Is it Possible to Get a Basic Overall Understanding of the Bible Without Religious Affiliation?

Is it possible to get a basic overall understanding of the Bible without religious affiliation, churchgoing, or ecumenical affiliation?

The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, without religious dogmas, denominational creeds, and narrative agendas to confuse you, it is possible to get a clear sound common sense grip on what the plans of God are, past, present, and future for humankind and creation at large.

Your greatest challenge will be to find someone who has been set free from the matrix of religion to be your guide and mentor, look for that person, they are out there!

David L Ross – david@graceunlimited.ca (or East Coast Herald.ca )

What if God Doesn’t Want Us to Go Back to ‘Church, Life as Usual’? | graceunlimited.ca

Francis Chan had a message for believers and non-believers alike during a brief message on, “Perspective in the Pandemic: Leader Check-In.” Chan joined 50 other evangelical leaders–musicians, speakers, and pastors–in a 10-hour live stream session, to give some Christian perspective on the pandemic. The heart of Chan’s message urged those watching to repent and to consider that perhaps when all of this is over we shouldn’t get back to “church as usual, life as usual.”

“What if God is taking us to a different place?” Chan asked from a balcony in Hong Kong, where he and his family are currently living. “Many of us are anxious to get back to normal. I hope your anxiety is not just so you can go back and get busy with so many things,” Chan explained.

Are We Entering the End Times?

In his quintessential manner, Chan emphatically pleaded with those watching that now is the time to evaluate their lives and relationship with God. When a virus threatens to take you and those you love, it puts into perspective verses of Scripture like James 4:13-14: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Chan shared a story about a friend who decided to leave his wife for another woman during this time. The evangelist and author shared his incredulous reaction: “You’re going to do that now?!” He said he has a hard time wrapping his mind around how people could choose to continue in sin during this time of uncertainty. Although he says he was never one to proclaim the end times is near, Chan says perhaps “this could be the beginning of the end.” Speaking to the unprecedented nature of these times we’re living in, Chan says “God is doing something now that I’ve never seen in my lifetime…It feels like we’re headed into a new season.”

Chan says “God is doing something now that I’ve never seen in my lifetime…It feels like we’re headed into a new season.”

Indeed, Chan implies that if God is moving us into a new season, it would be unwise to try and reestablish life as we once knew it. “I hope this is a time of growth for you,” Chan told those watching. This is a time when we should be reminding ourselves that Scripture says “to live is Christ and to die is gain” and to ask: Do I really believe that?

“Please get right with the Lord,” Chan said, imploring people to repent. “I’m begging you to think about humbling yourself,” Chan said, referencing James 4:10.

Continuing this thought, Chan said if we are indeed in the End Times, the last thing we should be doing is hoarding goods. He compared the current situation to the story in Luke 12, where a rich “fool” is storing goods and food in his barns. God tells the rich man his life is going to be taken from him that night, yet he was so consumed with storing up these goods that will prove useless to him. The lesson for us in this parable is that it’s ok to have riches, but we are to be generous with what God has given us. It’s “not a time to hoard,” Chan explained.

This Virus Is Showing Us How Unprepared We Are

Moving on to the subject of isolation and lockdown, Chan wonders “could [this] be a blessing in disguise for some of you?” Chan, who recently moved to Hong Kong with his family so they could do more ministry work in Asia, said the isolation and quarantine has forced him to spend more time with God. While he is usually traveling to speak and minister all over the world, Chan says he hasn’t gone anywhere in the last month–a massive diversion from his normal routine.

One good thing he’s seen from the virus and the resulting isolation is that more people are reading the Bible for themselves.

Asking viewers to think about their own situations, Chan posed this question: If you were truly isolated all by yourself, even without the Bible, would you be ok? We have the internet right now so we are not truly isolated, but if we were, Chan asked those watching if they would be able to lead themselves in their walk with the Lord, or even lead others to Christ. Perhaps we are not prepared for such a situation, Chan said. “I believe this virus has taught us how unprepared we are.”

Chan believes this season should also change the way pastors preach. We no longer have the luxury of giving nice, lighthearted sermons that are softened with jokes on either side. “My little self-help tips are not enough anymore,” Chan explained. Instead, the thing people need right now are messages straight from Scripture.

Author: Church Leaders.com/Megan Briggs

I See Nothing – Would You Chide a Blind Person for Not Being Able to See? | graceunlimited.ca

Time To Do The Math | graceunlimited.ca

Clear Distinction Between Being Made in the Image and Likeness of God, or Being Born of God. | graceunlimited.ca

Finger of God | graceunlimited.ca

There is a clear distinction between being made in the image and likeness of God or, being born of God. No one has ever had a choice in these distinctions!

All mankind is made in the image and likeness of God, while those who are born of God were determined to be so "before the world was disrupted."

God is pleased to call those who are born of Him, His children, and our brother Jesus, delights to call them His body, the "Ekklesia," which He is building. While very few of these children are to be found in the religious system, the church (because they have been bought out) -- the vast majority are waiting patiently for the snatching away which will bring them into their heavenly allotment, which is encapsulated, "judging angels" and the restoration of the disrupted heavens and the still disobedient spirits.

All mankind is made in the image and likeness of God, while those who are born of God were determined to be so "before the world was disrupted."

The really good news is that whether you are in this eon, born of God or not, there is a confirmed plan for the total restoration of all things by our Father the Creator, so that ultimately to all things in heaven on the earth and below the earth He will be "All in All."

Author: David L Ross

Body, Not Bride — Which One Are You? | graceunlimited.ca

There is a distinct difference between, 'The Body of Christ' and the 'Bride of Christ'.

Those in the 'Body', will be snatched away and will ultimately be administrators of the heavenly realm restoration, with Christ as the Head.

The 'Bride of Christ', is of the earth and will be the administers of the earthly restoration, with Christ as the Groom and they as the 'Bride'. (when Christ returns not the snatching away).

He will return as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. The Kings and Lords -- He is King, and Lord of are those who are returning with Him (not earthly Kings/Lords) notice... 'no' priests!!

Those in the 'Body', will be snatched away and will ultimately be administrators of the heavenly realm restoration, with Christ as the Head.

His earthly Bride will consist of Kings and Priests... still want to be His Bride?

Author: David L Ross

Looking Anywhere But Back | graceunlimited.ca

LOOKING ANYWHERE BUT BACK

In Scripture, returning to where we’ve been—even though God took us there, as well as here - is rarely recommended. God is calling us ever forward. It’s not that we don’t have good memories of the past. We do, but the good is mixed with the bad. Bad memories can cripple our appreciation of the present. Even good memories are often bittersweet because they’re gone. God has the cure for both the good and the bad of yesterday; look ahead to when we will be with Him, even while imbibing every scent of the present. I am a champion of living for today.

I am in good company, as our Lord recommended this course: “Take no thought for tomorrow,” He said. Animals already know this; we often pity animals, but in many ways they suffer less than we. They neither worry about the past, nor fret over the future. All they know, is that they hunger and thirst and need a place to rest. Domesticated animals seek love. Jesus discouraged crystal ball gazing because it engenders worry.

We are to think upon the things He has guaranteed, but not upon all the bad or good things that might happen to us but probably won’t.

Certainly we are to anticipate His return and our own resurrection to immortality. We are to think upon the things He has guaranteed, but not upon all the bad or good things that might happen to us but probably won’t. Fear of the future paralyzes us. Our second worst enemy is regurgitating the past. The past tasted bad the first time; the twentieth re-working of it is never an improvement. When it comes to the past, we are cows with four part stomachs. We vomit up foul-tasting memories and chew them until our jaws drop off. No one celebrates cows for their intelligence. The past is over, and the future — with the exception of our coming glorification, is unknown.

“Now a different one also said, “I shall be following Thee, Lord! Yet first permit me to take leave of those in my home. Yet Jesus said to him, “No one, putting forth his hand on a plow and looking behind, is fit in the kingdom of God.” —Luke 9:61-62

The Scriptural course belonging to peace lives right here, where God has set us for the day. From this secure camp, we can look ahead with confidence to where He has promised to deliver us. Of all the terrible things we’re able to imagine about, now a different one also said, “I shall be following Thee, Lord! Yet first permit me to take leave of those in my home. Yet Jesus said to him, “No one, putting forth his hand on a plow and looking behind, is fit in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61-62 “The sun, it came forth over the earth when Lot, he came to Zoar. Then Yahweh, He caused sulphur to rain on Sodom and on Gomorrah, and the fire from Yahweh from the heavens. Thus, He overturned these cities and the entire basin and all those dwelling in the cities, and everything sprouting from the ground. Yet his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a monument of salt.” — Genesis 19:23-26

Only a small percentage of what we will worry about will even happen. The odds are overwhelmingly in favor of none of them happening.

Only a small percentage of what we will worry about will even happen. The odds are overwhelmingly in favor of none of them happening. As prognosticators, we are terrible. Even the bad things that we think will happen -- and that do happen; many will never happen according to our grim blueprint. We may dread a hospital visit, but cannot anticipate the person there who will alter our lives for the better. Same with so called good events. The wedding we’ve so meticulously choreographed comes to pass, but never in accord with the formula. The groom blows his lines, the bride trips over the runner, and the ring-bearer wets his pants. So many unforeseen arrangements disrupt our scheming that we may as well cast our plans into God’s lap and watch the circus.

FAUXTOGRAPHS

We can scrutinize our lives away, even the present — and fail to see what’s truly happening. I used to take photographs all the time. Now, I consistently travel without my camera. When someone tells me in the midst of a magical moment, “You should take a picture,” ... I always point to my head and say, “I just did.” We are too bent, I think on artificially preserving memories. Let these memories either hang on or go away of their own accord. Why hold a memory hostage when some new thing wants all of our concentration?

--NEW THINGS

God is always calling us to walk through some miraculously, dry Red Sea bed, across a river Jordan to a promisied paradise; up a mountain to where we will see Christ, or down into a hot, sparsely populated valley where friends seem as rare as water. None of these great things are perfect, and none of the hard things come without mercies. You may think that the Israelites had jolly good fun crossing the rocky bed of the Red Sea, with the water standing up on either side of them. I doubt it.

On the one hand, it was surely a thrill seeing water behave that way. Then again, the Egyptian army was hot on their heels. That figures... see? Something always messes up the, “perfect” moment. Sorry to be a downer, but realism trumps misguided expectations. In the final analysis, 'the substance of now' comforts. That both good things and bad come accessorized with their opposites keeps us relatively even and awaiting God’s next move. Our highs aren’t so high, and our lows are subject to happy modifications.

“The sun, it came forth over the earth when Lot, he came to Zoar. Then Yahweh, He caused sulphur to rain on Sodom and on Gomorrah, and the fire from Yahweh from the heavens. Thus He overturned these cities and the entire basin and all those dwelling in the cities, and everything sprouting from the ground. Yet his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a monument of salt.” —Genesis 19:23-26

Moses ascended Sinai to meet God. Sounds good, right? Yes, if you can ignore the thunder, lightning, and scary angels buzzing your head. God invited Israel into a land dripping with milk, honey, and volleyball sized grapes. Naturally, there was a problem. The inhabitants of that land were nine feet tall and ill-disposed to invading hordes of God fearers. Israel dreaded the Sinai desert, but there God provided them miraculous food and drink, while impressively extending the warranties on their clothing and footwear.

PAUL GETS IT RIGHT

in Philippians 3:12-15. Paul speaks of pursuing that for which he was called. To do this, he must “forget, indeed, those things which are behind.” These behind things are both good and bad. Behind may have been fond memories of family like mother’s garden, father’s bakery, or perhaps a childhood sweetheart. However, for Paul, the past was also potentially a living hell.

The Pharisee Saul persecuted the followers of Christ. He raided family homes, separated parents from children, and sentenced people to death. He supervised brutal scourgings. Startlingly, it is this same man who, in 2nd Timothy 1:3, writes, “Grateful am I to God, to whom I am offering divine service from my ancestors with a clear conscience.” How could this former butcher’s conscience be clear? It should be mostly cloudy with a one-hundred percent chance of precipitation. He was forgetting indeed, those things which were behind. Paul grasped justification by faith. He believed what God told him about his newness in Christ.

Paul refused to look in his rear-view mirror, preferring rather to see his glorious self reflected in God’s eyes. This is the rare, God given ability to walk by faith and not by perception (2 Corinthians 5:7). It is the key to happiness in this life. Here are the practical results of such a disposition: ► You will ignore the bad stuff that has happened to you.► You will stop worrying about the bad stuff that could happen to you.► You will contemplate the promises of glory that God has given you. Am I able to do all three of these things all the time? No. I am rarely able to assemble any two of these marvels simultaneously. If I were ever able to execute the triple-play, I’m actually afraid of how good I might feel.

I confess to you, that is some strange thing in me that resists complete happiness. Is it that I don’t trust any happiness short of immortality? ... perhaps. Am I too cynical? To damaged by past hurts? I don’t know. The corollary to resisting bliss is inviting misery. I don’t actively do this, but human beings do enjoy fondling their miserable little ruts. At least these ruts are safe and known; they’re our miserable little ruts. The quest for happiness is laden with pitfalls; how could such happiness exist; even if it existed ... last? I often tell myself that is it is better to be happy and lose, than never to be happy at all.

Here are the practical results of such a disposition: ► You will ignore the bad stuff that has happened to you.► You will stop worrying about the bad stuff that could happen to you.► You will contemplate the promises of glory that God has given you.

I sometimes don’t listen to myself; and when I do listen, I’m the better for it. This is my point; by following God’s paths, we will always be happier than if we did nothing. Doing nothing may be safer, but it’s never better. “Playing it safe”, is actually one of the riskiest things a person can do. Shall we appear before God having squandered His gifts? Having doubted His provision? Having chosen sight over faith? Having stiff armed so many grand adventures? Having lived in fear all of our lives? Let’s not!!

Article credit: Photo credit: © Can Stock Photo / nikitabuida -- Zapping You Whenever Thoughts -- FlowVoL. 8, Issue 30 - www.martinzender.com

Puzzle of HIS Presence: God’s Plan for the Gathering of His Children | graceunlimited.ca

God’s plan for gatherings of His children is for them, first, to be dunked as a group into His Spirit’s manifest Presence. Once corporately immersed in Him, the group begins to manifest the characteristics of a body.

Some members are given eyes to see into the spiritual realm and report on that to the group.

Others, take on the hands of Jesus. Whatever they touch is made healthy.

Still others, functioning as feet, get direction on where God the Great Shepherd is leading the group for today’s adventure in the Spirit as they gather. This direction is given through regular body members, not through a paid professional with a title.

This Body wraps itself up in an embrace of love. Each one feels themselves to be vital, integral, and necessary to the whole. The loving hands of this gathering even reach out beyond the group to the destitute, desperate world outside of it.

In this state of group-Holy Spirit saturation, other attendees find their mouth possessed by Almighty God Himself. These become, for a moment, oracles who reveal the closely-held secrets of heaven.

Some utter not only the spoken words of God but also exclaim those words with the very emotions that would accompany them if God spoke them Himself. The hair literally stands up on the back of the necks of those who hear these God-energized emotional words from the very heart of the Father.

On and on it goes, each one manifesting the Spirit until, once again, Christ Himself is formed in the midst of the assembly. All the various aspects and functions of Who He is are now on display. He is powerfully and tangibly present for all to see and for all to benefit from but only as a composite resulting from the participation of each one present. Like a living jigsaw puzzle, Christ is assembled.

...the Body of Christ is formed once again.

This Body wraps itself up in an embrace of love. Each one feels themselves to be vital, integral, and necessary to the whole. The loving hands of this gathering even reach out beyond the group to the destitute, desperate world outside of it.

For this day’s gathering of His people, in this particular locale, Heaven has indeed come to earth. His kingdom has come and His will is being done on earth as it is in heaven as Jesus is given free reign to orchestrate the proceedings. The real estate on which this group is meeting has suddenly become a territory of heaven, a momentary colony from another realm.

This might seem strange to modern Christians. However, it was business as usual, gathering as usual, for first century believers according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 12. Is this a cry of our hearts?

...or will we follow the church program as usual?

Dan Murrill

Amazing Grace of God: Exclusion Delusion | Who is included ?

So, let’s look at the, ‘Exclusion Delusion’ verses.

Let's start by looking at Paul's message to non-believing pagans.

“For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, For we are ALL His children.” -- Acts 17:28

Grace of God, don't fall for the exclusion-delusion debate....the grace of God was manifested to all men.

In the verses below who is the one who died for all? CHRIST! So who are the, “all that died?” Humanity of course!

“... Because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore, ALL have died" -- 2 Corinthians 5:14

“All men," and "the many" in Adam are the same. "All men" and "the many" in Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for ALL men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for ALL men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." -- Romans 5:18-19

The same ALL that died in Adam were the same ALL made alive in Christ.

“For as in Adam ALL die, so also in Christ shall ALL be made alive.” -- 1 Corinthians 15:22

Notice below where the living water flows. It doesn't enter him but comes from within, it's already there.

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." -- John 7:38

“This is because...and the righteousness of God is through the faith OF Jesus Christ to ALL, and upon all those believing, -- for there is NO DIFFERENCE.” -- Romans 3:22

There is no difference, because ALL humanity are already INCLUDED in the life of the last Adam. -- 1 Corinthians 15:45

Scriptures consistently tell us NOTHING was ever, or will ever be, separated or apart from being in Christ.

"And himself is before all, and all things IN HIM have always consisted." -- Colossians 1:17

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. IN HIM WAS LIFE, and the life was the light of men.” -- John 1:3-4

“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and IN ALL." -- Ephesians 4:6

“For of Him and through Him and to Him are ALL THINGS, to whom be glory forever. " -- Romans 11:36

"there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are ALL THINGS and through whom we exist" -- 1 Corinthians 8:6

It's important to note here that after he says this, he says that, "NOT ALL possess this knowledge," and says elsewhere, "we were only at enmity in our minds," meaning that just because SOME don't know, or even reject this truth about Christ being, in all, doesn't mean it's not true.

"…and there are diversities of workings, and it is the same God--who is working the all IN all" -- 1 Corinthians 12:6

Wow, that is a lot of “ALL”!!

Lastly, many verses point to Christ and His finished works, as to include THE WHOLE WORLD, not just believers who hear and accept the good news. It's a scandal!!

"And He--is a mercy seat for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for THE WHOLE WORLD " -- 1 John 2:2

"And him who was made some little less than messengers we see--Jesus--because of the suffering of the death, with glory and honor having been crowned, that by the grace of God FOR EVERYONE he might taste of death." -- Hebrews 2:9

***"For this we both labor and are reproached, because we hope on the living God, who is SAVIOUR OF ALL MEN --especially of those believing." --* *1 Timothy 4:10***

"For the saving grace of God was manifested TO ALL MEN" -- Titus 2:11

“Who did give himself a ransom FOR ALL -- the testimony in its own time” -- 1 Timothy 2:6

"And I, if I may be lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL MEN unto myself." -- John 12:32

"And we-- have seen and do testify, that the Father hath sent the Son--SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD" -- 1 John 4:14

I could seriously go on but at this point it would be redundant. I HOPE YOU GET THE POINT!

By God’s amazing grace, ALL were INCLUDED in Jesus LIFE, DEATH BURIAL, RESURRECTION and ASCENSION. YOUR PERMISSION WASN'T ASKED FOR OR NEEDED. That doesn't mean all will accept, or even hear the true gospel message in this life, but the fact remains true, nonetheless.

Don't fall for the ever popular ‘exclusion delusion ’ argument. In God’s grace, YOU are included!! …. and so was everyone else!! It's the good news; it's the gospel.

It’s Time for Change: We are Swimming Upstream by Going Against the Majority

It's time for change: We are swimming upstream by going against the majority.

Today, we would rather be loved and approved by the Lord, than be liked and esteemed by men, and with this, we understand that we are swimming upstream and against the current of the majority.

We understand that we are swimming upstream and against the current of the majority. Since having come to the revelation that something is intrinsically wrong with the religious system...

Since having come to the revelation that something is intrinsically wrong with the religious system...

Since having come to the revelation that something is intrinsically wrong with the religious system, it seems like we are daily convicted to unload some type of religious baggage. Whether it happens fast like the shedding of a snake, or slow, like the peel of an onion, the Holy Spirit says, ‘it’s time for a change'!!

During the process, we have come to understand that certain traditions have no foundation in New Creation Life, so they must go. The Spirit is continuously revealing the emptiness of those things we once participated in, and strived for.

Below are some of these convictions, so please, take a moment to ponder the following 5 points.

We understand that each of us is uniquely gifted and has been given diverse emphasis to strengthen His Body.
We also understand that while we may be out of the system, the system may not yet be completely out of us.
Different saints are in different places on this journey.
Knowing how utterly confused we were at one time, this should give us the grace to be patient with each other.
I do not need to believe like you, to love you, and have fellowship with you.