The Shaking

Shaking. That stirs memories of quotations used in my early years to terrify me into working harder to become perfect in preparation for a great time of trouble that will occur near the end of earth's history. I do not want to discount that a terrible time of trouble will indeed occur that is worse than anything in the history of the world and worse than anything we can even imagine. This is clearly predicted in the book of Daniel and I personally believe we are seeing the dark shadows of it looming behind the illusions promoted in the news media right now. But the assumptions about how we are to prepare for it need to be seriously challenged and revised considerably given the emerging truths about God and the nature of His glory that I have been learning about recently.

As I talk with different people about a looming financial collapse possibly as early as this summer and the very likely massive chaos that would ensue, the common theme that emerges is the desire to take control in some way or another. There is talk of stockpiling supplies so that we won't go hungry like everyone around us may. There is talk if attempting to wrest the government out of the control of those who have subverted its original intent and then returning us to a governance of a true Republic under the guidance and control of the common people. But all of these ideas and plans I believe are doomed to failure and loss because they do not take into account the dramatic difference between the two diametrically opposed concepts of reality.

And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN." This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:26-29)

If our trust and hope gives priority to our schemes and beliefs about looking out for our own welfare, stockpiling vital supplies, defending ourselves through the threat or use of violence or building bunkers to trust in during times of upheaval, we will suddenly be shaken out of those false hopes and will too late realize that physical preparations are not the real issues that need our most urgent attention. Likewise, if we memorize Scriptures and compile convincing arguments to harden our positions behind lists of doctrines or favorite theological issues without giving even more effort to allowing the Spirit of God to transform and sweeten our own spirit, we will also find ourselves shaken and unstable in the coming violent social and spiritual earthquakes.

As I contemplate over this passage and try to understand some of the real meanings of these warnings I continue to look at the difference between the things as shakable and those that will remain. Implied in these verses is the idea that the Old Jerusalem and all hopes attached with it are going to be part of what is shaken and will not remain whereas the New Jerusalem needs to be the focus of our attention. Things that give emphasis to lots of display of power and inducing fear are the kinds of things that will pass away in the shaking whereas the things that don't appear to be so obvious to us and are right now unseen by us physically are actually much more real and stable.

The external, artificial, counterfeit reality that we humans have built cannot withstand the shaking caused when the true reality stirs from heaven. The things we tend to doubt as being real are more real that the things we insist are real. Heavenly beings must be baffled at our stubbornness and intransigence to believe in what is real, but we are so immersed in constant brainwashing to maintain our artificial perception of reality that we allow too little time for true reality to be perceived and to take root in our spirit and heart.

It takes nearly continual medication, infusions of fresh deception that seems so true and important, rehearsals of well-honed arguments, entertainment filled with our favorite themes of violence, perversion, false sources of life and artificial manipulations of our emotions – all of these keep us isolated or inoculated against the barrage of supernatural and natural messages coming to us from God in His desire for us to see His real beauty, intelligence and attractiveness.

It really takes a lot of constant effort to be lost. We say it is easy and it seems to be because we are so surrounded by the strong current of deceptions and it is easy to just be swept along with them. But if we would allow our spirit be quiet and step away from the commotion designed to keep us distracted, if we would pay attention to the cries and longings of our hearts without medicating them with addictions and pleasures, entertainment or intellectual obsessiveness we would notice that there is an alternative voice offering real healing, real life and real hope.

Because religion has been assumed to represent the truth about God in various ways we have been deluded, disappointed and cynical and have come to believe that God can't really be an effective solution for our “real” needs. We might say that we believe but what is our heart really feeling? But if we will look past the paradigms of religion of any persuasion and listen more carefully to the still small voice that has been there all along but drowned out by all the cacophony we keep going in our environment, then we will have a chance to move toward the “other” reality, the real one.

In reality our religion must far exceed that of religious people or we will never experience God in life-transforming ways as we need to. This is because most religious people have carefully segregated the spirit away from didactic or intellectual truth and in doing so the truth has lost all its power and the spirit has lost all its safety parameters. In this state of high instability, we will easily be shaken and will fall into ruin when true reality emerges as it is about to do.

Very clearly the first list in verses 18-21 here in Hebrews 12 are going to be shaken and removed soon and the second list which is completely stable and immovable will take its place. The real issue is, which kind of life are we choosing to trust our future with? If we trust in an intellectually dominated kind of religion based on our performance, an emphasis on outward symptoms and mixed with desires for power, control over others and impressive, fear-based rules and consequences, then we are entrenching ourselves in a system that is doomed to be soon shaken out of existence. This kind of religion is modeled after the world's artificial constructs and depends on externals as its foundation. And even though it may be very convincing and even righteous-looking it has no real, reliable foundation to withstand the explosion of reality soon to burst on this planet.

Of course, we always assume that it is the next person that has this delusion and it is never us. But to think that way is to betray the very pride and spiritual arrogance that is the clear indicator that we are in the greatest danger ourselves. The “goats” in Jesus' story of the judgment (Matt. 25) clearly were totally convinced and confident that they had religion all down pat and were deserving of eternal life. Jesus did not point out one single problem with their righteous performance or theology, but He sadly had to relay to them in essence that only intimate friends of the heart level are safe to bring into close proximity to the God who is a consuming fire.

Who is going to be ready for the great Time of Trouble? Who will be prepared or properly aligned so that they will remain after all the dust and smoke settles from the mighty shaking predicted here? All of Satan's kingdom, the artificial system of reality and relationships and rules based on fear, force and externals is going to be shaken so thoroughly that someday it will no longer exist in any form. The true reality of heaven is going to be restored in perfect love, freedom, harmony and joy. The Kingdom of Heaven referred to here that we have the privilege of receiving if we are willing to be aligned with it right now will be the winner of this time of shaking that we are now likely entering. But what does it really mean to be a part of that kingdom if it is radically different than anything we have assumed before?

Finding the answers to these most important questions will also give us crucial clues as to how to properly prepare for the very real crisis that is about to explode on our country and the whole world possibly in the next few months.

This kingdom is clearly much more about relationships than it is about performance. It is about joy, love and peace and not based on fear. It is focused on the real truth about God and what He is like instead of about getting ourselves fixed up nicely. It is about inner transformation of heart and spirit more than about displays of power and desires for control over others. It is about responding to the magnetism of heaven and the universal companionship waiting for us to reconnect rather than about fear-motivated obedience. It is about receiving the gifts of peace, righteousness, life and identity from Jesus. This is how we receive the kingdom which cannot be shaken.

When we begin to grasp the true nature of this kingdom – that it is not something which we create but simply receive – then our gratitude and service will be totally spontaneous and irrepressible. We will be so much in awe of the magnitude of the passion and glory of our God of love that we will not be afraid to trust Him to protect us in the face of anything this world may use to frighten or intimidate us. Our God does not give us a spirit of fear. If anything claims to be religious truth and utilizes fear as its lubricant I am always highly suspicious of its true origin.

One of the clearest texts in the Bible revealing those who will be able to remain through the shaking and will be prepared to approach this consuming fiery God is found in Isaiah. There are very serious implications in this passage about our typical preferences in entertainment and even news consumption. Allow the Spirit of God to speak as you meditate on this inspired word from the God of the real reality.

"Now I will arise," says the LORD, "Now I will be exalted, now I will be lifted up. "You have conceived chaff, you will give birth to stubble; My breath will consume you like a fire. "The peoples will be burned to lime, like cut thorns which are burned in the fire. "You who are far away, hear what I have done; and you who are near, acknowledge My might." Sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling has seized the godless. "Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, he who rejects unjust gain and shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; he who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; he will dwell on the heights, his refuge will be the impregnable rock; his bread will be given him, his water will be sure. Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; they will behold a far-distant land. (Isaiah 33:10-17)

(next in series)

How to Get Ready for Hell

A personal story from this morning's devotion by Jon Pauline affected me deeply as it somehow bypassed my intellectual filters and resonated with emotions in my heart. It also connected strongly with what I am meditating on in Hebrews and a wonderful picture is coalescing from all the pieces.

The story he shared was of a time when he had to go the the office of the school's loan officer to beg for a loan so he could stay in school after his wife lost her job. After he had sat for quite some time in the waiting room a teenage girl walked into the room, pointed to the closed door of the officer and after a nod from the secretary opened the door and walked into the inner office.

At first this did not seem fair at all. Jon had been sitting for a long time waiting to see the officer and this girl was barging right in without hardly waiting at all. But something immediately clued him in as to what was really going on. When the girl opened the door she looked in and said, “Daddy?” and then walked right in.

The point of this story became very clear. This girl had special privileges with the loan officer because of a very intimate relationship she had with him that Jon did not have. Because of her close relationship with him she was able to do things that were unthinkable to everyone else.

The exact same situation applies to our access to God. But I believe that it has to be much more than just a profession of the mind that gives us the real confidence necessary to boldly come before the throne of the Almighty. That kind of religion will quickly melt and disappear in the presence of the consuming fire which is the essence of this Source of all energy and life everywhere. We will never be able to have that assurance and confidence that we so much need and crave unless our heart somehow grasps the reality of our special relationship that has been provided to us through the mediation of the New Covenant by the firstborn Son of God.

As I think back over the many things that have come to my attention and moved my spirit in my extended examination of Hebrews 12 I realize that this is one of the most important points for my own heart to grasp and cling to. Early in this chapter there was discussion about discipline and the need to determine whether I am a legitimate son or not. That determination will be decided by my choice as to how I will accept or reject the discipline coming into my life from my Daddy in heaven.

But for me it is also very important to remind myself that my Heavenly Father does not discipline the way my earthly father did and that my picture or image of a father has to be continually challenged and realigned to the real truth about God that He has been increasingly revealing to me over the past few years. Whenever my heart becomes afraid that God is out to hurt me deliberately or has an attitude of punitive punishment I am reminded that God is not contaminated with the mixed passions and the selfish desire for control or revenge like human fathers often possess. The real truth about God as revealed in Jesus is setting me free from the law of sin and death.

This revelation to my heart also unlocks one by one the roots of bitterness that have wreaked so much damage in my life and poisoned my spirit for so long. The more I expose my heart to fresh revelations of beauty and truth brought to me by the Father of my spirit the more courage I have to be confident to knock on his door and say, “Daddy, can I come in for a visit?”

This really helps me to understand even better the two contrasting passages that I have been looking at for several days now. What I am being told here is that the room that I have come to to find God is not a room filled with external exhibitions of fire, darkness, gloom, tornadoes, intense noise and words – all of which tend to intimidate and make me afraid. God does not desire my obedience to be based on a heart full of fear and driven by a desire to appease so that I can survive another day. That is the kind of religion that nearly all the world promotes and that is all too familiar to me, but that is not the truth of the gospel.

I have come to the waiting room where I find myriads of joyful angels eager to excitedly introduce me to my Daddy that I have not known much about. I am coming to the very large family of all those who already have learned that this God is their Daddy and are my true siblings, whose names are already secured in the book of the Family of Heaven. I am coming to God Himself who is the one who knows the fears and lies that have so long distorted my concepts about Him and He so much longs to remove and replace those with the amazing truth about His love and passion that He wants me to experience in His presence. And I am coming to the place where I find Jesus, the firstborn Son of God who by His own sacrifice and demonstration of the Father's love for me on calvary has done everything possible to convince me that I really am a legitimate child of the Almighty Sovereign of the Universe.

But implicit in my option to knock on the door of the throne room of the universe there is a warning necessary. It is not a warning that emanates from any ill-will on the part of anyone involved in this room like I would assume in the other room previously described, but there is immense danger here that I need to be very aware of. For this God is so pure, so awesome, so powerful and literally “hot” that if I am not willing to be purified completely and abide securely under the transforming covering of the life and death of Jesus, that power will ignite any and all resistance to Him within my heart and mind and I will suffer intense torture instead of intense joy.

It is not God's desire in the slightest that I experience that torture and that is why He is so careful to remind me of its potential before I get too exposed to His glory. He is in the business of purifying many children and bringing them closer and closer to full holiness (cleanness) so that they will be able to ignite in glorious reflection of His own beauty and passion that will be fully exposed on the day of Final Judgment. He has to be extremely particular about the thoroughness of this cleansing not because He has a dark side that needs to punish or get revenge but because He knows the liability and importance of being in full synchronization with His immense power before being exposed to it.

That is what salvation is all about. Salvation is the means by which everyone who is willing to be changed and who will surrender their rights for their own management to Jesus and His assistant the Holy Spirit who has been appointed to prepare them, heart, soul and mind, for the ultimate experience of joy and power on the day of Judgment. Any other choice or dilution of that preparation will result in tragedy and total loss when the full voltage of God's glory is finally revealed and unleashed. Salvation is the process of rewiring our minds and hearts and habits until we are ready to be assembled into the incredible, unimaginable being called the Body of Christ which at this point we have almost no inkling of what that means.

The last few verses of Hebrews 12 is a description of the final judgment and of hell. What is really amazing and comes as a shock to most people is when it is realized that everyone – yes everyone – is going to show up in hell. There is no way anyone can ever escape the fires of hell. Every human being who has every walked on this planet will all be exposed to the fires of hell and all at the same time according to Revelation. I realize that this sounds more than preposterous but it is the truth that I have been studying for several years now and that has so transformed my whole view of life, of God and of reality.

Verse 27 here says that there is going to be one last time when the voice of God – the revelation of His glory and awesomeness – is going to shake things. But this time it is not going to be the little light-and-sound show that was seen on Mount Sinai and that scared the Israelites half to death including even Moses. No, that was just a very tiny, measured and restricted leak of glory compared to what is coming next time. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN." This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. (Hebrews 12:26-27)

This is the very real warning that all the world must become aware of in order to properly make their decision as to whether they will allow themselves to be transformed by the renewing of their minds and hearts or whether they will choose to trust in religion or even simply reject God's offer altogether in favor of getting all they can get right now. Reality is what God is trying to explain to us and we cannot really create our own reality apart from the truth He is showing us. We may think we have collectively produced an alternate viable reality in our political structures, our religious institutions, our self-medication attempts or any other number of alternative options. But there is only one true reality and that is the one known in heaven and soon to be exposed here on earth.

See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. (Hebrews 12:25)

So why do I believe that every person is destined for the fires of hell? That sounds like an outrageous claim and many have challenged me to substantiate it from the Bible. I realize that it sounds outrageous at first glance but the more I have studied this the more I get very excited about going to hell. One of the most important texts that validate this new insight is found right here in Hebrews 12.

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28-29)

Please take careful note that this does not say that God is only a consuming fire to those who refuse Him and is very cool toward those who love Him. It simply states the ultimate and unavoidable fact that God is a consuming fire – period. That means that to be introduced into close proximity to God is to be exposed to the consuming fire. The Bible clearly teaches that God does not change. So if He never changes, never has and never will, then how are we to relate to this problem of needing to get close to our Daddy but not wanting to suffer from the intense fire?

That is one of the most important questions that people can ever have. Just being aware of the truth of this problem is a giant step toward discovering the real truth about God and about ourselves and salvation. God is not stirring around some cauldron of fire and fiendishly dangling lost sinners over the open flames to torture them for eternity for not choosing to love Him. That kind of teaching is Satanic to the core. But neither is He going thunder down sheets of fire in an outburst of anger at the last day to arbitrarily punish those who refused His love as an act of vengeance. That is nearly just as demonic as the first scenario. I realize that many texts can be strung together to justify that kind of thinking, but if a person is willing to release their preconceived notions and traditions and take a fresh look at what the Bible itself really reveals, it will be seen that the problem is never on God's side but on our need for preparation for exposure to this Source of all energy, power and life that is even more than fire.

I have dedicated a whole web site to exploring this topic and if anyone wishes to look into this more they can visit it. I have more material and a many dozens of Scripture references that I still need to add to that location. I am also eager myself to continue to learn more and unwrap the exciting elements of this truth that is so powerful and life-changing. When I came to realize for myself that God will never impose punishment on anyone arbitrarily but that the pain and torture suffered by the lost will be 100% caused by their own refusal to be re-outfitted for exposure to the fiery passion of love that is the essence of God's presence, my own heart melted with new love and respect for Him in response to this revelation about God and I exclaimed, “I believe I can really love a God like that!”

That is the response that I believe everyone will have who catches a glimpse of the real truth about Him. In addition they will become empowered and motivated to want to naturally respond in acts of love and service for a God who is not out to hurt them but wants to prepare them for the ultimate joys of total intimacy in His presence. That is the real message of verse 28 here that is the lead-in for chapter 13. ...let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe...

Chapter 13 launches into descriptions of what this spontaneous offering of service to God looks like. These are not lists of duties that must be performed or commands that we have to fulfill to please a stern God demanding our performances. These are opportunities and suggestions that are offered to anyone who has become enamored with the beauty of God's character, has accepted the mentoring and discipline of the perfect Daddy and is in great awe and reverence at the incredible magnitude of the fiery passion that powers this Being of unrestrainable love. What follows is simply a description of what our lives will look like when we become captivated by the transformational truth about God that the rest of the universe is eagerly waiting for us to catch on to.

Daddy, You have touched my heart, emotions and spirit this morning as You have shared so many of these things with me. Every time I explore these truths about You I feel even more energized and awed by Your perfect love, Your powerful passion and the real reasons behind Your warnings. I accept Your warnings of my need to be completely clean before I can enjoy full exposure to Your glory. Like Moses I am begging You to show me Your face even though I realize I can't handle a full view of it quite yet. I give You complete permission to finish the process of cleaning out all the lies about You that mess up and distort my mental picture of You. Fill me with the real truth about Your fiery glory, Your constant and never-changing love and Your perfect beauty. Make my life a better reflection of Your attractiveness and help me not to resist when the heat gets turned up. Because if You are a consuming fire then the heat I feel inside not only indicates that I have resistors that need to be removed and replaced but it also tells me You are getting closer to me and that is good news in disguise. I worship You as the only Source of life and joy and hope. Fill me with Your love right now for Your name's sake.

(next in series)

God's Urgent Appeal

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24)

I looked up the word for come here and it added even more to my excitement about this passage. In essence it means the goal or focus of the forward direction in which you are headed, the object of worship and our movement closer toward that object. What I would like to do here is to put these verses into words that I believe more accurately convey the original intent of the author.

(referring back to verses 9 and 18) As a person willing to be discipled by the Father of our spirits, you are not moving toward an external religion of fear, outward and obvious displays of power or performance but you are moving toward intimacy with all of those who with you are focused on the mountain of God, Mount Zion which represents the concentration of all those who are connected with the living, real God and are going to spend eternity together in the real Jerusalem.

Your focus of direction is toward becoming reconnected in close fellowship and joy with all the unfallen angels and other beings throughout all the universe, to collectively make up the true church that reflects the likeness and character of the Son of God. These are the ones who's names and identities are recorded in heaven as being safe to preserve alive so that the unity of heaven will never be in danger of a relapse into sin.

You are moving closer to God the Father who by His very presence causes exposure of the inner truth about each being and whose likeness is increasingly becoming more obvious in the spirits of all those who are willing to be made perfect through transformation and synchronization by His Spirit.

You are coming to Jesus, the one who most perfectly represents the Father and whose purpose is to convince everyone possible to believe the real truth about God and His attitude toward all His created beings – how He is unconditionally committed to their good and who's ultimate desire is full reunification of the perfect fellowship and harmony enjoyed before all the slander of Lucifer broke out. The true covenant of God, the one He made (instead of the one thought up by humans) means that God is unequivocally committed to the salvation of everyone willing to have their spirit brought back into harmony with His heart irregardless of their performance. The demonstration of God as revealed in the torture and death of Jesus by demoniacally inspired humans was the ultimate demonstration, far more so than Abel's death was at the hands of his own brother Cain, that there is absolutely nothing we can do that can cause God to hate us or desire to do us harm.

See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. (Hebrews 12:25)

Given the overwhelming evidence of the desire of God for our restoration into fellowship, not only with Him but with all His loyal beings throughout all the universe, if we refuse His heart's call to us and turn away to the false imitations of external religion or selfish living we will prepare ourselves to suffer the terrible, self-inflicted consequences of unimaginable torture in hell and ultimate annihilation, not inflicted by an angry God but self-induced by the resistance of our own hearts and minds to the immense and intense power of the love of the One who not only created us for love but died to convince us of that love. If we refuse – which is embedding more resistance into our psyche – that very resistance will be the cause of the destructive fire caused when our resistance meets the full “current and voltage” of the revelation of the truth about God and His love on the day of Judgment.

Notice that this verse does NOT say that it is those who turn away from some set of doctrines or some denomination or group or who turn away from some religion or belief system or even a religious leader. It is a person, in essence the One who is all heart from which they choose to turn away to some other source from which they hope to receive life or salvation. It is only in directly connecting with God without any intermediary that we can ever hope to enjoy fellowship with God and His children throughout eternity.

Father, my growing desire and obsession is to more accurately and perfectly reflect the truth about You. Please use the gifts and skills that You have given me to improve Your reputation in the minds of those around me. That is a passion You have implanted in my heart and that is growing more intense. I want to genuinely bring glory to Your reputation and not to myself. Continue to transform and heal my mind and heart as You make me a demonstration of Your successful experiments with hearts. Thank-you for what You have done and are continuing to do. I choose to worship and praise You for what You have revealed to me here and for all the plans You yet have to share with me. You are incredible, perfect, compassionate and always the same. Bring my heart and spirit into closer harmony with Yours.

(next in series)

Better than Abel

...and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24)

I am slowly contemplating my way through the list of realities presented here in Hebrews in contrast to the previous list that it contrasts. Yesterday I dwelt on the idea of membership and what that might possibly mean for me. There are so many insights to capture here that I am loathe to go back to previous studies that I left off some time ago to visit this. But my real desire is for my heart to learn at least as much but preferably more than my intellect in these times of devotion. So as I consider the words I always try to keep my spirit open to whatever God's Spirit may have for me in these moments to transform my heart and inner belief system.

I notice this morning in reviewing verses 22-24 that there may potentially be clusters of things instead of individual items. The clusters, if this is true, have three items each and the items relate to the first descriptor in the cluster.

First is Mount Zion – the city of the living God – the heavenly Jerusalem.

Then myriads of angels – the universal companionship – the church of the firstborn.

Then God – the Judge of all – the spirits of the righteous made perfect.

Then Jesus – the mediator of a new covenant – the sprinkled blood (of Jesus).

At first the spirits of the righteous made perfect may seem to refer to spirits of people apart from God. But if the pattern is true – and I believe it very well may apply – then I think it could have just as easily been translated in such a way as to refer to the Spirit of God as revealed in the spirits of all those who allow Him to make them perfect or mature. The focus very likely needs to be more on the God who produces the fruit of righteousness in the lives of His people more than on the people themselves. And since it is really only one God who is behind their true motivations, who is transforming them and infiltrates the spirit of each believer, then collectively the righteous made perfect exhibit a composite image that looks strikingly like God Himself.

Something else I noticed this morning. Each of these sections or lists starts with the similar but opposite phrase come to. Verse 18 starting the first list (which is likely referring to the old covenant mentality) says you have not come to.... Then verse 22 which begins the contrasting list begins with you have come to....

I began to wonder what this really meant. In what way do we come to or not come to these things? Is there something in the surrounding context that might be connected to this phrase that would help me understand its meaning better? Sure enough, as I looked back a little ways there it was; See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God...

So one of the important truths embedded in this passage is that grace will not be found in an external-oriented religion that is based on fear as its motivation for righteousness. All of the things listed in the first list are external in nature, generally fear-inducing, focused on power and display and calculated to impress from the external. It certainly produced fear, even in the mind of Moses who was somewhat considered by the Hebrews as at least partly the originator or facilitator of the Old Covenant. But this whole book of Hebrews is devoted to exposing the inability of that kind of religion to really accomplish what God desires to do in His people. That is why, even from the very beginning, God desired a New Covenant with all of His people who were willing to relate to Him at a much deeper level than in displays of power and a focus on external religion. There needs to be a completely different work at the heart level that will produce the natural fruit of righteousness instead of the fruit of our own labors.

And just as I write this the Spirit impresses me with the answer to the question raised in my mind this morning as to why Abel is referred to in this passage. The conflict that arose out of the tension between Abel and his brother was because Abel chose to relate to God from his heart and Cain chose to rely on the fruit of his own works. Because the blessing and affirmation of God was enjoyed by Abel and not by Cain, Cain became very resentful and bitter and allowed that bitterness to fester and grow until it blossomed into full-blown murder. He had come short of the grace of God and the root of bitterness sprang up in his heart causing great trouble and grief and defiled the earth with the blood of his own brother. (v. 15)

Jesus was a revelation of the ultimate spirit that was in Abel, a counterpart of sorts. Abel had chosen the option of the New Covenant instead of the Old Covenant that was chosen by Cain and his spirit was made perfect by God. Abel was only an example of the results of choosing the better option but Jesus was Himself the real mediator of the New Covenant. He is the link between heaven and earth that makes the New Covenant effective. Because of this the sprinkled blood of Jesus, even though similar in many respects, is far more eloquent than the blood of Abel in revealing the real truth about God's desires and attitude toward sinners.

This word mediator has a lot of false ideas that have infiltrated its definition over the centuries. Because of our typically skewed picture of God we believe that we need a mediator to appease His wrath, to change His mind in some way about us or to put in a fix for us somehow so that God will not carry out His anger against us for our rebellion against Him. Whatever shade of darkness we may believe in our hearts about God's attitude toward us will be a contributing factor in misunderstanding this concept of mediator.

But a careful study of this concept in the context of the Bible reveals that it is not God's mind or heart at all that needs changing about the situation between us and Him but it is totally and completely all on our side of the relationship that the misunderstandings exist. The whole purpose of Jesus' mediation between God and sinful humanity is to change our view of God, not to change God's view of us. Any belief that harbors doubts about God's complete and everlasting, unconditional love for all of His created beings is poisoned with Old Covenant reasoning and will lead to confusion, doubt and fear.

I confess that I have lived my whole life under the shadow of the Old Covenant and still struggle to become free at the deeper levels of my heart with this theology of fear. Now that I think of it this explains why all of my life I could not make any sense whatsoever of the story of Cain and Abel. Oh, I knew all the standard spins on this story enforcing the need for strict obedience to God's commands, but that spin tended to keep me off target as to the real meaning of that story until this morning. Now I see what this verse is really explaining and it is very encouraging to me. The spirit that was seen in Abel as he suffered abuse and death at the hands of his own brother is a foreshadowing of what all who are truly in Christ Jesus will suffer as they choose to believe the real truths about God in contrast to the false versions of righteousness embraced by their protagonists.

Abel was a very fine but small example of the demonstration of the truth about God that was far more amplified in the life and death of Jesus. Jesus' whole mission is to address our misconceptions and fears about God by showing us real love, compassion, kindness (which leads us to repentance according to Romans 2:4) and how God feels about us. He clearly stated, He who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9) He emphasized that He and the Father are one. The Father God does not think differently about us in the slightest bit than Jesus does, and if we carefully meditate on the truth as it really is in Jesus that He taught and demonstrated we will more fully see the many lies that we still cling to about God. These lies riddle all of our thinking, every person on earth whether religious or not. It is the mission and passion of Jesus to expose and eradicate this terrible slander about His Father that has been perpetuated since the false charges of Lucifer first emerged in heaven.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, please remove all of the lies about You in my heart as well as in my mind. I don't want them here anymore as roots that cause bitterness to poison my spirit and those around me. Fill me with the real truth about You and Your faithful love for me. Help me to have bold confidence in Your value for me as Your important son that You cherish just as much as Jesus. Help my heart to grasp that truth and have it totally transform me with its power for Your reputation's sake.

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Membership that Counts

...to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, (Hebrews 12:23)

I had a discussion recently about church membership. I have wondered over the years why so much importance is put on this idea. I suppose there are many various reasons that people would come up with but so far none of them have proven to be very compelling to me.

On the other hand I know of some very serious potential liabilities that could occur due to having one's name inscribed on a church roll here on earth. It has been revealed that since a church is made up not only of its elected officers and designated volunteers but also of all the members listed as officially belonging to that organization, then any lawsuits levied at the church could potentially involve the personal assets of everyone thus listed. That is quite a sobering thought and a surprise for some. This is primarily due to the fact that most churches have submitted themselves to the control and authority of political and government entities that dictate what they can or cannot do as a church.

Beyond that the only other practical reason I have observed for having one's name listed as a member of a local church is much more political (locally) in nature. It is quite often the case that only members of a local congregation are considered fit or qualified to participate in any significant way in the operations or ministry of that church. Basically membership is used as a tool of discrimination to force people to either officially join the club or be considered an outsider, only a visitor and somehow not a legitimate part of the recognized body. This often takes precedence over the spiritual qualifications of the individual. By subtle extension, especially by those who tend to be rather prejudiced in their views, a person is sort of considered outside the body of Christ until they are willing to come under the influence and domination of the local church authorities.

Having just been exposed to a group of people who have carried that notion to its extreme, it makes me very nervous to endorse such a belief that appears to me to look an awful like like bigotry and sometimes even tyranny. It seems to me like if the truth were to be exposed that more often than not the real agenda for membership is control over other people's lives more than anything else. This also fosters the atmosphere for pride and maneuvering for position and advantage and all sorts of fruits that are not from the true Spirit of God. The club mentality becomes more important than the truth and it is not long before a personal relationship with God and a personal pursuit of truth is required to take second place to a submission to the beliefs of the group and surrender of freedom. This can lead to thinking that salvation can only be received through membership in some particular organization. And how many groups do you know of out there (or in here) that claim to be the only repositories of truth and even salvation?

With that background I find real encouragement in the words of this verse about the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven. I believe that our first priority above all else is to embrace the salvation that comes from our Savior and have our names registered in the records of heaven. Having our names on some church roll on earth is generally not much of a feat. And I simply don't buy into the notion that just because some group or church lays claim to exclusivity when it comes to being saved that that claim is validated in heaven despite any proof texts offered up to support that claim. The God who reads every heart has a much broader view and very different criteria for registering a name in the Book of Life than our political, biased agenda here on earth. When the final day of revealing finally comes I believe that everyone is going to be shocked and amazed at the difference between God's choices and the narrow, bigoted ideas about who or who is not a Christian here on earth.

This verse is part of a whole section of very insightful criteria from heaven's view for what constitutes real membership in the true body of Christ. As I mentioned previously the words general assembly really means universal companionship. This church of the firstborn (Jesus) is the reconnecting of the fellowship of all the universe lost when Satan started his rebellion in heaven. God is the only real judge to determine what is really in the heart of each individual and whether or not they are safe to be part of this enormous fellowship. To judge simply means to reveal what is true and real. It has nothing to do with imposing condemnation or guilt or punishment but has everything to do with exposing what has been concealed or obfuscated. This verse combines all of these elements and more in revealing who the true children of God really are.

The spirits of the righteous made perfect is a very compelling phrase to me. I have been learning for some time that the spirit of a person is far more important than the facts that they endorse or cling to as truth. Absolutely no one has complete knowledge of factual truth, not even the angels of heaven. Only God is the perfection of knowledge and so anyone who attempts to be saved by accumulating enough knowledge is chasing down the wrong path. We know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. (1 Corinthians 8:1 NRSV) While knowledge and beliefs about facts or doctrines can certainly have an affect on the condition of our spirit, it is our spirit that qualifies or separates us from the true body of Christ that is enrolled in heaven.

Hebrews is saying here that the true religion, the real church in heaven's eyes involves the element of spirits who have been perfected which also can be expressed as matured. Because there is such confusion swirling around the word perfection and a lot of legalistic connotations associated with it I prefer to use the more accurate word mature which is born out in the original language. This also highlights the necessity of living in community in the true body of Christ, His believers made up of people at all levels of maturity helping each other grow and mature and move closer to the complete maturity demonstrated in the perfect life of Jesus, the preeminent one who grew and matured to completion through the things that He suffered. He is the first of many sons who are being cultivated under His leadership and mentorship to become elders so that they can nurture the rest of the believers on their journey to full maturity.

Notice here also that it is the spirit that is matured or perfected, not the intellect. Jesus spoke one of the most important truths to a non-Jewish woman who was more open to perceive His concepts than nearly anyone in all of Israel. He revealed to her the importance that God places on the spirit in the realm of true spirituality. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. (John 4:23 NIV)

Father, I want to be that kind of worshiper. I want to worship with real spirit, with a maturing spirit that is under the guidance and influence of Your sweet Spirit. I want to be one of those You are seeking for and that will bring pleasure and satisfaction to Your heart. I praise You for writing my name in the Book of Life in heaven and I want to be an active part of Your true body here on earth. Integrate me into the universal companionship of those who are also enrolled in heaven's real church. Mature and perfect my spirit with Your cleansing grace and the power of Your transforming love. I submit to Your authority in my life as the supreme authority and trust You fully to continue to completion the process You have started in me.

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