BELILVE IT OR NOT




Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of God our Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

Galatians 1:3-5

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

II Peter 1:2-4

The question of the ages: Is there -- or is there not -- the power to change a human life? Can a person who does bad things change in behavior and learn to direct that energy onto a positive and productive path? Can a human being stop committing immoral, abusive, evil, and unlawful acts? Can sin decrease in the inner man, for real?

Myriads say yes. Multitudes say no. Significant others just don’t know.

What does the God of the Bible say? He conclusively and compassionately says, “yes!”

A person can be transformed by His power of intervention. “His Divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness.”

Substantial controversy pulses within the heart of this very subject today! Primarily within the bodies of religious circles.
Yet gospel truth hinges on this crucial Biblical fulcrum, allowing no room for error or compromise. Why? Because etemal healing weighs in the balance for the lost and wandering sheep of the earth.

The gospel declares One truth. Even the most vile among us can be cleansed, healed, changed, and freed to live a moral and healthy life. How?

“He can deliver us.”

His promise holds true for all who choose to receive His Divine power. In other words, HIS LOVING PRESENCE.

Many Christians proclaim to be believers of the transforming gospel, but when change is sprouting innumerous new believers, too many, too often, become judgmental or critical. Instead of rejoicing, they somehow refuse to accept or believe what is progressing right in front of their eyes.

The severity of this subtle disapproval often coincides with the degree of perceived sin committed in the background of a recovering new Christian or what sin one might struggle in the transformation process under God’s journey of Grace. Blood washed sin becomes a label, the label becomes a bushel basket that hides a modern day miracle. Denounced and discredited is the modern day miracle of God’s love and His ability to transform a life by His personal simple gospel plan in His appointed time.

Yes, it is wise to test the spirits. It’s proper to inspect the fruit. But too often, God’s process of grace and power to change lives is confused by religious self righteousness and life-snuffing condemnation prevails instead. To be a human decider of whom among us shall be forgiven or condemned is not our responsibility. That burden, which God never intended us to carry, results in various Christians involving themselves in the MINISTRY OF REJECTION, instead of the MINISTRY OP RECONCILIATION.

When one needing grace confuses self righteous activity with the gospel Power of Grace to change lives, God’s work in the life of a new serious convert is hindered and sometimes destroyed. What’s lacking is the unconditional love, discipleship, a safe place to change in honesty and the common sense unconditional nurturing needed from the Body fellowship. The Sanhedrin in the modern day religious circles echoes the words of their predecessors of old, denouncing association with such gross sinners. How the heart of Christ must ache.

Biblically speaking, mature contemporary re-born Christians should demonstrate the joy and gratitude concerning their own salvation, by unconditionally supporting younger blood-washed sinners in their unfamiliar process of Divine transformation. In the grace of Christ, they also walk in the Way. The same Way we all must walk to gain salvation, cleansing and healing. If the Spiritual heart and mind of Christ is truly growing through out contemporary ecclesiastical circles, then lives should mirror the attitude of Jesus, not the arrogant religionists over time. These Pharisees challenge the immutable WAY and TRUTH of Jesus, even today. Throughout many of the religious circles that exist today in our country we see many embracing the lost sheep, but sadly many demonstrate other activity contrary to the teachings of the Bible and what the Spirit of Christ is presently doing, such as various types of religious abuse and control.

I don’t want to judge anyone, but I think God is not pleased. What people do is between them and God. Therefore, I advocate that God is looking for people who see the facts as they exist and want move on in His Spirit, striving to learn from our mistakes. He is wanting born-again Christians to live the simple basics of His Word and teachings and rid themselves of obvious hindrances that damage the Spiritual Kingdom’s expansion on the earth.

The WORD candidly explains how the life changing power of God is to flow through the Body Ministry, from one to another. Interpersonal relationships and loving interaction between believers is essential for personal and spiritual growth. The Lord’s Spiritual Kingdom, from His perspective, is really void of physical and denominational barriers that deteriorate relationships in Christ; instead of strengthening relationships in the bonds of love, in the Oneness of His Spirit.

God loves, rears, and nurtures us by His Holy presence which flows through and between us, and in no way erects barriers of judgmentalism, but instead connects personally and interacts through each in unconditional love and acceptance. His compassionate presence heals us in simple daily interaction through the fellowship of believers, no matter what church one attends, what doctrines are in place or what role one holds in the local congregation.

This interaction is especially crucial for new believers to see and experience, especially those who struggle to relinquish a wounded and hard-core sinful lifestyle. Even a young teen raised in a Christian home needs to witness and experience functional love to develop in a healthy way. Wandering lost sheep are actually prisoners of war, deceived captives of Satan. Many search for ways to escape evil powers because they are tired of the bondage and pain. Release can happen through a valid conversion in Christ, a Prodigal Son experience.

These seekers and new converts need to witness and experience the functional loving activity of a church family because most did not experience it in the dysfunctional family system in which they were raised. If hurting new Christians cannot have Godly functionality modeled for them inside the Body of Christ, where else can they see it in action in order to become whole?

There is a spiritual war on earth, no matter if lost sheep who are afflicted casualties realize it or not. It is crucial that Christians, who want to genuinely minister Christ, knowthey are agents of salvation and realize who they really are in this spiritual war. We are anointed to “ set the captives free. “ We are not appointed to be mill stones around their neck in which many sink to the bottom of life because of neglect or rejection.

As a Chaplain (and once hard core sinner still in the life change process), I work with many broken and sorrow-filled people who feel convicted and guilty of committing vast assorunents of wrongful acts. Yet, one thing establishes a common link between us when someone resolves to change his or her life. The commonan link is desiring to flee the brokenness of bondage to past circumstances. This connection leads to the cross and the living resurrected JESUS who shows genuine seekers the WAY of escape. Christ is not religion, dogma, or doctrine. Christ in them is their only hope of glory and the Power to walk in God’s Divine healing freedom that delivers captives from corruption here on earth.

We who have connected with Christ must carry the cross to others, so they might cross over to liberty in the kingdom of blood-washed sinners. We carriers of Christ are on assignment to share in the Cause. The Cause is His Cause of Grace. We must be transparent so our brother and sister, lost sheep, can discover Christ personally because they can see Him working in our lives by His Presence of Grace and unconditional truth demonstrating life changing Power.

Born again Christians receive the personal living Christ who identifies with each person’s pain. He in turn wants to personally work through us, after conversion and in our healing process, to reach out and win over others around us in similar types of pain. His plan is to work through us and in us to witness the hope and healing Light to others, spiritually and in the dimension of physical life.

It seems that our world of modern technology and scientific advancement has blinded the eyes of multitudes of non-Christians and Christians to the “TRUTH” and reality that remains alien even to the scientific world.

Myriads insist that there are no miracles today. Well...where are they looking? I have seen so many so called “dirt balls” genuinely change by the LIVING POWER OF CHRIST. I changed! Where one life is changed, where one soul is saved, dozens more will be affected. A converted life is a miracle! With God’s help people who need and want to change can live a transformed fulfilled life. God’s Divine Power is available for us now, here on earth. Its for all people who genuinely want it and choose to stop deceiving themselves, others and especially God. One only need to ask God for help. His help is available to anyone at any time, on the outside or on the inside of various congregational settings. But a seeker must realize God is a Spiritual Being wanting to personally connect by a prayer of faith and intimately live within, to journey with each one in life.

Change spiritually takes place in the realm of a change agency. The fellowship of Christ centered believers in every daily environment is God’s plan here on earth for Change to occur. The Body of Christ was designed by God to be a transformation ministry. Christ in us is our hope of glory. Christ and us, through us, is their (lost sheep) hope of glory. His Divine power is the healing balm for the wandering lost sheep of this world.

A real Christian who truly experiences Christ’s Spirit within is destined to act and react like Jesus. Compassion and understanding are His trademarks. The essence of these trademarks are seen on His nailed scarred hands and feet. Are these trademarks stamped on your heart by His Spirit? Indeed, Christ was crucified in weakness, yet He lives because of the Power of God and His Gift of compassion for us all. Does His Power live in us? Does his ministry reflect our ministry?

Test yourself. Are you truly in the faith? Look close, examine your motives and abilities. Or don’t you know that Jesus Christ is in you? (II Cor. 13:4&5)