINGS BUT faith, I don't think so. At our best , our faith is only partial, limited, and small.
Will that do the work of God? Will that human , small, limited faith conclude the plan of God on this earth? You had better hope not.
There is a better understanding. It simply is this. EVERYTHING DEPENDS AND IS PREDICATED UPON THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST.
He is OUR Faith. He has perfect Faith and He gives it to us whether we know it or not.
He is our life. Col.3:4. And if that is so, then He is our FAITH as Well!!!!
We live and exist by the FAITH of the Son of God who lived and died for us and in our place. Gal.2:20.
IN our limited human understanding we can at least have some faith that Jesus' Faith is all we need. And that is enough.
Love to all,
Paul
Karl Barth, the great Swiss/German Theologian said that the Gospel turns on prepisitions. How true.
We hear often, " Do you have faith? Do you have faith in Christ? Like that is something great and is going to do all there is in this great Cosmos to save a person. Don't get me wrong , faith in Christ is GOOD. To believe in Jesus Christ is VERY GOOD. Well, how much faith IN Christ is required for salvation? Is it a little, more, or much? Well, how much? Any room for error?
I posit that it is impossible for a human to have faith enough to secure salvation. At best humans can GUESS, OR POSTULATE, OR HOPE, OR ANY NUMBER OT OTHER THINGS BUT faith, I don't think so. At our best , our faith is only partial, limited, and small.
Will that do the work of God? Will that human , small, limited faith conclude the plan of God on this earth? You had better hope not.
There is a better understanding. It simply is this. EVERYTHING DEPENDS AND IS PREDICATED UPON THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST.
He is OUR Faith. He has perfect Faith and He gives it to us whether we know it or not.
He is our life. Col.3:4. And if that is so, then He is our FAITH as Well!!!!
We live and exist by the FAITH of the Son of God who lived and died for us and in our place. Gal.2:20.
IN our limited human understanding we can at least have some faith that Jesus' Faith is all we need. And that is enough.
Love to all,
Paul
Friday, May 28, 2010
CONDEMNATION / DAMNATION...NOT THE SAME!!!
Woah... one thing we need to understand here is that Condemnation and Damnation are NOT the same thing. You argumentative religious hobbyists can go home now!
We read in John 5:29 that those who have 'not done good' come forth to the resurrection of damnation. KJV. Now Wait just a minute. We know that we are all saved in Jesus Christ. By Grace. Not based upon any thing we have done, good or evil. We know that we all... humans.. were chosen by Christ, and in Christ before the foundation or creation of the world. We know that God so loved the world. Jn.3:16.
We know that all of Adam's family are under the curse of death and condemnation by Adam's sin and fall. We simply inherit that penalty. But... we know that in Jesus that death penalty has been overturned and we are accepted into Jesus' life and receive real LIFE IN JESUS. We are transformed from dead to living in Jesus. I cor. 15:22. We know that this applies to ALL living humans who have ever lived. Eph.1:3-14.
We know also that none of us are any longer under any condemnation in Jesus as Romans 8:1 tells us. So we see all are saved and reconciled in Jesus, we are no longer under any condemnation and have passed from death to life, John 5:24, and are alive in Jesus. So what is this damnation all about?
Simply, if one refuses to accept who he or she is in Jesus and what all He has done for them, then by that refusal they simply will continue to live in a state of damnation or self sufficiency and misery and suffering and perishing and weeping and gnashing of teeth for as long as it takes for them to "see the light" and accept who they are in Jesus and come into the party of heaven.
There is NO condemnation in Jesus. The whole world is under condemnation or death due to Adam's sin and fall--I Cor.11:32--but Jesus has released all of humanity from under that death condemnation through belief in Him and Who we all are in Jesus. There is damnation of self choice by those refusing to accept and believe who they are in Jesus, and that denial and suffering can go on forever--and the Bible calls that HELL.
Good News...Huh?
Paul
256-468-8081
Madison, AL
www.newlifewcg.org
We read in John 5:29 that those who have 'not done good' come forth to the resurrection of damnation. KJV. Now Wait just a minute. We know that we are all saved in Jesus Christ. By Grace. Not based upon any thing we have done, good or evil. We know that we all... humans.. were chosen by Christ, and in Christ before the foundation or creation of the world. We know that God so loved the world. Jn.3:16.
We know that all of Adam's family are under the curse of death and condemnation by Adam's sin and fall. We simply inherit that penalty. But... we know that in Jesus that death penalty has been overturned and we are accepted into Jesus' life and receive real LIFE IN JESUS. We are transformed from dead to living in Jesus. I cor. 15:22. We know that this applies to ALL living humans who have ever lived. Eph.1:3-14.
We know also that none of us are any longer under any condemnation in Jesus as Romans 8:1 tells us. So we see all are saved and reconciled in Jesus, we are no longer under any condemnation and have passed from death to life, John 5:24, and are alive in Jesus. So what is this damnation all about?
Simply, if one refuses to accept who he or she is in Jesus and what all He has done for them, then by that refusal they simply will continue to live in a state of damnation or self sufficiency and misery and suffering and perishing and weeping and gnashing of teeth for as long as it takes for them to "see the light" and accept who they are in Jesus and come into the party of heaven.
There is NO condemnation in Jesus. The whole world is under condemnation or death due to Adam's sin and fall--I Cor.11:32--but Jesus has released all of humanity from under that death condemnation through belief in Him and Who we all are in Jesus. There is damnation of self choice by those refusing to accept and believe who they are in Jesus, and that denial and suffering can go on forever--and the Bible calls that HELL.
Good News...Huh?
Paul
256-468-8081
Madison, AL
www.newlifewcg.org
Monday, May 17, 2010
ASCENSION SUNDAY. WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
Sunday was Ascension Sunday. One of the six great feast days of the Christian Church.
Why is it so important and what does it mean for all of us--all of humanity?
It was placed in the church in around the 300's A.D. before the Catholic Church was ever recognised. It was placed to declare the BODILY ASCENSION of Jesus Christ into Heaven. Jesus remains forever human in His eternal existence in His humanity.
In Acts 1:10-11, the angel said, " this SAME Jesus who you see ascending into heavens will come again ." The Feast of Ascension or Ascension Sundany, ( May 16th this year,) declares the bodily resurrection and ascension of Jesus into Heaven.
This is important for all of us--humanity--for it is in the ascension of Jesus that He takes all of us in His ascension and places all of us at the Father's right hand along with himself. ( Ephesians 2:6).
Not only this, but since Jesus is still human in his existence, we will also be human in our eternal existence with a "spiritual body" of flesh and bone which appears 'physical" and without physical limitations. Not subject to decay or death. See I Cor. 15.
In a sense, the Ascension of Jesus validates the entire Gospel which concludes with all of mankind residing at the right hand of the Father with Jesus, a position of highest love and respect the same as the Father has for Jesus himself.
In our state of Union with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit IN Jesus we will have, as Paul describes in I Cor. 15, our own 'spriitual body' which will appear 'physical' and without physical imitations. We will be able to do all of the things we do now but only better with a 'glorified' body made of spirit but appearing physical.
Ascension Sunday and the ascension of Jesus to the right hand of the Father and taking all of us with Him is vital to our understanding of the Gospel.
A few verses to further study for all of us;
I Cor. 15:47-49. The man Jesus remains a human man from heaven.
I Tim. 2:5, Jesus, the MAN, remains the mediator between heaven and man
Acts 1:10-11 The same Jesus which ascended in Acts 1 will return in the same
bodily form as always--one which He will have forever.
Ephesians 1:3-14 All of humanity has been included in this eternal future in Christ
May God bless all of us in uderstanding this more.
Pastor Paul
Madison, Al
256-468-8081
.
Why is it so important and what does it mean for all of us--all of humanity?
It was placed in the church in around the 300's A.D. before the Catholic Church was ever recognised. It was placed to declare the BODILY ASCENSION of Jesus Christ into Heaven. Jesus remains forever human in His eternal existence in His humanity.
In Acts 1:10-11, the angel said, " this SAME Jesus who you see ascending into heavens will come again ." The Feast of Ascension or Ascension Sundany, ( May 16th this year,) declares the bodily resurrection and ascension of Jesus into Heaven.
This is important for all of us--humanity--for it is in the ascension of Jesus that He takes all of us in His ascension and places all of us at the Father's right hand along with himself. ( Ephesians 2:6).
Not only this, but since Jesus is still human in his existence, we will also be human in our eternal existence with a "spiritual body" of flesh and bone which appears 'physical" and without physical limitations. Not subject to decay or death. See I Cor. 15.
In a sense, the Ascension of Jesus validates the entire Gospel which concludes with all of mankind residing at the right hand of the Father with Jesus, a position of highest love and respect the same as the Father has for Jesus himself.
In our state of Union with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit IN Jesus we will have, as Paul describes in I Cor. 15, our own 'spriitual body' which will appear 'physical' and without physical imitations. We will be able to do all of the things we do now but only better with a 'glorified' body made of spirit but appearing physical.
Ascension Sunday and the ascension of Jesus to the right hand of the Father and taking all of us with Him is vital to our understanding of the Gospel.
A few verses to further study for all of us;
I Cor. 15:47-49. The man Jesus remains a human man from heaven.
I Tim. 2:5, Jesus, the MAN, remains the mediator between heaven and man
Acts 1:10-11 The same Jesus which ascended in Acts 1 will return in the same
bodily form as always--one which He will have forever.
Ephesians 1:3-14 All of humanity has been included in this eternal future in Christ
May God bless all of us in uderstanding this more.
Pastor Paul
Madison, Al
256-468-8081
.
Friday, May 7, 2010
MAN'S DESTINY IS IN GOD'S HANDS--AND THAT IS GOOD!
Man's destiny is God's destiny for man. God's plan for the destiny of man is a done deal finalized in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. There is a little mostly obscure verse back in Isiah 46:10 most would read VERY incorrectly. It reads, " I declare the end from the beginning." Most would read this as , since God knows everything He just knows the end of things as He can see that end and knows in advance how it will all play out. BUT, this is NOT what the verse says. It says, " He DECLARES the end from the beginning. This means that He is completely in charge. His will is involved in the outcome of the future. He is in charge of our life and declares the end for all of His creation. And that end is Good. It is Good News for everyone. He brings it all about as He wishes for His good pleasure.
With this said let's look at a few scriptures which reveal what that "end" for humanity is. Gen.1:26-27, God said let us make man in our image. Relational. Loving. Then in Ephesians 1:3-14, God shows that He adopted man into His life from before the foundation of the world by His Grace. II Tim.1:9. Then through Jesus Christ He seated man at His right hand with Jesus. All of mankind. Then he declares in Hebrews 2:5-8, that ALL things will be put under mans feet and in subjection to man ultimately. All here is the GK. word , "panta", which means the entire Cosmos, the universe, all things.
So the Destiny of man is to be with God, in God, experiencing real life with God for all of eternity. A loving relational relationship of pure joy, peace, harmony, pleasure, and happiness forever.
There is one small ( or large) caveat which man must deal with. And that is , man must believe it in order to experience it.
Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.
Paul
With this said let's look at a few scriptures which reveal what that "end" for humanity is. Gen.1:26-27, God said let us make man in our image. Relational. Loving. Then in Ephesians 1:3-14, God shows that He adopted man into His life from before the foundation of the world by His Grace. II Tim.1:9. Then through Jesus Christ He seated man at His right hand with Jesus. All of mankind. Then he declares in Hebrews 2:5-8, that ALL things will be put under mans feet and in subjection to man ultimately. All here is the GK. word , "panta", which means the entire Cosmos, the universe, all things.
So the Destiny of man is to be with God, in God, experiencing real life with God for all of eternity. A loving relational relationship of pure joy, peace, harmony, pleasure, and happiness forever.
There is one small ( or large) caveat which man must deal with. And that is , man must believe it in order to experience it.
Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.
Paul
Saturday, April 24, 2010
PROSTITUTES AND PURITANS. WHO IS ACCEPTED?
I feel like creating an earthquake today with this blog. So here goes. WE can talk God's love and Grace all we want to but until we are confronted with some really, and I mean serious propositions concerning that love and grace our doubts are elevated to controversial proportions.
Do we,you, all of believe that the blood of Jesus Christ covers ALL sin? Do we believe that in Jesus ALL of humanity, that includes you and your worst enemy and worst sinner, were adopted and included in the life of God from before the world began?
Do you grade sins as certain ones as easily forgivable, others and a little hareder to forgive, and yet others really hard to forgive and still others as basically UNFORGIVEABLE?
Do you really want to play God? Have you been creating God in your own image, or have you created God in your own image complete with judgemantalism, respect of persons, and a brand of your own righteousness?
Hypothetical situation for you to evaluate. Two sisters. One is a prostitute and loves her "work". The other is a Protestant Preacher who loves her work as well. Which of the two stands "more" accepted in the sight of God? Which one is more saved than the other? Which one pleases God the most? Why would either one need to please God in the first place? Which one is "more" righteous in God's eyes?
Of course we could use numerous examples of sinners and situations, but this one will suffice.
Do we belive that ALL sins were forgiven in Christ at the Cross? ( answers the above illustration right here). And, were not all humans declared "righteous in His sight from before the foundation of the world in Jesus?" (Eph. 1:3-14). Do we believe that in Jesus Christ ALL humans are declared RIGHTEOUS and are part of the Bride of Christ by His declaration? (Romans 3:21).
I think your get the point. All humans. Murders, rapists, child abusers, adulterers, lusters, gamblers, wife beaters, ANY and ALL sinners stand clean in the eyes of Jesus because He has made them so from the foundation of the world when He was slain. ( Rev. 13:8). Do you like this? Maybe not. But it is the love and Grace of God in action. This IS the Gospel. The Good News for everyone. We just need to share this Good News with others so that they will KNOW they belong to the Father and begin to live like it.
The two ladies I mentioned above both stand EQUAL before the Triune God. Both are loved, saved, redeemed, reconciled, justifed, and are seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. ( Eph. 2:6). Do they know it? Maybe not. They need to and that is sharing the Gospel with the both of them. Both are loved uncondidionally By the Father in Heaven and Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Deal with it.
Paul
www.newlifewcg.org
Do we,you, all of believe that the blood of Jesus Christ covers ALL sin? Do we believe that in Jesus ALL of humanity, that includes you and your worst enemy and worst sinner, were adopted and included in the life of God from before the world began?
Do you grade sins as certain ones as easily forgivable, others and a little hareder to forgive, and yet others really hard to forgive and still others as basically UNFORGIVEABLE?
Do you really want to play God? Have you been creating God in your own image, or have you created God in your own image complete with judgemantalism, respect of persons, and a brand of your own righteousness?
Hypothetical situation for you to evaluate. Two sisters. One is a prostitute and loves her "work". The other is a Protestant Preacher who loves her work as well. Which of the two stands "more" accepted in the sight of God? Which one is more saved than the other? Which one pleases God the most? Why would either one need to please God in the first place? Which one is "more" righteous in God's eyes?
Of course we could use numerous examples of sinners and situations, but this one will suffice.
Do we belive that ALL sins were forgiven in Christ at the Cross? ( answers the above illustration right here). And, were not all humans declared "righteous in His sight from before the foundation of the world in Jesus?" (Eph. 1:3-14). Do we believe that in Jesus Christ ALL humans are declared RIGHTEOUS and are part of the Bride of Christ by His declaration? (Romans 3:21).
I think your get the point. All humans. Murders, rapists, child abusers, adulterers, lusters, gamblers, wife beaters, ANY and ALL sinners stand clean in the eyes of Jesus because He has made them so from the foundation of the world when He was slain. ( Rev. 13:8). Do you like this? Maybe not. But it is the love and Grace of God in action. This IS the Gospel. The Good News for everyone. We just need to share this Good News with others so that they will KNOW they belong to the Father and begin to live like it.
The two ladies I mentioned above both stand EQUAL before the Triune God. Both are loved, saved, redeemed, reconciled, justifed, and are seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. ( Eph. 2:6). Do they know it? Maybe not. They need to and that is sharing the Gospel with the both of them. Both are loved uncondidionally By the Father in Heaven and Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Deal with it.
Paul
www.newlifewcg.org
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
BELONGING TO THE TRIUNE GOD
Traditional Western Christianity would tell us that in order to belong to God one must accept Jesus and believe then behave "religiously" and then one would be able to be accepted by God and BELONG to Him. But, can you see how this violates everything God has done in Jesus for the completion of His plan for man? Let's see.
Triune God determined 'way back' to create man in His image. ( Gen.1:26-27). Also, to choose man/woman to be His children inside His existence and in His life BEFORE the foundation or Creation of the world. ( Eph.1:3-14 ). Then God blessed mankind with every heavenly blessing possible IN Jesus and declared man righteous and blameless in HIS sight at that time. ( Eph.1). Man has always belonged to the loving Father in Heaven. YOU have always belonged to the Father in Heaven. He has always loved you and wanted you to be with Him forever. Jesus simply ratified your belonging to the father by making payment for you to insure your belongingness to the Father.
Now do you see a problem with what I wrote in the first paragraph above? It isn't that we CAN belong to the Father IF we do this or that, accept Jesus or behave, the Truth is that we have ALWAYS BELONGED to the Father in heaven. The Gospel message is simply that , that you, we, all belong to the Father and Jesus has made the plan successful for everyone who ever lived. Done so by His life, death, resurrection and ascension to the Father carrying all of us humans with Him. ( Eph.2:6).
So, the correct order of the three "B's", if you will, is Belong, Believe, Behave.
YOU belong to God. Believe you belong to God. Behave like you belong to God. There is a vast difference in these two views. One is wrong and the other is right. See that?
The Good News , or the Gospel, is simply informing or educating individuals as to this truth. That they are loved by God, they belong to God, believe it, and behave like it. This is all a PROCLAMATION OF THE TRUTH. It is NOT a challenge or contest for humans to see IF they can make it happen. It has already happened in Jesus for the Father. It is an announcement. It is a proclamation. It is a done deal. And you are included in the wonderful plan of God from before the beginning of time. Now believe and behave. ( You already BELONG to God.)
God Bless all of you,
Pastor Paul Kurts
Madison, AL
Triune God determined 'way back' to create man in His image. ( Gen.1:26-27). Also, to choose man/woman to be His children inside His existence and in His life BEFORE the foundation or Creation of the world. ( Eph.1:3-14 ). Then God blessed mankind with every heavenly blessing possible IN Jesus and declared man righteous and blameless in HIS sight at that time. ( Eph.1). Man has always belonged to the loving Father in Heaven. YOU have always belonged to the Father in Heaven. He has always loved you and wanted you to be with Him forever. Jesus simply ratified your belonging to the father by making payment for you to insure your belongingness to the Father.
Now do you see a problem with what I wrote in the first paragraph above? It isn't that we CAN belong to the Father IF we do this or that, accept Jesus or behave, the Truth is that we have ALWAYS BELONGED to the Father in heaven. The Gospel message is simply that , that you, we, all belong to the Father and Jesus has made the plan successful for everyone who ever lived. Done so by His life, death, resurrection and ascension to the Father carrying all of us humans with Him. ( Eph.2:6).
So, the correct order of the three "B's", if you will, is Belong, Believe, Behave.
YOU belong to God. Believe you belong to God. Behave like you belong to God. There is a vast difference in these two views. One is wrong and the other is right. See that?
The Good News , or the Gospel, is simply informing or educating individuals as to this truth. That they are loved by God, they belong to God, believe it, and behave like it. This is all a PROCLAMATION OF THE TRUTH. It is NOT a challenge or contest for humans to see IF they can make it happen. It has already happened in Jesus for the Father. It is an announcement. It is a proclamation. It is a done deal. And you are included in the wonderful plan of God from before the beginning of time. Now believe and behave. ( You already BELONG to God.)
God Bless all of you,
Pastor Paul Kurts
Madison, AL
Saturday, April 17, 2010
THERE IS NO ROOM FOR SHAME OR GUILT !!!
Jesus came to this earth to FORGIVE sin. ALL Sin of fallen humanity. The Good News is that this means YOUR sins...ALL of them. Now here is what it would be like for you if you 100% believed this.
You would believe Jesus Forgave (past tense) all of your sins at the Cross by becoming The Sinner of your sins for you. II Cor.5:21. What this means is that on your part sins are not accounted to you they are accounted to the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. Some call this process the Great Exchange. That Jesus exchanges His righteousness for our unrighteousness and therefore the Father is able to look at us as sinless, Holy, blameless, pure, without spot or blemish and righteousness sharing in Jesus' own righteousness. We stand in this position before God the Father "in perpetuity". Permanently. Forever. Do you believe this? Probably not 100%. Now what that means is what follows.
By NOT seeing who we are in Jesus and believing what He has done to us, and for us, and in us, and through us we suffer from the darkened mind we inherited from father
Adam. We doubt, we of course sin, we are burdened with shame and guilt and we suffer needlessly. It simply boils down to our personal lack of faith.
So how does one increase this faith which we all lack in? Answer: By believing what we are told in scripture. God loves us. He wants to live with us forever. He gave His Son Jesus to make payment for the perfection of His plan to have ALL humanity come alive in Jesus and thereby live IN and WITH Him and Jesus and The Holy Spirit FOREVER. Triune God chose all of us before the world was even created and He chose us by NAME--this means YOU personally by name. You have always belonged to God. He blessed us in Jesus and proclaimed our life and salvation in Jesus BEFORE THE WORLD was created. ( Ephesians 1:1-14 ).
When we exercise guilt or shame over our sins we are NOT seeing the Magnitude of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God slain from before the foundation of the world. Rev.13:8.
Can we believe what John tells us in I John 3:5, that in Jesus there is NO SIN?
God simply does not count our sins against us. He is not keeping a list and checking it twice. He forgives sins and forgets them before we ever commit them!!
The more we lift up Jesus and magnify His Name and His Work and His life as the head of the human race which He loves, the more faith we will see in our life and guilt and shame will become a thing of the past.
Thank you Jesus.
Paul Kurts
Madison, AL
You would believe Jesus Forgave (past tense) all of your sins at the Cross by becoming The Sinner of your sins for you. II Cor.5:21. What this means is that on your part sins are not accounted to you they are accounted to the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. Some call this process the Great Exchange. That Jesus exchanges His righteousness for our unrighteousness and therefore the Father is able to look at us as sinless, Holy, blameless, pure, without spot or blemish and righteousness sharing in Jesus' own righteousness. We stand in this position before God the Father "in perpetuity". Permanently. Forever. Do you believe this? Probably not 100%. Now what that means is what follows.
By NOT seeing who we are in Jesus and believing what He has done to us, and for us, and in us, and through us we suffer from the darkened mind we inherited from father
Adam. We doubt, we of course sin, we are burdened with shame and guilt and we suffer needlessly. It simply boils down to our personal lack of faith.
So how does one increase this faith which we all lack in? Answer: By believing what we are told in scripture. God loves us. He wants to live with us forever. He gave His Son Jesus to make payment for the perfection of His plan to have ALL humanity come alive in Jesus and thereby live IN and WITH Him and Jesus and The Holy Spirit FOREVER. Triune God chose all of us before the world was even created and He chose us by NAME--this means YOU personally by name. You have always belonged to God. He blessed us in Jesus and proclaimed our life and salvation in Jesus BEFORE THE WORLD was created. ( Ephesians 1:1-14 ).
When we exercise guilt or shame over our sins we are NOT seeing the Magnitude of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God slain from before the foundation of the world. Rev.13:8.
Can we believe what John tells us in I John 3:5, that in Jesus there is NO SIN?
God simply does not count our sins against us. He is not keeping a list and checking it twice. He forgives sins and forgets them before we ever commit them!!
The more we lift up Jesus and magnify His Name and His Work and His life as the head of the human race which He loves, the more faith we will see in our life and guilt and shame will become a thing of the past.
Thank you Jesus.
Paul Kurts
Madison, AL
Thursday, April 8, 2010
GRACE IS "TOO BIG" FOR SOME !
Is Jesus going to save the world? If so, then how? Is Jesus' sacrificial and atoning work going to be applied to ALL human beings? And, if so, then when will it? Will it be applied and become effective when someone "repents" and "accepts" Jesus? Another question. Is Jesus trying to get the world saved now? One more question. Is Jesus trying to get saved Christians to STOP SINNING? That's a good one.
This whole world became LOST in and through the sin of Adam. All humanity received the death penalty in the sin of Adam and the fallenness we all have lived in since. All humans have had and still have a darkened mind influenced by the prince of darkness. Humanity has suffered under the sway of this power since the garden of Eden. Mankind simply was lost to the evil force and death was the result.
When Jesus came as the incarnate Son of God His work, His mission, His purpose was to 'reverse', if you will, what occurred in Adam. His mission was to bring LIFE to a DEAD humanity and heal the cosmos. He was not trying to "improve" man's position by getting man to become sinless for He knew man lived in the fallenness of Adam with a darkened mind.
Jesus came to SAVE what was LOST. He did. (Lk.19:10). Notice these scriptures which DECLARE this salvation as FACT. John 1:29,"...Behold Jesus, who takes away the sin of the world!" Luke 23:34 "...Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." Since Adam, this has been the case in EVERYTHING. Jesus was the 'propitiation' or payment, or sacrifice for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD. (IJn.2:2). John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the WORLD.
Jesus is not just for Christians. God loves ALL of His children. The Whole World. God has made alive ALL humans since Adam in Jesus. ( ICor.15:22). All things have been reconciled in and through the blood of Christ. ( Col.1:20).
Jesus did not come to 'get man to stop sinning'. Jesus came to FORGIVE Sin. Sin had to be forgiven in order to effect the gift of God, which is eternal life. The wages of sin is DEATH. But the GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE. This is a truth for all of humanity. It is by God's sovereign will. It is given out of Love. God the Father and Jesus Christ LOVE all of us. There is no challenge to live with God forever. It is a done deal. We all belong to the Great Triune God. Believe it and live it. More next time.
Pastor Paul Kurts
Madison, Al
www.newlifewcg.org
This whole world became LOST in and through the sin of Adam. All humanity received the death penalty in the sin of Adam and the fallenness we all have lived in since. All humans have had and still have a darkened mind influenced by the prince of darkness. Humanity has suffered under the sway of this power since the garden of Eden. Mankind simply was lost to the evil force and death was the result.
When Jesus came as the incarnate Son of God His work, His mission, His purpose was to 'reverse', if you will, what occurred in Adam. His mission was to bring LIFE to a DEAD humanity and heal the cosmos. He was not trying to "improve" man's position by getting man to become sinless for He knew man lived in the fallenness of Adam with a darkened mind.
Jesus came to SAVE what was LOST. He did. (Lk.19:10). Notice these scriptures which DECLARE this salvation as FACT. John 1:29,"...Behold Jesus, who takes away the sin of the world!" Luke 23:34 "...Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." Since Adam, this has been the case in EVERYTHING. Jesus was the 'propitiation' or payment, or sacrifice for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD. (IJn.2:2). John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the WORLD.
Jesus is not just for Christians. God loves ALL of His children. The Whole World. God has made alive ALL humans since Adam in Jesus. ( ICor.15:22). All things have been reconciled in and through the blood of Christ. ( Col.1:20).
Jesus did not come to 'get man to stop sinning'. Jesus came to FORGIVE Sin. Sin had to be forgiven in order to effect the gift of God, which is eternal life. The wages of sin is DEATH. But the GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE. This is a truth for all of humanity. It is by God's sovereign will. It is given out of Love. God the Father and Jesus Christ LOVE all of us. There is no challenge to live with God forever. It is a done deal. We all belong to the Great Triune God. Believe it and live it. More next time.
Pastor Paul Kurts
Madison, Al
www.newlifewcg.org
Saturday, March 20, 2010
BUT I "LOVE" THE THEOLOGY OF HELL FIRE!!!
HELL. People's view of hell and its torturing fire for the unrepentant lost is arguably the greatest obstacle people face in coming to embrace Trinitarian, Adoption and Inclusion Theology and the salvation and redemption of ALL humans.
People just LOVE their hell and if you mess with it they get fighting mad. Why is this? In their self righteous selves of obedience and "doing" their Christian duty they see others who are sinners beyond measure and undeserving of salvation and must pay for all the "fun" they are having in the flesh now with the hell fire they deserve.
We all grew up with the concept of reward and punishment. Heaven for 'good' people and hell for evil people. Gifts for good little boys and girls and switches and ashes for bad ones. Religion historically the world over has always had this concept. All based on legalism and works with 'heaven' for good people and the netherworld or some type of suffering for evil ones.
When you really analyze this concept you will find that it actually comes from the great father of lies, Satan the devil who is a liar from the beginning. He wants to make the Father look like a harsh, vindictive, vengeful, wrathful, hateful, monster who would gain pleasure from the charred flesh of his children burning in some hell hole forever.
The ancients, and in particular the Greeks, had always had a philosophy of a netherworld or underworld for the suffering of evil men who had died. In the 4th century B.C. the Greek philosopher, Plato, took the concept, embellished it giving it names dividing the netherworld into departments with its attending torturing FIRE and called it "hell" naming it after an ancient Greek Goddess named 'hel'.
Nearly 1000 years later in the 5th century A.D. St. Augustine of Hippo, considered to be the 'father of the Catholic church and an avid fan of Plato introduced the idea of Hell, hell fire, torturing evil people forever in the depths of suffering to the church. And it has stayed in the WESTERN CHRISTIAN CHURCH'S THEOLOGY ever since.
For the first 500 years since Jesus death the idea of hell was simply living in one's own life choices, eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and suffering the consequences. But, when one came to know who they actually were IN Jesus the light of understanding went off in their life and they transitioned from a life of darkness into a life of 'abundance' in Jesus. ( John 10:10 ).
To conclude: A refusal to accept and believe who one is in Jesus which denies one the happiness of sharing in the heavenly blessings (Eph.1) is living in HELL . And this refusal Can last forever. Remember, God is not willing for any to perish-- continued suffering--Gk. "appolumi", but for all to come to repentance-- Gk. "Metanoia"--simply a change of mind of who we are IN Jesus. ( II Peter 3:9).
For you who want to learn more about the subject of Hell just Google search "Plato's Hell, or go to www.thereisnohell.com , and begin checking it out.
Happy studies !!!
Pastor Paul Kurts
Madison, AL
256-468-8081
...
People just LOVE their hell and if you mess with it they get fighting mad. Why is this? In their self righteous selves of obedience and "doing" their Christian duty they see others who are sinners beyond measure and undeserving of salvation and must pay for all the "fun" they are having in the flesh now with the hell fire they deserve.
We all grew up with the concept of reward and punishment. Heaven for 'good' people and hell for evil people. Gifts for good little boys and girls and switches and ashes for bad ones. Religion historically the world over has always had this concept. All based on legalism and works with 'heaven' for good people and the netherworld or some type of suffering for evil ones.
When you really analyze this concept you will find that it actually comes from the great father of lies, Satan the devil who is a liar from the beginning. He wants to make the Father look like a harsh, vindictive, vengeful, wrathful, hateful, monster who would gain pleasure from the charred flesh of his children burning in some hell hole forever.
The ancients, and in particular the Greeks, had always had a philosophy of a netherworld or underworld for the suffering of evil men who had died. In the 4th century B.C. the Greek philosopher, Plato, took the concept, embellished it giving it names dividing the netherworld into departments with its attending torturing FIRE and called it "hell" naming it after an ancient Greek Goddess named 'hel'.
Nearly 1000 years later in the 5th century A.D. St. Augustine of Hippo, considered to be the 'father of the Catholic church and an avid fan of Plato introduced the idea of Hell, hell fire, torturing evil people forever in the depths of suffering to the church. And it has stayed in the WESTERN CHRISTIAN CHURCH'S THEOLOGY ever since.
For the first 500 years since Jesus death the idea of hell was simply living in one's own life choices, eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and suffering the consequences. But, when one came to know who they actually were IN Jesus the light of understanding went off in their life and they transitioned from a life of darkness into a life of 'abundance' in Jesus. ( John 10:10 ).
To conclude: A refusal to accept and believe who one is in Jesus which denies one the happiness of sharing in the heavenly blessings (Eph.1) is living in HELL . And this refusal Can last forever. Remember, God is not willing for any to perish-- continued suffering--Gk. "appolumi", but for all to come to repentance-- Gk. "Metanoia"--simply a change of mind of who we are IN Jesus. ( II Peter 3:9).
For you who want to learn more about the subject of Hell just Google search "Plato's Hell, or go to www.thereisnohell.com , and begin checking it out.
Happy studies !!!
Pastor Paul Kurts
Madison, AL
256-468-8081
...
Saturday, March 6, 2010
THE GREAT CONNECTION
Let's take a look at a few things that make all of us brothers and sisters in Christ. From acts 17 we know that God made from ONE blood all men, and women, to dwell on the face of the earth. Not only are we all made from ONE blood, we are all descended from one SEED. Amazingly, it has now been proven that all humans on the planet have a common ancestor in one common mother. The scriptures call her EVE. Her created husband was Adam.
So what do we see here? IF all of us came from ONE seed having a common mother then the simple definition of this is called brotherhood. And sisterhood. We all are just simply brothers and sisters.
But there is more. Jesus said in John 14:20 that HE was in the Father, the Father was IN Him and that He was is ALL of us. There is a magnificent connection here between all brothers and sisters, all of humanity on the earth. That connection is in Jesus by the same Spirit since Jesus is in ALL of us and we ALL are in Him, we ALL are somehow IN EACH OTHER. Same common mother, father, Spirit, Jesus, and the Father. There is a human UNITY in all of mankind which is connected by the loving Father who created all of us to be brothers and sisters in Him. A Family if you will.
The father of lies (John 8:44) would have us believe that we are all different. All separated from one another. Class distinction. Race distinction. Country distinction. Religious distinction. All in competition of the survival of the fittest. (Darwin).
But we are not in that competition in Jesus. We are brothers and sisters IN each other for the eternal blessings of being with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit forever. Just living, loving, and enjoying life together forever.
Not only has Jesus connected us to each other, He has bridged the gap between God and humanity and connected us to the eternal Triune God, Forever.
So what do we see here? IF all of us came from ONE seed having a common mother then the simple definition of this is called brotherhood. And sisterhood. We all are just simply brothers and sisters.
But there is more. Jesus said in John 14:20 that HE was in the Father, the Father was IN Him and that He was is ALL of us. There is a magnificent connection here between all brothers and sisters, all of humanity on the earth. That connection is in Jesus by the same Spirit since Jesus is in ALL of us and we ALL are in Him, we ALL are somehow IN EACH OTHER. Same common mother, father, Spirit, Jesus, and the Father. There is a human UNITY in all of mankind which is connected by the loving Father who created all of us to be brothers and sisters in Him. A Family if you will.
The father of lies (John 8:44) would have us believe that we are all different. All separated from one another. Class distinction. Race distinction. Country distinction. Religious distinction. All in competition of the survival of the fittest. (Darwin).
But we are not in that competition in Jesus. We are brothers and sisters IN each other for the eternal blessings of being with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit forever. Just living, loving, and enjoying life together forever.
Not only has Jesus connected us to each other, He has bridged the gap between God and humanity and connected us to the eternal Triune God, Forever.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
DOES GOD WANT OR NEED OUR PRAISE ?
Let's see if we can create a little argument and disagreement to start with!
Last time, I wrote of the "Omni-Everything-God" conceived by the Greeks and pagans eons ago. This god is really no different than any of the other gods of the mythical gods who do not exist. This god is One, he is all powerful, all wise, all knowing, everywhere present, all everything. Just like Zeus, Diana, Osiris, Isis, and any and all of the other non-gods of antiquity.
These gods "exist" in the minds of their devotees to be honored, glorified, worshipped, and of course PRAISED at any opportunity which may arise. This god lives on , thrives on, rides on, is exalted by, and revels in the PRAISES of his followers. Again, this 'Omni-god' does NOT exist. While this may sound good to the Western mind deluded by Plato's philosophy of god, it is far from the truth. So what is the truth?
God is FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT. Triune God exists in a face to face loving relationship in the Trinity. He created us , not to tell Him how great He is and spend all of our time 'praising' Him, but to LIVE. Live life as He created it ABUNDANTLY. John 10:10. He wants us to live free as a bird in Jesus Christ. He wants us to acknowledge what He has done to us and for us and in us and through us IN Jesus Christ. This knowing allows us to live as He designed us to live. And, not only live this abundant life NOW, but to live it eternally with Him and IN Him through Jesus by the Holy Spirit FOREVER.
The True Triune God is ALL about Relationships. The relationship He has within the Trinity and the relationships He has created us to be WITHIN that Trinity forever. Remember, Eternal Life is KNOWING THE FATHER- THE TRUE GOD.
Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit does not NEED or require our continual Praise. It is not the fuel that fires His engines. His greatness is not enhanced by our pandering. He wants us to LIVE now and forever abundantly in Jesus and INSIDE of His Triune existence in RELATIONSHIP. Father to son. Son to Father. Father to daughter. Daughter to Father. All made possible and assured in Jesus Christ.
He is NOT the OMNI Potentate that Plato devised and handed down nine hundred years later to St. Augustine of Hyppo--considered to be the father of the Catholic Church.
We live in the life of God now. Jesus lives in all of humanity now. All humanity lives in Jesus now.( John 14:20.) God simply wants us to enjoy what He has blessed us with in Jesus ( Eph.1:3-14) and in so doing this Praises is all the Praise that is of any consequence. This knowing engenders Thankfulness and praise on our behalf as we become filled with assurance, acceptance and love. Triune God did not create us to Praise Him. He created us to Live with Him and in Him forever.
Sorry if I have burst any one's bubble. Enjoy LIFE. It praises the Father.
Paul
Last time, I wrote of the "Omni-Everything-God" conceived by the Greeks and pagans eons ago. This god is really no different than any of the other gods of the mythical gods who do not exist. This god is One, he is all powerful, all wise, all knowing, everywhere present, all everything. Just like Zeus, Diana, Osiris, Isis, and any and all of the other non-gods of antiquity.
These gods "exist" in the minds of their devotees to be honored, glorified, worshipped, and of course PRAISED at any opportunity which may arise. This god lives on , thrives on, rides on, is exalted by, and revels in the PRAISES of his followers. Again, this 'Omni-god' does NOT exist. While this may sound good to the Western mind deluded by Plato's philosophy of god, it is far from the truth. So what is the truth?
God is FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT. Triune God exists in a face to face loving relationship in the Trinity. He created us , not to tell Him how great He is and spend all of our time 'praising' Him, but to LIVE. Live life as He created it ABUNDANTLY. John 10:10. He wants us to live free as a bird in Jesus Christ. He wants us to acknowledge what He has done to us and for us and in us and through us IN Jesus Christ. This knowing allows us to live as He designed us to live. And, not only live this abundant life NOW, but to live it eternally with Him and IN Him through Jesus by the Holy Spirit FOREVER.
The True Triune God is ALL about Relationships. The relationship He has within the Trinity and the relationships He has created us to be WITHIN that Trinity forever. Remember, Eternal Life is KNOWING THE FATHER- THE TRUE GOD.
Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit does not NEED or require our continual Praise. It is not the fuel that fires His engines. His greatness is not enhanced by our pandering. He wants us to LIVE now and forever abundantly in Jesus and INSIDE of His Triune existence in RELATIONSHIP. Father to son. Son to Father. Father to daughter. Daughter to Father. All made possible and assured in Jesus Christ.
He is NOT the OMNI Potentate that Plato devised and handed down nine hundred years later to St. Augustine of Hyppo--considered to be the father of the Catholic Church.
We live in the life of God now. Jesus lives in all of humanity now. All humanity lives in Jesus now.( John 14:20.) God simply wants us to enjoy what He has blessed us with in Jesus ( Eph.1:3-14) and in so doing this Praises is all the Praise that is of any consequence. This knowing engenders Thankfulness and praise on our behalf as we become filled with assurance, acceptance and love. Triune God did not create us to Praise Him. He created us to Live with Him and in Him forever.
Sorry if I have burst any one's bubble. Enjoy LIFE. It praises the Father.
Paul
Monday, February 15, 2010
GOD DAMN THE LIE !!!
Since you live in the West, as I, you grew up with the concept of God which went something like this: God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, All-wise, All-knowing, All-Powerful, Creator, unchangeable, unmovable, and Vengeful. Hating mankind's sins and holding for eternal punishment the fires of Hell and unimaginable suffering for the humans who don't measure up to His standards. He is vengeful, unaccepting of anything other than holy perfection, punishing, distant, separated from us humans, and unapproachable and unable to look upon sin. I could go on and on about this OMNI-GOD, OR "OGRE GOD" as some refer to him as, but I won't. What I have just described to you , and you can check it out on the Internet or in books, is the God of the Greeks touted by Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, and other ancient philosophers such as Kant, Descartes, and other famous Greeks. So do YOUR homework if you doubt what I say here. That god out of the minds of the pagan philosophers simply DOES NOT EXIST.
What is missing in the description above? Well for one thing that god is totally one who wants and needs to be SERVED, WORSHIPED, PRAISED, PATRONIZED, PANDERED TO, and one who is the unknowable Potentate. If he existed at all, he is there to be exalted from vainglorious self seeking exultation. Wait!!! He does NOT exist!!
And that is GOOD NEWS!!! So what is God like? Who is God? How is God? Now we get to the really good part.
God is and has forever been , FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT in a LOVE Relationship. He is the ONE Triune God. He is love and He loves you and me. He accepts us and LIKES us. He does not always approve everything we do. He is the one in Gen.1:26-27 who said let us make man in our image and likeness. God had never experienced humanness and by creating humans now would be able to adopt mankind into His life and love forever made possible by the Incarnation and life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. God wanted to share the Holy relationship He had had within the Trinity with now His human family. God simply loved all of His creation BEFORE anything was ever created and wanted to live with all of us forever.
There are several powerful scriptures that make this plain. Notice: II Tim.1:9, God saved us BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. Eph.1:4-7, "He chose us in Him to be blameless IN HIS SIGHT, (not ours), adopted, Included, and predetermined it so IN Jesus according to His pleasure and His will."
We read Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world, in Rev.13:8. The all time Saviour IN PERPETUITY. God has always had relationship with His family, with Him, in the forefront of His thinking since He devised the plan originally. He gives us LIFE in His Son forever and assures our being with Him and IN Him.
Finally, in Ephesians 2:6-9, we read that God IN Christ has taken all of humanity and raised all of us up with Jesus and seated us all at the right hand of the Father in the Heavenly Realms. Quite different from the Ogre God of the pagans. ( Who does NOT exist.)
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit want to live in RELATIONSHIP based on LOVE with all of their family FOREVER. YOU ARE INCLUDED. You are Adopted. You are loved, You are wanted, You are the child God has always wanted since before time began.. Can you believe this or are you still cowering under the false concept of the Ogre, Pagan , nameless, Omni God who really doesn't like you and only loves you when you PERFORM to His standard?
Lord, Help our darkened minds to See who YOU really are and who we really are in You.
Jesus, Light of the World, come and shine upon us all and let us see. ( John 8:12).
God bless all,
Pastor Paul Kurts
www.newlifewcg.org
Madison, AL
256-468-8081
What is missing in the description above? Well for one thing that god is totally one who wants and needs to be SERVED, WORSHIPED, PRAISED, PATRONIZED, PANDERED TO, and one who is the unknowable Potentate. If he existed at all, he is there to be exalted from vainglorious self seeking exultation. Wait!!! He does NOT exist!!
And that is GOOD NEWS!!! So what is God like? Who is God? How is God? Now we get to the really good part.
God is and has forever been , FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT in a LOVE Relationship. He is the ONE Triune God. He is love and He loves you and me. He accepts us and LIKES us. He does not always approve everything we do. He is the one in Gen.1:26-27 who said let us make man in our image and likeness. God had never experienced humanness and by creating humans now would be able to adopt mankind into His life and love forever made possible by the Incarnation and life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. God wanted to share the Holy relationship He had had within the Trinity with now His human family. God simply loved all of His creation BEFORE anything was ever created and wanted to live with all of us forever.
There are several powerful scriptures that make this plain. Notice: II Tim.1:9, God saved us BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. Eph.1:4-7, "He chose us in Him to be blameless IN HIS SIGHT, (not ours), adopted, Included, and predetermined it so IN Jesus according to His pleasure and His will."
We read Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world, in Rev.13:8. The all time Saviour IN PERPETUITY. God has always had relationship with His family, with Him, in the forefront of His thinking since He devised the plan originally. He gives us LIFE in His Son forever and assures our being with Him and IN Him.
Finally, in Ephesians 2:6-9, we read that God IN Christ has taken all of humanity and raised all of us up with Jesus and seated us all at the right hand of the Father in the Heavenly Realms. Quite different from the Ogre God of the pagans. ( Who does NOT exist.)
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit want to live in RELATIONSHIP based on LOVE with all of their family FOREVER. YOU ARE INCLUDED. You are Adopted. You are loved, You are wanted, You are the child God has always wanted since before time began.. Can you believe this or are you still cowering under the false concept of the Ogre, Pagan , nameless, Omni God who really doesn't like you and only loves you when you PERFORM to His standard?
Lord, Help our darkened minds to See who YOU really are and who we really are in You.
Jesus, Light of the World, come and shine upon us all and let us see. ( John 8:12).
God bless all,
Pastor Paul Kurts
www.newlifewcg.org
Madison, AL
256-468-8081
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Matt.20 TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY IN THE VINYARD
.
In Matthew 20 we read the parable of the vineyard workers each receiving the same amount of money for whatever period of time each worked in the vineyard on this given day. The same amount, a denarius, was given to each no matter how long each labored in the vineyard. Well, I see a great point of Trinitarian Adoption and Inclusion of God in this parable. Not money!!!
If one were to look at this parable from a monetary standpoint only, then it really makes no sense to anyone that it would be fair to pay a worker, worthy of his hire, the same amount if he worked for one hour or for twelve hours. This is not the real point of the parable. True enough, the land owner can pay whatever amount was agreed upon, but the parable is NOT about "payment".
I think the key verse here is verse 14. "....I want to GIVE the man who was hired last the same as I gave you, the first." The point is about God GIVING. Not what is earned or expected.
I see Jesus as the owner of the vineyard which is the human experience of all of humanity laboring on earth and no matter what is strived for, worked for, or accomplished by human efforts, do NOT affect Jesus, the Vinyard owner, and His GIVING of His right to GIVE Life to everyone simply because He wants to. The vineyard owner said, " I have the right to do with my gifts, ie, heavenly blessings -- Ephesians 1:3-6, as I so choose." And so does Jesus!
In these verses in Ephesians 1:3-6 , we see all of humanity, all the workers in the vineyard of humanity, being given and blessed with everything God has to bless us all with. It can not be worked for or earned. It can only be accepted and believed by all of us and received with gladness and thankfulness.
God bless you all,
Paul
www.newlifewcg.org
Madison, ALabama
In Matthew 20 we read the parable of the vineyard workers each receiving the same amount of money for whatever period of time each worked in the vineyard on this given day. The same amount, a denarius, was given to each no matter how long each labored in the vineyard. Well, I see a great point of Trinitarian Adoption and Inclusion of God in this parable. Not money!!!
If one were to look at this parable from a monetary standpoint only, then it really makes no sense to anyone that it would be fair to pay a worker, worthy of his hire, the same amount if he worked for one hour or for twelve hours. This is not the real point of the parable. True enough, the land owner can pay whatever amount was agreed upon, but the parable is NOT about "payment".
I think the key verse here is verse 14. "....I want to GIVE the man who was hired last the same as I gave you, the first." The point is about God GIVING. Not what is earned or expected.
I see Jesus as the owner of the vineyard which is the human experience of all of humanity laboring on earth and no matter what is strived for, worked for, or accomplished by human efforts, do NOT affect Jesus, the Vinyard owner, and His GIVING of His right to GIVE Life to everyone simply because He wants to. The vineyard owner said, " I have the right to do with my gifts, ie, heavenly blessings -- Ephesians 1:3-6, as I so choose." And so does Jesus!
In these verses in Ephesians 1:3-6 , we see all of humanity, all the workers in the vineyard of humanity, being given and blessed with everything God has to bless us all with. It can not be worked for or earned. It can only be accepted and believed by all of us and received with gladness and thankfulness.
God bless you all,
Paul
www.newlifewcg.org
Madison, ALabama
Sunday, January 24, 2010
TWO GODS...AUGUSTINE'S OR THE BIBLE'S
What a great post by Dr. C. Baxter Kruger on his latest blog post at www.baxterkruger.blogspot.com concerning "two Gods." These two are the god created in the mind of St. Augustine ( 'Father of the RCC' ) and the true God of the Bible. Let's look at the differences.
Augustine's god, which most all of Western Christian philosophical theology embraces says the following:
God is Separated from us and distant "up" there somewhere.
He is angry at us.
We live under His wrath and anger against us personally
HE is Judgemental
He is condemning
He is retributive
He punishes
We are not his until we accept him and believe
Sin cuts us off from God
He is legalistic
He deals in rewards and punishment
He has a torturing hell fire for those who won't love him back and believe.
Man is not adopted, accepted and included in the life of God.
Man could never do enough to please this god.
There is more, but you get the picture.
Now for the true Great Triune God of the Bible.
He is LOVE
He is all FORGIVING
He is MERCIFUL AND FULL OF GRACE FOR ALL
He , in Jesus, ADOPTED US AND INCLUDED US ALL IN HIS LIFE BEFORE CREATION
He is NOT LEGALISTIC
He is NOT RETRIBUTIVE
He does NOT PUNISH US FOR OUR MISTAKES AND SINS---HE FORGIVES
He ACCEPTS US ALL IN JESUS, REGARDLESS OF OUR SINS AND IMPERFECTIONS
He LOVES US AND LIKES US
He WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER WITH US IN HIS LIFE
He ALREADY HAS BLESSED MAN WITH EVERY HEAVENLY BLESSING IN JESUS CHRIST
He is NOT DISTANT AND SEPARATED FROM US BUT LIVES IN ALL HUMANS ( Jn.14:20)
Sin does NOT CUT US OFF FROM THE FATHER, HE FORGIVES SIN AND LOVES US STILL
He is GOOD
He is PATIENT
He is KIND
He is GENTLE
He is MEEK
He loves us all so much that He declares EVERYTHING JESUS IS...TO US ALL !!!
Two Gods. One false. One True. Which one do you like? Which one do you wish to be with forever? This is a NO-BRAINER.
It is a wonder that the Church in the West has been able to exist as long as it has under the wrong philosophy of Augustine. The Good News ISN'T. Religion is suffocating. May the true God of the Bible emerge in the thinking of all in the days to come.
Paul Kurts
www.newlifewcg.org
Madison, ALabama
Augustine's god, which most all of Western Christian philosophical theology embraces says the following:
God is Separated from us and distant "up" there somewhere.
He is angry at us.
We live under His wrath and anger against us personally
HE is Judgemental
He is condemning
He is retributive
He punishes
We are not his until we accept him and believe
Sin cuts us off from God
He is legalistic
He deals in rewards and punishment
He has a torturing hell fire for those who won't love him back and believe.
Man is not adopted, accepted and included in the life of God.
Man could never do enough to please this god.
There is more, but you get the picture.
Now for the true Great Triune God of the Bible.
He is LOVE
He is all FORGIVING
He is MERCIFUL AND FULL OF GRACE FOR ALL
He , in Jesus, ADOPTED US AND INCLUDED US ALL IN HIS LIFE BEFORE CREATION
He is NOT LEGALISTIC
He is NOT RETRIBUTIVE
He does NOT PUNISH US FOR OUR MISTAKES AND SINS---HE FORGIVES
He ACCEPTS US ALL IN JESUS, REGARDLESS OF OUR SINS AND IMPERFECTIONS
He LOVES US AND LIKES US
He WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER WITH US IN HIS LIFE
He ALREADY HAS BLESSED MAN WITH EVERY HEAVENLY BLESSING IN JESUS CHRIST
He is NOT DISTANT AND SEPARATED FROM US BUT LIVES IN ALL HUMANS ( Jn.14:20)
Sin does NOT CUT US OFF FROM THE FATHER, HE FORGIVES SIN AND LOVES US STILL
He is GOOD
He is PATIENT
He is KIND
He is GENTLE
He is MEEK
He loves us all so much that He declares EVERYTHING JESUS IS...TO US ALL !!!
Two Gods. One false. One True. Which one do you like? Which one do you wish to be with forever? This is a NO-BRAINER.
It is a wonder that the Church in the West has been able to exist as long as it has under the wrong philosophy of Augustine. The Good News ISN'T. Religion is suffocating. May the true God of the Bible emerge in the thinking of all in the days to come.
Paul Kurts
www.newlifewcg.org
Madison, ALabama
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
HIDDEN JEALOUSY....WE ALL HAVE IT.
. JEALOUSY. What a terrible character trait. And, we ALL have it. You are jealous and I am jealous. So I am accusing you of being jealous and I know I am jealous.
Now this trait can take on many many different complexities. Which we won't go into now. But there is one area that I want to discuss with all of us. Because it affects all of us.
This is the area of Jealousy that affects all of us in NOT recognizing an accomplishment another (peer) has done.
Why? Well, somehow it diminishes us in our own eyes to realize that another has done something or accomplished something what we HAVE NOT. Well maybe we could have if we had not been so lazy or had lacked the ability or the education to have accomplished the same thing, but nevertheless, we did not do it and someone else did and therefore we are jealous. We are envious.
Why can we not just esteem the other better than ourselves. BETTER THAN OURSELVES. Especially in this or that particular area. Well we are vain and self centered and we do not want another rising above us in any area and we just ignore the situation.
We deal with it in passive non response. We just do not want to recognize what the accomplishment is or was since it will demean our personal self respect. We deny what another has done since it mitigates against what we have done or not done.
Are we all human or what? Hey, swallow your pride and learn to esteem another GREATER than yourself. Give praise where praise is due. Encourage another. Git off of your self wagon and support what others do and are doing. OR, DO SOMETHING YOURSELF.
Damn, I am good. Hell, No one is better than me. I am the best. I am the greatest.
No one can outdo me. The proof is in the pudding. Eat and swallow your pride.
God bless all of you,
Paul Kurts, Pastor Paul
Madison, Alabama
www.newlifewcg.org
256-468-8081
Now this trait can take on many many different complexities. Which we won't go into now. But there is one area that I want to discuss with all of us. Because it affects all of us.
This is the area of Jealousy that affects all of us in NOT recognizing an accomplishment another (peer) has done.
Why? Well, somehow it diminishes us in our own eyes to realize that another has done something or accomplished something what we HAVE NOT. Well maybe we could have if we had not been so lazy or had lacked the ability or the education to have accomplished the same thing, but nevertheless, we did not do it and someone else did and therefore we are jealous. We are envious.
Why can we not just esteem the other better than ourselves. BETTER THAN OURSELVES. Especially in this or that particular area. Well we are vain and self centered and we do not want another rising above us in any area and we just ignore the situation.
We deal with it in passive non response. We just do not want to recognize what the accomplishment is or was since it will demean our personal self respect. We deny what another has done since it mitigates against what we have done or not done.
Are we all human or what? Hey, swallow your pride and learn to esteem another GREATER than yourself. Give praise where praise is due. Encourage another. Git off of your self wagon and support what others do and are doing. OR, DO SOMETHING YOURSELF.
Damn, I am good. Hell, No one is better than me. I am the best. I am the greatest.
No one can outdo me. The proof is in the pudding. Eat and swallow your pride.
God bless all of you,
Paul Kurts, Pastor Paul
Madison, Alabama
www.newlifewcg.org
256-468-8081
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
BAD NEWS EVANGELISM AND THE TRUTH
.
I have watched and listened to a number of media evangelists in the last couple of days and was so overwhelmingly discouraged by their message of anything but GOOD NEWS that I am motivated to write this blog.
The consistent messaged is that those of you who are lost need to come to Christ and accept Him as your Saviour. Then the message for those who have come to Christ is that you must do all of any number of things to please God and thereby live in His will. For those who remain 'Lost' the punishment of the fires of Hell await and for those who do not please God through 'doing' whatever, the same flames await them as well. Does this sound like GOOD NEWS to you? Well, it doesn't to me !!!
The Gospel of Salvation is presented as a possibility for one or a potential reality for one, but something yet to be attained and received based on what one does. It may or may not be come a reality for the person.
There again, does this sound like 'GOOD NEWS' to you? Well, it doesn't to me !!!
I hear words like 'striving' and 'sacrificing' and 'suffering' and 'qualifying' and 'making' it, etc. ad nauseum. Sounds inspiring? Well, not to me !!!
The TRUE GOSPEL is so inspiring and uplifting and wonderful for ALL humanity, already accomplished in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ as a done deal for all humans it is almost beyond belief! ( Ephesians 2:6).
God's plan for man from the very beginning was to have man live with God forever inside the life of God in His heavenly realm. The plan was completed for all through the INCARNATION of Jesus Christ and His connecting humanity to the Father.(Eph.1:3-14)
The GOOD NEWS is Good for all people. The Devil has been defeated. Sin has been defeated, overcome and forgiven in Jesus' blood. Life has been granted to all humans who were dead in Adam. ( I Cor. 15:22). It's all GOOD.
What is left for any person to do in the Salvation process and reality is to simply accept it and believe it then experience it now and forever. All the guess work is taken out of the equasion. It is NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. It is the TRUTH. Jesus lives in all of us humans. ( John 14:20). The Holy Spirit is in the process of revealing this truth to all people in His own time until all humans who have ever lived know it.
You just happen to know it now. Accept it and believe it. Experience it.
IT is GOOD NEWS.
God bless.
Paul
www.newlifewcg.org
Madison, Alabama
.
I have watched and listened to a number of media evangelists in the last couple of days and was so overwhelmingly discouraged by their message of anything but GOOD NEWS that I am motivated to write this blog.
The consistent messaged is that those of you who are lost need to come to Christ and accept Him as your Saviour. Then the message for those who have come to Christ is that you must do all of any number of things to please God and thereby live in His will. For those who remain 'Lost' the punishment of the fires of Hell await and for those who do not please God through 'doing' whatever, the same flames await them as well. Does this sound like GOOD NEWS to you? Well, it doesn't to me !!!
The Gospel of Salvation is presented as a possibility for one or a potential reality for one, but something yet to be attained and received based on what one does. It may or may not be come a reality for the person.
There again, does this sound like 'GOOD NEWS' to you? Well, it doesn't to me !!!
I hear words like 'striving' and 'sacrificing' and 'suffering' and 'qualifying' and 'making' it, etc. ad nauseum. Sounds inspiring? Well, not to me !!!
The TRUE GOSPEL is so inspiring and uplifting and wonderful for ALL humanity, already accomplished in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ as a done deal for all humans it is almost beyond belief! ( Ephesians 2:6).
God's plan for man from the very beginning was to have man live with God forever inside the life of God in His heavenly realm. The plan was completed for all through the INCARNATION of Jesus Christ and His connecting humanity to the Father.(Eph.1:3-14)
The GOOD NEWS is Good for all people. The Devil has been defeated. Sin has been defeated, overcome and forgiven in Jesus' blood. Life has been granted to all humans who were dead in Adam. ( I Cor. 15:22). It's all GOOD.
What is left for any person to do in the Salvation process and reality is to simply accept it and believe it then experience it now and forever. All the guess work is taken out of the equasion. It is NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. It is the TRUTH. Jesus lives in all of us humans. ( John 14:20). The Holy Spirit is in the process of revealing this truth to all people in His own time until all humans who have ever lived know it.
You just happen to know it now. Accept it and believe it. Experience it.
IT is GOOD NEWS.
God bless.
Paul
www.newlifewcg.org
Madison, Alabama
.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
"QUANTUMJUMPING" NEW NAME / OLD HERESY
.
QUANTUMJUMPING. If you have not heard of it yet, you probably will sooner or later. What is it and why is Bert Goldman's "new" metaphysics catching on around the world?
You can check it out at www.quantumjumping.com. ( It is nothing more than the old demonic practice of ASTRAL PROJECTION associated with witchcraft, and trancendental meditation, et.al.)
Quantumjumping theorizes that a person can achieve all the blessings and benefits of existence by taking a flying Quantum leap into a parallel universe where he/she meets up with their immortal past lives and self to realize WHO they are presently and where they are going. This is supposed to unlock the 'secrets' of life, existence, the past, the future, and one's immortal life. It is supposedly the answer to all of the questions one could possibly ask in our existence.
Why is it gaining such a following in the 21st Century? And, why is it so Theologically destructive? How does it replace the TRUTH of God with such fantasy?
Here goes. The GREAT TRIUNE GOD, Father, Son and Holy Spirit originated a wonderful Plan which would create humanity to be adopted and included into God's very existence. ( Eph.1:3-14). This plan was secured completely in Jesus Christ's life, death, resurrection and ascension for ALL HUMANITY. The entire UNIVERSE is promised to be under the care and direction of humanity one day. ( Heb.2:5-8). All the blessings of the Heavenly Realm of the Holy God have been given to humanity in, by, through and for Jesus Christ. God loves His children and He wants to forever continually bless and make happy with PLEASURES FOREVERMORE those children.(Ps.16:11)
There is a great being and deceiver who will do anything to supplant this truth of God with any lie and false philosophy his fallen mind can devise. He is a liar and the father of lies. He is the great deceiver. Mankind has fallen for his deception for thousands of years. And, man still does.
God's plan stands firm. It HAS BEEN accomplished in Jesus Christ. We win. The devil looses. But, until God's plan is realized both subjectively and objectively at the same time this same type of foolishness will continue to take man's mind and heart away from the love of God and His great Plan for humanity. Sad, but true. Quantumjumping is just one more false heresy, like Scientology, which Satan and man have devised to deceive.
For more information on the Great Plan of God for ALL, go to our web site and articles on the subject.
God Bless,
Pastor Paul Kurts
www.newlifewcg.org
.
QUANTUMJUMPING. If you have not heard of it yet, you probably will sooner or later. What is it and why is Bert Goldman's "new" metaphysics catching on around the world?
You can check it out at www.quantumjumping.com. ( It is nothing more than the old demonic practice of ASTRAL PROJECTION associated with witchcraft, and trancendental meditation, et.al.)
Quantumjumping theorizes that a person can achieve all the blessings and benefits of existence by taking a flying Quantum leap into a parallel universe where he/she meets up with their immortal past lives and self to realize WHO they are presently and where they are going. This is supposed to unlock the 'secrets' of life, existence, the past, the future, and one's immortal life. It is supposedly the answer to all of the questions one could possibly ask in our existence.
Why is it gaining such a following in the 21st Century? And, why is it so Theologically destructive? How does it replace the TRUTH of God with such fantasy?
Here goes. The GREAT TRIUNE GOD, Father, Son and Holy Spirit originated a wonderful Plan which would create humanity to be adopted and included into God's very existence. ( Eph.1:3-14). This plan was secured completely in Jesus Christ's life, death, resurrection and ascension for ALL HUMANITY. The entire UNIVERSE is promised to be under the care and direction of humanity one day. ( Heb.2:5-8). All the blessings of the Heavenly Realm of the Holy God have been given to humanity in, by, through and for Jesus Christ. God loves His children and He wants to forever continually bless and make happy with PLEASURES FOREVERMORE those children.(Ps.16:11)
There is a great being and deceiver who will do anything to supplant this truth of God with any lie and false philosophy his fallen mind can devise. He is a liar and the father of lies. He is the great deceiver. Mankind has fallen for his deception for thousands of years. And, man still does.
God's plan stands firm. It HAS BEEN accomplished in Jesus Christ. We win. The devil looses. But, until God's plan is realized both subjectively and objectively at the same time this same type of foolishness will continue to take man's mind and heart away from the love of God and His great Plan for humanity. Sad, but true. Quantumjumping is just one more false heresy, like Scientology, which Satan and man have devised to deceive.
For more information on the Great Plan of God for ALL, go to our web site and articles on the subject.
God Bless,
Pastor Paul Kurts
www.newlifewcg.org
.
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