All of Satan's Acts Will Be Completely Undone By Jesus

1 John 3:8 shows us clearly one reason why Jesus came to earth:

Yet he who is doing sin is of the Adversary, for from the beginning is the Adversary sinning. For this was the Son of God manifested, that He should be annulling the acts of the Adversary.

Is that not great news?

Satan: God's Bulldozer

God created Satan, as he is, to play a part in His plans. Orthodox Christianity tells us Satan is a rebellious fallen angel operating outside of God's plans.

Jesus tells us something different.

Satan, like a bulldozer, is tearing stuff up in the early phases of God's construction project. Then Satan, like a bulldozer, will be removed from the site when his job is finished. Jesus will continue the project to its completion.

How to know if your Jesus is too damn tiny

There are various sizes of Jesuses in the world today. Most are just too damn tiny to accomplish the big projects God has begun. But the true Jesus - the Biggest Jesus - has the power, wisdom and love to finish all of God's work.

"Why I quit going to church." (and R.E.M.'s misunderstood lyrics)

I quit going to church in the fall of 2009. It was a beautiful day.

Heathen? Heretic? Unbeliever? Backslider? Nope. Nope. Nope. And, nope. Just the opposite—Frontslider.

I quit going to church because God was sliding me forward in my relationship with Him. He slid me to a place that was exterior to the local Christian meeting hall, and out of orthodox, or rather, orthobox Christianity. Yes, I like to make up words if they make sense to me. But what I don't like to do is make up, or promote, false teachings about my heavenly Father and my Savior, Christ Jesus.

I loved Orthodox Christianity (OC; The Box) when I was in it. I had a lot of friends in that tiny box. All I knew about God and Jesus came from orthobox teaching. I was content in there, only able to see what I could see from inside The Box. Because of OC's limited teachings, I believed with all my heart that most of the people who Christ died for would end up tormented forever in a very hot and very unpleasant place called "hell." One of my life's missions was to rescue people from this horrible end, as I had been rescued.

Rescued from The Box

But, after about 17 years in The Box, I began to see things in the Scriptures that directly contradicted OC. God was bringing teachers across my path with messages that were very different from what I believed at the time. Radically different. Heretically different (at least from the viewpoint of orthoboxy).

But the new teachings I encountered were Scriptural, unlike my long-held beliefs. The teachings I had gotten in The Box were, in reality, just the teachings of men which were devoid of power to help, but filled with power to deceive. Jesus spoke about these kinds of false teachings in Mark 7,

⁶ Yet [Jesus], answering, said to [the Pharisees and scribes] that "Ideally prophesies Isaiah concerning you hypocrites, as it is written, that 'This people with their lips is honoring Me, Yet their heart is away at a distance from Me.⁷ Yet in vain are they revering Me, teaching for teachings the directions of men.' ⁸ For, leaving the precept of God, you are holding the tradition of men ... ."

These people Jesus confronted did honor and revere God ... with their lips. But all of their honoring and revering was empty because they left the true teachings of God for the worthless teachings of men.

Because the new teachings I was encountering were so radically different from what I had believed for so long, I examined the Scriptures as never before to see if these amazing teachings were true. Through this process, God was sharpening my Scripture-studying skills. And He was opening my eyes to see simple, life-changing truths right in the Scriptures. I had read past these truths dozens of times before, but with Satanic blinders on.

It seemed I now had an important choice to make: continue in Orthobox Christianity (where my wife and I and our kids had been for so long), or get out and continue to search for the truth of God outside of The Box. I knew leaving The Box would mean leaving friends also. This was a big decision that would immediately impact me and my family, probably for the rest of our lives.

Even though it was a big decision, it was not a hard decision.

Why it was an easy decision to leave The Box

I knew that teachers in The Box were saying things about my heavenly Father and Savior that were flat out lies. Regrettably, I had spouted these same demonic lies for many years from pulpits, in bible studies, and in Sunday School classes. My biggest regret is teaching these lies to young kids, including my own.

Here's the question I asked myself that made leaving The Box an easy decision: "Why would I want to stick around in, and participate in, a system where people are telling horrible lies about my Father?" I had no good answer to this "Why?". "God, strap a rocket to my back and get me the hell out of here!"

I have ZERO regrets about leaving.

Imagine what you would do in the following scenario: You're part of a social club that is loving and kind. And the people in the club are helpful to you. But, using a PA system, they continually tell damaging lies about your earthly father, who, in fact, is a great guy. Would you continue to hang around and be a part of that club? Would the good things they do, even for you personally, outweigh the fact that they are lying about your good father?

"Do you even hear their words?"

I like good music. I didn't think that this habit of mine was odd, but I actually listen to the words in songs. The words are the heart of the song—the message the writer wants to get across. The music is just the clothing. Though not everyone listens closely to the words of songs, everyone listens to the music. The music is what hooks you.

The other day I was singing some words along with a song on the radio to my wife. It was a song that was popular and had been on the radio for quite a while. My wife said she didn't know that those were the words in the song. The music had hooked her, but she hadn't grasped the meaning of the song.

Some words in some very popular songs are quite disturbing. But you'll often find humans dancing to these songs. The catchy music hooks us. And we're often not aware of the dark message we're grooving to.

I'm a huge fan of the band R.E.M. Years ago they had a hit called The One I Love. Lead singer and writer Michael Stipe called the song "real violent and awful" in Rolling Stone magazine. He said later in Mojo, "I didn't like the song to begin with. It was too brutal. ... But people misunderstood it, so it was fine. Now it's a love song, so that's fine." I recall stories of Stipe being on stage singing this song, looking out at couples embracing and singing along, clueless to the true awfulness of the song's lyrics.

The title of the song, "The One I Love," and its opening line, "This one goes out to the one I love," led people to believe that this was a true love song. But they didn't listen to the whole song. If you're a lovebird, try crooning some of these lines from the song to your lover (be prepared to duck),

♪♫"This one goes out to the one I've left behind
A simple prop to occupy my time"♫♪

Love song, my ass!

It's the same with Orthodox Christianity. People fall in love with the music, the fellowship, and some of their good deeds. But they fail to hear the God-damning and Savior-denying words streaming from OC's multiple avenues of teaching. Satan truly is the Master Distractor. If you're in The Box, I encourage you to listen closely to the entire message they are proclaiming. Ask your Pastor or leaders what they truly believe. Words matter. Beliefs matter. God and Jesus matter.

A few questions to ask your Pastor

Do you really know what your church believes and teaches? Most churches today have websites that tell you exactly what they believe about God and Jesus. Check the sites out. Some of their teachings may be obvious, but some you may have to dig a little bit to find.

Or, you could just ask your leaders what they believe. It's OK to ask your pastor questions. In fact, your pastor should welcome your questions. But be prepared, he might not welcome inquiring minds. His reaction will  have a lot to do with the questions you ask.

I've been in churches that don't preach from the pulpit what they truly believe about God because they know it makes Him look bad. The teaching that God torments unbelievers forever in hell is the main teaching some shy away from publicly proclaiming. They don't like bringing their listener's (and tithe-payer's) attention to the dark side of their twisted version of the "good news."

If you choose to remain in The Box, I think you should at least know what your Box's beliefs are.

The main issues concerning any church's beliefs are their teachings about God and His Son. If the church you meet with is teaching errors about God and Jesus, do you really want to hang with them?

A few questions you can ask:

• Did Jesus save all people when He died on the cross?
• Does God offer us salvation, or does He simply save us with zero assistance from us?
• Will Jesus undo all of Satan's works? If they say "No," ask them which of the Adversary's works will remain forever.
• Will Jesus undo all the condemnation that came through Adam's sin? (see Romans 5, especially verse 18)
• If God is love, and He loves His enemies, how is it loving for Him to torment His unbelieving enemies forever?

And there may be more questions you've had for a long time, but haven't yet asked. Go ahead and ask them. What've you got to lose?

Big Truths you won't hear in The Box

Here's a quick list of Scriptural truths that OC denies. Maybe some of these will spark questions you can ask your leaders if you're in The Box:

• God is the only being that has free will
• God is the only being that has, or will ever have, eternal life (life with no beginning or end)
• God will pour out the fullness of His love and grace on all people
• God will use His power, sovereignty and love to accomplish all of His will (1 Timothy 2:4; Acts 13:22–23)
• Christ justified all people through His death and resurrection (Romans 5:18)
• God will reconcile all things to Himself through Christ's work (Colossians 1:16–20)
• Christ will completely undo all of Satan's works (1 John 3:8)
• The Lamb of God removed the sin of the world on the cross (John 1:29)
• Jesus saved (past tense) the world (John 3:17)
• God is the Savior of all mankind (1 Timothy 4:10)
• The resurrected Christ's message through Paul is bigger than His message to Israel through Peter and the other apostles
• The dead are truly dead (they're not currently alive in any form) 
• Jesus will rescue all people from death (1 Corinthians 15:26)
• Jesus' death and resurrection undoes all the effects of Adam's sin (Romans 5:18)
• God's mission for Christ will be accomplished through time periods called eons (Greek: aion)
• The eons will end when Christ successfully finishes all of God's will and God is All in all (1 Corinthians 15:20–28)

If you choose to remain in The Box ...

I have enough trouble living my own life, so I will never tell you how to live yours. But, if you believe the big truths about God that are denied in The Box, please be honest with yourself about why you choose to remain bound in The Box.

God's words through Paul come to mind. 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1,

Do not become diversely yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness? Or what communion has light with darkness? ¹⁵ Now what agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what part a believer with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ Now what concurrence has a temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, according as God said, that I will be making My home and will be walking in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ¹⁷ Wherefore, Come out of their midst and be severed, the Lord is saying. And touch not the unclean, and I will admit you, ¹⁸ and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty. ^7:1 Having, then, these promises, beloved, we should be cleansing ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, completing holiness in the fear of God.

Are you going to continue to fellowship in a system that blasphemes your Father? Will you hang in a system that paints a false, weak image of your Savior to the world?

How to quit church without quitting God

My friend, Martin  Zender, wrote a great book on the subject of a believer quitting church. I read this book long after God rescued me out of The Box. Yes, it's true, a believer can quit church without quitting God. In fact, when a believer quits church, and continues to grow with God, their growth is no longer limited by The Box.

You might fear feeling alone if you quit church. And you may very well feel alone if you quit your church. But you're never truly alone. Jesus won't leave you. God won't leave you. And there are many people who've left The Box that have found unique ways to fellowship.

Following are some links where you can get encouragement, fellowship and learnin' that you'll not hear in The Box:

• Subscribe to new posts from The Biggest Jesus (see the right-side column ➔➔)
• Comment at the bottom of this post. I'll be notified, and we can start a discussion.
• MartinZender.com: decades of solid, humorous, and deep teaching about God. Books, essays, newsletters, video and audio. There's so much on Martin's site that you'll need to take drinks often or you'll choke.
• Martin Zender's fat YouTube playlists: over 1400 videos and growing
• MortalFury YouTube channel: 2 buddies, Chris and Dean, spittin' truth
• Concordant.org: properly translated Scriptures that you can read online. 100+ years of solid Scripture teaching that is too big for The Box.
• Concordant.org/Unsearchable Riches: Published continuously since 1909, this is one of my go-to study tools. Download the digital version and search just about every Scripture topic imaginable.

Grow in grace and in the knowledge of God and Jesus.
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Images
"Huge Blinders" by Emilio Labrador; CC BY 2.0
"Man and Woman Dancing"; https://www.piqsels.com/en/public-domain-photo-scihg; Creative Commons 0 - CC0 voice bubble and words added
"How to Quit Church Without Quitting God"; Martin Zender; http://martinzender.com/books/htqc_pb_enlarged.htm

Jesus settles egg debate: "Eggs are good!"

On Tuesday, Cheddar News interviews a scrawny dietician who says "Eggs are good for you. Eat at least an 18-pack every week, and you'll live to be a healthy 105." Two days later on CNN, an obese researcher contradicts her, "Eggs are going to plant you into a deep, cold, early grave."

What do us poor simpletons do in such a contrasting dilemma? I, my fellow simpletons, turn to God. He understands His own creations better than anyone else (except, of course, theologians).

I want to enjoy all of God's gracious gifts. And I count the mighty egg as one of His greatest blessings. If I listened to Dr. Death on CNN, instead of Jesus (and scrawny girl), my breakfasts would be ho-hum. I dislike ho-hum breakfasts.

Jesus' word on this issue is the last I need to hear. He said to His disciples in Luke 11:11–13,

Now of some father of you a son will be requesting bread. No stone will he be handing him! Or a fish, also. Not, instead of a fish, a serpent will he be handing him! ¹² Or he will also be requesting an egg. He will not be handing him a scorpion! ¹³ If you, then, being inherently wicked, are aware how to give good gifts to your children, how much rather will the Father Who is out of heaven, be giving holy spirit to those requesting Him!

—Concordant Literal New Testament (CLNT)

Eggs are good. Scorpions? No. Now you know.

He skimmed the love letter

The point of this post isn't your physical diet, but your spiritual diet (which definitely can affect you physically). My goal in this post is to encourage you to read through the entirety of the Scriptures so that you don't miss anything that God has for you, like the glorious truth of the egg.

The Scriptures are a gold mine of truth and encouragement. When a gold prospector finds a hot spot, he keeps going back to get the goods. As I regularly read through the Scriptures and learn and grow and get to know Jesus better, it keeps me coming back for more. This is the hot spot for truth—truth directly from God. Some days yield better results that others. But I've experienced the benefits of consistently seeking God through His word.

Following are two reasons why I think you should read the entire Scriptures. This is not a law, only a suggestion for your benefit.

Matthew 4:4, CLNT,

Yet [Jesus], answering, said [to Satan], "It is written, 'Not on bread alone shall man be living, but on every declaration going out through the mouth of God.'"

And the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16–17, CLNT,

All scripture is inspired by God, and is beneficial for teaching, for exposure, for correction, for discipline in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be equipped, fitted out for every good act.

Everything that God communicates to us through the Scriptures is important and beneficial.

Jim the skimmer could have benefited from the advice to read thoroughly.

Jim received an email from Beth, his newest girlfriend. She had been overseas on business for many months. The letter was extremely long, so Jim skimmed over it like it was Facebook's Terms and Conditions agreement. Then he got back to his life's many demands.

Later that week on Friday, Jim arrived home from work in the darkness of evening. The rain was pouring down. As he approached his house, he could see a figure standing outside with no umbrella, surrounded by suitcases. As Jim pulled into the driveway, he realized it was Beth, soaking wet and furious. Before Jim could get out of the car to help her, Beth rushed at him, pulled out her Smith & Wesson Bodyguard-38 and shot Jim four times in the head. Jim died.

Sadly for Jim, he didn't see the part in the email where Beth said she was coming to see him this Friday. (Did I mention Beth was psycho?) Now you know.

Though the true living God is not a psycho, I hope this little story shows you the importance of reading all of God's words. The Scriptures are a letter to you from your heavenly Father. There are amazing truths to be found on the lesser traveled roads of Scripture. Explore. I have no idea how God will use His words to speak directly to you in your unique life. But He will.

But please realize this important fact: although we can learn from everything God has given us in the Scriptures, it's not all written to us. For example, God gave the law to Moses who in turn gave it to Israel. He didn't give it to the nations outside of Israel. God never requires the nations to do what He required of Israel. If you take the commands He gave to Israel onto yourself, you'll end up miserable, because attempting to keep the law is not the way to freedom. Believing in Jesus is the way to freedom.

Most people will say that if you're new to the Scriptures, start reading in the book of John. I, along with others, suggest starting in the book of Romans. This is the apostle Paul's letter that lays out foundational truths that will solidify your faith in God.

God's revelation of Himself to mankind is progressive, and Paul's letters reveal God's most up-to-date dealings with mankind. Having a solid foundation in Romans will help you understand as you read the rest of the Scriptures. Martin Zender has an excellent series on Romans that can help you as you read through the Scriptures.

Jesus used the Scriptures to defeat Satan (so can you)

Take a look at how Jesus uses Scripture to fend off Satan's temptations in Matthew 4:1–11,

Then Jesus was led up into the wilderness by the spirit to be tried by the Adversary. ² And, fasting forty days and forty nights, subsequently He hungers. ³ And, approaching, the trier said to Him, "If you are God's Son, say that these stones may be becoming cakes of bread." ⁴ Yet He, answering, said, "It is written, 'Not on bread alone shall man be living, but on every declaration going out through the mouth of God.'" ⁵ Then the Adversary is taking Him along into the holy city, and stands Him on the wing of the sanctuary. ⁶ And he is saying to Him. "If you are God's Son, cast yourself down, for it is written that 'His messengers shall be directed concerning Thee' and 'On their hands shall they be lifting Thee, Lest at some time Thou shouldst be dashing Thy foot against a stone.'" ⁷ Jesus averred to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not be putting on trial the Lord your God.'" ⁸ Again the Adversary takes Him along into a very high mountain, and is showing Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he said to Him, "All these to you will I be giving, if ever, falling down, you should be worshiping me." ¹⁰ Then Jesus is saying to him, "Go away, Satan, for it is written, The Lord your God shall you be worshiping, And to Him only shall you be offering divine service." ¹¹ Then the Adversary is leaving Him. And lo! messengers approached and waited on Him. 

—CLNT

Arming yourself with the truth in the Scriptures enables us to stand against the Adversary. Ephesians 6:11–17 shows us,

Put on the panoply [suit of armor] of God, to enable you to stand up to the stratagems of the Adversary, ¹² for it is not ours to wrestle with blood and flesh, but with the sovereignties, with the authorities, with the world-mights of this darkness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness among the celestials. ¹³ Therefore take up the panoply of God that you may be enabled to withstand in the wicked day, and having effected all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand, then, girded about your loins with truth, with the cuirass of righteousness put on, ¹⁵ and your feet sandaled with the readiness of the evangel of peace; ¹⁶ with all taking up the large shield of faith, by which you will be able to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is a declaration of God.

—CLNT

God has equipped us to stand against our true enemies—Satan and the spiritual forces of darkness and wickedness. They are relentless. Prepare yourself for battle.

"Did you see this?"

So many beneficial revelations can be found throughout the Scriptures. Don't miss out on these and the blessings that come with knowing them. Keep in mind that the main reason God gave us the words in the Scriptures is so we can know Him. The Bible is the almighty, loving, invisible God revealing Himself to us. Apart from this revelation, we could not know Him.

The opening chapters in Genesis show us the beginning of our human race, and they unveil much about our Creator. Read them.

We learn great things about God in the midst of His dealing with Israel as He talks with His friend Moses on Mount Sinai,

And Jehovah comes down in a cloud, and stations Himself with [Moses] there, and calls in the Name of Jehovah, ⁶ and Jehovah passes over before his face, and calls: "Jehovah, Jehovah God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in kindness and truth, ⁷ keeping kindness for thousands, taking away iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and not entirely acquitting, charging iniquity of fathers on children, and on children's children, on a third [generation], and on a fourth."

—Exodus 34:5–7 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

In 1 Kings 22:19–23, and in the first two chapters of Job, God gives us front-row access to events in His throne room in heaven. Enjoy the show.

Wisdom can be found throughout the Scriptures. Proverbs 22:7 says, " ... the borrower is slave to the lender." This has caused me to be mindful of the pitfalls of financial debt in my life. Who wants to be slave to a banker or Visa?

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Jeremiah 32:27. God said to Jeremiah, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?" What is your answer to God's question? Mainstream Christianity teaches that saving all people is too hard for God. Who are you going to believe? The Scriptures will cause us to think about what we really believe. God's words will affect us.

Paul wrote in Romans 5:18, "Consequently, then, as it was through [Adam's] one offense for all mankind for condemnation, thus also it is through [Jesus'] one just award for all mankind for life's justifying" (CLNT). All mankind was condemned by Adam's offense. All mankind was justified by Jesus' work. And in Romans 11:32 he wrote these mind-blowing words, "For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all" (CLNT). God will be merciful to all! Does that give you hope?

I could go on and on. Read the Scriptures for yourself. Putting your eyes on God's words will benefit you.

Spoiler alert

I have many pet peeves.
Here are two. I'm peeved by people who talk through movies (not the actors, but those who are watching with me). I'm equally peeved when someone tells me what's coming next in the movie.

Well, I'm about to point you to the end of Scripture's story and all the awe-inspiring details. I know, that makes me a hypocrite, but I can't stop myself. It's just so good!

The last book of the Bible—the book of Revelation—is not the end of the story. It is not the most distant point in the future that God reveals to us.

Here are the most distant events that God has unveiled for us. They are given to us by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:20–28.

20 Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing.
21 For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead.
22 For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.
23 Yet each in his own class: the Firstfruit, Christ; thereupon those who are Christ's in His presence;
24 thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power.
25 For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet.
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.

—CLNT

How encouraging is that? God will be "All in all!"

Is there anything there that you've never seen before? Or maybe never noticed in the way you just did? I'm regularly seeing new details in Scriptures that I have previously read several times before.

Hopefully reading this passage encourages you to dive into all of God's words. The truth of eggs can benefit our taste buds and stomachs. God's words can also benefit our minds and emotions by giving us love, faith, knowledge, hope, peace, contentment, joy and so much more.

Learn from faithful teachers

The Scriptures aren't always easy to understand. Searching them is an ongoing endeavor that will reward your effort. Keep in mind that the ultimate purpose of the Scriptures is to show you God and His Son so you can know Them better.

Read from a good translation of the Scriptures. I strongly suggest the Concordant Literal New Testament, and the Concordant Version of the Old Testament.

God has provided people to teach us. Two of my most trusted teachers are A.E. Knoch and Martin Zender. I've learned a great deal from these faithful men, and you can too.

I encourage you to download Unsearchable Riches. It's a publication that's been going since 1909 and contains articles by A.E. Knoch and other good teachers.
________________________
Photo credits:
- "Egg in a metal spiral egg cup." © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY 2.5
- "Reagans in the White House theater" By Unknown - Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40054480 (words added)

"When Will We See Our Dead Loved Ones?"

We've all got 'em - dead loved ones. What the hell are they up to, and when will we see them again?

Another fine video from Martin Zender ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOqIiKElAP8

"Just if I'd never sinned."

When we believe God, this is how He sees us through the work of His Son on the cross—"just if I'd never sinned"—justified.

Justification is usually misunderstood because of man-made traditional religious bunk. It's been muddy in my mind for a long time. But it's one of the greatest blessings of the Scriptures. My friend Martin Zender recently wrote a great article on this topic of justification.

This article removed some hard, caked-on mud from my eyes. The information in this article has the power to radically change your life this very day.

Here are a few tasty tidbits from the article:

"God only wants to be believed, even for the radical things that He says. When we believe what God says, then we bathe ourselves in it and live by it in spite of what we see. God wants us to enjoy it now even before it happens. Why wait until it happens in order to get a kick out of it?"
...

"For it is not the elimination of sin via struggle that delivers one from slavery to Sin, it is Christ on the cross and His six hours of suffering—this is what delivers from Sin."
...

"Since God is the One Who justified us, it is insane to think that He could possibly be the One Who could indict us. How could the One Who calls us “not guilty” then turn around and charge us with a fault or offense? What about Jesus? Will He condemn us? Again, this is an insane consideration, for Christ is the One Who worked out God’s justification of our sin at the cross.

"No, I’m afraid that the only entity that could indict us, is us. Unless we know the truth of Justification, we are our own worst enemy."
...

"What a difference between sitting around all day wringing one’s hands over one’s failures, and basking in the sunshine of God’s affection and thanking Him all day for not reckoning Sin. True and lasting peace can only come on the heels of Justification, for—

Being, then, justified by faith, we may be having peace toward God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ. — Romans 5:1

God would rather be thanked all day than begged all day for forgiveness."

Check it out.

Stuck in the 3 days

We're currently in the "valley of death." But we'll all come out.

A small example can help us see the big picture.

Jesus was alive and kicking ... kicking the intellectual crap out of the hypocritical religious leaders of His day. His followers saw His multiple powerful miracles, and knew for sure that He would soon deliver the kingdom to Israel, and the Jews would be on top of the world. The Romans would be done for, because the Messiah was in town, and He don't mess around. He gets work done.

Then ... the Romans and hypocritical religious leaders kicked the crap out of Jesus and mercilessly killed Him.

"Hmm," thought His followers, "didn't see that coming!" His band of believers were confused, sad, angry, probably hysterical: "What the unseen-underworld just happened? We were just about to see all of our hopes and dreams become reality! How could God let this happen? What are we supposed to do now? Crap, now we have to go back to our real jobs on Monday!"

Jesus was laid in the tomb. Day 1 ... nothing but continued despair, sadness, anger and fear. Day 2 ... more of the same, except it hurts a little bit more today as the shock wears off and reality digs in like a tick on a dog. Day 3 ... life goes on, you can't stop it.

Then ...

"He's alive!"
"Who?"
"Jesus!"
"No, we saw Him die. He's dead. Leave us alone!"
"Well I just saw Him and talked with Him. He's alive!"
"We'll just see about that."

And see they did.

He's now at His Father's right hand.

From the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. An excruciating ride with an (almost) unbelievable end. But it's in the books, or, rather the Book.

But the highs are meaningless without the contrast of the lows. Experiencing the lows prepares us to properly appreciate the highs. God made it this way, and He knows what He's doing.

"Enough with the lows already, God! We're ready for the highs!"

 He knows when we're ready.

"And this has to do with us how?"

Jesus' life, death, burial and resurrection is a condensed version of God's big-picture plan for all of us. The problem for us is this: we are currently stuck in the 3 days—the time that corresponds to His 3 days in the tomb. This is the time when the confusion, despair, sadness, anger and fear dominated His followers' lives. And these can dominate our lives also. This is their (and our) what-the-hell-just-happened? stage. His was 3 days. Ours will last as long as God has determined.

But His story, and our story, doesn't end in despair in the tomb. Death has no victory in the end (despite what you hear in most churches). 1 Corinthians 15, Concordant Literal New Testament,

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. ⁵⁴ Now, whenever this corruptible should be putting on incorruption and this mortal should be putting on immortality, then shall come to pass the word which is written, Swallowed up was Death by Victory. ⁵⁵ Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting? ⁵⁶ Now the sting of Death is sin, yet the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ Now thanks be to God, Who is giving us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Just as Jesus exited death, so too will all of humanity. Your loved one who died unexpectedly. Your loved one who died after a fight to the death with cancer and lost. Your loved one who never experienced life outside the womb. ALL OF OUR LOVED ONES, AND EVEN ONES WE DON'T KNOW AND LOVE!

"I can't wait for _____________ !" 

Usually when we start a sentence with these words we don't have any choice but to wait for the thing we can't wait for. "I can't wait for McDonald's to offer the McRib sandwich again!" But you must wait for the saucy deliciousness of pressed dead pig meat because McDonald's doesn't run by our schedule.

And God doesn't run by our schedule.

It would really be nice to only have to wait 3 days to receive our dead loved ones alive and well ... no ... alive and immortal. But we have no choice except to wait for God to give life and immortality to the dead. He will do it. He promised to do it. Our "3 days" will eventually come to a glorious end that will blow our minds, just as Jesus' followers' minds were no doubt blown when they hung out with Him after their 3 days.

Here's the end of the big-picture story from 1 Corinthians 15 from the Concordant Literal New Testament. Read it. Re-read it. Soak it in. Dream about it. Know it will happen!

(Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing. ²¹ For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead. ²² For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified. ²³ Yet each in his own class: the Firstfruit, Christ; thereupon those who are Christ's in His presence; ²⁴ thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power. ²⁵ For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. 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.)

Imagine holding your loved ones in that day, never again in fear of death, which Jesus will render totally inoperative (v.26). NO MORE DEATH! LIFE FOR ALL! The glorious end to an excruciating ride.

"How long Lord?"

This is a recurring question in the Scriptures. It never hurts to ask. Maybe God will answer you. But don't hold your breath waiting for an answer from heaven. Just know that God has a plan and the ability to make it real (read 1 Corinthians 15 again). 

Jesus does indeed get work done. The problem for us is that we don't always know what His current work is. His followers thought it was God's time for them to rule the world under King Jesus. Instead, God sacrificed His only Son for the entire world (which is far better for all in the long run). God refuses to email me concerning His present operations. This is where faith comes in. Faith in His love, mercy, power and purpose.

Jesus came out of His 3 days, and so will we. 

"Mommy, why do people die?"

This question from a curious child may come out of the blue from the mind of a small human trying to figure out the world he lives in.

It's a question we've all probably asked at some point in our lives, whether silently or out loud.

But as we grow older and realize that death is simply a fact that we can't change, we accept it, try to ignore it, and seek to make the most of our breathing hours.

But why we die is a vital question.

I'm not talking about the mode of death—disease, impaling, accident, beheading. We may be able to dodge the occasional shark attack or suicide bomb, but we can't evade death forever.

If we squeeze 100 years out of this life it's considered a minor miracle. The Amplified Bible describes us like this, "You are merely a vapor [like a puff of smoke or a wisp of steam from a cooking pot] that is visible for a little while and then vanishes [into thin air]" (James 4:14). That's depressing.

What gives Death the right to crash our party when it's just starting to pop? 

Why are we mortal when we're made in the image of an immortal Creator?

Act I: Adam enters stage from below

The first man, Adam, was the first global trendsetter, way before Al Gore's internet even existed. Sin ("missing the mark," or falling short of God's standard of righteousness) entered the world through Adam. And through his sin death entered mankind.

We read in Romans 5:12,

Therefore, even as through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death, and thus death passed through into all mankind, on which all sinned --

—Concordant Literal New Testament (CLNT)

The moment a human is conceived, their destiny is death. Innumerable millions don't even make it out of the womb. We all suffer from the hereditary "disease" of mortality—"death passed through into all mankind ... ."

We die because we are related to Adam. His one sin affected us all, resulting in death. Our mortality was set in stone by Adam long before any of us were even born.

None of us asked to be born. None of us asked to be mortal. But we are all affected negatively by no choice or action of our own. We are completely passive in this, and we can't stop Death from snuffing us out. 

There are many ends in our lives: the end of childhood, the end of our teenage years, the end of high school, the end of singleness, the end of marriage, etc. Death will end your current life. However, your death will be an end for you but not thē end of you.

The fact that one man brought death to the whole human race with one sinful act is, in one aspect, good news.

Act II: Jesus enters stage from above

You may ask, "How the hell is all of us dying because of Adam in any way good news, you idiot?" Thanks for asking. It's good news because it shows us the power of one act.

There's another act, already accomplished in human history, that is good and benefits all the same people that Adam brought death to.

The apostle Paul shows us the amazing results of this beneficial act contrasted with Adam's detrimental act.

Romans 5:18,

so then as [it was] by one offence towards all men to condemnation, so by one righteousness towards all men for justification of life.

—Darby Translation

Just as Adam's one offense brought condemnation to all men, Jesus' one act of righteousness (His death) justifies life for all. God includes us all in Adam's sin, and He includes us all in Christ's death and resurrection. Just as we all follow Adam into death, we will all follow Jesus into immortality via resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:21–22,

For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead. ²² For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.

—CLNT

Being "vivified" is being made immortal.

Just as we all die because we're related to Adam by birth, all of us will live because we're related to Jesus as our Creator, "for in Him is all created ... all is created through Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16 - CLNT). We are all created for Him. Do not minimize this amazing fact!

None of us asked Jesus to come to earth as a man. None of us asked Him to die for us. He was resurrected from the dead with no help from us. This is God's work for us.

We will all be affected positively by no choice or action of our own. We are completely passive in this, and we can't stop Jesus from making us immortal (why would we?).

I believe part of God's reason for contrasting Jesus with Adam is so we can understand the scope of Jesus' work. We don't need faith to see the universal results of Adam's sin. But we do need faith to see the future universal results of Jesus' work.

Sadly, Christianity sees the obvious magnitude of Adam's sin but diminishes the impact of Jesus' work. They teach that He saves only a small percent of people condemned in Adam. What a slap in the face to the One the Father put on stage "to be the Savior of the world" (1 John 4:14).

"Sir, Jared refuses to die. ... Yes, of course, the shark tank!"

But you don't have to believe what Christianity tells you, especially when they contradict the Scriptures.

Act III: Death exits stage left

We are all on the stage in God's grand production, and He's directing it toward His desired end.

Jesus' death and resurrection give Him the right to finish all of God's future goals. His Father has given Him "all authority in heaven and on the earth" (Matthew 28:18). One of these great goals is the complete defeat of Death (which He already overcame in His resurrection).

1 Corinthians 15,

²⁵ For [Jesus] must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. ²⁶ The last enemy is being abolished: death. ... ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. ⁵⁴ Now, whenever this corruptible should be putting on incorruption and this mortal should be putting on immortality, then shall come to pass the word which is written, Swallowed up was Death by Victory. ⁵⁵ Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?

—CLNT

Suck it, Death, you will lose.

But the fat lady has not yet sung. Jesus is still working. The score is lopsided right now. Death does have a temporary hold on us.

But Jesus is famous for His comebacks.

In the end Death will have no victory. When Jesus makes all people immortal, they will be beyond the reach of Death, and our enemy will be rendered completely inoperative.

It's like Jesus takes Death by the feet, holds it upside down and shakes it stupid until it releases all of its captives. Jesus does for us what we can't do for ourselves—He conquers Death.

We all belong to our Creator Jesus, not Death. He made us for Himself.

Jesus truly is greater than Adam.

Sincerely,
Wes

P.S. Read Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15 to get a fuller view of the contrast between Adam and Jesus.

P.P.S. And if you don't yet know Jesus, read "What are the foundational truths of Jesus we must believe to realize our salvation?"

"What are the foundational truths of Jesus we must believe to realize our salvation?"

I'm going to shut up and let the Scriptures speak for themselves. Maybe I/we should do this more often.

The apostle Paul tells us the truths he first accepted about Jesus, and that we must accept in order to realize the salvation Jesus has already bought for us. He reminds a group of believers what Jesus did for them (and us, and the world) that is at the heart of their faith in Him. 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 (words in italics are mine),

Now I am making known to you, brethren, the evangel (good news) 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 (not truly; fake belief). 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

—Concordant Literal New Testament

It's perfectly fine (and recommended) to reread these powerful words—maybe several times—to really sink them into your heart.

1. Christ died
2. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures
3. He was entombed
4. He has been roused the third day according to the scriptures

Believe in Him.

Sincerely,
Wes

P.S. I can't stay quiet for long. If you'd like to read a much more in depth treatment of the good news where I don't shut up, read The good news of Jesus and how it benefits you. 

Recent Reads:

"God used this small book

to change my life. After

fifteen years in the pulpit,

I finally understand what hell is.

Better late than never." 

-J. Marcus Oglesby, M. Div.

Martin Zender Goes to Hell

My most recent read is by "the World's Most Outspoken Bible Scholar," Martin Zender.

I was not disappointed.

In Martin Zender Goes to Hell, the critically acclaimed writer, bible scholar, humorist, essayist, radio personality, conference speaker, and former Catholic sheds heavenly light on one of the most feared, misunderstood and mistranslated subjects in the Bible—hell.

In this book you'll gain non-traditional insights into:

• the myth of eternal torment
• God's reasons for causing mistranslations of His words
• the salvation of all
• the lake of fire
• the Rich Man and Lazarus
• the sheep-and-goats judgment of Matthew 25
• the limitations of Jesus' earthly teachings
• the progressive revelation of Jesus' post-resurrection teachings through the apostle Paul

This short book (95 pages) is sprinkled with helpful and humorous illustrations. Included among these is the soon-to-be-classic original song Sons of Jacob.

Martin teaches those serious about their faith how to dig deeper into God's words to find the truth. I laughed out loud while I learned valuable, faith-building facts about our amazing Savior.

Click on the book to get your copy today.

While I'm gone ...

Zender

I've been gone for awhile, and will remain so for a bit more.

But I want you to learn when you come here, so I'm linking you to some great teaching by my friend Martin Zender on Romans 3:21-24. I've learned a lot from Martin, hopefully you will too.

Roman 3:21-23

More on Romans 3:21-23

Romans 3:21-24

Zender Newsletter archives  Martin's website

Jesus and the dirty IRS Agent

Get ready to open your wallet America. The tax man cometh! And he wants to squeeze every penny out of you that he can. Then after all your pennies are gone, he'll come for your life (or maybe he'll just steal one of your pigs).

One real head-scratcher in the IRS code is why you lose the child tax credit when your child turns 17. I've now lost this credit three times. From my experience, kids' expenses go up the older they get. Apparently this code was written by someone who never had kids of their own. Someone who hates kids and their hard-working parents, but loves the perks of their government job ... and had to find a way to pay for their private insurance that we lowly citizens don't have access to.   

Ahh, the IRS. Don't you hate it? Always putting its sticky hands into your pocket to swipe your hard-earned cash.

Oh well, whatta ya gonna do? Tax collectors have been taking more than their fair share ever since taxes came into being.

Are all tax collectors evil? Probably.

But even dirty IRS agents aren't beyond the long arm of Jesus.

The following story is a small picture of Jesus' plan for underhanded tax collectors ... and the rest of us.
  

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy (you're shocked, I'm sure). ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Him, since Jesus was coming that way. ⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly. ⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” ⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19) (I added the part in red.)

Little Zacchaeus and the bigger picture

Jesus is currently saving the world one sinner at a time.

When Jesus stops by your house, what will you do? Will you welcome Him gladly, like Zacchaeus did, even though he knew he was a sinner?

Will you welcome Jesus gladly regardless of what the mutterers and gossips will say? Because you know they'll say something. But that's not going to stop Jesus. Will their opinion and greasy words stop you?

Notice the immediate influence of Jesus on Zacchaeus' life (verse 8). He acknowledged his wrongs and sought to make them right. This is repentance in action. This is part of what happens when someone meets Jesus - change for the better.

I wonder what the mutterers said after Zacchaeus was transformed by Jesus? Doesn't really matter anyway. I'm sure the poor and those he had cheated were thrilled with Zacchaeus' new life. 

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. And that day was Zacchaeus' day of salvation.

OK, maybe you're not a dirty pig-stealing IRS agent. But we're all lost without Jesus. And since He said He “came to seek and to save the lost,” He'll do just that.

All of us are lost without Jesus, and all of us will be saved by Jesus. It's basic math, not confusing IRS math.

If Jesus hasn't already saved you from your sin and set you free, He will.

Be ready. Your day will come.

  

Passive Salvation

This post is part 2 to Gypping Jesus. In that post I said Jesus will get all that He paid for on the cross. This includes the salvation of all people.

But how does He save all people when most people don't want anything to do with Him?

This can't end well.

Straying sheep

Jesus, "the Great Shepherd of the sheep" (Hebrews 13:20), has been given a job by His Father: save all people of the earth from sin and death. That's billions of people.

The problem? All the people of the earth have strayed from Him to do their own thing. The sheep are trying to shepherd themselves. Guess how that ends up.

The prophet Isaiah says,

All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way (Isaiah 53:6)

And our own way puts us in tough spots. But thankfully, Someone is going to rescue us. Yes, the Great Shepherd.

But we're often confused by His timing. We see millions of people go into the toughest spot of all - death - without being rescued by Jesus. Where was the Great Shepherd when they needed Him?

Ever wonder to yourself, "How did I end up here?"

Though death seems to be an insurmountable obstacle to us, it isn't to Him. He already overcame death by His own resurrection. So when the straying sheep is in death, the Great Shepherd will raise him or her up.

Jesus said in John 5:28-29, "Marvel not at this, for coming is the hour in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, 29 and those who do good shall go out into a resurrection of life, yet those who commit bad things, into a resurrection of judging." The main point of these verses is that all will be rescued from death. No sheep can stray beyond the reach of the Great Shepherd.

Yes, some will go into judgment after their resurrection. But the goal of this judgment is clear. Jesus said in John 5:22-23, "For neither is the Father judging anyone, but has given all judging to the Son, 23 that all may be honoring the Son, according as they are honoring the Father." There it is in bold -  that all may be honoring the Son. This is the ultimate goal of all judgment handed out by Jesus.  

The Great Shepherd is working

Look at what Jesus has already done for all of us straying sheep.

• He left the comforts of Heaven where He was with His Father
• He came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10)
• He came to earth where He was hated (John 15:18-25)
• He faced continual opposition - mostly from religious people
• He was killed by the world He came to rescue
• He was separated from His Father in His death
• He overcame death by His resurrection

And He's still working. Straying sheep are currently being rescued. When He returns to the earth, He will complete the massive task His Father gave Him to do (1 Corinthians 15:22-28).

The Great Shepherd owns all 

What are sheep good at? Well, they can provide meat, milk, wool and hides (but they're not thrilled about the meat and hides thing). They can control unwanted vegetation. And they can be cute and cuddly. But they are also good at straying. This is why they need a shepherd - to protect them from themselves and predators.

To the shepherd who owns the sheep, they are very valuable. To the shepherd who doesn't actually own the sheep he shepherds, well, they're not valuable enough to risk his life for (John 10:11-13).

This is what makes the Great Shepherd different. He made us. He owns us. We're all valuable to Him. Valuable enough to willingly lay down His life on the cross. Valuable enough to continue to work until the salvation of all sheep is a reality.

Jesus truly cares for us,

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)

Ever feel weary and scattered? These are symptoms of a Shepherdless soul. Jesus can fix that.

The Great Shepherd highly values every single sheep

Do you want proof that every sheep is important to Jesus and His Father? Here it is. Jesus said,

"For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, 'Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.' I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." (Luke 15:4-7 and Matthew 18:11,14)

Obviously Jesus isn't talking about sheep. He's talking about humans - us! Read this again, only insert children or child for sheep. Who among you wouldn't do all he could for your lost child who is in the wilderness? Unless you're a heartless douchebag, you now get a glimpse at the heart of Jesus and His Father.

Notice in the first sentence why Jesus (a.k.a. - "the Son of man") came to the earth - "to save that which was lost." Do you think He came to save all, or only part, of what was lost? A 99% success rate would be awesome for us. But 99% falls short of Jesus' standard. He wants nothing less than 100% of His sheep.

Now look at that last powerful sentence taken from Matthew 18:14. It's clear that God's will is that none of these little ones should perish. In the eyes of the world, we were all "little ones" at one time in our life. But in the eyes of your loving heavenly Father, you'll always be a "little one." All three of my young adult children are still my "babies." And that will never change because I'm their father. Does God's will for any "little ones" change as they grow older? No! Do we ever outgrow our value to God? No! Read this -

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

There you have it. Not 99%. ALL!

The Great Shepherd will overwhelm all the straying sheep

Saul was a baaad-baaad sheep before Jesus got him. This same Saul, who later became known as Paul, is the same guy who wrote about half of the New Testament. There are three words he uses to describe himself in the first part of 1 Timothy 1:13. Here's how several Bible versions translate these three words:

persecutor, outrager, blasphemer, injurious, shameful outrageous violent aggressor, calumniator (make false and defamatory statements), aggressively insulting, arrogant, cruel, overbearing, violent, contumelious (scornful and insulting), proud, oppressor, hunted down [Jesus'] people, invective (insulting, abusive, or highly critical), religious terrorism, slandering the things of God, full of wrongs, speaking evil

I told you he was a bad dude! And what do you think Jesus did to this bad-ass straying sheep named Saul? This former "little one" who wandered off got the holy ghost smackdown. Starting in the very same verse that told us how bad Saul was, we read these amazing words,

" ... but I was shown mercy, seeing that I do it being ignorant, in unbelief. 14 Yet the grace of our Lord overwhelms, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 15 Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, foremost of whom am I. 16 But therefore was I shown mercy, that in me, the foremost, Jesus Christ should be displaying all His patience, for a pattern of those who are about to be believing on Him for life eonian." (1 Timothy 1 - CLNT)

There's so much in these words that several books could be written on these few verses alone.

A few highlights. Scoundrel Saul, "the foremost" or chief of sinners (v.15):

• was shown mercy - v.13
• was overwhelmed by Jesus with grace, faith and love - v.14
• was used by Jesus to display all His patience - v.16
• became a pattern of those who will later believe in Jesus - v.16

Since Saul was "a pattern" for those who would eventually believe in Jesus, all other straying sheep will also be shown mercy and overwhelmed by Jesus with grace, faith and love.

When you are overwhelmed by something, you are powerless against it. When Jesus overwhelms a straying sinner with grace, faith and love, it will be rescued. Once Jesus lays that sheep on His shoulders, it's all over. The sheep is no longer lost in the wilderness. The lost has become found. This is great news for the sheep.

This is how the Savior of the world actually saves the whole wide freaking world - He overwhelms it with grace, faith and love. His Father gave Him all authority in heaven and earth to finish His work (Matthew 28:18). And who's gonna stop the Almighty Son of God from doing this? No one!

Until Jesus completes His task to save all that was lost, we can only live one day at a time while faithfully looking to the amazing future.

Then [God] will send you Jesus, your long-heralded Christ, although for the time He must remain in Heaven until that universal restoration of which God spoke in ancient times through all his holy prophets. (Acts 3:21 - Phillips)

Sincerely,
Wes

Gypping Jesus

The prince of gyppers

Has this - or something kinda like it - ever happened to you?

You pull up under the Golden Arches because you're craving some of the world's best fries and a Big Mac. You smell that smell.

You already know what you want as your eyes feast on the menu covered with images of perfect burgers. You don't care that your Big Mac won't look that good. It's the taste you're after.

You clearly and politely enunciate your order so no mistakes are made. Your mouth begins to water as you pull two crumpled five-dollar bills from your tattered leather fanny pack.

Tears begin to run down your face in anticipation as you ease your moped toward the first window to pay. By the time you get to the second window you're sobbing and drooling, and people are staring, pointing and laughing at you. You don't care!

You thank the window-food-lady and speed off to the local park to devour your prey. You nearly snap in half your six-foot tall orange moped flag pole in your haste.

You open the bag.

You inventory the contents: Big Mac - check; ketchup packets - check; forty extra napkins - check; fries ... fries? ... fries?! ... NO FRIES! What the @#%&? (Except you didn't say "@#%&".)

Depression and red-hot fiery anger flood your body. You throw the Big Mac to the ground in disgust. You fly home, snapping the six-foot tall orange moped flag pole in your haste. You throw on your pajamas (nevermind that it's only 12:42 in the afternoon) and watch Jerry Springer re-runs the rest of the day. It's the lowest point of your life.

You were gypped.

Jesus' shopping spree

Jesus came to earth to buy something. No, He came to buy everything. He scanned the menu, and He wants the whole thing - regardless of how it looks right now. The cost? Two crumpled fives? Not even close. Jesus didn't even wear a stupid fanny pack (that was Judas' job). The cost was His life!

Feast your eyes on these verses.

¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, ²⁰ and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (Colossians 1 - New King James Version)

Did you see that - He came "to reconcile all things to Himself ... things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross."

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9:12 - NKJV)

There it is again - "His own blood."

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13 - NKJV)

Boom! Again - "the blood of Christ."

¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1 Peter 1 - NKJV)

Is it precious in your eyes - "the precious blood of Christ"?

And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Revelation 5:9 - NKJV)

Jesus doesn't care about where you were born or the color of your skin. He created the color of your skin. He bought us for God by His blood! This is heavy stuff man! Are you getting it?

And this - don't skip this. Put your eyeballs on it and think hard about it.

4 [God our Savior] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2)

So Jesus bought all things - this includes all people - with His precious blood. But He hasn't taken possession of everything yet. It's like He bought the whole freakin' store, grabbed a giant shopping cart and is putting the stuff He owns into the cart. It doesn't happen all at once. But when He's finished the cart will be filled with the complete inventory of the store. All men will be in the cart. All men will be saved. None will be left on the shelf to rot. Jesus bought every person because He wants every person.

Jesus' Father gave Him the power to do this, and He's going to do it. Check this out.

[God has] put all things in subjection under his feet. For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. But we do see Him who was made a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:8-9)

Ok. How do I know all things will become subject to Jesus? I'm glad you asked.

²⁴ Then comes the end, when [Jesus] delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. ²⁸ Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15)

So when it's all said and done, the cart will be completely full, and God will have everything subject to Him. He will then be "all in all."

The attempted gypping of God's Son

Jesus doesn't have to hire out the job of getting all that He's paid for. He believes in the old saying, "If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself." Besides, no mere mortal can accomplish the things God has empowered Jesus to do.

But, alas, some say He will not be able to get all that He's purchased. Some say His shopping cart is just too small, and He's going to run out of time. Who are these people? Sad to say, those who proclaim His inability to do this are the very ones who claim to be His followers. They carry His book, wear crosses, gather together on Sundays, and thank Him for their own salvation. But they don't believe He will do what He came to do - buy all things with His blood, save all people, and bring all things under His Father.

Yes, mainstream Christianity says Jesus is going to get gypped. And they say mere mortals are the ones who are going to gyp Him. Hmm, how they gonna do that? Well, apparently when Jesus reaches toward the shelf to put people into His enormous cart, most will simply say to Him, "No, Jesus. I like the shelf." He will honor their desire and leave them. End of story.

Or is it?

Check out my next blog post - Passive Salvation - to see how Jesus gets all people off the shelf and into His cart.

Sincerely,
Wes