Archive for the ‘Christian Living’ Tag
The Thing That May Be Killing Your Relationships
Filed under: By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Trinity | Tags: Christian Living, Christianity, Gospel, Jesus, Perichoresis, Relationships, Trinity
Comments (5) In a word: Exclusion! In a few words, not seeing everyone in your life, including yourself, as a Child of the Father, Son, and Spirit!
Check out Acts 9:1-20 in this light! It’s the story of Saul (the non-believer) being encountered and arrested by Jesus. It is also the story of Ananias (the believer) being encountered and arrested by Jesus.
One of the things I have noticed in this story about both of those men is that the thing hindering both of them, ultimately, is their not perceiving Jesus in the life of the other person! In the case of Saul, the point is made more overtly. He thinks he is simply obeying the law and literally arresting and killing people who are in The Way of bearing witness to and relating to Jesus. But Jesus encounters him, literally, with light and blindness and asks him, “’Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me? He said, ‘Who are you, Master?’ ‘I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down.’” – Acts 9:4-5.
In His spiritual blindness Saul is completely unaware of the fact that the people he is killing are not just people but Jesus in His people! Jesus is so much IN His people that he accuses Saul, RIGHTFULLY, of hunting down and killing him – the Lord!!! Saul is literally killing his relationships – relationship he has with all others IN THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST!
Ananias, the believer, is having a struggle with inclusion, too ! The depth of his trouble is not as overt as Saul’s, but I believe it can be clearly seen IN HIS RESPONSE TO JESUS, His Lord!!
Jesus approaches Ananias in a vision and asks him to get up and go over to where Saul is staying, but Ananias protests AGAINST THE LORD on the basis of what he observes about Saul with his eyes! Saul couldn’t possibly be included in the life of God as bad as he is, and he tells the Lord so!
I have to appreciate how honest, real and logical Ananias is in the flesh, so I don’t fault him as a sinful human! I am not sure I would recognize and trust Jesus in a vision either! On the other hand, his response is indicative of the fact that something has gone wrong with humanity, including all “believers”. Ananias is being approached BY GOD in the flesh and he is protesting HIM, His creator!!! Isn’t this INSANE? REALLY? If we REALLY knew who Jesus was, and who we are in Him, would we ever REALLY question Him and protest him, even in a hard situation like this??? NO! (I’ll help you with the hard ones! J)
But he does question Jesus’ voice and instruction. Why? Because it is extremely hard to see someone who is killing your friends, and trying to kill you, as included in the Life of the Father, Son and Spirit. It’s even hard after all those prayers of blessings for your enemies and your praying to God FOR those who persecute you and despitefully use you (family members, friends, bosses, co-workers, employees, neighbors, ex-wives and current husbands, etc.), isn’t it?
Nonetheless, this truth of Saul’s inclusion in the Life of the Lord MUST be acknowledged if Ananias is going to experience his reconciliation with his Brother Saul (verse 17!!!), and all of humanity, that the Lord accomplished in His own human body!
They both had to learn the lesson: Jesus was in Saul’s enemies, and Jesus was in Ananias’ enemies. Period.
Now imagine Saul AND Ananias not accepting and embracing the inclusion of all of their human brothers and sisters in the Life of God? Not only would they not have experienced the good that we can clearly observe coming out of both of their lives because of trusting this, but they would have continued jacking up the relationship they had with the Lord!!! In fact, neither one of these two brothers would have even begun to obey the Lord physically unless and until they obeyed Him on this spiritual point, FIRST!
Perpetually disobeying Jesus??? Can you imagine the horrible killing effect of that on your relationships??? (Yikes!!! Shivers!!! We’re already living in that hell, too much, aren’t we???)
~ Timothy Brassell
You Are Being Summoned By Jesus Christ!
Filed under: By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, Trinity | Tags: Christian Living, Christianity, Jesus, Perichoresis, Trinity
Leave a comment Jesus is always summoning you to himself as the secret truth of your life. This audio will help you understand in a deeper way how Jesus is the secret behind everything and everyone in your life.
You Are Being Summoned By Jesus Christ! by Tim Brassell
The $#*% that’s About to Hit the Fan
Filed under: By John Stonecypher, Christian Living, Scripture Paraphrases, Trinity | Tags: Bible, Christian Living, Matthew, Perichoresis, Sermon on the Mount, Trinity
Leave a comment A Christ-centered, Trinitarian paraphrase of Matthew 7:15-27
(15) Beware pious predators who come to exploit your fear and shame in order to lead you down the easy wide road of religion. They are wolves disguised as sheep, but there is no reason for you to fall for their tricks. (16) You will know them not so much by listening to their words but by attending to the fruit they produce. If a plant produces grapes, you know it’s not a thistle. (17) Ask yourself: Is the fruit of the Spirit being produced here? – Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, and self-control? If yes, then you know it’s a healthy tree, a prophet of truth. If no, then you know it’s a sick tree, a prophet of lies. It’s as simple as that. (18) It’s impossible for bad fruit to come off a good tree, or for good fruit to come off a bad tree. (19) The time is coming, and it’s very soon, when the bad trees will be consumed in flames. (20) Keep watch for them, and don’t eat their fruit.
(21) As you watch for the coming of that day, remember: Saying I’m your king is not the same thing as living under my saving rule. You will experience the Triune life only to the extent that you share in my obedience to Papa. (22) When the fire of catastrophe hits this generation, many will call out my name, saying “My king, my king, we have performed so many cool religious tricks for you! Shouldn’t that exempt us from experiencing the awful consequences of our awful behavior? (23) Then I will say: “Look, buddy, whatever kind of privileged relationship you think you have with me, you DON’T. Your actions and their consequences are YOUR business, not mine. If you don’t like the results of your behavior, you might consider behaving in some other way. It’s your choice, not mine. Look me up someday when you’re ready to stop playing this game.”
(24) Everyone who, instead of playing games, thinks and lives in accordance with the truth, is like the guy who built his house on a solid foundation. (25) The hurricane came and pounded that house, but the house survived because it had been built on something real, solid, and enduring. (26) But those who do not hear and believe and act on what I’m saying, they are like the guy who built his house on sand. (27) The hurricane came and pounded that house. It washed all the sand away, and the house collapsed – not one stone left on another. This is not a game.
~ John Stonecypher
How Can We Serve You?
Filed under: By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Gospel, Trinity | Tags: Christian Living, Christianity, Gospel, Jesus, Perichoresis, Trinity
Comments (6) I am about to enjoy some vacation time and boy do I want and need it!!! Thank You Jesus!
However, in the truth of my involvement with you in the gracious Dance and Dream of the Father, Son and Spirit, part of the reason I look forward to vacation is the anticipation of getting back (after private renewal and recharge!!!) to proclaim the Gospel publicly again! I may be misguided and a little off base in many people’s view (and sometimes my own! Ha-Ha!), but I personally believe that I am doing what I was specifically called and developed to do in the grace of the Triune God! I am called distinctly to participate with Jesus in preaching and proclaiming The Good News of Himself in Relationship with the Trinity, Humanity and All of Creation!
More and more I feel like I can relate with the Apostle Paul as he spoke these words in Acts 20:22-24 (The Message):
22-24“But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I’m completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I do know that it won’t be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.
And with that one and only Gospel of God the Trinity’s shared Relationship, Communion and Oneness in mind, I no longer believe in doing anything alone! The Father has never done anything alone. Jesus has never done anything alone. The Holy Spirit has never done anything by Himself. In His grace, I, too, want to intentionally participate in and share in that EXACT way of His living!
Those things being noted, HOW CAN WE ON THIS BLOG SERVE YOU??? As Jesus Christ is personally encountering you, and sharing with YOU His self-giving and shared life, what subjects would YOU like to see us address on this blog in the Light of the Gospel of our Adoption into the Trinity in Jesus? What kind of short 15 min. audio messages would help you to help others as you participate with Jesus in reaching out to others in His Education of the Human Race? What questions do you and other have in Light of the fact that Jesus is the Light of the World?
John 8:12, 12Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”
That being the truth revealed in the Person of Jesus, there is no subject we can address and not have Jesus shed some light on it (even though we still see through a glass darkly!)
We are up to the challenge in Jesus – SO, Bring it on!!!
Jesus will help us think, speak and do in His thinking, speaking and doing! Thanks in advance for participating with us in His shared life, and I look forward to growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus with you when I return!
~ Timothy Brassell
P.S. If you would rather bring up your ideas outside of the comment section of this blog, please write us at theadoptedlife@gmail.com .
Listen Up, Posers
Filed under: By John Stonecypher, Christian Living, Scripture Paraphrases, Trinity | Tags: Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Jesus, Matthew, Sermon on the Mount, Trinity
Comments (1) A Christ-centered Trinitarian paraphrase of Matthew 7.1-14
Beware the temptation to manipulate others by acting like you are better than them. (2) When you do, you’re just teaching people how they should treat you. (3) While you’re busy offering “helpful advice” to your neighbor on how to get the speck of sawdust out of his eye, (4) you have a whole log stuck in your own eye. (5) Listen, poser… Go deal with your log. Once you become a clear-sighted person, your neighbor might even ask you for help with his speck. Until then, mind your own business. (6) When he asks for help, that means he’s ready to receive help. But until then, even good advice is as useful to him as a Bible is to a dog. Pearls are useless and annoying to pigs. So too are pearls of wisdom to people who haven’t asked for them.
(7) After all, that’s how free, distinct-but-not-separate persons relate – We ASK things of one another; we make REQUESTS. You know how it works: You ask somebody for something, and then they give it to you. You knock on the door, and then someone opens it. (8) This is not rocket science. If you want something, ask for it. If you want to find something, look for it. If you want a door opened, knock on it. We relate to our Papa in the same way. (9) Think about your own kids. When your kid asks for a snack, do you give him a rock? (10) Or if he asks for a cheeseburger, do you give him a snake? Of course not! (11) You’re not exactly a star in the sainthood department, but even YOU know how to give good things to your kids. How much more will your Papa, who sits in the driver’s seat of the universe, give to his kids the good things they ask him for! (12) In all your dealings with people, treat them this way, the way you yourself want to be treated. That is Scripture’s wisdom in a nutshell.
(13) There is only one Triune life of love, but there are a thousand ways to avoid it, to participate less than fully in it. These paths are easy; that’s why most people take them. The destruction that is coming on this generation will be the result of the easy paths they choose. (14) There is only one path that escapes that destruction, and it is hard, very hard. It is the way of peace and truth and forgiveness, the way of the Triune life in this world. Only a few are walking that road. Be one of them.
~ John Stonecypher
Life (and Christianity) is for the “Birds”!
Filed under: By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Gospel, Trinity | Tags: Christian Living, Christianity, Jesus, Perichoresis, Preaching, Spiritual Formation, Spirituality, Trinity
Comments (4) Everywhere I turn, lately, that is the message I have been getting!
On this very blog, in the form of a Trinitarian paraphrase, John Stonecypher translated Matthew 6:25-30 in the following way:
(25) The secret is this: Just chill out. Really. Don’t even stress about the necessities of life, like food and clothing. To worry is to be out-of-touch with the real world. (26) Birds know this. They don’t even have jobs; they just enjoy feasting every day from Papa’s own hand. Can you imagine the possibility that he cares for you at least that much? (27) Worrying – even about the basics of life – is a complete waste of time. (30) Flowers live for a day, and Papa clothes them wondrously for that whole day. Can you imagine the possibility that he just might take such good care of you? Can you look outside your blindness, see with my eyes and glimpse the truth?
So THAT’S why the birds fly so freely (and the flowers grow so beautiful and quickly), they are “allowing” the Father to take care of everything and meet every need!
I am currently in a class at Grace Communion Seminary entitled “The Practice of Ministry”, and guess what one of the main reading assignments is? That’s right – a book entitled The Crucifixion of Ministry! In this book we are being taught that there is only one ministry, the ministry of Jesus Christ. We are not called to have or do our own ministry, but only to participate in Jesus’ ministry as He (Jesus) does it! Andrew Purves quotes Thomas Merton from his book entitled New Seeds of Contemplation, and writes,
“How does an apple ripen? It sits in the sun.” That was Merton’s metaphor for Christian piety. We are to abide in, rest in, and have our home deeply in Jesus. It is that easy… One of the most difficult aspects of piety is learning that in a sense, there is nothing we need to do. ~ The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 119.
Talk about a pastoral ministry and life yoke that is more easy! UNDERSTATEMENT!
Finally, I have been re-inspired in my 2nd reading of Robert Farrar Capon’s book The Foolishness of Preaching with these helpful thoughts resulting from the scandal of the Gospel:
For in the end, nothing counts, and nothing alone counts, in the drawing of his Love and the voice of his Calling. Even your faith doesn’t matter. I mean that. Your faith may make a difference to you – to your enjoyment of the divine comedy you’re selling tickets to, and the hilarity of your pitches for it. But it doesn’t matter to God. He’s assured you that he’s brought the scenario of creation and redemption to its conclusion all by himself, without assistance from you or anybody. You may believe in him or not believe in him. You may trust him on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and decide he is full of baloney on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. And on Sunday, you may proclaim your faith in him, or prattle on about your erudition, or indulge your talent for quoting second-rate poetry. Or you can call in sick. But none of it will hold even an unlit candle to what he has done for you. ~ The Foolishness of Preaching, pp. 28-29
It is probably by grasping this subject that GK Chesterton is quoted as saying, “Angels fly because they take themselves lightly.”
Ha-Ha! I think I am finally getting the point and want to live more and more like the birds! How about you????
~ Timothy Brassell
The Assurance of Communion
Filed under: By Jonathan Stepp, Christian Living, Gospel, Trinity, Worship | Tags: Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Communion, Eucharist, Gospel, Jesus, Perichoresis, Trinity, Worship
Comments (5) Does communion bring you assurance or anxiety?
A lot depends on how communion is conducted by those leading it. Communion can be given in such a way as to baptize the souls of the congregation in assurance or in anxiety.
The Holy Spirit is speaking assurance to peoples’ souls.
He is assuring them of the communion they have with the Father in Jesus. If our celebration of communion speaks – by words and actions – of this same communion then we are in step with the Spirit and the souls of those who participate will be assured in their Father’s love for them.
There are ways of taking communion that can contradict the Spirit’s work of assurance.
The most common way that I have seen the Spirit contradicted in communion is by leaders who talk about our “responsibilities” with regard to communion. These speeches, as I have heard them, run the gamut from relatively short jabs to long diatribes. The themes range from lectures about “examining yourself” and being sure you are repentant to guilt trips about evangelism and saving people from hell. I understand where some pastors think they are getting this sort of thing (from 1 Cor. 11, for example) but the Bible was not written to contradict the person of Christ. If we find ourselves quoting the Bible and talking about ideas that contradict the absolute assurance of Jesus’ identity as the union of the Trinity and humanity then we are misusing the Bible.
The assurance of communion is really quite simple.
Communion is reassuring because it is all about who Jesus is and how he is totally for humanity, on our side, and sharing with us the communion of the Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are communion. In Jesus, humanity has now been included in that communion. The fact that Jesus is human – he is flesh (bread) and blood (wine) – is our assurance that we are liked, love, and accepted into the life of the Trinity.
~ Jonathan Stepp
Insider Trading, The Jesus Way
Filed under: By John Stonecypher, Christian Living, Scripture Paraphrases, Trinity | Tags: Bible, Christian Living, Matthew, Perichoresis, The Sermon on the Mount, Trinity
Comments (3) A Trinitarian, Christ-Centered Interpretation of Matthew 6:19-34
(19) I have an insider investment tip for you: Your 401(k) isn’t as solid as you think; it’s tied up in assets that have no future, so get out now. (20) Earth, Inc. is getting taken over by New Creation Corp. It’s a done deal, but most people don’t know about it yet. In the end, New Creation will be the only stock worth owning anyway, and it’s 100% guaranteed against depreciation and theft. It’s time to start dealing in the currency of the future – Love.
(21) By the way, your investment portfolio perfectly reveals what you actually believe in. (22) Your whole body lives according to whatever it is you fix your eye upon, whatever it is that fills your vision. If your eye is healthy and clear, fixed on the things that matter, you get filled up with truth, and you live according to reality. (23) But if you fill your vision instead with a bunch of products you want to purchase, it blocks out the light, and you live in the dark. (24) I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking about ‘balancing’ your devotion to Papa and to Mammon. You can forget that idea right now. There’s no such thing as a person who makes sacrifices at both altars. You have to choose. Pick your god and quit waffling.
(25) The secret is this: Just chill out. Really. Don’t even stress about the necessities of life, like food and clothing. To worry is to be out-of-touch with the real world. (26) Birds know this. They don’t even have jobs; they just enjoy feasting every day from Papa’s own hand. Can you imagine the possibility that he cares for you at least that much? (27) Worrying – even about the basics of life – is a complete waste of time. (28) Flowers know this. Do you see them raising and shearing sheep, spinning yarn and weaving clothes for themselves? (29) Yet not even the most super of supermodels is so well-dressed. (30) Flowers live for a day, and Papa clothes them wondrously for that whole day. Can you imagine the possibility that he just might take such good care of you? Can you look outside your blindness, see with my eyes and glimpse the truth?
(31) So again I say, chill out about things like food and drink and clothing. (32) Those who worry about such things don’t know the first thing about reality. What’s real is the simple fact that YOUR DAD is in the driver’s seat of the world, and he’s well aware of your needs. (33) Take all that energy you used to spend worrying, and spend it on New Creation instead. Share in my work of setting the world right by earthing the Triune life within it. And along the way, you and me, we’ll dress like flowers and eat like birds. (34) We will face today’s challenges today and tomorrow’s challenges tomorrow.
~ John Stonecypher
Healthy Habits for Living Loved: #1 – Secrecy
Filed under: By John Stonecypher, Christian Living, Gospel, Scripture Paraphrases, Trinity | Tags: Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Jesus, Matthew, Perichoresis, Sermon on the Mount, Trinity
Leave a comment A Trinitarian Paraphrase of Matthew 6:1-16
(6.1) As you live out the Triune goodness in your life, beware the temptation to use it to impress people. If love is a means to some other end, it is not love. (2) If ulterior motives are intruding into your attempts at love, try exercising the discipline of secrecy. For example, when you give to the poor, don’t publicize it. If you do it for publicity, publicity is all you’ll get. You want more than that; you want to share in the Triune life of self-giving love. (3) So when you give to the poor, be sneaky about it. Try to make it so nobody knows but you and Papa. (4) As this practice of secrecy kills off your ulterior motives, you will become more able to experience the joy of giving.
(5) If you want to impress people with your spiritual skills, just find a stage and perform a prayer on it. It really works, if that is indeed what you want. (6) But you want something more—real sharing in the eternal Triune conversation. If your desire to impress people is poisoning your prayer life, try praying in private behind a closed door, where those ulterior motives won’t get in the way. (7) And remember, our relationship with Papa is not magic. There are no magic words or phrases that you need to use in order to make it ‘work.’ Long prayers are no better than short ones, and vice versa. (8) Don’t be like that. Papa knows what you need even before you ask.
(9) You want me to teach you how to pray? It’s REALLY complicated. Watch this:
Hi, Papa. We’re so happy you’re the one who’s running things. You are wonderful to us; nothing compares to you. (10) More than anything else, we long for the day when the whole world will know you fully and happily work at your side. (11) But in the meantime, take care of our needs today. (12) Help us to share in your cheerful love for us and for everyone, despite the bad choices we will all make today. (13) Help us to respond wisely to today’s little trials, so that they won’t grow into big trials for tomorrow. Help us to not believe lies today.
(14) Papa’s forgiveness is a funny thing: we receive it by giving it away to others. (15) When you refuse to give forgiveness to others, you are refusing to receive it from Papa. Not a real shrewd move.
(16) Anyway, back to the thing about secrecy… When you fast, don’t advertise what you’re doing. That will work if you want to build a reputation as a ‘spiritual person,’ but that’s all you’ll get. (17) Instead, try being an undercover faster. Wash your face and do your hair, (18) so it won’t be obvious you’re fasting. The secrecy will kill off your ulterior motives, so that they won’t get in the way as you learn to live on Something other than bread alone.
~ John Stonecypher
God’s Good Judgment
Filed under: By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Gospel, Grace Communion International, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity | Tags: Christian Living, God's Wrath, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Jesus, Judgment, Trinity
Comments (6) When you think of a Father’s judgment on his kids, what comes to mind? If you are talking about God the Father it may not be what you think!
This audio will help you get a better perspective on the Father’s judgment:
God’s Good Judgment by Tim Brassell