Artist | Author | Teacher | Writer of theological ponderings | Weaver of fantasy novels | We see thru a glass darkly | Seek the Lord | Faith is an action word
Joined June 2024
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Rachel on the Battlefield ☀️ retweeted
The reformed evangelical church has tragically taught people to identify themselves as a wretch, a sinner, guilty, condemned, and deserving of hell.
Jesus NEVER taught this. You are born in his image and Jesus calls you the light of the world.
We have a heart capable of love and capable of sin. Our identity is that of a human created in his image.
The first interaction that Jesus has with an individual is recorded by Mark. The paraplegic man is lowered through the roof by friends who had faith that Jesus could heal. The paraplegic man was already identified as a sinner and unclean by the existing church which saw his condition as a sign that he was unfavored by God.
How does Jesus greet the man? In a role that saw the man as unclean and a sinner, Jesus greets the man with “my son…”
Before anything else, Jesus sees you as his child!
Jesus never has identified you as a wretch, a sinner, guilty, or condemned.
Jesus identifies you as his!
Wow!
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life— he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple…”
Looks as if some haven‘t listened to their rabbi. Perhaps they are not followers?
I do not like missionaries. I’ve never met one I could be in a room with longer than 5 minutes. A man that would drag his family into danger unnecessarily and neglect his children to “spread the gospel” is worse than an unbeliever. But to a man, they’re all like this.
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Rachel on the Battlefield ☀️ retweeted
The Second Council of Orange (529 AD), Canon XXV:
"We not only do not believe that some men are predestined to evil by divine power, but also, if there are any who wish to believe so evil a thing, we with all abhorrence anathematize them."
We are called out in order that we may be made Holy…
The Hebrew word for "holy" is קָדוֹשׁ (kadosh), "holiness" or the concept of something being sacred, is the word קֹדֶשׁ (kodesh).
Both terms stem from the root word k-d-sh (קדש), which literally translates to "set apart" or "consecrated" for a specific, sacred purpose.
In Tabernacle reality the Holy things were in the presence of God.
Holy things were heavenly realities on earth.
To reside here in an unclean world, and remain holy, they were cleansed
with blood.
And so, Little Christ, are you.
Be holy. As He is Holy. You’ve been given everything you need for the task.
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Is a person reborn as to have Faith?
Or is the person with Faith given rebirth?
Hint: scripture is quite clear on the answer to this
”It is by Grace you have been saved—through FAITH.”
The door is Faith guys. And a torturing metaphor (dead in sin) only proves either your reading comprehension is sorely lacking. Or you are more concerned with proving doctrines than grasping actual scriptural reality.
Abraham trusted the promises of YHVH, the Hebrews had to place the lamb’s blood on the door, they had to look upon the bronze serpent in Faith, in order to be healed…
How many times does God have to show a man, what His message is?
Faith. Loyalty. Obedience.
Not made-up mystical mind control because your doctrinal forbearers decided to make a descriptive metaphor into a scientific reality.
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Do some churches never teach on the gift of Intercession?
This, in my opinion, is what has led to a deep misunderstanding of the gift of Tongues for Intercession - "groanings which cannot be uttered," - the Spirit of God, our spirit, seeking the Father’s heart. In prayer.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.“ - Rom 8
There is nothing more important than connecting to the Father’s heart. And this is where the Gift of Tongues leads you. I encourage you to not dismiss it. As the seasons become more difficult, we will need to understand the power of this gift…
I think Paul washer has a very balanced take on the gift of tongues. He won’t say it’s totally ceased but he also knows what we see today in charismatic churches is disastrous. God can do anything he wants, so if he wants to make Marybeth speak Spanish on her mission trip for his purpose He can .
Anyone faking this gift will answer to God and that’s all I got there.
I tend to lean towards the cessation side but I also know God is God and does what He wills. So that’s where I stand.
It’s apparently “Bad Theology” to some that the Work of Christ is what allows us to be born of the Spirit 🤔
Rachel on the Battlefield ☀️ retweeted
Zechariah 13 Verse 9 says, “And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will listen and answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.
You cannot be “born again” before Christ paved the way for Rebirth through His Life, Death, Resurrection, AND Ascension: “It is better than I go…” remember?
The Old Covenant worked for its purposes, but it did not work as the New Covenant works. If it did there would be no need for the New Covenant.
This is why I always say; one must learn the Old Testament economy to fully understand the depth of the Gospel. And WHY it was “Good” News.
Rachel on the Battlefield ☀️ retweeted
Christianity distinguishes an essence (ousia) from a concrete substantiation of that essence (hypostasis). Guilt is associated with the category of hypostasis, not ousia. Conflating these categories is an error that John of Damascus calls the root of all heresies.
“Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” ~ Saul of Tarsus, 55/56 AD from Macedonia.
Before writing his second letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul suffered severe physical trauma, including five synagogue scourgings (39 lashes each), three beatings with Roman rods, one stoning that left him for dead, and three shipwrecks.
And on his first visit to Corinth, his ministry was then undermined.
If you believe you are struggling, if you are suffering, physically or relationally, and it seems unfair and unearned; let the life and ministry of Paul be a valuable lesson in how a threat to the enemy is treated by this world…
And rejoice in your suffering. Because through that suffering, we share in the Life & Death of our savior.
There is no greater honor. Suffer well…and take heart.
❤️🔥
I am fighting a real battle right now. My whole family is, each one of my kids are being viciously attacked, emotionally, physically, my mom is on the edge. I am being viciously attacked in my health.
We are being tested as fire tests gold…
However, no weapon formed against us will prosper. We will trample on snakes and scorpions. We will not be crushed.
While we were not promised peace in this world.
Still, our God is a dread warrior.
He crushes His enemies beneath His feet.
And when we are His, we are purified in the fire, we are sustained.
Take heart. ❤️🔥
The enemy of this world is very real. Learn to fight him instead of fighting/condemning your brothers and sisters.
The Enemy has a message too. Be watchful.
Frequently asked question:
Q: How can we know the Bible isn't full of encounters with deceptive malevolent entities, similar to the entities involved in the abduction phenomenon?
A: I don't have all the answers, and I don't have an extensive theological answer to this question-my answer is simple:
I look at the message of the Bible vs the message of "the enemy" and the entities we typically encounter in channeling, many NDEs, abductions, and other close encounters:
- The Bible is a unique collection of stories written by many authors spanning many years with many mysterious prophecies, yet somehow in a mathematical improbabilty, it comes together to form a single unified story of God's creation rebelling against Him, and falling into bondage/allegiance with the enemy, which results in God fighting like hell to redeem us, and buy us back.
😇 The Bible message:
•The enemy is deceptive (you can be God)
•Prohibits contact modalities with entities
•Declares ultimate truth
•Encourages morality
•Offers redemption
•Says humans aren't divine, we're created by God
•Says only one path leads to God
•Encourages humility and submission to God
•God sacrifices Himself, ultimately ending sacrifices of all types
•Forbids unsanctioned secret knowledge not meant for humans at this time
- The message of "the enemy" (rebellious spiritual sons of God) and the nefarious entities we typically encounter, might have the illusion of benevolence, but underneath the apparent benevolence is a message that leads us right back to The Garden of Eden story, and enmity with God.
👽 The message of the enemy:
•You can be God or like God
•Encourages contact modalities
•Well known for deception and trickery
•Encourages moral relativism
•Offers ascension/enlightenment
•Claims humans are divine/fractals of source
•Claims all paths (following aliens and little g god messaging) lead to source
•Inflates ego with "you're special" messages
•Tied to abductions, human trafficking, occult rituals, and sacrificing children to the gods
•Exchanges secret knowledge and technology for our life force energy, frequently resulting in human psychosis
Obviously, this comparison is not exhaustive. Ultimately, we're neck deep in a war between good and evil. The battles take place in the seen and unseen realms, with humans frequently being used as proxies.
The enemy wants us to believe God is a dream killer, keeping us under His thumb, so we don't become like Him, while the enemy is giving us secret knowledge and technology to release us from God's prison (New Age, Luciferian, Promethean, Gnostic, anti-Yahweh).
Yet, even as we continue to choose the enemy over God, God through Christ offers His hand to us and says, "Follow Me."
The path we choose to follow determines our destiny in the afterlife, and each individual must decide for himself.
Be well, friends.
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Beautifully put ❤️🔥
The Gospel Is Bigger Than the Cross, but Never Without It
Saying that the gospel is bigger than the cross does not make the cross less central.
Isaiah’s good news includes the suffering and death of the Servant:
“He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities. The punishment for our shalom was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” - Isaiah 53:5
The Servant bears sin:
“Adonai has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” - Isaiah 53:6
He pours out His life unto death:
“He poured out His soul to death and was counted with transgressors. For He bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors.” - Isaiah 53:12
The cross is therefore not a later addition to Isaiah’s gospel. The suffering of the Messiah is central to how God brings forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation.
But Isaiah’s good news is bigger than the Servant’s death.
The Servant lives beyond His suffering:
“If He makes His soul a guilt offering, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and the will of Adonai will succeed by His hand.” - Isaiah 53:10
The good news announces that God has become King:
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace, who brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” - Isaiah 52:7
The brokenhearted are healed and the captives are liberated:
“The Spirit of Adonai Elohim is on me, because Adonai has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives.” - Isaiah 61:1
Israel is restored:
“He will raise a banner for the nations and assemble the dispersed of Israel, and gather the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” - Isaiah 11:12
The nations are gathered into God’s salvation:
“I will also make You a light for the nations, so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” - Isaiah 49:6
Death itself will be defeated:
“He will swallow up death forever. Adonai Elohim will wipe away tears from every face.” - Isaiah 25:8
The knowledge of God will fill the world:
“The earth will be full of the knowledge of Adonai, as the waters cover the sea.” - Isaiah 11:9
And creation will be renewed:
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered or come to mind.” - Isaiah 65:17
That is the full landscape of Isaiah’s gospel.
The Servant bears sin.
The Servant emerges victorious.
God reigns.
Zion is restored.
The captives are freed.
The nations receive salvation.
Death is defeated.
Creation is made new.
The cross is not a detached mechanism for escaping the earth.
It is the suffering through which the Servant secures the victory that will eventually restore the earth.
The gospel is not less than the death and resurrection of Jesus.
It is the whole announcement of what His death and resurrection mean:
“Your God reigns.”
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