Spiritual Ponderings

Grace has been hijacked, its definition has been sabotaged to mean about the same as an indulgence. Grace means graciousness, not license to indulge in the dysfunction of sin and remain in disharmony to the principles of reality. Disharmony and distrust is sin, and we were redeemed in order that we might be cleansed of sin, not licensed to continue in it, hurting others, ourselves and God's heart. The mindset that grace is in any way an excuse to keep sinning because God was paid off by the sacrifice of His Son in our place is directly linked with the blasphemy that pits Jesus against the Father and involves appeasement or commerce in some way. Imagining that God demands payment before justice can be satisfied comes directly out of paganism which in turn originated with Satan and his notions of commerce, debts and credits. So long as our thinking about God's disposition towards sinners involves notions of debt and credit we are susceptible to perversions of the meani...

But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you; delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, to open their eyes , that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God , that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' (Acts 26:16-18) Recently I have become more keenly aware of a very important word in the Bible – receive . I am coming to see that this word is key in understanding a great deal that is often confusing in relation to salvation. There is always a tension in our thinking about how much I am supposed to do and how much God does and the arguments over this have been endless for centuries. Some insist on varying lists of what we must do in order to be saved while others like John Calv...

Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. Let anyone with ears listen! But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ' We played the flute for you, and you did not dance ; we wailed , and you did not mourn .' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his de...

For about the past week I have been challenged to wrestle with the issue of authority. For most of my life I have had real conflicts with authority which have embedded powerful triggers deep in my psyche that have caused problems at times. Abuse of authority early on and dark pictures of God and His attitude towards me led me to assume many things that have both kept me afraid and also created deep seeds of rebellion that have shaped much of my life over the ensuing years. For about a week I have been recording insights that keep coming to me regarding this issue of authority. I am coming to see more clearly distinct differences between the counterfeit ideas and practice of authority compared to what I believe is God's version and exercise of true authority. Some of these insights have come as a surprise to me, but they are also bringing relief and are having the effect of disarming some of the feelings of rebellion and fear that have long laid latent buried in ...