Mystic Journey 2.0

On this Christmas morning, 2008, I have been reflecting on what Christmas means to me at this place in my journey:

For most of my life, I was told that “God is Holy; you’re not; try harder!“  I used to teach and preach that concept myself.  In my defense, I did not know the true nature of God back then and was only parroting my teachers.  I thought that was the truth about our relationship with God.

But, lately, I’ve learned that Jesus came to show us that “God is Love; so are you; enjoy it!“  I believe it was Wayne Jacobsen (aka ‘Jake Colsen’) who wrote: “God has no expectations of you; therefore He’s never disappointed with you and can just love you unconditionally.”  The Apostle Paul wrote it: “For God hath made Christ to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21). God Himself said about us: “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”

The carols proclaiming that Christ came to set us free have profound meaning - we are indeed FREE from religious requirements and moral laws in order to become acceptable to God; we are already God’s beloved  and free to enjoy the peace, love and joy of this Life as one of God’s kids.

That is what Jesus demonstrated and taught with His Life that we celebrate at Christmas.  This joyful time of family, love, gifts, and feasting is an example of Life in God as it was intended - the Life that Christ came to give back to us.

Merry Christmas!!

Tags: Christmas, Jake Colsen, Wayne Jacobsen

During traditional holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even Independence Day, most people get so involved in the preparation for the celebration, that the actual meaning of the holiday is lost or taken for granted.  I’m challenging you this Christmas to take some time to THINK about what Christmas is all about.

Regardless of the various beliefs about where He came from, how He got here, who He was, why He died, and where He went, Christmas is the one time of the year when we pause to celebrate the coming of Christ into our world.  In scripture and in many seasonal songs, He is called Savior, King, Emanuel - which means, ‘God with us.’  These are terms we’ve heard for years.  But, what do they mean?

Perhaps it is time to ask ourselves some questions about Christmas.  For example: Continue Reading »

Tags: Christ, Christmas, Emanuel, Jesus, King, Savior

Yesterday, while eating lunch at McDonald’s in Conroe, there were 2 Mormon Elders sitting nearby who had just finished their meal. I thought about inviting them to join me for a chat. Not so I could ‘evangelize’ them, but so I could satisfy my curiosity about some specific Mormon beliefs.

I rehearsed the conversation between us (knowing that real conversations rarely go according to script). I thought about how I should approach the issue of my Evangelical background, so they would be open to me and not apprehensive of being attacked by me. My view towards Mormons has changed drastically from my former days. Which is why I was curious to learn what they really believe, rather than what I was formerly taught about Mormonism being a cult.

I envisioned explaining to them why I am no longer an Evangelical, or why I shun the term Christian to label myself. (a Christian is a follower of Christ, but since those who claim to be Christian don’t follow the teachings of Christ, I am reluctant to be labeled among them, although I do consider myself a follower of Christ and His teachings.) Continue Reading »

Tags: evangelical, jesus christ, mormons, prosperity, righteous, sinner, trials and tribulations

The words ‘faith’ and ‘belief’ have been so overused in spiritual discussions that they have lost their meaning to most people.  Jesus said, “According to your faith it shall be done unto you.“  The word translated ‘faith’ in our English versions of the scriptures comes from the word pistis, which means ‘faith.’  That’s no help.

Expectation may be a better word to help us understand these concepts of faith or belief.  “What you EXPECT is what you will experience” becomes the meaning of Jesus’ statement above.  This idea not only makes sense to my finite understanding, but it is proven by our experience. We see it all the time: Continue Reading »

Tags: belief, dominion, expectation, faith

Change how you see God, and you’ll change what you see in the mirror, and what you see when you walk away.

Your life right now is the direct result of what you believe.  Keep believing what you’ve been believing, and you’ll keep getting the same experience.  If you want your life to change, you have to change your core beliefs.  It isn’t our bodies, our finances, our relationships that need healing - it’s our thinking that needs to be healed.  So, when we change how we see God, we’ll change what we see in the mirror, and what we see when we walk away.