Controversial Issues

Can you love someone if you don’t give full-throated approval to their lifestyle?

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We talked a little on The Great Shalom in general about how it IS possible to disagree and still love someone. This seems so very normal and so obvious, that one might wonder why the question would come up. Do husbands and wives have different favorite activities? How about children and their parents. Of course. And mature people can even love one another across divides such as denominational doctrine or politics. That is why we all go see one another at Thanksgiving, right? Haha. Of course.

Now the question gets put more seriously. “You don’t love me if you are judging me.”  Who knows what the definition of “judging me” is?  Worse, how about this one: Unless you agree with me totally, then you don’t love me.  In our world of really outlandish claims and apparently very new behaviors around sexuality, here is a new claim. Made forcefully, by someone we love, it is very intimidating. Does it make sense?

What about Biblically? Does the Bible have some something to say about this? Ironically, we were on that very passage, or I was, when the question came up. Here is a fulsome account and opening of the Scriptures.  Compare Ephesians 5: 7 and 5:11.

The short answer is of course, what about Jesus and the woman caught in the act of adultery.  Surprisingly the young women I was trying to teach already had noticed or heard that adultery takes two people.  So, yes, Jesus said, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.”  He also said, “Go and sin no more.”  So Jesus loved the woman, presumably without any wrong judging, but did not approve of the lifestyle.

We take the position that yes, you can love someone, and yet disagree with them over lifestyle. Further, it is not up to us what sin is. This is not our judgment.  Indeed, it is hard to find any human who is not a sinner. Of course, we can love people.

We might want to spend some time on learning how to love and how to feel loved.  How about that? Wouldn’t Jesus be a good role model for being loving? And help to feel loved?

Please do not share this on Facebook, Youtube,  Google, or even on gmail.  Please share by any analog method. For instance, you could tell your friend to go to JesusNameAustin.org. Or better yet, just talk to them yourself.

Mission Snship

Jesus the Pattern Son – an attempt to teach Sonship doctrine faithfully

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My assignment is to re-preach the sonship doctrine, faithfully to the Bible, within orthodoxy, fully, and in an organized manner.

Today we post our first and most introductory podcast. Sonship is great news because it is an invitation to a deeper walk with God, to being saved to the uttermost. This may come as a great surprise to both camps, but seems a great place to start in explaining what sonship would be.  We establish how this is wonderful news… and is true.  This is necessary to 2 reasons. 1) Those who are unfamiliar with the doctrine will need this assurance and 2) those who are familiar with the doctrine have become disillusioned and despondent and need to know both that I know the original doctrine and to re-hear it themselves.

For Spanish, please see. www.JesusHijoModelo.com

There are others who have preached sonship. Of course, we are indebted to them. I will not pretend that I received ALL of this prophetically. Much of what I bring to the table is a lifetime of living in and chewing on this doctrine. And also, a solid orthodox theological education. No one could fulfill this assignment who did not bring together this very disparate gifts. Here is a link to one of those  to whom all of us are beholden: Bill Britton. 

Our aim is not to call anyone out. We are not here to judge the attempts of others. We will talk about doctrine, principles, and best ways of proceeding. Let’s all attempt to BE sons and avoid the temptation to pride that seems extraordinarily common in “sonship” circles.

 

Blessings Holidays News

Purim Miracle in the News

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You probably know that we have just been through the Purim holiday, the celebrations the Jews make remembering the great deliverance through Queen Esther.  If you haven’t read Esther lately, I recommend you do. You will surely find great knowledge, wisdom, and blessings. Notice how God is hidden in Esther.

If you are following the news, you may have noticed that once again, President Trump has made a formal declaration on a day special to Israel. In response, PM Netanyahu called it a Purim Miracle and once again mentioned Trump in connection with Cyrus (Queen Esther’s husband grandfather more or less.) When Netanyahu mentions the right of self defense, he is also alluding to the book of Esther.

In recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel (as it has been since Joshua gave it to the tribes of Dan and Mannasseh, since Bashan is gone). Further, Israel won the attack upon them in 1967 and have since held this ground. It is strategically important because whoever hold the Goal Heights can easily shoot into all of Israel.

Subsequently Hamas, Hezobollah, and Iran took to bombing Israel. Part of the reason is that Hamas higher ups want to keep the now limited money for themselves, so their people are now in the streets, demonstrating against them. Hamas then opened fire on their own people. However, it is easier to shoot at Israel as a distraction tactic. However, when  Israel gets attacked, they attack back, harder and with superior force. So the “secret” headquarters of Hamas were destroyed today.

At the same time, anti-semitic words have come forth even in the US Congress. Haman builds gallows. Even more wild, the palace plot to take down Cyrus, was exposed this week. Last year, during Purim, when Billy Graham’s body was in the capitol building, Lance Wallnau said that the lies attacking the president would be exposed. The timing has been amazing.

This week also Pastor Mahesh Chavda pointed out that the Abrahamic blessing (that the nations are blessed in Israel/that he who blesses Israel will be blessed) has had an historical manifestation. About the time of the Balfour Declaration, there was a great revival called Azusa. About the time that Israel became a nation, we had great revivals such as those of Billy Graham, A.A. Allen, and Oral Roberts. I will add that about 1967 and 73 we had another great renewal of the church in the Charismatic Renewal. Now, Israel is blessed in Jerusalem being recognized as its capital, the Golan heights recognized, and the principle of dividing up the already incomplete Israel and given away for a false promise of peace is fading. Therefore, get ready for a great tsunami of blessing.

Many people including Pastors Chavda, Clarisse Fluitt, and Kevin Zadai and many others, have predicted a huge wave of blessing and revival. Whether you will be in on it depends upon whether you want to receive it. Open your arms wide to God. Love the Truth or you WILL be deceived. Bless God and bless the people of God and you will be blessed. Love the Truth and you will see through all the smokescreen, all the lies, all the darkness of the enemy.

Although God’s promises take awhile — like how would Calvin, Wesley, Spurgeon have imagined that there would be a modern Israel?– they are sure. Be on the right side. And when you are, you will have reason to celebrate, dance, and send goodies to your neighbors. Ha!

So I impart The Blessing to you. Be in Christ now! Enjoy the blessings of Abraham NOW! Amen.

 

Uncategorized

Purim Blessings

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We have for at 2 weeks been celebrating Purim, the feast remembering Esther, Mordecai, and the TURNAROUND a hidden God created through these faithful servants, when a wicked enemy wanted to annihilate the entire people of God.

We were told by Pastor Mahesh Chavda that we would have a blessing if we would read Esther in this season. We noted how anti-semitism was being voiced as never before in our Congress. We now celebrate what Prime Minister Netanyahu is calling “a Purim miracle” in having our president declare that the Golan Heights are an integral part of Israel (as they were when they were given to the tribes of Dan and Mannasseh, the occupants now not living, and even though the British illegally gave it away, and even though it was taken in the War of 1967 in response to an attack on Israel.)

Remembering the blessings of Abraham, we rejoice. We, in alignment with the authority we are under, receive and release Purim blessings of turnaround. Further, a lamb for a household. The blessings are for you and your household. Please see Pastors Chavda speaking blessing over families, including those attacked by divorce and drugs.  March 24, 2019

Single Mothers

Project Now: Mutual Support for Single Women, Single-Moms, Isolated-in-Marriage Women.

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Right now our number one mission is helping single women, single mothers, and women who are feeling isolated in their marriages. Our help is to reach out with the love of God.

So far we are having weekly Bible study on Tuesdays at 9:00 am at the MacDonald’s at the corner of Old 183/Bell Blvd. and Whitestone/1431.

You are welcome if you are a female and want to do what we want to do. We are doing a quick study of a book of the Bible each week. We check in/share life. We listen and we give our opinions. That is all. (So you do not have to agree with us but do have to be willing to listen to other people’s opinions. You have to want to study the Bible. Doesn’t matter your particular doctrinal views as long as you, with us, look honestly at the pages. But if you come to disrupt and/or stop us, then we will ask you to leave. Just saying the boundaries so everyone stays safe and comfortable.) Welcome.

At this point, this women’s group is listed on Meetup.com — Single Mothers…. Original Group.

If you have women who want to meet at a different time and place, and want to invite Sister Sharon (M.Div., former pastor, commanded of God) to lead, great. You might want to visit first if possible. We would be happy to have other groups throughout the city. We also have candidates for leaders in nearby towns. (If you want to do what we are doing without being connected, great; but don’t use our name or say you are connected if you are not.)

Later we might have other projects. We are not giving out money, food, or housing. Nor are we trying to control anyone or look down on anyone. Y’all come.

Please share!!! (We don’t want to post anyone’s personal info on the web. You can ask a question or comment below. You can say if it is to be posted or private.)

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Series on Prayer

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If you want a quick but deep and impactful series on prayer, “tune in” to http://www.greatshalom.org.  In 4 weeks there will be a series about prayer: how to start in a life of prayer, how to receive answers, how to go deep in communion with God, and particularly how to pray for your children. You may listen right on the website or you may wish to subscribe to the podcast – on the site, on iTunes or however you prefer.

We take personal prayer seriously — not as a strict rule, but as an inviting, intriguing, refreshing, joyous time. It is worth doing. It is worth diving into deeply. There have been too many “you must do this” and not enough deep dives. This series gives you both.