I am a beloved son!

I was born on July 6, 1961 to the surprised, but happy parents.  James and LeMoyne Bean.

Knowing these facts, imagine me praying this prayer.

God I want to be the son of James and LeMoyne Bean.

or on another day, maybe after I had let them down.

Oh God forgive me, I don't feel like the son of James and LeMoyne Bean anymore,
I think they are disappointed in me, make me the son of James and LeMoyne Bean again.

or when I move away from home

God I haven't seen my parents face and I haven't heard their voice lately, I don't
feel like I am the son of James and LeMoyne Bean anymore, make me more like their son again.

The Bible has a strong emphasis on being thankful.  There is a good reason for that.
The position and identity that we have when we become a new creation is "beloved child of God".

THAT NEVER CHANGES,  IT DOES NOT MATTER IF I FAIL.  IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW I FEEL.  IT IS A PURE AND SIMPLE FACT.  A GIFT FROM GOD AND THE CALL ON MY LIFE IS VERY SIMPLE.  LIVE THANKFUL FOR THE GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SHOWN.

Simplify

I realize it is a big book, with a lot of words and those words have been divided and studied and murdered by putting numbers next to them and creating chapters and testaments where there were none.  The Bible stands as an innocent victim of man's desire to create a god in his own image. 


What is the proper way to view the Bible?


See it as an insight into the heart of a God who defines Himself as ever present compassion.  Out of this compassion flow mercy, forgiveness and healing.


As you set your gaze on this truly beautiful One, you will become like Him.  Then you become His message to the world, you become love, mercy, forgiveness, and healing.  "Sinners" are drawn to you, the religious hate you, the political elite fear you.


Love is constantly flowing into you and overflowing out of you.  You received this by the blood of the Lamb, your words speak about this with overflowing gratitude, and your life backs up the words because you are not afraid to lay down all that is "self" to the point of death.


Rev. 12:11 "They conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
for they did not love their lives
in the face of death."

Red light, Green light

A children's game where one person stands at the end of the field, the goal, and shouts out either, "red light" or "green light".  The line-up of kids on the other end of the field run at the command, "green light" and stop at the command, "red light" if the person doing the calling catches you still moving after the "red light" is spoken you have to go back to the beginning. 
Had a dream/thought that "religion" sees a God who shouts, "red light" and catches you doing wrong and sends you back to the beginning.  Relationship knows a God who has no condemnation for those He chooses to call sons and daughters.  This God calls out "green light" and never sees the need to change to "red light".  There is no fear in love, punishment is not coming our way.  We do not have to sin, scripture makes that clear over and over, but "if" we do, our identity has not changed, we do not have to go back to the beginning, repentance, resets our abiding in God.  Faith connects us to our true identity, our faith is in what God says about us.  We are a new creation, in Christ.  "Green light" let's go!

WHAT IF?

What if the crying need that people have is to know that they are loved? What if upon close examination the Christian sees that this, God kind of love, is very costly? What if the Christian decides to bypass letting the love and life of Yeshua flow through them, and in its place builds a system that pretends to reconcile God to man, without the messiness of "laying down your life"? What if that false system begins to become the "norm" and people associate the God of the Bible with this hulking, clanging, loveless, Bible quoting, powerless pile of crap? Who will fall down on their face and be a people bought with a price, a living sacrifice of intercessory love for those who "know not what they do"? Who will go lower to answer the call of the ministry of reconciliation?