09 April 30, 2014

I have escaped death several times in my life. The first time was before I was born. My mother could have opted for an abortion. She chose to allow me to live and put me up for adoption. I have never met my birth mother but I do know I will see her in heaven.

I am the youngest of eight children. All of us were adopted. Non of us are related. In 1970 when I was nine, my parents took our family on a camping trip through Europe.

The first time I almost got creamed by a car was at the bus stop outside our campground in Florence, Italy. All my family had crossed the street ahead of me as I straggled behind several yards. I started to cross the street when all my family started screaming something at me. I stopped in my tracks because I had no idea what they were yelling at me. Suddenly there was a red flash, a loud roar and a rush of wind just inches in front of me. I quickly looked up and down the street and there was nothing there. The car had gone by so quickly I never saw it coming or going. Just the red flash, roar, and wind. I was in shock as my mom grabbed me in her arms and didn’t let go for what seemed like ages.



Trevi Fountain, Rome

The second time I almost got crushed was in Rome. We had camped outside of the city and took the city bus (it was a VW bus) into see the ruins and St Peters Basilica over a few day period. On one day we were going to see the Trevi Fountains. I was crossing the street behind my dad when I heard a screech of brakes. A VW bug had come to a stop less than six inches from my right leg. My mom had gone ahead of us and was already at the fountains so my dad and I both agreed that was a close one and continued on to catch up with the rest of the family.

Another time I almost committed suicide. I was in college in Southern California. During one of the summer breaks I had a job at a gas station back in the days when full service was still popular and gas prices had increased to whopping 75¢ a gallon. Full service was 80¢. I partied a lot and did as much drinking as I could for a twenty year old. I met some girls at the gas station and they invited me to a party not far from where I lived. That evening as I got plastered drunk, I met the sister of one of the girls. She just got back home from college in Massachusetts. Her name was Jenny Winslow. There was something really different about her. She had a calm spirit. There was a peace about her that I had never experienced before. I also noticed that she was nursing one beer all night long. I don’t think she ever finished it.

A few days later I saw Jenny again at the gas station. I asked her if she wanted to see this new movie called Star Wars. She agreed and that began a summer that was a life changer. You see, we went out all the time except for Wednesday night or Sunday morning. She was active in a church and would not compromise on those times. I never drank when we were together.

Summer passed and we went back to our universities. We wrote each other every so often. My grades in school were horrible. I could not pass a class no matter how hard I studied. I didn’t know until my late 40's that I was full blown ADHD. As far as my parents were concerned I was lazy and not doing any studying. They were going to stop paying for my college unless my grades improved. Although I learned the material, the pressure from my parents to do well caused my brain to shut down when taking a test. I became very depressed. In my anatomy class I figured out what part of my brain I would have to blow out if I wanted to make certain I died when I shot myself. That is the only class I did well in. I felt alone and had nobody to talk to. I had almost saved enough money to buy a gun. That was when I heard Gods voice audibly for the second time in my life. I was calling out to God for help when I heard Him say out loud to me, “Write Jenny”.

I wrote a letter to Jenny. I didn’t know how much good the letter would do, but I did know that she was in good standing with God. There was a purity about her when we hung out all summer. I told her I was about to kill myself. I didn’t know what she could do but she was the only person I could tell about it. A few days later I notice the depression was lifting. Something in me was different. About ten days after writing I received her reply. She said she had her prayer group at her school start praying for me immediately. She also passed the urgent request to every one she knew. She said God had a plan for my life and I should trust Him. The prayers she initiated changed the course of my life. I saw her once the following summer but she was too busy to spend any time with me. Her family moved from the town we grew up in and I never saw or heard from her again. She doesn't know that a few years later I received Christ into my life. It was her unconditional acceptance that started my walk towards my Fathers home.




Lake Arrowhead, CA

Shortly after accepting Jesus was the next time I almost got killed. My dad had a cabin at Lake Arrowhead and I was taking some vacation time to soak up some sun and do some fishing. I drove over to Green Valley Lake where it was next to impossible to not catch your limit on trout. It was stocked often.

 The day I went fishing it rained most of the day. I caught more trout in the rain than any other time. However, that day I caught nothing and was soaked to the bone. On my way back to Lake Arrowhead I got caught behind a slow motor home. The road was narrow and had many blind turns. I got fed up because my Honda CVCC could hug the curves at 60 miles an hour and I was only going about 15. I was the fourth car behind and nobody was passing. I decided to go for it. I passed all the cars with ease. As I passed the motor home I gave the driver the finger and cussed loud enough for him to hear me. As soon as I got back in the lane the road took a sharp turn.

 

I was doing close to 50 at that time when I heard a bang in the back of my car. My right rear tire just blew out. I lost control as it began to spin around heading for the edge of the road. Time slowed dramatically and I was able to count the spins that only took a few moments. I heard a calm voice in the back seat of my car. It said “You're not going to die”. It was weird but the terror suddenly turned to peace. I took my hands off the steering wheel and my foot off the brake. As the car completed the third spin it was heading directly off the cliff. I was at 5500 feet in elevation and it was 3000 feet to the bottom. In those days there were no guard rails. Just as my front wheels were about to go off the edge the car stopped without a sound. It didn't hit any thing. It just stopped. If I had gone off I could have easily rolled for more than 1000 feet before stopping. My only explanation for why it stopped is that an angel grabbed my car and stopped it.

A few days later my roommate came to spend the weekend at the cabin and do some fishing. On the way to Green Valley Lake I showed him the place where it happened. He looked at the skid marks on the road and I showed him where the car finally stopped. He could tell by the skid marks that I was telling the truth about my speed and the fact that the car stopped at all was impossible. The next week he went to church with me and asked Jesus into his heart.

 

I don’t know why I write what I do. I just follow my heart. I believe the message here is for us to love those around us. Don't judge people as Jenny did not judge me. She was willing to hang out with me. She never preached at me or even asked if I wanted to go to bible study with her. When I had a life and death crisis in my life, she made herself available in the only way possible for her at the time. I am sure if she were in Southern California she would have been at my side. She couldn’t be. All she could do was pray. And that is what changed the course of my life.

 

Don't compromise who you are in Christ. Love others like Jesus loved others. Hang out with the sinners as Jesus did. Don't join in with their sin. When a crisis comes, they will have no doubt they can trust you and lean on you. Who they really are leaning on and trusting is Christ in you, they just don’t know it yet. You don’t know the call God has on their lives. It's not your business what their call is. It is your business to love God with all your heart, and to love your neighbors as yourself.

Blessings,

Tom

08. April 27, 2014 Deep Waters

Walking at the Park

I take walks in the park on a regular basis. Often I find myself talking to myself out loud. It is in these times I have found God teaching me with my own voice. By the time I get back to my car I can't remember what the message was.

I decided to take my voice recorder along so I can share these messages on my Blog

You can listen to the audio by playing the video. I did my best to transcribe it below.

We cant belittle or lessen what God wants to do.

 

Gods desire is for everyone to be with him in heaven. That is why He sent Jesus. He paid the price for their sins. He just wants them to believe.

 

If we are not born of the spirit and born again we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

We must believe in Jesus, it is in this belief that we are given a new spirit life because we have asked Jesus to be a part of us. Our new birth isn't us, the new birth is Christ in us. His life is the new life in us. He gives us everything. It's all Him. Nothing else, NOTHING else.

 

Paul preached Christ, and Christ alone. All of our salvation is nothing more than Christ alone, nothing else. Our life is nothing more than Christ. This life in the flesh counts for nothing.

 

Over the years God has spoken to men and women to bring His story of redemption to all who would listen and believe from the prophets of old to the prophets of today.

 

Those who truly truly seek God, seek His presence, find a place out of the flesh and find a place in the Heavenlies where they reside with their heavenly Father. He touches them and talks to them and holds them close. “This is my Son, tell this to others, they need to hear this.”

 

It's not me writing these messages, it's not me writing this blog, its Christ in me. Christ in me. Nothing more, I am nothing.

 

For those who followed me over from my YouTube and have watched my videos, I have no talent in producing videos, yet I got 1,100,000 hits on my channel in a few years. How is that possible? I don’t know, it's not me. I just go on and trust my heart. The photos I choose, the transitions I choose, I don’t know what I am doing. When I finish a video I look at and say “My God! How did that happen?” I am just amazed about how these videos I produce are so good. Their Holy. Not because of me. Yes, my friends, I have no talent. It's Christ in me. He is the one editing the videos through me. It's not me at all.

 

Not everything in your life is about you. Its not about your wife, your children, your brothers or sisters, your mothers and fathers.

 

When you receive Christ, when you seek Him, will you go into the deep waters? Or are you going to go into puddles ankle deep? Only little children stay in the ankle deep water. Toddlers will go waist deep. When you grow up in Christ, when you grow up, you go to the deepest part of the waters trusting. Will you walk on those waters with Christ in faith? Peter stepped out in the deep water. I marvel at his faith. It wasn’t about that he sunk in the physical water, the H2O. He stepped out and said “Jesus. You said so, I believe”. Yes his flesh looked around and his flesh sank down, his spirit had no doubts. Christ attributed that to Peter as faith and on him He built His church because he was willing to step into the deep waters. Are you willing to step in deep waters? Are you willing to love your neighbor for who he is and nothing more? Not trying to preach the Gospel at him, not trying to change him, because it's not your job. It is Christ in them. And without Christ in them, I don’t know. I really don’t know. I am not the judge. I'm not the one who determines who goes to heaven and who doesn't. That is Christ and Christ alone. It is not my place to say “Oh! You don’t believe? Your going to hell.” I don’t know the mans heart. Christ does.

 

We all think the bible is it. The bible is all that there is. There is nothing else. God is such a puny god if we can put Him in a tiny little book with ink on paper. God, our Heavenly Father, is so much more infinite that that. There is so much more. Yet we so called “Christians” try to limit Him. Why? So we don't have to, so we feel we are not accountable, to live the life He has called us to live. To walk in Holiness.

 

Walking in Holiness does not mean that your flesh in sin-free. Walking in holiness is understanding who you are. Who God says you are. Knowing that He began the work in you. He did. He's the one changing you. Forming you, molding you into Christ. He is the one who made you into flesh. All you have to do, all you are supposed to do is believe. Nothing more than that. Nothing more than that.

7. April 22, 2014 Majesty!

I just posted the blog for today April 22.

The song Here I Am(Majesty) by Delirious playing in the background.

Sitting here in my room I started to think about how I have no life what so ever. I am not looking for a girlfriend but it would be nice to have a female friend to go with me as I do my walk in the park. It would be nice to have more money so I could enjoy some of the things I see others doing. I have nothing.

Those thoughts lasted but a moment when I hear a voice inside say, “You have a life, you cant see it because it has been hidden. Remember, you have died your life is now hidden in me.” Once again I find myself enveloped by peace. All my needs have been met. The things I need to sustain this life in the flesh have been provided. And there is much more. I have Christ. I have everything.

The song playing brings memories back to when I was four or five. One of my sisters reads the the childrens version of Samuel.

1 Samuel 3

1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." So he went and lay down. 6 Again the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

For several nights as I went to bed, I remember saying “Lord, here I am.” As far back as I can remember, I believed in God. I have always felt I was called into ministry. As a young teenage Catholic I even considered being a priest. I heard God speak to me audibly late one night and He pretty much told me I would not be a priest.

 

The song playing is on a loop. “Majesty, Majesty, your grace has found me just as I am, empty handed but alive in your hands.”

I am brought to tears. I am remembering my mother who passed away five years ago.

My mom was a die hard catholic. She believed that only Catholics were going to make it to heaven and I was constantly reminded to return to the “True Church”. She didn’t know she could have a personal relationship with her creator.

In January of 2009 I got a call that she had a major stroke. Both my father and mother had decided if anything happened to them they would not try to resuscitate or use feeding tubes. My mom was 87 and about to die. The sister who called told me emphatically that I was not to talk about God, Jesus, or the Bible and she would be watching me.

This was war. My mom would have an opportunity to hear about and receive Christ. I didn’t have a problem if she refused, that would be her choice. But she would hear the Gospel before she died. I was living on the East Coast and arrived in Newport Beach, CA a few days later. Hospice had set up a bed for her in the living room of their home. Several family members were there including the sister who was going to keep her eye on me. I spent some time with my mom but could not get any time alone without being under a watchful eye.

Also there was my Aunt, my moms only surviving sibling, along with her was my cousin Kathy. Back in my High School days I stayed away from Kathy because she was one of those “Jesus Freaks”. I don’t call her that anymore because I am one now and I don’t think I am a freak. Anyway, as my aunt and cousin were about to leave I got a few moments alone with Kathy. She told me she really wanted to talk to my mom about Jesus but she knew that my family would throw her out of the house if she tried. She tried several times but could not get any time alone with her. She prayed and asked God for help. Suddenly everybody got up and left the house. And I mean everybody including my dad. She had no idea why but she took the chance to talk to my mom. She asked my mom if she knew Jesus and my mom replied with a “yes”. Then my mom was asked if she knew Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She said “no”. My mom then prayed and asked Jesus to be her Savior.

A few hours after my cousin left, the sister who was keeping her eye on me came into the kitchen where I was and said:

“The weirdest thing happened today, Tom. The doorbell started ringing and wouldn't stop. There was nobody outside. We all tried to fix it but couldn’t get it to stop. We checked the button and it wasn't stuck. It just kept on ringing. We all gave up and finally it just stopped on its own.”

I heard a voice say to me, “Behold, I stand at the door and ring.” Where there was no way, Jesus made the way.

The next morning I was able to spend some time alone with my mom. She told me she talked to Jesus that night and she knew what her job was once she got to heaven. I was excited to hear what that was and with a smile she told me she was not allowed to tell me. She went home to be with her Lord and Savior a few days later.

The song is still playing. I hear the words “Majesty” and the floodgates are opened and my shirt is soaked with tears. These are tears of Joy. How Majestic is Jesus. He provided the miracle needed so my mom would be in heaven with Him. I will see her again. And I know she is watching over me. I believe she has met my daughter. I cant wait to go home.

Do I believe in Jesus? Absolutely! No doubts! I am not saying this in faith, but from experience.

Blessings,
Tom

6. April 22, 2014 Who's job is it anyway?

If you have not read about the “BrownSofa” click here before continuing.

As I wrote before, I have been apart of many churches of various denominations. In almost all of them, we were told we had to work hard to not sin. We must continue to struggle to do what is right in Gods eyes.

Have you noticed how exhausting it is to be aware of every thing you do and say as not to go astray. Not just avoiding sin, but also making sure we do good. In reality, it is impossible to not screw up at some point. I may not have sinned today but I passed by that woman struggling with that heavy box. The book of James says in chapter 4 vs 17 that if you don't do the good you aught to do you commit a sin.

We keep trying and cant do it. Paul said “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

How do we do this? Jesus tells us “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I doesn't seem so easy. It seams really hard at times. The problem lies in the churches teaching that we must strive to attain this level of holiness. But that is contrary to scripture. As believers in Jesus we all know that we are saved by his grace and nothing else. It even says we are not saved by our works. Striving to be better is the same as saying you can make yourself holy by your own working.

Our path to holiness is really simple. The bible puts it this way: “And I am sure of this: that the One who began a good work among you will keep it growing until it is completed on the Day of the Messiah Yeshua.” (CJB)

The day we believed in Jesus was the day God began to change us into the image of Christ. I have been at it since September 23, 1985 when I asked Christ into my life. I know I havent arrived yet. I keep looking forward, not looking back at my failures - especially those after I began following Him. Its His job to change me, its my job to believe He will do it.

Blessings,

Tom

This is from my YouTube Channel: ImLivn4Jesus

5. April 21, 2014 A Look at Life

(I wrote this about a month ago before I even thought about doing a blog on my "Brown Sofa" experience.)


‎Tuesday, ‎March ‎18, ‎2014, ‏‎8:02 PM

I started thinking about life. Mainly life in general but also specific things in my life.

Life in general is total chaos. Russia taking over part of Ukraine. A jetliner has disappeared off the face of the earth. Earthquakes in California. Record rain, snow and drought. A child taking her parents to court. A murder trial on another continent. ObamaCare. Our elected officials caring more about taking control of the Congress and Senate in the next election than taking care of the business they were elected to do. This is the short list. It never ends.

All of us are either ultra conservative, ultra liberal, or somewhere between. No exceptions! We are all passionate about the things happening in life in some way or another. Some are even passionate about not being passionate about anything. We all come to our own opinions and conclusions including all kinds of conspiracy theories regardless of how whacked out they may be.

My life is not much better. I am a paycheck away from being homeless. Most of my food comes from food pantries and churches. I rent a room in slum-like housing because I don’t make enough for a decent apartment. I'm constantly fighting off bedbugs and roaches. I have two failed marriages. My only child died before she was born. The car has not had an oil change in three years. I don’t have the money. If it blows up I am walking distance to work and food pantries. At least I have a roof over my head, a job and access to food.

I have a lot of regrets too. There are many things I should have done, could have done, and a few I wish I never did. It is what it is. I cant change the past, neither can I forget it.

You would think that I am depressed and hating life. I am not. I live in a peace that blows me away at times.

I believe in Jeshua. Most call Him Jesus (so do I most of the time). In English his name is Joshua if you want to be politically correct. He is my everything. So am I a “Christian”? Nope. I don’t call myself that.

I was raised in the Catholic Church, asked Jesus into my heart at a Pentecostal Church. I have also been active in many other churches: Baptist, Southern Baptist, Black Baptist, Lutheran, Evangelical Presbyterian, Quaker, Church of Christ, Assemblies of God, Salvation Army and several Bible churches. I went to a Mormon church once. All the people called themselves “Christian”. Many of the people I met put this imaginary button on their shirt claiming to be a “christian”. Very few reminded me of Christ including a few of the pastors. I did find a few that lead me deeper in my understanding of who God is. But most I would not call Christ-like. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is tells a parable about who gets into heaven. This is what He said:

Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

These people are doing what they believe is God's work. They call Jesus “Lord” and themselves “Christian” yet Jesus tells them to go to hell. I have no desire to be included in that group so I will not call myself a “Christian”, I don’t wear the badge, I don’t put on the face. I consider myself a “Follower” of Christ. Nothing more.

So do I go to church? Sure do. Its a small church with 25 on a good day. Can a small church be any good? I think so. You see, the pastor has no desire to spend any time, money or energy in building a big church and having to modify his message as not to offend any. He puts his time, money and energy into giving unconditional love to the young adults in our community teaching the truth and nothing else. That is why I go there. I also attend another fellowship that meets on Saturday evening for those interested in the deeper mysteries of the scriptures.

Do I think I am perfect? Far from it. The Apostle Paul referred to himself as the worst sinner. Two thousand years later I came along and trumped him. A few years ago I found myself in the darkest time of my life. I felt everything was lost and there was no hope. That was where God found me. I reluctantly allowed Him to drag me into the “Valley of the Shadow of Death”. It was not fun at all. In fact it was very painful. I realized immediately that God had a firm grip on me and wasn’t letting go. It was in His grip that I found a peace that I could not explain. With all the hell this world was throwing at me, I had absolutely nothing to worry about because I new that God was never going to let me go. It was weird. Hell outside – Peace inside. All because I knew that God loved me and he was not going to let me be harmed by the adversities I was facing.

As I stopped fighting him and began to walk with him, I noticed his arm over my shoulder guiding me where He wanted me to go in the dark places of the “Valley”. He was a firm Father not allowing me to wander or run away from the path he was leading me on. I eventually made it to the other side. As I look back now and contemplate the lessons learned, I gladly run to him and embrace Him. He is not only my Father, He is my Daddy. I run to Him all the time now like a little boy just wanting to be in Daddy's lap. The biggest lesson I learned was not that I could not fight God or all this other stuff he wanted me to know about him. What I learned was what Daddy thought about me. His love, thoughts and desires regarding me. I thought I was a horrible person. He thought about how wonderful and perfect I was. I figured because He was God he had final say on who I was. If he says I am pure, holy and perfect, than I am because He says so. Although I don't feel like it, I do believe him.

Norman Grubb in his book “The Key to Everything” teaches that the deeper truths in scripture are shrouded in paradox. For example, the christian doctrine of the trinity. We believe that God consists three separate persons, the Father, Son and Spirit, all unique and separate, yet at the same time one being. It is in that paradox that I find myself now. A horrible sinner, at the same time pure and holy.

 

I hope that as I continue to write you will also find the truth of how your heavenly Father sees you.

Blessings,
Tom

4. April 18, 2014 Genesis - Our Origin

The Book of Genesis chapter 1 describes God creating everything including man.

Genesis 1:26-27 "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."


Andre Rabe

Andre Rabe came and spoke to my home group a few years ago. He taught something I had never heard before. He said the creation of man consisted of two events. The first event is this: “in the image of God he created him.” Then “male and female he created them”.  This is the second event. God's original intent was to make man in his image, and nowhere in scripture is it recorded that God changed his mind. We are still made in his image. In the first event God made us spirit as He is spirit. He then made man male and female and gave man human flesh. Genesis goes on in greater detail on these two events in chapter two.

Genesis 2:5-8 "When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up--for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground-- then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed."


Genesis 2:15 "The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it."

These scriptures refer to the first event where God made man in his image. Let me give an example of what it means to be the “image and likeness” of God. When you look in the mirror you don’t see your self, you see an image of your self. When God looked at man, He saw himself. You don’t think so? Here is what Paul wrote about us looking at Christ.
 

2Corinthians 3:18 (Jewish Bible) So all of us, with faces unveiled, see as in a mirror the glory of the Lord; and we are being changed into his very image, from one degree of glory to the next, by ADONAI the Spirit.

What Paul said was as we look into a mirror we see Christ. God looks at us and He sees Himself. This is our ORIGINAL design. God has defined us as His image. There are no references to God changing his mind. We are still His image and likeness.

The next verses describe God making man into male and female after the man was placed in the garden now giving man flesh.

Genesis 2:18 "Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." …. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed."

This is where man became a flesh being like the animals and became male and female. This is the second event. In the first event man was made in God's image, a spirit being, in the second man was given human flesh. There is paradox again. Man is now flesh and spirit at the same time.

We are, in our true identity as defined by God Himself, His image and likeness. That is not our flesh-man, but rather the spirit-man.


Blessings,
Tom

3. April 17, 2014 Union



Norman Grubb writes in "The Key to Everything":

"So Jesus gave us the vine and branches illustration. Through this our eyes are opened to the secret of the universe union — the mystery of the universe: how two can be one and yet remain two.

In this dimension, infinite truth is always in the form of paradox. We never get beyond facts that are seemingly contradictory to common sense. In this dimension we can never fully comprehend truth through our senses. Our reason cannot teach it to us. We have to live with opposites which don't meet, with facts that are, to our understanding, not completely logical. It is good for us to recognize this, and to learn to accept both sides—both ways of knowing—in their proper proportions.

This illustration of the vine and the branches is one of those paradoxes.

The living God, the living Christ, and I actually become one person and function as one person. Separation is impossible. It has disappeared. We function entirely and forever and naturally as one person. And yet we remain two!"

The union paradox is key to understanding our identity in Christ. Paul writes in Galatians,

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me." (ASV)

Lets go to the next step. Paul states that the one living in him is Christ. He died and Christ is seated in him. So back to the Brown Sofa, the one I though was me sitting on the sofa is not really me. It is Christ. Christ and I are one and since I have died, it is Christ who is my life. That is why the scripture "there is no condemnation to those is Christ Jesus" is true. Jesus cannot be condemned, therefore I cannot be condemned. Christ cannot sin, therefore I cannot sin. My flesh may sin, I am not my flesh. The more my carnal mind is transformed, the more Christ-like my flesh becomes. 

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2. 

I remember a story read to me as a young boy. It was about a peasant boy. He got into all kinds of mischief and trouble. Everybody thought he was good for nothing. As the story unfolds, the boy is really a prince and heir to the thrown. He returns to his proper home in the castle and amazingly he starts to act in a princely manner. When he believed he was a rotten peasant, he acted like a rotten peasant. After accepting his true identity, he acted like a prince. 

Our transformation begins in understanding God's truth about us.

Next time we will begin at the beginning. Genesis.

Blessings,
Tom

2. April 14, 2014 Paradox

I was raised in the Catholic church. In my twenties I followed my heart and went to hear some guy named Kenneth Copeland. I had never heard of him before. On September 23, 1985 I learned that Jesus wanted me to have a personal relationship with Him. I remember hearing that the Holy Spirit was like an air controller. The air controller sees everything on his radar notifies airplanes what to look out for. As long as the pilot listens to the controller, all is safe. I felt drawn to the front when the altar call came. I prayed and asked Jesus into my life. It has never been the same since.  I don't feel that I left the Catholic church, but rather that I found a loving God who called me to follow where He led. 

I consider myself to be multi-denominational. I was raised Catholic and have been a member of Pentecostal, Baptist, Evangelical Presbyterian, and Southern Baptist churches. I have also regularly attended Quaker, Baptist, Black Baptist, Assemblies of God, and various other non-denominational and Bible churches. Regardless of where I was, I found I could always join in the worship. I didn't always agree with the teaching but that is why God has so many ways for us to find Him. God will do anything to show his love for us. He even took the death penalty that we deserved. It is in what Christ did on the cross where we find our identity. Life is all about Jesus, and nothing more. Everything is about Him. 

I guess I am rambling on. I will write more about that in a later post. Today I wanted to talk about paradox. Merriam-Webser defines paradox as:

: something (such as a situation) that is made up of two opposite things and that  seems impossible but is actually true or possible

: someone who does two things that seem to be opposite to each other or who has qualities that are opposite

: a statement that seems to say two opposite things but that may be true

                                                  

A few years ago, my friend John gave me a book to read. It changed everything. My view on God and who He is changed dramatically. The book, “The Key To Everything” by Norman Grubb introduced me to the concept of Union Life and Paradox. (Click on the image to the right to read the book →)

A good example of paradox is in who God is. There is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. All are unique and separate. Each having separate personalities and characteristics. Yet they are absolutely one inseparable being.

Another example would be Jesus Himself. He is fully God at the same time He is fully man.

Another one I find interesting is where Paul writes:

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus," (Ephesians 2: 4-6)

Look at the last line. Do you notice it's in the past tense. What Paul is saying is that we are already seated in heaven, at the same time we are here on earth. That is an another one of the mysteries shrouded in paradox. 

What I hope you get out of today's entry is that we must keep our minds open to find deep truths hidden the mysteries of paradox. Remember, with God all things are possible.

Blessings, 

Tom

1. April 13, 2014 The Brown Sofa

Welcome.

In March of 2013, I had an old temptation show its ugly face once again in my life. A neighbor of mine had discarded a pornographic magazine outside his door. It was all I could do to not grab it and take it back to my place. I knocked on his door and asked him if he would not leave it there. He told me he would get rid of it before he left for Huston for the weekend. He left leaving the magazine outside his door and I knew it couldn't stay there or else I would be thumbing through the pages in no time at all. I had been hooked on pornography for nearly forty years. With help, I had been free of it about two years. I called a friend of mine, who is my accountability partner, and explained the situation to him. Fortunately I was able to dispose of the magazine with out looking at it.

I went back to my place and fell on my knees. I was blown away as how strong the desire to grab that junk was. I thought I had conquered the addiction but for some reason my flesh knew it was there even before I saw it. I needed answers. To me it was life or death. I did not want to go back to that old life.

I prayed for a long time. At some point I found myself in another place. I dont know if it was a vision or a dream, I just knew I was no longer in my bedroom. In front of me was a brown sofa. It was more like a love seat. Comfortable for two people but not really big enough for three.

As I looked at the brown sofa, I noticed something sitting on the sofa. It was called “the thing called sin”. And then I noticed I was sitting beside it. After a while a scripture I don’t remember reading more than once or twice came to my memory. It was in Romans where Paul describes his struggle with sin. He said he did the things he did not want to do, and the things he didn’t want to do he did. He then went on and said something amazing. He said “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:20)” For some reason I was stuck on “sin living in me” since “the thing called sin” was sitting beside me on the sofa. 

I asked God, “If sin is in me, why am I sitting beside it?” There was no answer to this yet I had to have it. For some reason I knew it was important. After a long wait I heard God speak to me. He said the sofa represented my flesh. I was not my flesh just as much as “sin” was not my flesh. We were unique and separate. The me I saw on the sofa was the real me, that is, my spirit-man. The sofa represented my concept of me, or the carnal-man. “The thing called sin” was the “sin living in me” that Paul experienced.

I also remember asking why I was still struggling with sin. God replied that I didn’t know who I was – that is, my carnal mind forgot about my new identity when I asked Jesus into my heart. He explained it to me this way. He said that before I received Christ, the sofa (carnal-man) had a vacant seat. I (the real me) was not there. My carnal mind only had “the thing called sin” to give it direction. And it believed everything it was told was true. Where in fact, most of it was a lie. The reason we continue to sin is simply because we (our carnal mind) forgets who we really are and listens to “the thing called sin” instead. We are not flesh. We are not carnal. We are Spirit. It is impossible for those in Christ to sin. Our flesh may sin, but we cannot sin. The spirit-man does not have sin living in it, only our carnal-man. Scripture teaches the double minded man is unstable in all it does. We need to become single minded to conquer the temptations this world throws at us. This blog is about discovering who God says we are so that our carnal mind will remain in agreement with our spirit-man.

Welcome to The Brown Sofa Diaries. I hope this blessed you. 

Tom