Taking Care of Each Other

I’ve been thinking lately about how and why we take care of each other.

Some people, like the chronically ill, children, the elderly, and the mentally ill, need more care than others. Some people can’t take care of themselves at all. Others are really good at taking care of themselves. In fact, they’re so good at it that their hard work and planning makes them rich. Some people never seem to be able to even balance their check book.

I believe that our thinking about how and why we care for each other should reflect the truth of humanity’s union with the Trinity in Jesus Christ.

The life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is a life of mutual care. For all eternity these three Divine Persons have lived in a communion through which they share all things and take care of one another. The Father has never, and will never, say to the Son “Hey, I’ve got mine – you go get your own!”

It is that life in which Jesus includes humanity. He has included us in a life of taking care of each other and sharing what we have. We take care of each other because that is who we are. We are brothers and sisters of Jesus, children of the Father, anointed by Jesus in the Holy Spirit to participate in this communal life of care for one another.

It’s interesting to see how this Triune Life of taking care of each other is reflected in the law of Moses. The law of Moses gives some idea of what society looks like when it is being influenced by the Triune Life.

And what we see there is sometimes shocking. At least I find it shocking.

It goes against a lot of what I’ve been taught in our individualistic  American culture. Here are a few examples of how the Son of God told the Israelites to take care of each that I find shocking:

• The law of Moses endorsed wealth redistribution by telling Israelites who had wealth to, every third year, share their wealth with those who didn’t have it: orphans, Levites, widows, and the aliens among them. (Deut. 26:12)

• While we’re on the subject of aliens, the law of Moses never distinguishes between legal and illegal aliens. It simply says to give part of the third tithe to non-Israelites living among them. Who were these aliens? Were they refugees from famine and political disorders (like the sons of Jacob, the Israelites’ ancestors, had once been in Egypt?) Were they economic immigrants looking for “better work” in Israel? The scripture doesn’t say, it just says to take care of them.

• The law of Moses also endorsed a kind of communal ownership of land. Every 50 years all the land was to revert back to the possession of the family to whom it had originally been given when they entered Canaan (Lev. 25:13-23.) The law even tells the Israelites to base the sale price of land on how many years of use the buyer will get out of it before the next Jubilee year rolls around.

I’m obviously not arguing that we should impose third tithe on people or try to institute a Jubilee year. (Although Social Security is kind of like third tithe.) However, it is striking to me how different that society was in many respects from our society here in America.

And it makes me wonder, how would our society look different if we sought a way of life more reflective of our inclusion in the way the Father, Son, and Spirit, take  care of each other and all of us?

~ Jonathan Stepp

When Pete Stopped Hanging With Nerds

A Trinitarian  Christ-centered paraphrase of Galatians 2

(2.1) Then, 14 years after that, I took another trip up to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus. The Holy Spirit told me to go, so I went.  In a private meeting with the elders there, I told them about my message to the non-Jewish ‘outsiders.’  We just wanted to verify that we were all on the same team. (3) Anyway, Titus and his non-surgically-altered wang were right there with me the whole time, and of course nobody had the slightest problem with it. (4) But some religion-nazi spies had snuck into the meeting to scope out the wide-open life we live with Master Jesus, so that they could find some way to make us join them in their tedious religion (Yeah, like THAT’S gonna happen). (5) Anyway, I didn’t give in to them one bit, so that our message would not get tainted with a single drop of their poison. (6) They didn’t influence my message AT ALL. For that matter, NO ONE at that meeting did.

(7) It was clear to the Jerusalem elders that Papa had sent me to the non-Jews, just like he sent Peter to the Jews. (8) The One Triune God has embraced the insiders AND the outsiders.  And it is this God who has sent me and Peter with the One gospel to these two different groups of people. (9) When James and Peter and John recognized the Triune Life at work in me, they welcomed Barnabas and me as valued members of Team Jesus.  They agreed completely that we should go to the non-religious while they go to the religious. (10) They asked only that I continue taking care of the poor, which of course I was going to do anyway.

(11) But when Peter came to Antioch and slipped into hypocrisy, I immediately got all up in his face about it. (12) See, he had been hanging out with the whole gang in Antioch, having a great time with everyone, regardless of whether or not they had undergone ritual wang surgery.  But that stopped when the respectable religious-types dropped in to visit.  In junior high terms, you can say Peter stopped hanging with the nerds, because he was afraid of what the cool kids might think of him. (13) The others – even Barnabas! – followed his lead. (14) When I saw them acting in this reality-contradicting way, I confronted Peter in front of everybody:

“Look, Peter…You’re not a religion-snob anymore. You know you’re no better than anybody else.  You’re just a regular guy now.  So how come, all of a sudden, people have to pass your ‘religion-test’ before they’re good enough to hang out with you?  Who the hell do you think you are?!?”

(15) So that’s how it happened.  I hope my story helps you see where I’m coming from.  Yes, I’m proud to be Jewish.  Being a Jew is a very special thing, (16) but we all know that following our religion is NOT what sets right our relationship with God and with each other.  That happens only as we rely on Master Jesus to put all things right as the gospel changes us from the inside-out.  NO religious act can do that. (17) As we seek to live out the good life Jesus has given to us, it quickly becomes obvious that we haven’t become perfect yet.  Does that mean Jesus is to blame for our brokenness?  Of course not. (18) But when I seek reconciliation for relationships that I myself destroyed, I’m putting myself on public display as the flawed and struggling human being I am.

(19) And I’m totally okay with that.  Pious Paul died so that Real Paul could authentically live life in the fellowship of the Triune God. Think of it this way: Jesus is the One in whom we live and move and have our being, right?  Therefore, in some mysterious way, whatever happens to him happens to ALL of us.  So when Jesus died, I DIED. (20) I’m not living my own life anymore!  It is Jesus’ life, and he’s living it IN me and THROUGH me, and it is a life beyond anything I have ever dared to dream. The Son is faithful to his Papa, always and in every way.  It is through reliance on HIS faithfulness that I now live this life of adventure.  My unsteady faith is upheld by the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (21) THAT is the power of grace; it is the only thing that can put things right in us and in the world.  If religion could have accomplished that, then Jesus wouldn’t have had to die.

~ John Stonecypher

 

The Devastation of Myths, Stereotypes, and Misrepresentations

Recently I took the opportunity to watch a documentary on my culture, the African American culture, entitled What Black Men Think.

It was a winner of the Best Black Documentary of 2007 and Best Black Documentary Director of 2007 by the African American Film Critics Association

And just like my experience of hearing the Gospel of our Adoption roughly 7 years ago, it was similarly one of the most devastating and liberating things I have ever heard or seen, as lie, after lie was exposed by the truth.

For instance, did you know that there are more African American men in school than in jail, and that African American men in school outnumber the men in jail? In 2005, in pure numbers, there were 801, 995 African American men in prison and in jail combined, but the number of African American men in college that year was 864,000. If you only count actual college age students, age 18-24, there were 106,000 in prison that same year and a whopping 473,000 in college! That means that African American college aged men actually going to college outweigh the men in prison by a ratio of 4:1!!

The director and producer of the film, Janks Morton, revealed the truth by asking African Americans of all ages what they thought the answers were to certain questions. Their answers tended to fall into the 30% range regardless. For instance,

1.) As a percentage, how many African American men pay their court-ordered child support? False responses based on myth: 30%!  Truth? 67.3%!

2.) As a percentage, how many African American men have a high school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent? Responses based on misrepresentation: 30%!  Truth: 78.9%!

Other myths, stereotypes and misrepresentations that have waylaid the African American man and African American community are things such as:

3.) Who earns more money, black men, or black women? Responses based on stereotype: Black women!    Truth: Black Men!

4.) As a percentage, who enters college more, black men or white men? False answer based on perception: White men!    Truth:  Black Men! (5.3% white, 5.4% black)

5.) What is the leading cause of death in the African American Community? False answers based on myths: Heart attack, diabetes, A.I.D.S., murder? Wrong! Though it ties in with murder, it is certainly not what we typically think of. The true answer is: Abortion!

With myths and misrepresentations like these being so pervasive it is easy to imagine the obstacles an African American man would face from his very youth! It would also be easy to see how this would negatively impact his relationship with others due to misperceptions about who he is, as well as the misperceptions of others about who he is! Yikes!

Do you see how not knowing who you REALLY are can take on a monster form that hideously gobbles you up, bones and all??

Even more fundamentally, can you see how important it is to know who Jesus is, regardless of your race or culture? After all, Jesus is the One in Whom we all live, move and have our being, and the One in, through, by and for Whom all things are created and sustained!(Acts 17:28, Col 1:13-23) Do you see how embracing this could put a stop to the myths, stereotypes and misrepresentations of the Evil one IN YOUR LIFE?!

By its title, “What Black Men Think”, the documentary proclaims to African American men, especially, that if we keep embracing myths, stereotypes and misrepresentations about ourselves, then we can only foster and expect a harvest of negative consequences on our minds, bodies, spirit, culture, relationships and communities!

With our blog site title Trinity and Humanity, and with the name of our sister site, The Adopted life, we have a similar purpose as the documentary noted above.

We are proclaiming the Gospel of All of Humanity’s Adoption into the Life of the Trinity, in Jesus, and trying to help everyone embrace this Truth of the Good News! We also want to help you avoid the lies and corresponding harvest of negative consequences on mind, body, spirit, culture and relational human community!

~ by Timothy Brassell

 

Am I Napoleon?

If I believe that I’m Napoleon does that really make me Napoleon?

Of course not! If I go around telling people I’m Napoleon everyone knows I’m deluded and that I believe a lie about myself. The truth is the truth whether we believe it or not. I’m Jonathan Stepp, if something goes wrong with my mind and I believe something else about myself it doesn’t change the reality of who I am.

The same thing is true of the gospel.

When the Son became flesh and blood as the man Jesus Christ he made humanity new, adopting us all into the life he shares with our Dad and their Spirit (Eph. 2:14-18). This is the truth whether we believe it or not. But, like any delusion, our believing a lie about ourselves has profound consequences.

If I am mentally ill and really believe that I’m Napoleon, that delusion will eventually impair and destroy every relationship in my life.

Likewise, if I am spiritually ill and believe the lie that I am not included in Jesus and that I am not a child of the Father, that delusion will also impair and destroy my relationships. The gospel is the good news of humanity’s adoption into the life of the Father, Son, and Spirit. To believe this truth about who we are in Christ, as children of the Father, transforms our lives.

No, I am not Napoleon. I am Jonathan, beloved child of my Daddy in heaven and brother of Jesus.

~ Jonathan Stepp

By the way: you may recognize this post from my old blog, Neo-Reformation. I like it so much I decided to post it again.

You Thought I Was Pro-Family? Ha!

A Trinitarian Christ-centered paraphrase of Matthew 10.1-39

(10.1-25) This is it, guys.  This is what you’ve trained for.   You twelve guys have been with me all this time, and now I’m going to send you out to fly solo for the first time.  Stay focused.  Go to the Israelite towns first.  We’ll go to the Gentiles in phase two, but it’s not time for that yet.  Tell people the good news, that the Empire of Love has arrived. And don’t just tell them.  SHOW them what the power of love can do.  Don’t pack a bag; don’t even bring money.  I want you to experience what it feels like to eat from Papa’s hand, day in, day out.  If a town welcomes you and listens to you, great.  But if they run you out of town, don’t stress about it.  It’s not your fault.  Their rejection will say more about them than about you.  When the Catastrophe hits, they will think Sodom and Gomorrah got off easy. Remember, the rich and powerful will hate you, just like they’ve hated me.  They will arrest you and beat you.  Do the job in one city; when they kick you out, go to the next city.  When the Catastrophe hits this generation (when the Son of Man comes to rule at the Father’s right hand), you Twelve will not have gotten to all of the cities in Israel yet.

(26) So yes, there are fearsome things going on.  But believe me when I tell you they are not worthy of your fear.   Your mission is to tell the truth, and truth is what these little Hitlers fear above all else.  Truth is the only weapon you will have, and it is the only weapon you will need. (27) Speak it fearlessly. (28) Do not fear death.  Men with guns can kill you, but they cannot defeat you.  They cannot destroy you.  Only your Father in heaven can do that.  He is the only one worthy of your love or your fear. (29) Remember, Papa’s good will is inescapable.  No tiny incident can happen outside of it, not even a little bird falling out of its nest. (30) Papa knows each hair on your head, (31) so don’t be afraid.   You are at LEAST as well taken-care-of as a sparrow.

(32) When the Catastrophe hits, my enemies in Israel will experience the consequences of their actions, as is the destiny of all enemies of humanity.  My Papa and I will not violate anyone by separating them from the results of their decisions.  Because he is a good Papa, he never plays favorites with his kids.  On that day, those who are willing to follow me openly will follow me to safety.  (33) Those who are too ashamed to follow me to safety will remain in danger.

(34) I have not come to bring peace – at least not the kind of peace YOU’RE thinking of.  Real peace comes at the cost of truth, and the truth is a sword that divides people according to who accepts it and who doesn’t. (35) Because I am bringing the truth out into the open, it will be “son against father, daughter against mother. (36) A man’s enemies will be those who live in his house.”  (37) …What, you thought I was pro-family?  Ha!  Sure, I love family togetherness, but I what I love even more is ruthless honesty.  Your family and friends may or may not be willing to join you in facing Reality, and your journey into truth may have to partly be a journey away from them.  I am the Truth, and Truth is thicker than blood.  Be clear about your choice. (38) Truth kills before it heals.  If you’re not willing to face the pain, you’re not willing to follow me. (39) Those who seek after their vision of ‘the good life’ will miss out on life that is truly good.  Life that is really good is found only by those who crucify their ambitions and seek after MY vision instead.

~ John Stonecypher

You’d Better Get Used to Being Human!

If you’re like me, and infested with a fallen human nature, that probably sounds negative and uninspiring at first, doesn’t it?

There is simply something about being human that we have been taught to disrespect, dishonor and not appreciate, regardless of Jesus and the scriptures (Psalm 8, Heb 1). Kermit the frog came close when he sung “It’s not easy being green!” Its not always easy being human! Plus, the rotten experiences we have had and are having in this flesh don’t seem to match up with the logic of wanting to remain human forever. After all, isn’t Christianity really about getting out of these human bodies and into a spiritual non-human body?

Where did you and I inherit poison like that? Christianity is absolutely NOT about not being human?! Just the opposite!

It’s about being truly human forever! It’s amazing to me how much I have missed this truth and, as a result, missed much more of the Kingdom here on earth NOW that the Father makes available in His Son Jesus and delights for me to share in with you!

I just had the wonderful opportunity of proclaiming this Good News at a local congregation of Grace Communion International in Baltimore, MD.! It is called New Life Fellowship, and I think you would love visiting there if you ever got the chance! They are alive and well in Jesus AND learning to celebrate their humanity NOW! “Wowsa” and “Good gravy!” Go Baltimore! They invited me up for International Day where we celebrated the fact that all of us will be human forever, and that all of the distinct expressions, colors, races, and general ethnic cultures and foods we love to eat will still exist in the resurrection!

Check out this set of verses in the Scriptures in The Message version of the Bible: Luke 2:27-52, Luke 24:36-48, listen to the message here (soon!), and claim this wonderful truth in Jesus:

Jesus was born as, lived in, died as, and was resurrected and ascended to His Father as the Jewish God/Man that originally came on the scene!

Notice in Luke 24 how he keeps exclaiming that it is Him, Jesus, Who has Resurrected and is the Resurrection? “Look at MY hands and my feet!”, he exclaims! “Ghosts do not have muscle and bone as I have!” He remarks! “Do you have some of my favorite food, fish? Give me some! I want to gobble it up and eat it to show you how human I still am in my FOREVER resurrection…AND HOW HUMAN YOU WILL BE IN YOUR FOREVER RESURRECTION WITH ME WHEN HEAVEN COMES TO EARTH!” (Rev 21:1-4)

Do you see what Jesus is doing in His own permanently human body? (Acts 1:1-11)

He is validating YOUR culture! Your Distinct Expression! Your Music! Your Favorite Dance! Your Favorite Food! Your Nationality! Your color of Eyes! Your DIFFERENTLY shaped ears, nose, mouth and body shape!! (Ha-Ha! I can hear many of you groaning as you debate the fact that maybe your current weight and looks are REALLY acceptable to God and may not change as much as you currently desire IN YOUR SINFUL PERCEPTIONS OF YOURSELF!!!Ha-Ha! I’m with you in that struggle!)

Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to literally and exactly describe how you will look in the resurrection!

I’m lost about the old vs. the young thing, too! Neither am I trying to give more answers than raise questions. I’m not! I am trying to be faithful to the Gospel – Jesus – and the Jewish and human HIM he took seriously AND resurrected! So much so that in His human self he keeps saying, “It is me!” and they (his disciples) recognized HIM as himself!

Sure your body will be raised incorruptible, and YES, everything that is not truly human in you and is broken in your body will be fixed and made right! BUT, what is “right?” I don’t think a large nose, ears, or belly are necessarily wrong or broken in every case, do you?! Don’t we even say as fallen humans that “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder”? And don’t we REALLY know that and mean it when we say it? Ha-Ha! Where does that come from if not from the Triune God in Whom we are all created and sustained in our distinction and union, and Who loves us UNCONDITIONALLY?

Imagine eating something that tastes as delicious as YOUR favorite dessert, candy, chocolate snacks or wine forever; with a vitalized tongue that tastes even more of the sweet goodness?! And think of the weight you won’t gain or have to lose, regardless!! Ha-Ha! Heaven!! This is the way we are supposed to be reading the scriptures in the Light of Jesus Christ (Luke 24:41-43).

So enjoy the foretaste, literally!

The Baltimore congregation and I did as we feasted on those many international dishes! Boy do I look forward to “eating to bursting” WITHOUT BURSTING in my forever resurrected and incorruptible human being! Good Gravy – for REAL! Thank you Jesus – I, for one, LOVE IT!!

~ by Timothy Brassell

Potential?

Is Jesus the Savior of the world or does he merely create the potential for salvation?

A lot of theologies say “if you believe in Jesus then you will belong to him and then you will become a child of the Father.” In these theologies it is not Jesus that makes us children of the Father – it is our own belief.

Belief then becomes the work by which we get ourselves adopted and save ourselves.

In such theologies Jesus is not our Adoption and he is not our Savior.  Jesus is the one who creates the potential for adoption and the potential for salvation, but it is human decision that causes adoption and salvation to take place. In such theologies salvation is not by grace. Rather, it is the potential of salvation that is by grace, while the actual accomplishment of salvation is by the human work of belief.

Yet neither the Bible or the Creeds of the Church ever call Jesus the “Potential Savior.”

He is simply called The Savior and The One through whom humanity is adopted as children of the Father. Any theology of Jesus that is going to be rooted in the Bible and the historic teaching of the Church has to first and foremost proclaim Jesus as “The Savior of all humanity” and then secondly say that he is “especially The Savior of all who believe.” (1 Tim. 4:10.)

First the Son of God adopted humanity into the life of the Trinity as children of the Father, and saved us from sin and death, and then we began to believe as the Spirit shared with us the faith of Jesus.

~ Jonathan Stepp

Paul Mad! Paul Smash!

A Trinitarian Christ-centered paraphrase of Galatians 1

(NOTE:  My pastors are preparing to preach through Galatians, and they’ve asked me to write a paraphrase for them to use.  But I’ll get back to Romans soon, I promise! – JS)

From: BroPaul [mailto:paul@apostles.org, SMTP:jesus.trinity.div/resurrected=TRUE;  father.trinity.div=TRUE; mail.human.gov=FALSE];

To: All Users (Galatia) [mailto:AllUsers@galatia.trinity.div]

Subject: RE: Eating lunch next to people with non-surgically-altered wangs

(3) Hey guys, I hope this message finds you feeling secure and relaxed in our Papa’s warm embrace.  I hope you are feeling the soul-peace of Master Jesus, (4) who has set the human race free by injecting his own glorious self into our darkness, pain, and death.  This was the mission given to him by his Papa, (5) OUR Papa of boundless joy and strength forever.

(6) Okay, enough of pleasantries.  On to business…

I am SO pissed-off about what I am hearing about you — that you are abandoning reality, that you’ve given up on the gospel.  WTF!?!  You’ve turned your back on THE STORY of how Jesus has included us in his life with Papa in the Spirit.  Instead you have cast yourself as a character in another story altogether, (7) a story that ends in tragedy, a story that’s not even true!  Some Used-Religion salesmen have come to sell you lemon-gospels about who you are and who God is, and YOU BOUGHT IT!!!

(8) How could you let this happen?!? It’s wonderful to have an open mind, but that doesn’t mean letting any old schmuck fill your brain with toxic waste!  You know better than to ever let ANYONE do that.  You know the gospel; you know it in your SOUL.  Don’t you let anyone take that away from you, EVER.  Even if I myself come to you and tell you things that contradict the gospel, do NOT listen to me! If a freakin’ ANGEL materializes in your midst and starts telling you lies while fanning you with his wings, don’t listen to him either!  (9) The gospel is the gospel, and that’s that.  If someone tries to convince you that you have to earn Papa’s embrace, do NOT let their delusion become yours.  SCREW THAT.

(10) I know these are harsher words than you are used to hearing from me, but right now I don’t care whether you like what I say or not.  I’m not going to just tell you whatever you want to hear.  If I cared what people thought of me, I’d have to serve someone other than Jesus.

(11) Guys, I want you to understand where I’m coming from, so I’m going to tell you the story of my journey with the gospel, (12) the good news I received not from any mere human storyteller, but from Master Jesus himself.

(13) Of course you already know of my earlier life of militant religiosity.  Back then, my whole life was my jihad against the Jesus freaks. (14) I was a religious Superman, head and shoulders above everyone.  I was an on-fire spirit-filled Bible-thumping prayer warrior:  “Gimme dat old-time re-lig-ion, it’s good e-nuff for me!”

(15) But my Papa had different plans for me.  Out of the sheer kindness of his great heart, he invited me onto a new journey with him. (16) He revealed his Son to me, so that I could tell the whole world about him.

But notice what I did at that point:  Contrary to what you may have heard, I did NOT go ask somebody to confirm what Papa had revealed to me. (17) I didn’t go up to Jerusalem to see if the “super-apostles” agreed with me.  Instead, I headed straight into the Arabian desert, and then after my time there, I returned to my home in Damascus.  (18) And only then, after three years did I take a trip to Jerusalem for a chat with Peter.  I stayed with him for 2 weeks, (19) and in that time I didn’t see anybody else except for Jesus’ brother James. (20) I swear to God, this is the truth. (21) Then I went to Syria and Cilicia, (22) but the churches in Judea still had no idea who I was. (23) All they knew was the rumor: “That guy who was trying to destroy the faith is now preaching it!” (24) People were grateful and amazed at what Papa had done with me.

~ John Stonecypher

Be Encouraged: Part of Your Problem is Simply Infancy!

If you are much of a sportsman, or have at least watched much TV in the last 40 years, you probably recognize the man holding the baby in this picture!

That’s right – it’s “The Greatest”, former world famous heavyweight boxing champion of the world, Muhammad Ali! The “little” infant baby that most of you probably do not recognize in this picture is Michael Brassell, otherwise known as my 4^th youngest brother, Mike.

Can you believe it?

Before he could think about it much, barely say “da-da”, or even appreciate it (by the almost-in-tears-get-me-outta-here look on his face!), Mike was sitting in the lap of, and being embraced by, “The Greatest!” Ha-Ha! I can see the Gospel lights going on in your head as you see where I am headed!

Though I have seen this picture many times in my life, it was sent to me by one of my aunts just yesterday in order for me to format in a special way and send off to my brother Mike. Mike is being prepared to be interviewed in New York with a producer who wants to hear more about our famous dad Rufus Brassell and see some pictures. Of course, Mike, is very excited to talk about our father, a former heavyweight boxer and champion in his own right, and the wonderful experiences he got to share in because of my dad’s relationship with exciting figures such as Muhammad.

In the light of Jesus Christ as the One in whom all people are adopted and included in his relationship with his Father, in the Communion of the Spirit, I couldn’t help but see in this picture a part of the problem we have in receiving the Good News.

In a word, Infancy!

This should be a source of Gospel encouragement to most of us! In part, it explains some of the problems you have in grasping theology and its “simple”, but also sometimes complex explanations and implications.

In other words, you aren’t always misunderstanding the Good News of the Gospel because you are a “simpleton”, “idiot”, “not smart”, “theologically dumb”, or “one whose elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top floor” or any of the many other negative things we and others say that go against the Truth of our real selves in Christ! Part of the problem is that we are simply still too young to understand the full implications of profound truths.

The Gospel and scriptures say that all of humanity (including YOU), is seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:6), and yet it is admittedly very hard to receive that Truth considering what most of us have been taught most of our lives about God. The Good News of humanity’s adoption into the life of the Trinity is as hard to receive as my brother above is finding it hard to receive that he is being embraced by, and sitting in the lap of, “The Greatest!” And for some of the same reasons in my opinion. Mike, simply, is not having or hearing it in his infancy!

Now, this doesn’t mean that Mike is not sitting there in the lap of “The Greatest!”, because we can all see that he is!

It’s not that it isn’t exciting to sit in the lap of the greatest, because NOW Mike is excited about it, loving it up and sharing his real experience with others, PROUDLY! But what has changed, causing him to smile about it now versus cry about it then? He’s gone from infancy to being grown-up!

What is going on in the picture is really simple…for grown-ups! Mike is sitting in the lap of greatness – lucky duck!; but not in Mike’s opinion at the time. He was simply too young to realize what was going on, (although we know from scientific fact that the most important thing was going on in Mike seeing that he was somewhere between 1 and 3 years old. It is between those ages that I hear tell we learn and pick up more than we ever will for the rest of our natural lives.) In a certain way, Mike was learning more about Muhammad than he could ever speak!

It is the same for you and me! What is going on in the big picture of our lives is really simple…for grown-ups like Jesus!

In Him, you and I are sitting in the lap of greatness – lucky ducks!; but not always in our opinion. We’re simply too young to realize what is really going on, (although we know from the fact of the Holy Spirit sent to all men that the most important thing is going on within us, seeing that we are the Father’s adopted children in Jesus! It is during this age that I hear tell we are learning and picking up more than we realize! John 16:12-15!)

Considering that we were all born again and included in the Life of the Trinity in Jesus just a little over 2000 years ago, I think it is fair to think of ourselves as infants! Ha! I mean, if Peter can say through simile that one thousand years with man is as one day with God the Trinity, then we are potentially only a couple days old in a certain manner of speaking! Ha-Ha! No wonder we don’t always grasp the Good News so easily!

But just as my dad Rufus in his relationship with us, and Muhammad Ali, shared the picture of this truth with Mike and all the rest of his family until we could grow up, receive and believe it, Jesus will share with YOU His Relationship with all things till you grow up, receive and believe it!

Phil 3:15

Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you.

~ by Timothy Brassell

Flash Forward

What if you could catch a glimpse of your future? That’s the premise of a new TV show called Flash Forward.

I’ve watched the first three episodes and it’s not too bad, if you like sci-fi stories. The premise is that everyone in the world blacks out at the same moment and stays out for a couple of minutes. While they’re out each person sees himself or herself a few months in the future and sees whatever they will be doing at that precise future moment.

Some people see themselves at work, some at home, some in the bathroom, etc. Each person now has to decide whether he believes that the flash forward is accurate and, if so, what he will do with this information.

I think I see a parallel with the gospel.

In the resurrection and ascension of Jesus every person that lives has been given a flash forward of his or her destiny. To see the last Adam, Jesus Christ, resurrected in his glorified humanity and ascended to the Father’s right hand is to see what our Father in heaven has planned for everyone of us. As St. Paul says:

As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ~ 1 Cor. 15:22

The Father “raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6) so that we now have a vision of ourselves “hidden with Christ in God” so that when Christ appears we also “will appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:4.)

Like the people in the TV show we have a decision to make.

Is this vision of our future that we have been given in Jesus – this flash forward to what we will be one day – true or not true? And if it is true, is it a good thing or a bad one? And if it is good or bad, what difference does it make in the decisions and choices we make today?

If this flash forward of humanity’s future in Christ is true and good, then it is the best news we could ever receive. It is the news that our future is secure and our destiny as the Father’s children in Jesus is ultimately a bright and beautiful destiny.

I for one believe it.

~ Jonathan Stepp