Creative love keeps liking us a lot.
And wanting more than anything, for us
to grow up and develop as a god.
To grow to be like that man Christ Jesus!
2023-02-28
2023-02-20
COG 04 the methodology
To the people of God, the Jews
Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ (=Messiah)
Jesus, the Christ (expected by God's people), is Lord
(& in the context of the 1st Century, where the Roman Empire's mantra was "Caesar is Lord", this meant)
this Jesus who is the (Jewish Messiah=) Christ of God, is the Lord of all..
To the Jews, Peter on the day of penticost says that even their great King David died(!) - & his tomb was still around then, Jesus' resurrection is what makes him unique, and, his logic goes, ‘Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’ Acts 2:36 NIVUK
And... Luke's story continues:
"When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart…" It looks like they have been convinced by the sign they have seen in front of them, & realize in that moment both that Jesus is the Lord and Messiah/Christ, and that they (well their nation, the people of God; instead of crowning him God's Lord/ High-King), they had rejected him. God's spirit is active in these people giving them faith, but they know the need for a recognition, or change of allegience to affect their lives to the point of action, and they "...said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’"
Peter clarifies what could be missing, and spells out two wondrous outcomes, gifts, promises, made available to them by God, through this one he has made both Lord and Christ: "Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them.."
Then, like Jesus (his lord/master before him) speaking to the lady with the bleed who had identified him as God's "sun of righteousness", who was to "rise with healing in his knaff (which could be translated "wings, rays, or tassels (as in those on the hem of a Jewish coat or prayer shawl)" [But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Malachi 4:2 NIVUK], then Jesus had said to her, after feeling power go out of him,.. "Your faith has healed/ saved/ brought-wholeness to you..". Peter now encouraged them to follow through with their trusting faith in God, and his chosen Lord & Christ. Jesus had said "...Your faith has saved you." Peter then says: ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Acts 2:37-40 NIVUK
But, as Lord and Christ… Jesus rules like God rules, with a father's tender mercy, and trusting his own father's tender mercy, through the power of love, displayed by Jesus not retaliating and taking vengeance, but in entrusting himself to him who judges justly and going on to do all the good that he could. Absorbing and doing away with, unclean-ness, sickness, demonizings, jealousy, self-centeredness, hatred, "sin" (& the curse it brought on humanity) .. "in his body on the tree", drinking the (cursed) cup his Father gave him to drink, or taking on the washing his Father asked him to take on, (though he didn't even need a wash himself) - to help his younger brothers to learn to trust their Father to let him wash them; and, praying forgiveness on his enemies.
God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ - his obedience because of love, his blood shed, his body broken, his life spilled out, his life "gived" for us, his life lived out of love for his father, and too lived out of love for his neighbour.
From the genealogies in Gen 4 & 5, I am learning to not focus on and be grateful to & for, not just the technologies or mechanisms, but on the person(s) who use(s) them.
So as with gifts at a wedding ... the happy couple are not trying to minimize anyone's gift, but see (& want everyone else to see, if they can) the obvious trumping of the gift the other one has given them (the gift of themselves), over any other payment or change or good thing they have received, even from their new life-partner.
2023-02-19
COG 03
I am asked "Is it true that Christ died for our sins?"
(or was the question more like: "Will you agree that nothing else is as important?" My response would be "As important" - As what? For what purpose?) … etc
A jewel in the crown upon the head
of God's anointed leader of us all.
Along with other jewels, it be said:
"not recognized", "rejected", "suffered well", …
"was buried (& descended into hell)".
And these should not be minimized at all.
For ev'ry part is needful to the whole,
and any part you love, you can recall
and speak again - from love, no other mo-
tive's good enough to cause truth to be told,
in this the world of God, where he would show
off how we're made to live. So we are bold!
We'll learn from him what crucifiction's like,
instead of running off the other way,
and letting others lead, from fear of spikes
in hands and feet (then put up on display).
And learn how we must do as he has done,
and take up our own cross (decidedly).
Decide to do God's will, when its not fun,
as he has said "Come follow after me".
He led the way (not from his need at all)
on how to deal with sin within ourselves:
a slow and painful death, if I recall,
that's willingly deny it, take it's health
and freedom to explore and rule God's world
through this one portal - being my own self.
Responsive love, lets his flag be unfurled
upon "my soil"; I'm in his Commonwealth!
A jewel upon the head of God's chosen ruler of the world, his son, the leader of humanity, and ruler of their world - the Christ.
Christ was sent to Earth in the purposes and counsels of God our Father, at just the right time - and
Christ came to Earth,
Christ Lived, a good life, no a really Good life, the life of a god!
Christ was rejected,
Christ was "made to suffer",
Christ died,
Christ was buried (& descended into hell),
Christ has risen from the dead,
Christ ascended into heaven,
Christ will come again to Earth, again at "just the right time", set by the Father (from whom all fatherhood gains its name and meaning).
Christ will bring in, and through him will all the New Creation of God be brought into being.
Christ will continue to be happy to live subordinately with his Father, the Father of all humanity.
Don't confuse a jewel in the crown,
with the headship of the one who wears it!
It is the jewel in the crown, [along with "rejected, made to suffer", .. & "was buried (& descended into hell)"] upon the head of God's chosen ruler of the world, his son, the leader of humanity, and ruler of their world - the Christ.
Christ was sent to Earth in the purposes and counsels of God our Father, at just the right time - and
Christ came to Earth,
Christ Lived, a good life, no a really Good life, the life of a god!
Christ was rejected,
Christ was "made to suffer",
Christ died,
Christ was buried (& descended into hell),
Christ has risen from the dead,
Christ ascended into heaven,
Christ will come again to Earth, again at "just the right time", set by the Father (from whom all fatherhood gains its name and meaning).
Christ will bring in, and through him will all the New Creation of God be brought into being.
Christ will continue to be happy to live subordinately with his Father, the Father of all humanity.
2023-02-18
COG (Core Of Gospel) 01 -
Everyone dies - Not everyone truly lives!
The story of the scriptures is to us
a Way to hold much truth - in ways that let
it still be mined to find the gold as such
in other times and places that we get.
And in that story, God says they would die,
right "in the day you eat thereof" - surely! -
if they were to look for wisdom on high
but act like it would come from fruit on tree,
instead of time, and shared life with their dad.
But then the story lets it look like life
continues for eight cent'ries more (though sad)
before Adam will see his death, though strife
he'll sees enough! The story begs us to
look more, below the surface, check who speaks.
And ask what God could mean? What did ensue?
What that might mean for ev'ry one who peeks?
Does that mean that we're born dead? Me, & you?
And will we all lose physical lives too?
And many people died on crosses, who
might even hope their death might help friends too.
At least that kind of death shows friendship true,
but still the kind of thing that may occur.
So not unique in history. God's choose-
ing is to side with those most seen to err.
His prophet, his anointed leader then
must suffer in a way none would desire,
and show the kind of loy'lty of a friend,
the kind of life that's known as more, and higher!
2023-02-17
According to my reading of the gospel of God.. our ancestry, our future, and our hope...
Txt2mate: How are you going?
TxtFromMate: I'm going well just doing continuous maintenance while still discovering me.
FromTextBack:
Hmmm. Yes, there are maintenance (& development) disciplines.
It seems to me (from Gen 1-5, and the rest of the bible, especially the New Testament) that there seems to be two completely different "Me"s; with two different ancestries, and two different futures.
And this life is a "choose your own adventure" set up:
We can choose the kind of human (son of Adam) to be,
and the kind of future to inherit.
There's
Cain, the first "son of Adam",
or
Yeshua, the last "son of Adam".
And there's
all the mechanisms and processes of this world that we can father, or pioneer, or help bring about (e.g. cities, mining, music making, animal herding, etc), with a "Me" that is defined by what we have fathered in terms of these achievements in this world that is "passing",
or there is
the seemingly insignificant option of fathering new baby humans, that we can spend time with and become a true father of - not as a self-serving project, but as a chance to give our life to others to set them free, to be all that they were meant to be.. - & in that process of passing on to others, we are given a real permanent self (or "Me") to be(come) ourselves, in the creator God's new creation.
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