Sunday Morning Rant

  So - last night I got out with... we'll call her Glinda.  No need to use real names here ;)

  Anyways, we, the family, go out with Glinda, who happens to be a horrible backseat driver by the way.  Horrible.  Terrible.  Bad enough I want to be James Bond and hit an eject button and toss her out by the time we get to Smitty's.

   Anyways - so we get there and we have a nice conversation, catching up on family and stuff.  She lights up on the horrible moral standards of our society and how men and women shouldn't have sex before marriage.

  At this I roll my eyes.  Yes, I know, it's ideal not to have sex before marriage so that children can have a home to be raised in.  But if you've looked around at our world today - just WHAT about it is ideal?

  I quickly maneuvered the subject past that before I lit on my dear elderly grandmother (oops!) and shared just my thoughts on this wonderful topic of judeo-Christian morality.  God what an oxymoron.  Like, are you completely confused?  Are you a jew?  Are you a gentile?  Are you a Christian?  Just what in the blue blazes are you if you have "Judeo-Christian morality?"  Who the hell came up with such a backassward term?

  My Aunt and Uncle came and stayed with us once a few months back and they spent 30 mins lighting on the topic of the decay of our nation's morality and how it was the duty of Christians to help keep our nation's moral fiber.  Yes, it's like eating an apple a day, if you keep feeding that shit down the nation's throat, somehow they'll get enough fiber and be able to past this horibble constipation of immorality and have a good dump and we'll all be good little christian boys and girls again.

  Yeah right.  Here's the problem witht hat.

  In the beginning there was only ONE FRAKKING RULE.  Do not touch the fruit of that tree Adam!

  Human beings couldn't even keep one damn rule!!!

  Fast forward to Moses.  He brings down 10 commandments (and later a couple hundred others) and no one could keep THOSE rules perfectly!! We STILL can't!!!

   In come Jesus a couple thousand years later.  You know what rule he gives?

  #1 Love God

  #2 Love people

  And good GOD we can't even keep THOSE TWO SIMPLE and should be completely natural rules to keep.  But we don't!!!

  And these self-righteous christians want everyone to keep these "judeo-Christian" rules while being completely confused about what it is to be a judeo-christian.  

   Here's the problem;

  Romans 7:8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. (NIV)

Quoted from the NIV because the CLNT uses a little bit more difficult english. But it also says;

8 Now Sin, getting an incentive through the precept, produces in me all manner of coveting. For apart from law Sin is dead. (CLNT)

Get it?  As soon as the law is introduced, sin comes in!!  As soon as you give ANYONE a rule, they want to break it!  There's a reason the old cliche goes;

"Rules are meant to be broken"

Never a more true saying was known!  We need more o' that judeo-christian morality like the Titanic needed a couple more icebergs.

Christians always talk about being the "light of the world" and quoting Matthew 5:13-16 think Jesus is talking about injecting that good old moral fiber into this world.

Are you kidding?  How about rethinking this in the light of Jesus first two commandments?  How about thinking that light=love?

Those horrible gays, what are we gonna do about them?  That foolish sex crazed pornographer, he's going to hell.  Oh and those nasty drug addicts and prostitutes.  They're all headed for hellfire!!

Shows how damn loving you folks are.  Yes indeedy. damn loving indeed. If you were anything like the Lord you claim to follow, you would use alot more grace and a lot less damnation.  Who have you ever changed with your contempt and hatred?

Consider this instead;

1 Peter 4:8 8 before all, having earnest love among yourselves, for love is covering a multitude of sins.

Oh WOW!  Love covers over a multitude of sins!  We can try that!!  Go hug the closest sinner you can find.

Romans 5:20 Yet where sin increases, grace superexceeds

And lastly... remember... Where sin increases! grace superexceeds!!!

God Blesss, thanks for listening to my rant.

Weekend Thoughts

  Hi Everyone,

  I don't think I said enough about the doctrine of Free Will yesterday.  In spite of my migraine I wanted to post this quickly this weekend.  For those of you who are struggling to reconcile the thought that God is in absolute control of every detail of our life and our faith I want to encourage you to read more about this.  There is only so much I can say in my 15 minute coffee time vignettes on here.  Let me point you towards others who are also very competent to teach and cut the scriptures correctly. (2 Tim 2:15)

  On Amazon Kindle marketplace look up Martin Zender's book "The Really Bad Thing About Free Will" this is available as a hard copy or a kindle download that you can read on your tablet or phone.

  Also, for those of you who are really interested in understanding the word of God in a clear edition that is translated consistently from the greek; I encourage you to go to www.concordant.org and buy your own copy of the Concordant Literal New Testament.

  One last resource I would encourage everyone to go check out; www.studyshelf.com there are plenty of great resources to be found here as well.

  Have a great weekend and enjoy the grace of God!

Travis Penner

Let There Be Blindness Among You

W00T!  It's Friday.  Fantastic Friday.  And even better a long weekend is coming up.

  Last night was nice.  My wife didn't have to work so we had a really nice family evening.  Except for the part where my daughter decided that whining was in vogue for the evening.  I will always always love my daughter... but sometimes I don't like her very much.  Last night was one of those times.  I don't know if she was tired, teething or growing pains, but everything set her off.  If she didn't get what she wanted, she would whine and cry.

   Well finally after giving her more patience than I probably should have, she had a time out.  10 minutes of wailing til she quieted down in her bedroom.

   I know... I know... One day I'm sure I'll look back on this fondly.  But when the wife ain't happy, daddy ain't happy, and kid you better start getting happy. LOL

  Anyways, it's Friday.  A friend of ours is sadly in the hospital, hopefully on the mend now.  So we'll be visiting her this weekend.  Jana will also be working.  I'll be watching Cassidy, and if the weatherman is right, it'll be raining most of the weekend.  We'll see how it goes.

Let's Have Sects

  This is going to really spin your wheels now, but here we go.  You have no free will.

  Yes, I really said that.  You have no free will.  We are completely influenced by society, by God, by evil, everything around us influences us.  Ultimately God is in control of what we see, do and understand.

  Don't believe me?  That's ok.  The Bible backs me up on this;

Proverbs 16:9 A man's heart, it devises his way, Yet Yahweh, He establishes his steps.

Acts 17:28 ..in Him we are living and moving and are...

Exodus 9:12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.

Joshua 11:20 For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

John 12:40 “He has blinded their eyes

    and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
    nor understand with their hearts,
    nor turn—and I would heal them.”

  It is God who opens our minds and our hearts to what we believe and understand.  Everything we are, everything we do is by the grace of God.  There is much more to say on this, but I'm only making these points so I can establish this; God creates these sects among us.

2 Thess 2:11-12

11 And therefore God will be sending them an operation of deception, for them to believe the falsehood,
12 that all may be judged who do not believe the truth, but delight in injustice.

  Yes, that's right.  God himself sends the lies among us.  Why does he do this?

1 Cor 11:18-19 

18 For first, indeed, at your coming together in the ecclesia, I am hearing of schisms inhering among you, and some part I am believing.

19 For it must be that there are sects also among you, that those also who are qualified may be becoming apparent among you.

  He does this so that those who really truly want the truth will seek it.

  In short, how badly do you want it?  If you are called to the Body of Christ - you will find the truth in spite of the lies that surround us.

  May you have peace and enjoy a great weekend!!

Travis Penner

The Message

  I woke up early and had a million thoughts going on in my head because of different exchanges I had with people yesterday.  Some of it regarding my blog, and some of it on other topics relating to the character of God.  Anyways, I'm just going to dive right into it today.

The Message

 So yesterday I got into a conversation with someone over the doctrine of the trinity.  I'm going to go back to this for today because I think this is really important to nail down.  If you don't grasp this, then you cannot grasp the gospel of Jesus Christ, it's that simple.

  I'm going to post the text  from the conversation I had with someone.  We'll name him John.

John: Jesus was fully human as well as fully divine. His fully human side was able to be killed. He did not appear to have been killed. He physically died. However, his divine side did not cease to exist.

So which is it?  Did he die or did he not die?  Was he merely unconscious or putting on a magic show?

1 Cor 15:3 For I give over to you among the first what also I accepted, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,

If Christ did not die, then our faith is completely vain and we might as well throw away our Bibles and live without hope.  God by definition cannot die.

Christ's power was given to him by God 

John 5:30 30 "I can not do anything of Myself. According as I am hearing am I judging; and My judging is just, for I am not seeking My will, but the will of Him Who sends Me.

Christ's Glory was given to him by God

John 17:530 "I can not do anything of Myself. According as I am hearing am I judging; and My judging is just, for I am not seeking My will, but the will of Him Who sends Me.

John:There are plenty of implicit texts about the Trinity. For instance, Father, Son/Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit have a number of the same characteristics and actions.

  Let me put it this way.  If I'm in a business with my dad, my dad will run the home office and stay there and make sure all our affairs are in order in home base.  When I go out to our franchises, I have full authority of my father.  The employees respect me and obey me as if I were my father.  My purposes are the same as my father, we're working together to build up our company.  I am however, NOT my father.  Nor is my father me.

We need to be very clear on this Jesus is the IMAGE of God, but he is NOT God.  He is also the FIRSTBORN of all creation.  Ergo - Not GOD.  God has no beginning or end, He is eternal. Jesus and the Spirit have a beginning, therfore they are not god.  They are seperate and distinct entities.  

Col 1:15-19

15 Who is the Image of the invisible God, Firstborn of every creature,

16 for in Him is all created, that in the heavens and that on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or lordships, or sovereignties, or authorities, all is created through Him and for Him,

17 and He is before all, and all has its cohesion in Him.

18 And He is the Head of the body, the ecclesia, Who is Sovereign, Firstborn from among the dead, that in all He may be becoming first,

19 for in Him the entire complement delights to dwell,

This is the same reason why Jesus could be worshipped; he is the image of God, to worship Jesus is to worship God.  This is also why he can be known as the I AM.  It was through Jesus that God created all things.  It was through Jesus God spoke to the Israelites in the wilderness.  It was through Jesus that all things are being accomplished.

It will also be ultimately to God whom Jesus hands over all things so that He may be "All in All" at the very end of the ages 

1 Cor 15:26-28

26 The last enemy is being abolished: death.

27 For He subjects all under His feet. Now whenever He may be saying that all is subject, it is evident that it is outside of Him Who subjects all to Him.

28 Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all.)

  Why do I spend my coffee breaks teaching these things and my spare time reading on them and thinking about them?  Simply put, I love God, I love the grace he's given us.  I want all men to know these things or as many as possible so that the Body of Christ can be complete.  Paul put it best;

1 Cor 9:16 For if I should be bringing the evangel, it is not for me to boast in, for necessity is lying upon me, for it were woe to me if I should not be bringing the evangel!

  I think I've laid out alot today so I'll end it here.  But tomorrow I'm going to move on and talk about these sects again.  And why we need them.

  May you know the Peace of God,

Travis Penner

What I Think of the Church Fathers

WHAT I THINK OF THE CHURCH FATHERS

  This boggles my mind.  Everytime I discuss these things with men who have learned their religion.... religiously, it all boils down to "Well what about the Church fathers?"

  My first response is... well, as the image up above.  Crap.  Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap.

Romans 3:4 .... Now let God be true, yet every man a liar, even as it is written: "That so Thou shouldst be justified in Thy sayings, And shalt be conquering when Thou art being judged."

  It doesn't really baffle me, as their minds have been blinded to the truth and they're not meant to know these things.  All the same I just think... "You are willing to put the truth of God, in his word, and subject it to the opinion of men?"

   This is exactly what Jesus spoke on when he said in

Mark 7:13 13 invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you give over...

  What the hell?  You would rather follow the teaching of men which lead us into the dark ages where no man had access to the Bible but to priests who read it in latin.  Where people were lead by the nose to believe all sorts of lies about God.  Their teachings of morality and attempts to restrain the impulses of mankind by law did nothing but to cause sin to ABOUND.  Take a crash course in Romans if you need help figuring that out.

  And you want to go BACK to that?!  In an age when we have the Internet in every corner of the world, multiple translations of the Bible, that capability to learn greek and even if you DONT there are concordances, study bibles, commentaries, and most importantly... THE WORD OF GOD.

   And you want to go back to that bondage again?

  This is not a new phenomenon.  Even in the first century Paul was battling this within the early ecclesia he writes

Galatians 1:6-12

6 I am marveling that thus, swiftly, you are transferred from that which calls you in the grace of Christ, to a different evangel,
7 which is not another, except it be that some who are disturbing you want also to distort the evangel of Christ.
8 But if ever we also, or a messenger out of heaven, should be bringing an evangel to you beside that which we bring to you, let him be anathema!
9 As we have declared before and at present I am saying again, if anyone is bringing you an evangel beside that which you accepted, let him be anathema!
10 For, at present, am I persuading men or God? Or am I seeking to please men? If I still pleased men, I were not a slave of Christ.
11 For I am making known to you, brethren, as to the evangel which is being brought by me, that it is not in accord with man.
12 For neither did I accept it from a man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

And further in;

Galatians 3:1  O foolish Galatians! Who bewitches you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was graphically crucified?

  It was an evangel that was a DIFFERENT EVANGEL BUT NOT ANOTHER. It was a gospel that was being taught that looked JUST LIKE the gospel Paul taught but was "tweaked" to be slightly different... Gee?  I wonder what that was.

Pssst... they call it christianity.  Those are your Church Fathers people.

  Martin Luther began a reformation that began putting the Bible back into the hands of common men.  But it has taken years and years for mankind to shed themselves of the weight of tradition.  It still is extremely difficult, but for those of us who are called to the Gospel of Christ.  The GOOD NEWS of Christ (hint: if it has hell in it, it's NOT good news) Those of us who are called to the Body of Christ; we can see the lie for what it is.  Don't let those frowning "Church Fathers" hinder you from reading your Bible and discovering the truth for yourself.

  If it takes years of seminary, and the convoluted teaching of men who are wiser and older than you... Then maybe... it's too complicated to be the truth.  

1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, coming to you, brethren, came not with superiority of word or of wisdom, announcing to you the testimony of God,

2 for I decide not to perceive anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

  The gospel of Christ is this simple, let me sum it up for you.

Jesus died... stone cold, DEAD.  no conciousness.  complete oblivion.  He was DEAD as everyone else in their grave today.  No spirit was floating around.  No soul plucking a harp in heaven, no pseudo death.  We was DEAD.

Three days later he was risen from the dead by the power of HIS FATHER.  To say anything else nulifies the incredible FAITH OF JESUS that now SAVES YOU ALSO.

And lastly.  His death has forgiven all mankind their sin.  When he said "It is finished" he meant it.  It was 100% complete.  You are FREE from the ultimate penalty of sin.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 1 Now I am making known to you, brethren, the evangel which I bring to you, which also you accepted, in which also you stand,

2 through which also you are saved, if you are retaining what I said in bringing the evangel to you, outside and except you believe feignedly.
3 For I give over to you among the first what also I accepted, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
4 and that He was entombed, and that He has been roused the third day according to the scriptures,
5 and that He was seen by Cephas, thereupon by the twelve.
6 Thereupon He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the majority are remaining hitherto, yet some were put to repose also.
7 Thereupon He was seen by James, thereafter by all the apostles.
8 Yet, last of all, even as if a premature birth, He was seen by me also.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not competent to be called an apostle, because I persecute the ecclesia of God.
10 Yet, in the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace, which is in me, did not come to be for naught, but more exceedingly than all of them toil I -- yet not I, but the grace of God which is with me.
11 Then, whether I or they, thus we are heralding and thus you believe.

  If you believe this - you have Eonian life.

  God bless you!!

Travis Penner

A Kingdom Divided

  Last night I got home and my little girl was down for a nap after a long day at the wave pool.  Such a hard life.  My wife had to run off to work, so while my daughter napped I got a chance to throw supper in the oven and kick back and play a little Bioshock 3.

  And once she got up we ate our supper and went for a nice walk in the neighborhood   Spent a good while at the park, at least a half an hour.  I didn't bother to keep track of the time.  It was nice just to spend time with my little girl and watch her smile and play with the other kids that showed up.

  Nothing beats hanging out with my little girl, except hanging out with my wife and all of us as a family.  That's a real blessing, honestly.  Being able to go home, have food, and a family.  There's really not much more to life that's necessary than that.  Work, family, home and food.  I can understand why Paul says "Contentment is great capital".

A Kingdom Divided

  Before I begin today, I want to make sure I haven't confused anyone here.

  What Paul is talking about in Ephesians is mirroring the relationship a husband has with his wife, as one body, is similar to how the ecclesia makes up the Body of Christ himself.  Disregarding the eventual marriage between Christ and the Bride of the Lambkin.  I hope I didn't confuse anyone with the point I had made with the lambkin.  That relationship is separate from the point Paul was trying to make in his letter.

  Just as the earthly husband and wife relationship is ONE body.  So too is the Ecclesia and the relationship with Christ, as the head, is one body.  If that makes sense, I'll move on.

  One of the most disturbing things I found in Christianity, even while growing up with it, is the extensive division throughout it.  You have Catholics and Protestants.  You have baptist, pentecostal, seventh day adventist, United Churches, non-denominational, and etc. etc. ad nauseum.

   And yes, it makes me nauseous.  This cannot be the body of Christ.  It just CANNOT.  Here is why;

Matthew 12:25 
25 Now, having perceived their sentiments, He said to them, "Every kingdom parted against itself is being desolated, and every city or house parted against itself shall not stand. (CLNT)

  I put to you, the Christian churches are a house parted against itself.  They hold their creeds and doctrines higher than the source of wisdom itself - the Word of God.  How can this be the Body of Christ then? 

Ephesians 41:-6 
1 I am entreating you, then, I, the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit with the tie of peace:
4 one body and one spirit, according as you were called also with one expectation of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all. (CLNT)

  It is simple as this.  There is only one.  Now; lest you mistake me to be a cult leader like some Kip McKean or other maniac - I am not attempting to lead or form a new church.  Instead I point you to what is already made.  The Body of Christ, which is bound by the spirit.  Not by a creed, not by a denomination, not by walls or institution or any man made thing.

  Is is formed of the spirit.  Once one becomes a believer, they are automatically part of the Body of Christ and the spirit binds us as one.  Whether we meet at the local McDonalds and share a meal, or correspond through facebook and email.  We are all one in the spirit.

Galatians 3:26-28
26 for you are all sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For whoever are baptized into Christ, put on Christ,
28 in Whom there is no Jew nor yet Greek, there is no slave nor yet free, there is no male and female, for you all are one in Christ Jesus.

  There is no longer any distinction between who we are, or where we came from if we are all of one body.  If that were not enough then consider these;

Galatians 5:15
15 Now if you are biting and devouring one another, beware that you may not be consumed by one another.

Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now apparent are the works of the flesh, which are adultery, prostitution, uncleanness, wantonness,
20 idolatry, enchantment, enmities, strife, jealousies, furies, factions, dissensions, sects,
21 envies, murders, drunkennesses, revelries, and the like of these, which, I am predicting to you, according as I predicted also, that those committing such things shall not be enjoying the allotment of the kingdom of God.

Titus 3:9-11

9 Yet stand aloof from stupid questioning and genealogies and strifes and fightings about law, for they are without benefit and vain.
10 A sectarian man, after one and a second admonition, refuse,
11 being aware that such a one has turned himself out, and is sinning, being self-condemned.

  And in case you thought denominationalism was a brand new Christian thing, it even existed in Jesus' time.  Witness an ancient denomination getting into a fight;

Acts 23:6

6 Now Paul, knowing that the one party is of Sadducees, yet the other of Pharisees, cries in the Sanhedrin, "Men! Brethren! A Pharisee, son of Pharisees am I. Concerning the expectation and resurrection of the dead am I being judged."
7 Now at his saying this, there came to be a commotion of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the multitude is rent.
8 For Sadducees, indeed, are saying there is no resurrection, nor messenger, nor spirit; yet Pharisees are avowing both.
9 Now a great clamor occurred, and, rising, some of the scribes of the party of the Pharisees fought it out with one another, saying, "Nothing evil are we finding in this man. Now if a spirit or messenger speaks to him -- "
10 Yet, much commotion occurring, being afraid, the captain, so Paul should not be pulled to pieces by them, orders the troop to descend and snatch him out of their midst, besides, to lead him into the citadel.

  And that's all I have time for today, I'll be back with more tomorrow!

Travis Penner

The Mystery of The Church

  So, yesterday I went to the Migraine Clinic here in Calgary.  They did some follow up with me and decided there wasn't much more they could do to help me. "Eat healthy, take your vitamins and use your drugs sparingly."

   I think I have a handle on that.

  So alas, I'll struggle through my migraines as they come and just hope I don't do anything like, I dunno, lose my mind and go postal or something.

  Got home after that and had a nice nap, mid afternoon naps are really nice when you can get them.  Those countries and put siestas in their national schedule are smart.  Probably happier and healthier too.

  Unfortunately, Canada isn't one of those countries.

Making Sense of the Body of Christ

  Understanding our relationship with Christ is essential, and we cannot understand that until we wrap our minds around - What is the body of Christ?

  Traditional church teaching is such that the "Body of Christ"and the "Bride of Christ" are interchangeable, that's a flat out lie.  If you read the entire New Testament there is no reference to the Bride of Christ.  The only Bride mentioned is Israel, the Bride of the Lambkin.  What people often refer to, when they talk about the Bride of Christ, is the following passage;

Ephesians 5:22-32 

22 Let the wives be subject to their own husbands, as to the Lord,

23 for the husband is head of the wife even as Christ is Head of the ecclesia, and He is the Saviour of the body.
24 Nevertheless, as the ecclesia is subject to Christ, thus are the wives also to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, be loving your wives according as Christ also loves the ecclesia, and gives Himself up for its sake,
26 that He should be hallowing it, cleansing it in the bath of the water (with His declaration),
27 that He should be presenting to Himself a glorious ecclesia, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that it may be holy and flawless.
28 Thus, the husbands also ought to be loving their own wives as their own bodies. He who is loving his own wife is loving himself.
29 For no one at any time hates his own flesh, but is nurturing and cherishing it, according as Christ also the ecclesia,
30 for we are members of His body.
31 For this "a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh."
32 This secret is great: yet I am saying this as to Christ and as to the ecclesia. (CLNT)

   This ties into what I wrote on yesterday.  To understand where Paul is coming from in writing this, you have to understand the relationship between man and woman from creation.

  Now, since Christ is the Head of the Church He is our body.  We are in subjection to him.  Paul elaborates in verse 29 "No one at any time hates his own flesh" ergo, wife and husband are one flesh.

  Again in verse 30, in case we didn't get it - "We are members of his body"

  The Church tries to twist this verse into a doctrine that makes us the Bride of Christ, but we are much more intimate than that.  We are his BODY.

  If Israel's relationship is that of the wife, the believers who make up Christ's Body share an even more intimate relationship.  We make up the body of the groom himself.

  One last time in case this doesn't across too clearly.  In verse 26-27 it says "that he should be hallowing it, cleansing it in the bath of the water (with his declaration), that he should be presenting HIMSELF a glorious ecclesia, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that it may be holy and flawless"

  Get it?  He cleanses the Ecclesia, because we are his BODY and when he cleanses us, he cleanses himself.

This is even better than anything else I ever knew!!

And yet... There's more to come!!  Until Tomorrow my friends!

Travis Penner