Love – Recovery In Christ Ministries

June 8, 2016June 9, 2016

Grace Heals: The Law Kills

To many, life is pointless, and the God of the Bible is a cruel jokester. Why? There is so much sorrow, and pain in this world that we each have to endure. Sometimes it is deeply troubling, and very confusing.

Before He created us, Yahweh knew that we would have to suffer, and go through all the trials and tribulations of earthly life. God could have created the earth, and us, in a completely different way, which did not require that we endure all these painful experiences.

Since God could have done things differently, but He chose not to, and we know His loving nature, we can surmise that there is a purpose for the suffering, and, in the end, we will benefit from it.

When Yahweh came to the earth, in the form of a man, the man, Yeshua (Jesus), He suffered many things. The man, Jesus, learned obedience through the things that He suffered. (Hebrews 5:8)

God in Christ subjected Himself to the same sufferings that He subjected us to, so that He, in His human form could be perfected. If the God-man, Jesus needed to go through all these things in order to learn obedience (be perfected), then you and I must also.

The man, Jesus, is our big brother, and if we wish to be glorified with Him, and inherit all things with Him, we must also suffer with Him. (Romans 8:17)

So yes, there is a purpose behind our suffering, and God is not a cruel jokester. Yahweh is preparing us for the glory that awaits us, and for the day that we will inherit the whole universe. See, if God were to bless someone with vast riches, before they were able to handle those riches, His blessing would destroy them, and many others. God is using our suffering to change us, so that He can bless us with things that we can’t even imagine! (1 Corinthians 2:9)

The Law

Yahweh created us as free-will creatures. Free-will creatures have within themselves the propensity to rebel, and attempt self-rule. If this propensity did not exist within us, then we would not be free-will creatures. Lucifer is a free-will creature, whom Yahweh blessed with unimaginable blessings, and even though Yahweh gave him the ability to handle these blessings, he chose not to, and rebelled. Perhaps, this is why there is no remedy for Satan.

After Lucifer fell, and became Satan (The Adversary), Yahweh created man. Yahweh placed these new free-will beings in a garden of pleasures, where they had everything they needed to prosper. Yahweh walked and talked with these free-will beings, and they were happy, and complete. And then, the law came.

Yahweh laid down the law. Yahweh told them that they could not eat the fruit that was on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or they would die. The law squeezed Adam and Eve, and what was in them came out for all to see. The Serpent (the adversary) used the law to draw Eve into sin, and the law brought out Adam’s propensity for self-rule, and he freely chose to rebel against Yahweh.

Yahweh came looking for His rebellious, lost children, and extended grace unto them, by killing an innocent animal in their place, and using its fur to clothe them, so that they would not be ashamed to fellowship with Him.

Man was created a little lower than the angels. Yahweh did not create man with the same level of perfection, power, and blessings that the angels enjoyed. Apparently, Yahweh can’t restore the angels, who rebelled against Him, because they were perfect in wisdom and power, and therefore had the absolute ability to obey, but chose to defy Him. (Hebrews 2:7; Ezekiel 28:13-19; Jude 1:6)

Yahweh didn’t create us in perfection, so that when we rebelled there would be a path that we could choose that would lead to perfection. And this path to perfection comes with many trials, tribulations and sorrows, which refine us, and teach us obedience, so that we can stand in our perfection, and not fall as the angels fell.

As we imperfect free-will creatures walk the path back to God, and personal perfection as free-will creatures, our sufferings are fitting us for the glory that awaits us. Yahweh is perfecting us through these unpleasant experiences, in order to ensure that we will never rebel against Him, once we have reached our perfected state. This is the only way it could be done, and hold our free-will state in tact.

Grace

Grace is not only a “legal state” we enter into, in which Yahweh clears us of all wrong doing, and promises not to count our sins against us, it is also Yeshua’s active, personal participation, in our daily lives. (Colossians 2:14; Romans 4:7-8; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 4:16)

Paul said that he could do all things through Christ, who strengthens him. (Philippians 4:13) Did Paul mean that he could apply nuclear physics to solve the problem of defining matter in the ancient world? No, Paul meant that Yeshua would give him the grace he needed to make it through the trials, tribulations and sufferings that he had to go through. In all these things, Paul said that he was happy to go through them, because, Yeshua’s grace was sufficient. (2 Cor 12:10)

Yeshua’s daily intervention in our lives, via grace, will heal our wounds, change us, grow us up, and empower us to go through the trials, tribulations, and sufferings that we must go through in order to be perfected. So why do most of us resist Yeshua’s grace?

Yeshua’s grace empowers us to live, change, and grow. Yeshua sends His grace to us each day so that we can have joy, peace, and growth. Yeshua’s grace is the only thing that can really and truly change you and cause you to leave destructive compulsions, obsessions, and addictions in the past, without going to endless meetings.

Yeshua’s daily grace is the most precious and costly gift that He can possibly give us. Sadly, most of us resist Yeshua’s grace, and do not embrace it, so we have to live the Christian life in our own power. This drains us, and leaves us defeated, weak and confused.

How do we resist the grace of God? Well, by acting on our religious training, and putting ourselves under the law for righteousness!

The Law Kills

Religion says that we have to do this, or that, in order to be right with God, and receive His blessings. Religion says that if we are struggling with a habitual sin, God is upset with us, and withholding His blessings from us, until we get right. Religious leaders try to cut us off from grace, so that we have to depend on them, and their institutions for growth, and blessings. This is dead wrong!

I remember when the light came on for me. I had just sinned a habitual sin that I was struggling with, and fighting against. Man, I was driving down the road feeling bad, I mean really, really bad. I was beating myself up. Asking myself how I could do such a thing again, and again, and again. It was horrible, and this was the 10,000th time I had suffered through these torturous feelings, and self-beatings.

I cried out to God, and asked Him why He wouldn’t help me change. Then, I heard a soft inner voice say, “I can’t help you, because you will not let me.” I asked God what He meant, and He said that I was putting myself under the law for righteousness, and cutting myself off from His grace. This hit me so hard that I thought I was going to have to pull over, and recompose myself on the side of the road.

Religion, and the law was cutting me off from Yeshua’s grace, and slowly killing me! The law provides a platform for the sin within us to stand upon, and it thereby stirs up the diseased emotions in us, which holds us in our sins. Grace connects us with the life of God, and stills our diseased emotions so that we can rise above them, and overcome our sins. Grace is the power to overcome sin!

What Paul said in Galatians 2:21 finally made sense to me. I was just like the foolish Galatians, who had let religion trick them into putting themselves under the law, even though Christ had freed them from it. The Galatians fell from grace, because they trusted religion and the law. Grace was’t helping them, and Jesus’ death for them was in vain. And I was in the same boat with them. Wow! Strong words.

Healed by Grace

When I realized what was going on, I changed my view on things. I then, fully embraced the Love of God. I realized that I needed grace everyday, in order to overcome sin. I realized that God loved me, and He wasn’t upset with me for struggling with sin. I realized that God wasn’t holding back on His blessings, until I overcame my sin. I realized that I didn’t have to do anything to be blessed.

God blessed me with everything He has to give me. God has wiped away my old sin record, and promised not to start a new one on me. Yeshua is praying for me everyday, and releasing God’s love unto me, in order to help me overcome sin, and live an abundant life. I now receive it, and refuse to let my attitude about sin block it.

I am being healed by grace, and I refuse to let anything block it again. Do I still sin? Of course I do! I, however, do not let the law condemn me, and I don’t beat myself up anymore. I know that Yeshua has made me righteous, so I now see myself as righteous, even if I sin.

It is your choice. You can let religion and the law cut you off from grace, and beat you up, and kill you. Or you can embrace grace.

Make no mistake. Grace heals: The law kills.

September 18, 2014

Offended by Love

The word “Offended” means, “to be resentful or annoyed, typically as a result of a perceived insult.”

For Yahweh so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) Who could possibly be insulted or annoyed by this statement? Well, as it turns out, a whole lot of people are offended by God’s simple declaration of love.

Who does love offend? Well, love offends the author of hate, and murder. Love offends God’s (Love’s) adversary……. the Devil.

According to some statistics I saw this morning, worldwide, 1 Christian is murdered for his or her faith every 11 minutes, which means that Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world.

True Christianity is built on Yahweh’s declaration of love for humanity through His Son, and man’s acceptance of Him. Since, the Devil has set up his kingdom on the earth, it makes sense that Christianity is the most persecuted religion on the earth.

Don’t let this discourage you. Let this build your faith. Knowing that the Devil is not a good poker player, because he overplays his hand. The Devil shows his cards, every time he is offended by love.

April 10, 2014June 18, 2014

All is Fair In Love and War

Biblical and Secular Science

A person’s theology guides his philosophy, and his philosophy guides his interpretations of scientific evidence. Thus, a person’s interpretations of scientific evidence, and the inferences he draws from these interpretations, in order to formulate his view of origins, tend to support his philosophy and theology.

Each person weaves together a filter of core beliefs. A person’s core beliefs are derivatives of his theology, philosophy, interpretations and inferences. This core belief filter is materialized in his brain. Then, his biological filter screens reality.

A person’s biological filter (his world view), screens every input from the physical realm. If an input does not line up with a person’s world view, the world view tries to screen it out, leaving the person quasi-blind to that input. If the input persists, and cannot be quantized within the framework of a person’s world view, so that he can file it away within his world view, then the input is denied.

Here is an example of what I am talking about.

There are cosmological constants that make life possible on the earth. If any one of a hundred of these cosmological constants were only slightly different, life on the earth would not be possible. It is obvious that a Super Intelligence monkeyed with the cosmological constants in order to bring forth life on the earth. The idea of a Super Intelligence will not pass through a Materialist world view, however. So, Materialists use theological/philosophical/linguistic/mathematical quanta to formulate interpretations and inferences that allow them to file the idea of a Super Intelligence away within their world view. And this gave birth to the multiverse.

If there is an infinite number of universes, each with its own set of cosmological constants, then one of the universes would have the cosmological constants that we have, and it would bring forth life. We just happen to be in that universe.

The multiverse takes the “pointing action” away from the cosmological constants to ensure that they no longer point to a Super Intelligence. Is there any observable evidence of the existence of the multiverse? No, there is not. But since the Materialist believes that there is no Creator, the multiverse has to exist. The Materialist, who does not accept the idea of a Super Intelligence or a multiverse, embraces “promissory materialism.” Promissory Materialism is the idea that right now we do not know, but as science progresses, one day we will know.

The Atheist has said in his heart that there is no Creator. Hence, the Atheist spends his days and nights formulating ideas that blind him (and others) to the evidence of the Creator. Why? Well, because the Atheist’s world view demands it.

When a Scientist with a Christian world view enters into a discussion with a Scientist with an Atheistic world view, often the Atheist will mount a campaign to discredit the Christian by openly implying that he is ignorant and superstitious. Sometimes these “discussions” end in vitriolic attacks and name-calling. Why?

The Christian world view is the polar opposite of the Atheistic world view. And since, by design, the creation testifies of, and points to its Creator, an Atheist is on the defensive from the get go. An Atheist has to attempt to defend a position that is indefensible. An Atheist has to attempt to use logic and creativity to overcome the human conscience, intuition and logic. This is a tall order with the average Joe, but it is an even taller order with a fellow Scientist, who has a polar world view.

Everyone filters reality through a world view. And their world view resists change. A discussion, debate or argument cannot deconstruct a world view. A discussion, debate or argument can open an avenue for a violent encounter with an undeniable truth, however. When a person has this violent encounter with an undeniable truth, he experiences that truth to the core of his being. This core experiencing of truth is called a paradigm shift. A paradigm shift can deconstruct a world view.

It takes more than the force of logic to create a paradigm shift. When we discuss, debate or argue with someone with a world view that is radically different from ours, and we can’t use the force of logic to bring about a paradigm shift that will deconstruct that person’s world view, we get frustrated. If the peace of God and His blessed assurance is not ruling our heart and mind, we will then employ emotional and social forces in order to validate our world view, and ridicule our opponent’s.

After all, all is fair in love and war.

Make no mistake, the Atheist world view is at war with the Christian world view.

And the stakes are high.

Yahweh uses the Christian world view to add souls to His Heavenly Kingdom, and Satan uses the Atheist world view to keep souls trapped in his worldly kingdom.

Biblical and Secular Recovery

The situation is much the same in the recovery field. One group of people in the recovery field believes in the sufficiency of Scripture, that is, they believe that the Scriptures supply everything that pertains to life and godliness (2Peter 1:3).

In other words, Scripture alone tells us how to live the abundant life, and reflect our Creator’s image. No angel of light has to appear to me or anyone else (namely Bill Wilson) to tell us how to live addiction free and reflect our Creator’s image. Our trust is not in Bill Wilson’s Big Book, our trust is in Yahweh’s written Word. We reject the 12 Steps and hold fast to the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit.

Another group of people in the recovery field believe in the sufficiency of the 12 Steps. These people believe that the Creator gave Bill Wilson the 12 Steps so that he could rescue alcoholics and addicts from their pits. These people believe that they can know the Creator without going to Church or having faith in doctrines.

For these people, the Church is a club for hypocrites, and the doctrines of Scripture are too intolerant, divisive and narrow. An angel of light (a bright light) appeared to Bill Wilson and announced a more tolerant, inclusive and wide path that leads to the Creator, and the abundant life. In other words, the gospel of Christ and His finished work was too intolerant, divisive and narrow, so Yahweh sent an angel of light to proclaim another gospel that was more tolerant, inclusive and wide.

Another group of people in the recovery field believe that, as a whole, the 12 Steps is a condensed version of the biblical doctrines. Most of these people identify themselves as Christians. Some say people can be born-again by working the 3rd step. Some say people must accept Christ by name in order to be born-again.

These people believe that the 12 Steps are biblical doctrines that have been boiled down to their most basic elements. These people say that all the intolerant, divisive and narrow religious nomenclature has been boiled away, and the only thing that remains in the 12 Steps are the spiritual principles behind the biblical doctrines. These people believe that if they work the 12 Steps, and live by the spiritual principles behind them, they will line up with the Scriptures and recover, as they walk hand-in-hand with their Creator, in order to live the abundant life.

Another group in the recovery field believes that there is no Creator. These people believe that we evolved from the Big Bang. These people believe that if it were not for Jim Burwell, they would not be able to accept the 12 Steps. Jim was an Atheist who persuaded Bill Wilson to change the term “God” in step 2, to “a power greater than ourselves.” Jim persuaded Bill to change “God” in step 3 and 11, to “God as we understood him”. He also persuaded Bill to make other changes that would make it possible for Atheists to work the 12 Steps without compromising their convictions. These people trust in their own logic, and in science and psychology.

For these people, “a power greater than ourselves,” can mean almost anything. For many of these people, the power that is greater than them, is the group. And “a God of our own understanding” can also mean almost anything. Most of these people choose to understand God to be Mother Nature, the forces of evolution or the Cosmos. These people believe that there are psychological and natural laws that operate in the cosmos. If we live in harmony with these laws, then we will recover. The 12 Steps simply give us insight into how to live in harmony with these laws.

So here are some of the theological positions of the people in the recovery field.

(1.) We were Created, and our Creator revealed Himself in the Scriptures. The Scriptures tell us how to live the abundant life and reflect the image of our Creator. When we hear the gospel of Yeshua and His Kingdom, and bow our knee to His Lordship, then He saves us and delivers us from the bondage of addiction. As we study the Scriptures and do what they say, we begin to live the abundant life. The 12 Step groups are New Age cults that ensnare people in Satan’s proxy bondage.

(2.) We were created, and our Creator revealed Himself to Bill Wilson. Our Creator gave Bill the 12 Steps in order to deliver people from the bondage of addiction.

(3.) We were created, and our Creator revealed Himself in the Scriptures. Later, our Creator gave Bill Wilson the spiritual principles behind the biblical doctrines without including the religious language so the people who were in bondage could hear him and get free. Even though Yeshua and His finished work on the execution stake (the cross) is not mentioned in the 12 Steps, when a person works the steps, Yeshua saves him and delivers him from addiction so he can live the abundant life. When a person works the steps, he comes into alignment with the Scriptures.

(4.) We were not created, we evolved from the Big Bang. There are natural and psychological laws that operate in the cosmos. If we live in harmony with these laws, then we will recover and live the abundant life. The 12 Steps tell us how to live in harmony with the laws of nature and psychology so we can recover.

In the recovery field, the theological position that a person adopts, guides his philosophy, and his philosophy guides his interpretations of the observable changes, which take place in his life while in recovery (the empirical evidence).

When a person adopts theological position number 1, and puts his trust in the the Lord Yeshua Messiah, the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit, He attributes the changes in his life to the Lord Yeshua Messiah, the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit.

When a person adopts theological position number 2, and puts his trust in the Big Book, the 12 Steps, and the group, he attributes the changes in his life to “God”, the Big Book, the 12 Steps, and the group.

When a person adopts theological position number 3, and puts his trust in the Lord Yeshua Messiah, the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit, the 12 Steps, and the spiritual principles behind the 12 Steps, he attributes the changes in his life to the Lord Yeshua Messiah, the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit, the 12 Steps, the spiritual principles behind the 12 Steps, “God”, and the group.

When a person adopts theological position number 4, and puts his faith in the natural and psychological laws, he attributes the changes in his life to the natural and psychological laws.

The changes in a person’s life are real, which means the agents that caused the changes are real. Which agents bring about the changes in a person’s life? Well, a person’s world view filters out some causal agents, and allows others. So, on the epistemological level, as far as the individual is concerned, the only agents that could have brought the changes about are the ones his world view allows.

The changes in a person’s life are real, and the agents that the person believes brought about these changes are just as real to that person. No one can tell this person that the changes in his life are not real, and no one can tell him that the agents that he believes brought about these changes are not real either.

Therefore, it does no good to argue about which causal agent is responsible for changing someone’s life, all a person knows is that his life has been changed, and the agents that he put his trust in, came through for him. Arguing and debating is pointless, it takes a paradigm shift to deconstruct a world view. And a paradigm shift can only be produced by a violent encounter with an undeniable Truth.

In reality, as I screen it, on an ontological level, there are only two agents of change: Yeshua and Satan. If we put our trust in Yeshua alone, He will place us in His Kingdom, and change us. If we put our trust in Satan’s natural, materialistic, and psychological system, we will remain in his kingdom, and he will change us.

If we mix Yahweh’s system and Satan’s system, we will never really be sure which kingdom we are in, and which Agent has produced the change in our lives.

If your world view is the polar opposite of mine, I cannot bring about the paradigm shift that is required to deconstruct your world view and free you from Satan’s kingdom. Yeshua’s Spirit has to do that. John said Yeshua lights every man, who comes into the world (John 1:9). So, one day, Yeshua’s Spirit will bring you into a violent encounter with the undeniable Truth, which will shake you to the core. That day, you will have a choice to receive the Truth or to reject it. All I can do is to try to prepare you for that encounter, and hope that you make the right choice.

If you want to ridicule my world view, and attack me, that’s fine.

I know that we are not at war, our world views are.

And since love is the most powerful force in the cosmos, I will love you.

But remember, all is fair in love and war.