Glorious news!

What more glorious news could there be to the human race than to know that God is great, He is glorious, He is majestic, AND, He is love, mercy, peace, life, and joy to each and every one in His creation. All at once? No, for scripture tells us that while "ALL are dying in Christ, and ALL are being made alive (zöe - God's life) in Christ," it shall be "each man in his own order." I Corinthians 15:22-23a. What a joy to know this, and be blessed with how some have been able to put it into words so succinctly...

JACQUES ELLUL, FAMOUS FRENCH PHILOSOPHER, WRITER (1912-1994)

(Universalism, Ultimate Reconciliation, Universal Reconciliation, Apocatastasis, The Larger Hope, The Greater Faith, The Doctrine of Inclusion, Restoration of All, The Victorious Gospel of Jesus Christ)

"Am I a pessimist? Not at all. I am convinced that the history of the human race, no matter how tragic, will ultimately lead to the Kingdom of God .

I am convinced that all the works of humankind will be reintegrated in the work of God; and that each of us, no matter how sinful, will ultimately be saved. Salvation is universal because the love of God encompasses all.

If God is God, and if God is love, nothing is outside the love of God.

A place like hell is thus inconceivable. The difference between the Christian and the non-Christian is not one of salvation. Salvation is given by grace to everyone. Christians are simply those charged by God with a special mission. The meaning of being a Christian is not working at your own little salvation, but changing human history.

It is inconceivable that the God who gives Himself in His Son to save us, should have created some people ordained to evil and damnation. There can only be one predestination to salvation. In and through Jesus Christ, all people are predestined to be saved.

Our free choice is ruled out in this regard. God wants free people, except in relation to this last and definitive decision. We are not free to decide and choose to be damned." "Being saved or lost does not depend on our own free decision. An explicit confession of Jesus Christ is not the condition for salvation. Salvation is always for everyone, by grace. All people are included in the grace of God. A theology of grace implies universal salvation."

JACQUES ELLUL (1912-1994)

Professor at the University of Bordeaux

Until God calls, we do not hear, and do not know of this wonderful salvation He has provided; when He calls, then...we respond, and Christ comes into our life, and then we know...In time, His time, all will be called, and then God will be All IN all. 1 Cor. 15:28 Amen!

Incidentally, it would be helpful to remember that Jesus did not speak English...the word "hell" is an English word, and has taken on a meaning never meant in scripture...

Truth...or hype...

"Would you like some facts suggesting that humans are not responsible for the current very small change in temperature? Most of the global temperature increase of the last 100 years occurred before most of the man-made CO2 was produced. Of human-produced Carbon Dioxide (CO2), human impact on global temperature may be as little as 1% of that one degree increase. CO2 in the atmosphere is thought to be the biggest contributor to temperature change, yet do the enviro-police mention the truth that 97% of atmospheric CO2 is from volcanoes? Its known that sunspot activity is one of the larger influencers of global temp changes. Do you recall that some 30 years ago we were told global temperatures had actually been dropping since 1945, and scientists warned of "another Ice-Age"? Temps are cyclic overtime as many periods of warmer/colder temps are noted in historic literature and maps." (Much information is available... try going to "The Global Warming Deception", filmed by the BBC...among other things.)

It would seem that many people would rather believe the worst, no matter the lack of facts, than consider why there has been such fear mongering. From "Ice Age" (up until the 1970s) to, now, "global warming - and severe consequences." Even here, it might be wise to "follow the money," as they say.

As with ALL things, I see God in control - as He has been from the beginning - of EVERYthing! Man is fickle, and looks for reasons to fear, to cause fear, to empower himself. Amazing - the vast majority (even of Christians) fall in line with such thinking. Enough said...

The treasure in us!!!

Yes, the treasure - TREASURE - IS in us. We are TREASURE BOXES!!!
2 Cor. 4:7 says, "...we have this treasure in earthen vessels..."
Col. 2:3 says, "In whom (Christ) are hid all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge..."; and the Amp. Version has, "In Him, all the tresures of [divine]wisdom [of comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God]and [all the riches of spiritual knowledge and enlightenment are stored up and hidden]"
Since we are ONE W. CHRIST, then we have that treasure IN us...
The word "treasure" is the Gr. "thesauros", and our word [of each of us] is in this thesaurus.
A thesaurus = a lexicon, treasury, storehouse; a book which contains words and all their various meanings, shades of meanings, nuances.
Therefore, each of us is a "word" in that "treasury". We live out [express] all the ways that our word can be expressed.

Hard things

War, any war, is ugly - and there has never been a war in which there hasn't been a number of people against it. There is loss of life, terrible loss...and yet...and yet, sometimes a war must be fought (at least as long as we are in a fallen world, there will be "wars, and rumours of war") - and so there are many who feel that the war in Iraq was one of those wars, that must be fought.

In this country, there are strong opinions on both sides, which, sadly, are being handled and manifested in a terribly ugly way (yes, another kind of "war", and just as "ugly"). What is interesting is this piece from a writing about the war in Iraq, written by a man who has been there, watching, hearing what the military there are saying, and doing. I share this portion of his article:

"The fight isn't only shared by the Americans and the Iraqis. Ten days ago, the Marne Division assumed control of the Wasit Province. Camp Delta, the base our troops operate from, which is home to American, Georgian (from the nation not our beautiful home-state), El Salvadoran, Kazakh, Polish, and Romanian units. Beginning this month, an entire brigade with three battalions from the country of Georgia will deploy to Iraq and help us conduct combat operations.

The Georgians asked to join the fight, and their government has given them no restrictions other than to treat them like every other tactical brigade. In the fifth year of this war, a country whose military is only four years old, is stepping up and joining the fight.

Just this weekend, I met a 37-year old specialist from Sweden who joined our Army because he believes the United States is "the best country in the world." [Would that those blessed to be born here and experience the wonders of what this land has to offer, agreed with this man, instead of expressing hatred and anger against it.] Once a Swedish journalist heard about him, she flew to Iraq to tell his story. Not only does this soldier receive fan mail, but many Swedish men want to join the United States Army because of his contributions to freedom. After this deployment, he wants to become an officer or join the Special Forces. His belief in American ideals moves me."

Along with everyone else, I pray for the end of this war, a successful end, where the Iraqi people will have the opportunity to begin to experience the freedoms we have here. A hard battle - but then, anyone who knows American history, knows the horror, the length of that war, the battle against those who did not want the Revolution to succeed, in order to have this United States of America. I rest in knowing that no matter how it all seems to be playing out, it IS part of the plan and counsel of Almighty God, who will have HIS way, and end up with a creation even better than at the beginning. Do I understand? No, but I do trust! In the end, all will be His, for Jesus Christ IS the Saviour of ALL men. Each and every one. Glory to God!

A wonderful word

There is a truly glorious word in Greek that speaks of the completeness of Christ's work on the Cross. It is: Tetelestai. Tetelestai is a Greek word meaning 'paid in full'. Back in Bible times, when someone paid off his bill in the marketplace, he would run through the streets shouting "tetelestai, tetelestai, my debt is paid in full!"
When Jesus was on the cross, His last words were, "It is finished," or, in the Greek, 'tetelstai', meaning the debt is paid. In FULL!. He was referring to the debt for our sins. Jesus paid the debt for our sins in full on the cross. Totally!!! Always, for all time!
Mankind owes a debt for our sins that we can never repay. We can never outweigh the good with the bad. But the Good News is that we don't have to. Jesus paid the full debt. Not one whit left undone!!!
By the way, back in the 1600s, when the Bible was being translated in England, the common people understood that word, gospel, to be "the good, glad, merry news that makes a man fairly leap for joy!" Oh that we would hear that same expression these days. Alas, more often than not, the "good" news is presented as bad news. Poor God (a minister once actually said that) - He would like to have His own way, but...man's will is stronger.
PTL that is NOT true. God is God, and He is having HIS way - He shall have ALL saved (which is why Jesus Christ is called the "Saviour of the WORLD.")
Amen

As always. LIFE!!

It has been many moons since I last wrote anything - the computer went away for over 2 months. Now it is back, all is well (pretty much), and I can, once again, write some thoughts.
Much has been learned, as Father has taken me through some times of learning - learning to wait, learning to be ever more flexible (discovered I was a bit more rigid than realized); and finding His love, strength, and leading never fail. Painful? Of course, at times - but worth it.

Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and "going to church" (I put that phrase in quotes, since, to me, it is impossible to "go to church." As Charles Schulz put it, how can we "go to" what we ARE). It's actually living the Word (Christ) as His in us life unfolds day to day.
We are the apple of His eye; and even though we have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing, and picked us up on a hill called Calvary, and paid in full for our "damaged" fruit.
And, hallelujah, we are no longer "damaged" - we are now new creations in Christ, HIS workmanship, and He is fulfilling His will in our lives. Whatever the cost - and, of course, that can hurt...but only as long as is needful to form Christ in us.
AMEN!!!

What do we think of God?

What do we think God is like? It matters, for our view of God affects our theology, and our theology affects our view of God.
Andrew Jukes summed it up in this manner: "For our views of God re-act upon ourselves. By an eternal law, we must more or less be changed into the likeness of the God we worship. If we think Him hard, we become hard. If we think Him careless of men's bodies and souls, we shall be careless also. If we think Him love, we shall reflect something of His loving-kindness."
Malcolm Smith did an interesting survey - he asked quite a few people what they thought of God. A few said powerful, the rest said Judge - and not one said Love.
A sad commentary on how Christians think of Him...GOD is love!!! That is His essence. All the rest are attributes, and all are resting on the foundation of love. They do not come into action unless Love says, "Yes."
What a difference it makes, knowing HE is love, in how we treat, look at, others.
Amen!