Perspectives of Jesus Christ by Jon Berg

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I know alot of people who claim to try to walk in Jesus' footsteps. Try to live and see as he saw the world.Culturally speaking, The Jews come the closest, and not even just the religious Jews. I was thinking today about how following someone like Jesus could lead to hating someone for some reason. It really depends on WHO you thought Jesus was, and how his behavior reflected his own decisions on God. If you think Jesus hates gays, then you hate gays. Not always, I know. Some people get to Leviticus, where they believe that God is saying gays are worthy of death, and they close the book. Never look back to that verse. Never think about it again. 


Here's my point... It MAKES a difference if you KNOW the culture or not. It makes a difference whether you believe Jesus got mad at some moneychangers cause they were workin in the church, or whether you believe he was simply having a family argument with his Jewish brothers about the way they were running a cultural service to God. 


A conversation that as Gentiles, we are merely eavesdropping into. We do not usually have the cultural understanding to realize this could be an internal family argument. You've probly had some of them i'm sure, and wouldnt want your entire lifes views to be focused on what you may have said to your family in a heated discussion...Just sayin...  


Some things DON'T translate well. You would have to have lived them. Don't forget that Jesus forgave and even willingly sacrificed himself to those who killed him.That is the message I take from Jesus. Loving God, and Loving your enemies, as much as you love your friends.That was the example he gave to me. I hope my footsteps follow accordingly.

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Why I don't go to a church, or care for organized religion, but love God (yes they are seperate things) by David Richardson

Over the years many Christians have been taught that the most important thing for them to do is to go around and get people to come to their particular churches, and then get them to confess Jesus as Lord. It doesn’t matter if you are Catholic, Pentecostal, Baptist, Lutheran, Jehovah Witness, Mormon, Non-denominational, shoot the list goes on and on, there are so many division in this faith we call Christianity, but the point is, every single denomination teaches the same thing, “get those people to our faith, and get them to confess Jesus.” Now of course, each have different ways of doing this, different means of getting people into “heaven” as they say. For the Catholics its infant baptism then confirmation, for the Church of Christ, baptism as an adult is the key, for the Pentecostal’s it’s all about confessing and then getting “spirit filled”, as if somehow the spirit of God is outside of us just waiting for us to say, “Come on in.” For many Evangelicals it’s the same, it’s the sinner’s prayer. You simply ask Jesus to come into your heart. Which of course places the spirit of God’s son somewhere far away, and renders God’s spirit powerless unless you first ask for it and want it. Let me let you all in on a little secret, God doesn’t need an invitation, and the Son of God is closer to all of you then you have ever thought.

So, for many the key is getting people to come to their places of “worship” and getting them to go up for an altar call, or to “accept Christ in their heart”. Then some churches, ironically will put these people through a training program and test them to see if they are “ready” to truly be baptized in their churches tap water. But the question I have, and you should have, is this what God meant when we read about preaching the Gospel. Is the good news to simply accept a man from two thousand years ago into your heart, get dunked, go to Church, tithe, and scour the earth to find others to join that church?

Matthew 23:3

So you must obey them, and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, because they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders,  but they themselves are not willing to lift a single finger to move them.  5: Everything they do is for men to see.  They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called "Doctor" or "Reverend".  8: Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. And do not call anyone on earth "father", for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.  Nor are you to be called teacher, for you have one teacher, The Christ!.  11: The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled.  13: ...You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 

Back in the day, it wasn’t much different. It was all about getting people to join the club. The problem Jesus saw with this is, is that these religious leaders were actually doing more harm than good.

Notice what the problem is, and was? Our understanding, like the Gentiles of past, was DARKENED. In other words we no longer understood the Light of the Truth, and because our understanding was Darkened, because we became ignorant we became ALIENATED from the LIFE OF GOD through our ignorance. And we began to believe God was somehow far from us, angry at us, we believed ourselves to be unworthy and because of this insecurity and fear we began to act ignorantly.

And unfortunately, religion perpetuates this darkness.  Most churches only reinforce the belief that you need to work for God’s approval, when the OPPOSITE is true. How many sermons have you heard on tithing, church attendance, volunteering, joining a group, or being disobedient in some way.?  Ways you never even thought of.  Then were told that God was gonna be angry, disappointed, or that you are, or will be punished unless you listen and do what the Pastor says. Jesus said "your rules are but laws made by men" He told them that they disobey the law of God to follow rules made by men. They dont help their parents, cause they are saving that money for their tithe, Jesus said.  The apostles said "we will obey God rather than men"  Paul said he got his knowledge of God by revelation from Jesus, not from men, and that he did not consult any man once he started preaching the Gospel. WHICH IS GOOD NEWS!! ( If you want chapter and verse for any of this, let me know. I can assure you that most of what goes on in todays church wont be found in the New Testament)

We have to stop thinking of ourselves as less than, and start seeing ourselves through the eyes of grace. We need to stop condemning ourselves and listening to people who say “you aren’t worthy, you’re worthy of hellfire you darn sinner.” We need to stop listening to people who say, “Do this, join us, and you’ll be saved.” Because the truth is not found there and it never will be found there.

You can say Jesus is your Savior until you’re blue in the face. You will never KNOW salvation, if you don’t know who you are in CHRIST, and the only way to do that is to DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER. And notice how Jesus DOESN’T say, whoever does the WILL OF THE FATHER is my servant or slave. Jesus calls us friends, brothers. He calls us to live a life of love. Love God, love your neighbor as yourself. It's just that simple. There is your salvation. The realization of these simple little truth's

Colossians 1:27

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

And there you have it my friends, Christ in you, the hope of Glory.  Paul says we are heirs, and we shine like stars in the universe. That God DOES NOT dwell in buildings built by human hands. Jesus said 'you search the scriptures diligently for me", and yet, HE WAS STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, and they didn't recognize him, or believe him. God is in you, The word of God is Jesus Christ!   The answer does not need to be found from a pastor, or memorizing the bible. God wants a relationship with you, wherever and whenever you are ready. He is IN you, talk to him. He doesn't want ten percent of anything, or an hour on Sunday, he wants you, good and bad, whenever, wherever. Just like the Pharisees of old, the churches of today still teach the same thing.  The Pastor or leader knows God better than you do. He is smarter than you, he is holier than you, he knows scripture better than you, so you better do what he says! Women are second class citizens, only good for filling up the pews, volunteering to help, and donating money. Yes, and dont forget to give 10 percent (pre-tax) to store up treasures for yourself in heaven, or earn those extra crowns. 

Fear, everything is based on fear. My friend, Darin Hufford asked the question~"what if God came out and said hell was closed? No more hell. Everyone goes to heaven. How many would still get up on Sunday morning and  go to church?"  I say not many. Some will say "I would"  Just in case. (just in case God is watching) because we have become so afraid of God that we will do anything we are told "just in case".  To me, this is one of the greatest abuses perpetrated on God's children. Keeping them as robot's, in obedient fear of displeasing God, the whole time saying God is love. Why then should we be afraid?    Most Institutional churches would collapse overnight, if God came out of the clouds and took over TV for 2 minutes and said there is no hell and that everyone goes to heaven. Think about this....How many of you would be mad if it was true?  That everyone went to heaven....after all you did?????Where do you think you got that from? 

Look, I love God. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the bright morning star. I believe he died on the cross for the sins of the world. I believe he rose from the dead, and is God. He has prepared a place for us, and he said if it was not so, he would not have told us. I worship God all day long, everyday. I don't need a pastor, a building, or a book, to do any of this. All I had to do was open my heart and listen. I will not be scared into loving a God that loves me unconditionally any more!!!

Peace, God's peace, to you all. 

David Richardson

WHO TOLD YOU??? by Toby Sapp

http://www.facebook.com/TobySapp

There's a whole lotta controversy right now about God and His intentions for mankind. Some say this and some say that concerning issues like eternal damnation, homosexuality, and so on. For me I'm reminded of conversations between God and man that have been understood to take place such as in the Garden of Eden when God asked, "who told you...?", or when Jesus asked Peter, "who do 'men' say I am?", and then He asked "who do 'YOU' say I am?".

Well, there's a host of people loudly proclaiming God to be mostly an angry or vindictive or exacting God, and they are satisfied with remaining in agreement with centuries of religious tradition. Such tradition pretty much makes an airtight case that you and I ain't gonna make the cut unless we do the right things very carefully. Such tradition compels us to assume the identity of a beggar or orphan or outcast who lives in fear and torment of God. THEY say this and that. And they are quick to 'proof-text' their dogma with scripture and verse.

But as for me, I'm moving beyond the distorted echoes of what man has presumed about God's character and intentions and I'm willing to wage everything I am on Who I know Him to BE: LOVE! This Love did NOT leave us naked. This Love did not leave us as orphans or outcasts. This Love did not leave us beggars. It is nothing but FEAR that promotes such thinking and 'there is no fear in love'.

There are those who like to point to this verse and that verse to impose their scornful and accusing doctrines on others. But we must remember we are invited to hear HIS VOICE and not follow another... we are to live by the words that 'proceed from the MOUTH of God'. What does that look like? Well, in my opinion, IT AIN'T COMPLICATED. It's essentially you and me discovering the freedom to follow our own hearts, and trust that HE is able to connect with us there. Love is the mark of His voice, not fear. If it doesn't sound like Love, then leave it behind.

"But..." they are quick to say. And then they pummel you with a litany of Bible verses depicting God to be eager to 'getcha'. They fail to give deserving weight to the muchness of Christ and the Work of The Cross, but they are quick to burden their listeners with millstones of dogma. Their "god" looks everything like a mutation of mythological lightning welding titans, eager to slay anything that dares to stand in his way.

"Who do you say I am?"

"Who told you?"

As for me, I say, God is LOVE. I believe He walked this earth in the form of a man named Jesus. Jesus reminded those He walked among that in seeing Him they had seen the Father. He had demonstrated that the Truth IS in Love.

We are not naked outcasts. We are very much IN Christ, adorned with all that He is - this is the GOOD NEWS!

Religion hides the simplicity of the good news for good reason, it can't stay in business if you don't buy their 'other gospel' that keeps you under a burden of fear and doubt. If religion really is good for anything, it's for wearing out any hope that we have any life outside of simply resting in the muchness of Christ IN us!

ALL POWERFUL? ALL LOVING?

We say that God is ALL-POWERFUL, and then turn around and deny it! As well, we say that God is ALL-LOVING, and turn around and deny it! The two most popular thoughts about God’s dealings with the wicked, is that He will either torture them forever, or that He will exterminate (annihilate) them. In neither of these two sets of beliefs could God be ALL-POWERFUL AND ALL-LOVING!

According to the teaching of eternal torture and annihilation, God either can not correct the wicked, or He does not want to correct the wicked. EITHER WAY, YOU HAVE A LIMITED GOD!!!

Completerestorationinchrist.org

PAGAN CHRISTIANITY AND REIMAGINING CHURCH by Frank Viola

It's been two years since Pagan Christianity was released. The book debuted hitting #11 on Amazon.com (out of all books). Today, interest in the book is still very strong as it's often rated the #1 book in Ecclesiology (Amazon) and regularly appears on Tyndale's top 10 best-seller lists. Critiques and objections continue to be written, yet most of them are a rehash of the arguments that have already been addressed and discussed on this page.


An often overlooked fact is that Pagan Christianity is not a stand alone book. It's only the first half of the argument. As such, it's very incomplete.
Reimagining Church is the necessary follow-up. Pagan Christianity deconstructs while Reimagining Church constructs. Both books must be read together, therefore, to form a complete picture. 

Take some time on this page. It contains incisive interviews with Frank and George about the content of the book. It also contains public debates with scholars as well as scores of specific questions, objections, and critiques along with responses from the authors. 

Read more at: http://www.ptmin.org/answers.htm

A testimony from YouTube user - Chrysalis990

Her YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/Chrysalis990


When I first came to know Jesus, I did not come to him because I was afraid of going to hell. I wanted to have a relatioship with God and was wondering if Jesus was real. I just asked him if he was real and if he was to please reveal himself to me. He did. Over the next week I lost the desire to smoke and I wasn't even trying to quit. I started feeling a sense of awe, love and peace I had never felt before. My eyes were opened. 


I no longer judged anyone because all I could see was Christ in them. I felt like a different person. I picked up a guitar, (I had never played before) and started writing gospel music. I had no clue what I was doing or what chords I was using. I wrote it all in the spirit. A few months later I wanted to meet people who were experiencing this wonderful experience so I went to church and heard the bad news that my unbelieving loved ones were going to be seperated from me for all eternity where they would suffer. 


This was not the God I was coming to know. I didn't believe it at first. I started reading the bible and listened to people in pulpits interpret it for me. I soon came into the bondage of the hell doctrine. I was panicked. I felt it my duty to try and save everyone from hell. Even though the doctrine was contrary to the loving spirit I came to know in Jesus, I still believed it because everyone professing to know Jesus had the same gospel. So I thought it must be true.Before long I started faling from grace. 


I thought I had to do good and be good so that Jesus wouldn't abandon me. Soon the desire to start smoking came back and I started to drink. The light that was given to me freely started to feel like it was getting smaller and smaller. I didn't know where I had gone wrong and why the joy was gone. The next few years I struggled. I grieved every day over the loss of the joy I had found in Jesus. I thought my shortcomings were preventing me hearing his voice. I didn't realize that it was because I was listening to the voice of other people and their gospel. A gospel that was full of hot air. Hellishly hot air.

For the next few 6 years I toiled. I preached the gospel of condemnation to whoever would listen. I went church hopping 5 nights a week looking for a denomination that could bring me peace. I longed for the experience that I had when I first came to know him.
In 2000, God told me he was going to take me out of Babylon. I had no clue what Babylon was back then. I now understand it very well for I have sat in Babylon's pews.

In 2003 I finally heard the real gospel. The gospel that God saves everyone. At first I was cautious as I did not want to go to hell for not believing in hell. I spent months searching the scripture and discovered that Jesus Christ really has saved everyone. I was thrilled. I started hearing his voice again and the peace I had previously started flooding back. I felt like I had hit a spiritual jackpot. And I had. I picked up my guitar after 6 years of not writing songs and wrote an album entitled Behold Babylon Falls.

I thought I'd start a you tube misnistry called Breaking WInd Minstry because I wanted to help bring the message that expells all the hot air. Also in the scripture, wind is likened to false doctrines and teachings. God has a sense of humour and I am sure he is not offended. In fact I'm sure he's the one who gave me the idea.

The good news really is good news. Its not good news for some and horrific news for others. It is 100% good news. God is love. Will you believe?

The End of the World?

Is the world going to someday come to an end? The great majority of people, both Christian and non-Christian, think it will. The end of the world is the theme of many books and movies and there are endless predictions as to when and how it will end. We are constantly told that the world will get worse until God destroys it. Is this idea that the world will someday end taught in the Bible? I'm sure that many would say that it is, but does the Bible really teach this? Let's look at some verses that seem to indicate that the world will not end.

Genesis 8:21-22 (NKJV) And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. 22 "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease."

Now, folks will say that the Lord destroyed the earth by water one time and He'll destroy it by fire the next time. Is God's promise here to just change his method of destroying everything? Is there comfort in being destroyed by fire instead of water? Or is He promising not to destroy the earth again?


Read full article at:
http://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/transcripts/eschatology/end_of_the_world.htm

A Worthless Love ~ by KnowingTodaysGod.com

Many religiously minded people apparently think unconditional love (love that is free of conditions and reciprocal obligations) is not worth having. A culture which idolizes self reliance and independence compels many in this group to say:" If I didn't earn it or pay for it, I don't want it". No matter how many times we hear the preacher speak of grace and mercy in connection with our salvation, those concepts go in one ear and out the other if we still cling to the idea of personal responsibility. 


If I am responsible for my salvation then I make it happen; I gain it by my own initiative. Without me it doesn't happen. I am the key element. God and Jesus are powerless if I choose to thwart them.
In the midst of this type thinking, unconditional love will appear unthinkable, worse than unthinkable really. It will appear repugnant. It challenges every assumption and would lead inexorably to a complete overhaul of thinking. The popular expression, "There is no free lunch", says it all. Something "free" is either not really free, or it is worthless.


The man, however, who wasn't "raised in the Church" or been a "solid Christian" for decades is not generally so bold as to think that an earned Love will be adequate for them. On several occasions I have heard preachers and speakers suggest that the best Christians are often the ones who experienced the most sin in their lives, and therefore can appreciate the magnitude of God's Love best. 


Those raised in the church may well think that they are loved because they have been God's own practically from birth, whereas the man who has sinned woefully knows from whence he has come with God's help. The heavy "sinner" labors under no illusion about the kind of Love God must give in order to meet his need. Unconditional Love is the only answer for that kind of wounded heart.


Source: http://knowingtodaysgod.com/articles/A%20Worthless%20Love.htm 

Free Hugs Campaign in Hollywood

http://www.freehugscampaign.org/

Is This The Jesus Your Church Preaches?

Hilarious video... but on the serious side, this is how many churches make Jesus sound, when in fact He was / is the exact opposite...

SERVING GOD OUT OF FEAR? ~ by Luis Javier Rico

I am not calling Jesus a liar but I am telling you that the interpretation of the Bible of hell believers is completely wrong. Jesus didn't spoke about hell at all. The word hell was inserted in the King James version Bible to replace the word gehena, hades and sheol. None of these words mean the pagan myth doctrine of hell.


Hell believers think that we need to believe in hell in order that through fear we surrounder our lifes to serve God. However, I know a lot of people who as me don't believe in the existence of hell and live everyday life away from worldly sinful satisfaction. They serve in the churches, help those in need, share the gospel, and try everyday to live like Jesus lived not because of fear, but because of the unconditional love of God. There is no way anybody learn to love unconditionally while thinking that God's love is conditional. Fear and terror was a motivation under the Moses Law and the old covenant. In Jesus, that factor is of nonexistence. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE IS OUR MOTIVATION BECAUSE GOD LOVES UNCONDITIONALLY.


It is evident and historically proven that a lot of the most horrifying crimes in the history of human kind have been committed by criminals who believe in the existance of hell and who believes in conditional salvation. Therefore, what we believe has nothing to do with our acts.


For us who don't believe in hell or conditional salvation, our focus is God. The one that is in the throne is God. NOT US, NOT ME, NOT YOU, BUT GOD. How would you serve God unselfishly if your salvation is on your mind??


1 Timothy 4:10. God saved ALL MEN. Not just believers!!

For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God,who is the Savior of ALL MEN, especially of believers. (I Timothy 4:10)
Who's God the savior of?? Only Believers?? !!! NOT !!! SAVIOR OF ALL MEN !!
The scriptures following 1 Timothy 4:10 never indicates that the only saved are the believers. So, 1 Timothy 4:10 is very clear, but if you don't see that it says that ALL MEN are saved, let me explain the idea using an example:


If Ricky Martin is in a concert at the Radio City Music Hall and he says that he will sing a song for EVERYBODY in the place to enjoy it and ESPECIALLY his fans, does it mean only his fans has the right to enjoy it or EVERYBODY in the place?


The Bible says: "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1Jn 2:2)


Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of ALL THE WORLD.
If hell is real, then John is a liar. As the scripture says in Titus 2:11:
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to ALL MEN.
Bringing salvation to who??? Bringing salvation to few or what it says?
Bringing salvation to !!! ALL MEN !!


Finish Reading at: 
http://luisjavierrico.webs.com/servinggodoutoffear.htm

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Oneness of Love

By The Love Foundation
http://www.youtube.com/user/thelovefoundation

Inspiring People to Love Unconditionally

By the Love Foundation
http://www.youtube.com/user/thelovefoundation

The Gospel Preached to the Whole World

Jesus said that the Gospel would be proclaimed to the whole world and THEN the END would come. According the the New Testament, the Gospel was already preached to the whole world. The End came to the Jews by the destruction of their world, their temple in the city of Jerusalem in the year 70AD at the hands of the Romans.





For more videos like this:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Chewie576

Coming On The Clouds... Is Figurative Language, Not Literal!

Many of my mainstream Christian friends think I'm nuts, when I tell them Jesus already came a 2nd time nearly 2,000 years ago. Understandably so when we have 100,000+ preachers and pastors teaching people that Jesus will "come on the clouds" and devastate the physical planet earth and all the other stuff that goes into that viewpoint. 

I used to be real big into "last days" prophecy stuff myself and would post dozens of comments daily all over YouTube warning "sinners" that they had better repent quickly or they would miss the "rapture" and would be stuck here when God came to take revenge on all of humanity. Seems like such a long time ago, but really was just about 3 or so years ago. LOL

Here is an except about the "coming on the clouds" phrase that all serious truth seekers should check out, pray about and study deeper...

Symbol: CLOUD (in reference to God)

Interpretation: Power in the spiritual state.

Old Testament References:

ISAIAH 19:1 "An oracle concerning Egypt: see the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt."[NIV]

God did not arrive in Egypt in 572 B.C. in or on a literal cloud of the Earths sky. He came in the actions of attacking armies arrayed against Egypt. His personal presence was completely spiritual in nature, but was full of power none the less.

EZEKIEL 1:4 "I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north - an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light." [NIV]

This is the same vision we examined in the section on four living creatures" above, and this part of the symbolic representation of God shows him as an immense CLOUD full of power and light (which is knowledge). This was not a literal cloud of the sky, but represented the spiritual nature of God in a symbol.

New Testament References:

MATTHEW 24:30 "and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

These were the "tribes of the earth," the Jews who saw the power of God manifested in the attacking Roman armies. Christ did not come in the clouds of earth, but the clouds of heaven. His coming was spiritual in nature.

REVELATION 1:7 "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him."

The kindreds (literally, the tribes) of the earth were the Jewish nation, who would wail or mourn because of the destructions brought on them by God. They would see Christ coming in or with CLOUDS, not in the literal sky, but in the spiritual state through the actions of the Roman army.

Read more about the symbolic nature of words or phrases in the Bible at http://richardwaynegarganta.com/propheticsymbols.htm

What or how you believe doesn't matter much to me personally, as that is between you and God... but if you are a serious truth seeker and not just a sheeple of popular Christianity, then these are things you will want to study and pray about. 

Peace

Dave Lewerenz

How Jesus Reacted to Sinners is Quite Different Then How Most Christians / Churches React... Why Is That?

By Christie McElhannon Kahbeah
Catch her on Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1446321636


And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 

Jesus didn't respond to them, but rather began writing on the ground, then he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those, thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, NEITHER DO I CONDEMN THEE: go, and sin no more. 

How beautiful is that! Notice, Jesus didn't even judge or condemn her......

The word tells us in John 8:15 "You judge after the flesh; I judge no man"......We have absolutely NO right to judge anyone. 

We sometimes become self righteous within ourselves and judge people by the life style they choose to live, the clothes they wear, the music they listen too, the social events they attend, etc..........

I believe that Jesus set a perfect example for us in this story. If he didn't judge or condemn her, then we should not judge anyone either...


Let us therefore walk in love one with another...

The Glory of God by Barry J DuPont

By Barry J DuPont
http://infinite-grace.com/


What is the Glory of God and how are we to see it? 

If God is not love then his glory is but his tyranny. 
If God is not genuinely interested in you (and others) then he is only interested in himself. 

The Glory of God is the fact that his magnificence is combined with the fact that he is genuinely interested in you. Such a magnificence if not combined or attached to your well being, and my well being, if not framed in love, would make him nothing more than an in charge egocentric tyrant. You would not want to serve a God like that. At some point you grow beyond such a God. You would get tired of such a God, tired of bowing and scraping to feed his ego. Simply put you would not be able to keep up the charade forever. You would eventually see through it and tire of it. Eventually you would chose to pay whatever price whatever consequence there might be attached to the "disobedience" of rather choosing to love others that He does not! Your heaven would have become a living hell. 

Of course this is all hypothetical because of the fact that it cannot or could not be true. God must be love, because it is inconceivable that you or I could outgrow him. 

That is His glory. 
The message of the Bible was to leave behind the egocentric image or idol construct coming from trying to form and fashion our view of God through our our egocentric tendencies. To begin to see through our own forming of God through our own false self image. It's the deeper meaning of the Hebrew "temple" and the Gentile "idolatry". It's addressed by Paul in Acts chapter 17. Such was at the core of the meaning of "repentance" in that chapter. 

We are not btw, imho riding ourselves of our egos. A source point of consciousness that stands in self awarness will always have a self view of itself. Such is even capable of having a self perception of that self perception. Simply put, you are aware of the fact that you are aware of the fact. You are therefore capable of questioning its accuracy and can become more at home with that fact that there are changes to it and that such changes are not you losing yourself. For there is always a "self" that can love and ultimate does and will love. That is the binding element. 

The above may not explain the totality of our developmental process, but it does imo touch on its actual structure. 
God is love and that is where we are all heading. There are no exceptions. 

Such does not necessarily imply a postmortem agenda of personal growth as if this world does not have a significance and agenda within the mind of God. Imho it is this premature conclusion that needs to be questioned and imo dismissed. God made here because he has agenda here. Biblically it is why NJ comes "down". 

As we combine these two points together we can contemplate about our time here. God is love, don't worry. If "uncomfortable" happens it is because it has to have its place in the larger scheme of things whatever that scheme is. For God is love. Some "uncomfortable" is avoidable some is not. The larger scheme that resides in the love of God remains. 
We thus have the very best world that God could give us at this time in view of and structured within God's agenda. 

How then do we relate to all of this? 
Do not internalize your own perceptions of injustice and unfairness to the detriment of your own functioning. Rather be a peace in the love of God, knowing whatever is whether at times avoidable or not, does stand in the larger scheme of God's love. 
Avoid uncomfortableness, when wisdom allows for it, but don't make a religion out of it. Don't make a religion out of anything not because you need to hate it, but because such places your own self perception of yourself somewhere other than in the very essence of love. Religion is not evil it is immature. Immaturity is not a sin. Do not internalize your own perceptions of injustice and unfairness to the detriment of your own functioning. 

Go in peace. Grow in peace. See the love. God is love. 
We are all in this together. 

By Barry DuPont

http://infinite-grace.com/

Jesus' Teaching on Hell

Most of what we believe about hell comes from Catholicism and ignorance of the Old Testament, not from the Bible. This study will cause you to re-examine current teaching on hell and urge you to further study on what happens to the wicked after death. 

"Don't you know that hell is just something the Catholic Church invented to scare people into obedience?" 

I was righteously indignant when, a number of years ago, a caller uttered these words on a call-in radio show I was conducting. Perturbed by his haphazard use of Scripture, I pointed out to him and the audience, that hell couldn't possibly be something invented by Catholic theologians because Jesus talked about it. I forcefully read some of the passages where Jesus did, and concluded that hell couldn't possibly be the invention of an apostate church. 

I now believe that hell is the invention of Roman Catholicism; and surprisingly, most, if not all, of our popular concepts of hell can be found in the writings of Roman Catholic writers like the Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), author of Dante's Inferno. The English poet John Milton (1608-1674), author of Paradise Lost, set forth the same concepts in a fashion highly acceptable to the Roman Catholic faith. Yet none of our concepts of hell can be found in the teaching of Jesus Christ! We get indignant at the mention of purgatory-we know that's not in the Bible. We may also find that our popular concepts of hell came from the same place that purgatory did-Roman Catholicism. The purpose of this study is to briefly analyze Jesus' teaching on hell (more correctly Gehenna, the Greek word for which hell is given), to see whether these popular concepts are grounded therein.

Finishing reading article at: 

http://pantelism.com/JesusTeachingonHell.htm