Free is the New Normal

Today the billions of Christians celebrate the death of one man who claimed to be more than that. Jesus was witnessed to be historically alive. That is a fact. His followers wrote his life down on papers that were widely distributed. He made claims that were highly unbelievable and incredibly offensive. His teaching turned the world upside down.

His followers mostly all died terrible deaths defending the experiences they had being around him. All of them have suffered for it. This practice of following in the footsteps of Jesus by sufferings continue today. We see the pressure mounting against the following of Jesus in USA today.

In fact, this post could be censored and my ratings blocked and my business hurt. Thats the point. We know and are reminded today that to follow Jesus is to be like Jesus. To be like Jesus is to do the things that he did, but more importantly experience the things he experienced. Suffering was one of those experiences.

Sufferings are most painful when they are unjust. Unjust experiences are the future for the follower of Jesus in the future USA. For those of us who have prayed that we want to be more like Jesus, brace yourself with the knowledge that unjust attacks are coming. Your prayers are being answered. We will all be more like Jesus in the coming decade.

Paul said of his experience during unjust suffering of being thrown in jail for teaching Jesus-

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬ https://lnkd.in/gBamucVF

Today we remember Jesus and his death for us but he wants also for us to be ready for the coming decade of becoming more like Him.

lnkd.in

I've been exploring the idea of temperament and church membership. As I'm in the world more and more with my job and out of the religious systems of American church it's seemingly obvious that the church people as a group are not bound as much by Jesus but by temperament. There is a chosen temperament which allow for people inside the religious system to be accepted or to be rejected. I have watched the temperaments of other who are extremely faithful to God get fully rejected by the church and cast out based not upon the words that were said but based on the temperament of those who said them.

This even affects the income of people and their ability to succeed in the religious system. A person who has a more “masculine “ temperament will not be promoted and encoured to be part of the community of a religion. Only those of a “feminine” temperament will be allowed to excel in leadership and community.

In large corporations we see this to some degree. No boat rockers are allowed there as the point isn’t to excell and challenge but to be quiet and follow the rules no matter their success. Success is defined there by the amount of peace you are giving the organization. It is not defined by profits or improvements.

The challenge is for new people to come into faith and find a community. Jesus has no pretense or even preference. He is for all. He made all and fully knows all people. It is for all the people that he died. The religious system has a preference. That is for sure. Mildness is the preferred direction for the temperament of the people. We have even projected meek (good thing) and mild (human religion) upon the Lord himself.

The church today says -
Only Mild people need to apply.

What does that mildness allow for?

No discipleship
No consequences for actions even including R**e, In**st, pedophiles, and any sexual perversion one can desire
No consequences for manipulation or being “sneaky”(the Bible calls it murmuring and whispering)
Death of true leadership.
I could go on.

What do we need. We need to sober up and realize that this is not a season for mildness. This is a season (if we are to survive) for the meek and powerful. This is a season for “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off”. Thats not mild. That’s the word of Jesus

The church isn’t forgiving sin it’s accommodating it. We aren’t a woke people but in fact we are sleeping. We haven’t evolved into better but in fact is a devolving process we are seeing.

I can no longer accommodate mildness as a spirit gift unless we agree it’s a gift of the evil spirit.

Leave mildness in the nursery. Put on the power of God that shakes prisons and moves mountains. Put on the determination of a person willing to die today for the faith. You have to make them mad if you got them to the point of killing you. Here’s to making people mad!
at is making people so mad they gnash their teeth and cover their ears as they scream. That will define your success and make you more like Jesus. Throw off mild today and pick up the power of God.