Congratulations! You're not perfect!

It's ridiculous to want to be perfect anyway. But then, everybody's ridiculous sometimes, except perfect people.

You know what perfect is? Perfect is not eating or drinking or talking or moving a muscle or making even the teensiest mistake.
Perfect is never doing anything wrong - which means never doing anything at all. Perfect is boring!

So you're not perfect! Wonderful! Have fun! Eat things that give you bad breath! Trip over your own shoelaces! Laugh! Let somebody else laugh at you! Perfect people never do any of those things. All they do is sit around and sip weak tea and think about how perfect they are. But they're really not one-hundred-percent perfect anyway. You should see them when they get the hiccups!

Phooey! Who needs 'em?

You can drink pickle juice and imitate gorillas and do silly dances and sing stupid songs and wear funny hats and be as imperfect as you please and still be a good person.

Good people are hard to find nowadays. And they're a lot more fun than perfect people any day of the week.

~Stephen Manes, Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days!

Heretics Don't Fast by Jacob Israel

Jacob's Blog: Jacobisrael71.wordpress.com

Jacob's Website: jacobIsrael.org

The Idol by Jacob Israel

Blog: http://jacobisrael71.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jacob.israel1?sk=wall

THIS VIDEO WILL SHOCK YOU! I don't think many Christians are ready for what I do in this video, but it had to be done, and at the end of the video you will see why. Buckle up and feel free to share if you dare.

....

The Yoke of Christ is EASY.... It's Religion that's Hard!

"Taking the yoke of Jesus is not about signing a doctrinal statement or making an intellectual commitment to a set of propositions. It isn’t about being right or getting our facts straight. It is about loving God and loving other people. The yoke is hard because the teachings of Jesus are radical: enemy love, unconditional forgiveness, extreme generosity. The yoke is easy because it is accessible to all..."

"It seems that a whole lot of people, both Christians and non-Christians, are under the impression that you can’t be a Christian and vote for a Democrat, you can’t be a Christian and believe in evolution, you can’t be a Christian and be gay, you can’t be a Christian and have questions about the Bible, you can’t be a Christian and be tolerant of other religions, you can’t be a Christian and be a feminist, you can’t be a Christian and drink or smoke, you can’t be a Christian and read The New York Times, you can’t be a Christian and support gay rights, you can’t be a Christian and get depressed, you can’t be a Christian and doubt."

~ Rachel Held Evans

Traditional Christianity Doesn't Make Any Sense

A few years ago when I stopped listening to popular preachers and started asking God why, why, why about Hell, Free Will, The Last days, sin and a bunch of other topics, I came across this video by an atheist... He makes alot of valid points and I'll even say that God used this video to get me to ask Him even deeper questions regarding what is taught within Christianity.

Watch it and ask God the questions that come to mind...

The Gospel of Fear versus The Gospel of Love by Tentmaker Ministries

The traditional Church Gospel is a lie. 
Hear the Victorious Gospel of Jesus Christ, the true Gospel / Good News of Jesus Christ!




Watch more videos and articles by Tentmaker Ministries:
http://www.youtube.com/user/tentmaker777
http://tentmaker.org/

Biblically Speaking, What Is Religion?

This is rather interesting, please do your own studying as well, you may find even more "gold" then me. :-)

I did a detailed study on the word "religion" via several translations and also by digging into the Greek (original language) via an Interlinear Bible. In Acts 17:16-31 Paul is speaking to religious Gentiles in Athens, telling them they needed to "repent" (have a change of mind) from their current beliefs to that of Christ. These were "religious people" Paul is telling to repent and it's my opinion that Jesus Himself told religious people as well, to have a change of mind... not so much for non-religious unbelievers as we think of them nowadays!

That being said... let's take a look at a few things...

Acts 17:22 (New International Version)
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very RELIGIOUS.

Acts 17:22 (Amplified Bible)
So Paul, standing in the center of the Areopagus [Mars Hill meeting place], said: Men of Athens, I perceive in every way [on every hand and with every turn I make] that you are most RELIGIOUS or very reverent to demons.

Acts 17:22 (New American Standard Bible)
So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very RELIGIOUS in all respects.

Acts 17:22 (King James Version)
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too SUPERSTITIOUS.

Acts 17:22 (Young's Literal Translation)
And Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, `Men, Athenians, in all things I perceive you as over-RELIGIOUS;

The Word in CAPS is Greek word: deisidaimōn

Definition:
in a good sense - reverencing god or the gods, pious, religious
in a bad sense - superstitious

This Greek word is taken from two separate Greek words: deilos & daimōn

daimōn definition: a god, a goddess - an inferior deity, whether good or bad - in the NT, an evil spirit
deilos definition: timid, fearful

In essence it appears that Paul here and Jesus in His preaching was teaching "religious people" to change their mind from one of fear based religion to the Gospel (Greek = GOOD NEWS) of the "kingdom of God" (Remember the Kingdom of God is within us, not a place in the sky!)... Have a change of mind from fear based false gods to experiencing God's loving, peace, joy, etc.. within you! (Romans 14:17)

If my study here is accurate, then "Christianity" itself needs a change of mind (REPENT) FROM FEAR BASED RELIGION (false perception of god) into a much more peaceful, loving, merciful, etc... belief system. 

As with all my blog... Don't believe me... seek the Lord and His wisdom... for Jesus is our true teacher, not any human!

Peace :-)

The Abundant Life Is Not About Money!

The abundant life Jesus came to give has NOTHING to do with obtaining money or material things... preachers that teach this are blind and have no clue what they are talking about or are intentionally robbing people blind!

Rather the abundant life that Jesus speaks of has to do with the freeing of our minds out of man made religious traditions that lock us up in fear, condemnation, self-righteousness, hate, etc... True spiritual abundance is received by God's Spirit so that we may walk in the light of love, mercy, compassion, peace, etc... too all people, not just those who believe as you do or are kind too us... but to ALL people! 

Blessed / happy are those who learn to love ALL people unconditionally in spite of their / our shortcomings... narrow is this road... so very few find it. 

A closer look at Colossians 2:13-15

Colossians 2:13-15 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

I always looked at this verse as being said to Gentiles (non-Jews), but nowadays I don't think it was written to Gentiles, but rather the Jews living in Colosse... as the written code (The Old Covenant Law) never stood against non-Jews in the first place. 

On another note, I love how the first part of this passage starts out... "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ."

"Christianity" says that we are made right with God when we accept Jesus and our Lord and personal Savior... but this verse says when you were (spiritually) dead and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature (not changed yet), you were made alive with Christ!

So which is it... when we say a "sinner's prayer" as Christianity teaches or was mankind made alive with Christ while we were still screwed up? 

In other words... is it our sinner's prayer that makes us right with God (we take the glory) or Did God have everything already taken care of well before any of us were even born (Jesus / Father gets the glory)? 

Like I said above, I think this verse was said to the Jews (living in Colosse) as they were the ones that the Law stood against, not the Gentiles... but even if we apply this too ourselves, I think it shows us that all are right with God, regardless of what we do or haven't done... both believers and those not enabled to believe as of yet. 

Just something to ponder... Peace :-)

Sinner's Prayer???

In virtually every church, at one time or another, the pastor will give an "alter call" where unbelievers are invited to come forward and say a "sinner's prayer" so they can have their sins forgiven and go to heaven when they die. 

First and foremost, this practice is not found anywhere in the Bible... and secondly, God forgave all sin back at the cross. There is no sin that remains to be forgiven of!

Consider...

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, NOT counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

If God hasn't been counting sin against anyone for the past 2,000 years, why does the church system often use fear and condemn people for their supposed sins?

As this verse and others clearly say, God reconciled the world to Himself through Christ 2,000 years ago and believers should simply proclaim this Good News to unbelievers - the ministry of reconciliation. 

It is by God grace and His Spirit that we are enabled to believe and even more so, to love God... fear and condemnation may cause people to "accept Jesus" as a "fire insurance policy", but rarely, if ever does fear and condemnation ever lead a person to love God. 

How many times have you heard, You must attend church!? by Allen D. Brooks

Written by Allen D. Brooks


This morning I want to address a particular passage of scripture that is thrown around quite a bit by legalizing Christians as some sort of standard of righteousness or guilt trip to other Christians who may not attend an institutialized church building.

Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching”.

There are two other scriptures that we must associate with this one in order to get the full meaning:

1) “now we  beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering unto him..: 2 Thessalonians 2:1”

2)      John 4:20-24 “Our Fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus said unto her, Woman believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain or yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.”

I want to exegete all three of these passages in order to give you understanding in its historical context and also to that God does not have to be worshipped  in a church building. I am very tired of Christians quoting this particular scripture as “proof” that one must go to a church building to worship God.

First off, you are calling Jesus a liar because Jesus plainly says that one must worship God in Spirit and in truth. Nowhere does the Bible state that a person must go to a church building to worship God. When Jesus made reference to Jerusalem, he was making reference to the temple which was in Jerusalem, the building in Jerusalem.

Now you may say, brother Allen it says in Hebrews not forsaking the assembling  of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.

First, the writer of Hebrews whether Paul or Barnabas was talking to that generation of Christians between AD30 and AD70. These Christians were under heavy persecution and tribulation. They were expecting the change of covenants because this is what Hebrews is about. It is contrasting the old covenant with the new covenant and the transition of the two. 

Secondly, it contrasts the earthly priesthood of the Jews with the Priesthood of Christ.  It is necessary to understand the Greek word

“assembling”.  It is the same Greek word found in  Thessalonians 2:1”  Now we beseech you, brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him.” Assembling is the same word as gathering and the Greek word for both of them is espisunagoge=ep-ee-soon-ag-o-gay. This means gathering or assembling. In Thessalonians and  Hebrews there is reference to the coming of the Lord and as they see the day approaching. The day approaching was the parousia of the Lord of the Judgment coming or the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

 Now some futurists take the word gathering in 2 Thessalonians to mean the rapture since it is by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but the word gathering here means assembling just as it means assembling in Hebrews 10:25

These verses have no doubt been used many times to stress the need for Christians of today gathering for worship especially in view of their belief in an expected soon-coming of Christ. These verses do not have anything to do with a future (to us) second coming of Christ, but it did have to do with the approaching day of judgment upon Israel. The entire book of Hebrews majors on this transition period in the history of Israel. 


Christians were warned to be faithful and no go back to the old ways, for there would be nothing but indignation and judgment for unbelievers in that day. And that day was soon coming for Hebrews 10: 37 states: “For yet a little while and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry”.  God’s judgment did come upon Israel in AD 70 and the writer of Hebrews urged the Christians to gather together the more so as they saw that day approaching. The day approaching is also in reference to “the day of the Lord: that I have covered in previous broadcast.

Folks, Jesus did not come and destroy one temple so that Baptist, Methodist, and the Christian denominations could go out and build other temples on every corner in our town and then tell all the Christians that they had to go there to worship.

Again, it is the literal preconceived notions of folks today who take these scriptures out of context to fit their own understanding and then try to force that on others.

Written by Allen D. Brooks

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1386191329

Set Free From This World

For this post I'm going to use the Living Bible, but feel free to look these things up in the Bible / Lexicon of your choice. :-)

Let's take a deeper look at Colossians 2:20-23...

Colossians 2:20-23 

20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”?

22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

~~~~~~~~~~

Paul is telling his listeners that they have been set free from the "spiritual powers of this world"... Now most Christians believe the "world" here is talking about the secular non-Christian world system, but I beg to differ. Consider, does the secular world tell us "Don't handle, don't taste, don't touch"? For the most part, the obvious answer is no! But who does tell us that we can't do this, eat that, etc... The church system does!

In the context of this passage, Paul is telling his listeners that they were set free from the "world" and the "spiritual powers" who told them not to do this or that... so who are these "spiritual powers"? I would have to say it's a reference to the religious leaders who back then and even so nowadays, tell us not to do this or that, don't eat this or that, etc...

Let's look at verses 22-23

Paul goes on to say how people back then and we see this in the church system today as well, that by denying ourselves this or that seems wise, but does nothing to control our sinful desires. For me personally I can certainly attest to that!

Why is that? IMO, it's because by actively trying to "die to self", whether it be by 'fasting", reading the Bible more, not looking at that sexy lady or guy in the office, not listening to rock music or whatever we try to do of our own efforts, is still very much focusing on self.... ie... we have to do this or that in order to draw closer to God, which imo takes away from the glory of what Jesus has already done on behalf of ALL of us!

Picture yourself as a young child who wants to sit on your daddy's / mommy's lap... do you first clean up your room or that mess you made in the kitchen in hopes that your parent will allow you to sit on their lap and be with them? Of course not! You just jump right up on their lap... you are always welcome, regardless of what disaster you might have gotten into only minutes before!

Likewise, you and I can always jump in Daddy's spiritual lap and enjoy His presence whenever we want to! Don't let anyone else ever tell you otherwise!

Sometimes when I'm in "quiet mode", I close my eyes and picture myself as that young child and I jump right into His lap.... unlike human parents who get busy sometimes, our spiritual Father is never too busy for us kids!