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I'm a Believer
In Jesus alone I have found salvation, purpose and abundant life.
Jesus tenderly calls us: "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Jesus Is The Word of God
Scripture is my North Star by which I guide my life, lest I shipwreck on the shoals of my spiritual pride and arrogance.
Jesus fulfilled the whole Law and The Prophets, all 613 commandments. He said, "It is finished," righteousness completed, our debt paid. Jesus cut a new covenant with us. Jesus is our way out, or better yet, our way to live eternal life.
Jesus gives us one new commandment that totally eclipses the Law and the Prophets.
Where the Law is summed up in " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus upps the ante. He gives us, his disciples, one new commandment, "I'm giving you a new commandment. to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are to love each other."
"This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love each other."
John opens it up: "If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us."
I hold to the preeminence of God's Love: His grace, His mercy, His truth and His forgiveness being offered to us in the New Covenant bought by the blood of Jesus Christ for us.
Therefore, I view all Scripture in the light of God's new covenant which began at the resurrection of Jesus Christ, not in the light of the old covenant shinning on the new.
The Trinity
I believe in the mutual dwelling of God the Father, with God the Son, with God the Holy Spirit. I have experienced this mutual dwelling that is our birthright when we become sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ.
As To The Church
I believe we are designed by God, so that our life in Him works out best in our families and in communities of Believers. How else could we "love one another as I have loved you"?
But as a Believer, I refuse to continue the ancient wars of Christian division. There is only one Body of Christ, only one Bride of Christ. I am one with all those who name Jesus Christ as their Lord. They are my brothers and my sisters.
Therefore, I am Roman Catholic. I am Eastern Orthodox. I am Messianic. I am Anglican. I am Episcopalian. I am Methodist. I am Lutheran. I am Presbyterian. I am Mennonite. I am Baptist. I am Charismatic. I am Pentecostal. I am Holiness. I am Assembly. I am Denominational. I am Non Denominational.
In grace, I embrace all my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, as I hold to the raw truth that our systems will progressively fail us, as our life in Christ grows.
God has promised to test all things by fire. Everything we have built in the flesh will burn. All our wood, hay and stubble will be consumed. And the Bride of Christ will arise out of the ashes, shinning in Glory, pure and spotless.
Every temporary thing will be swallowed up in the burning perfection of God's glory.
Everything will fall away into the larger purpose of our eternal life in Christ.
As we see through the veil dimly, we will see Him face to face, and cry, "Abba Father, You are Holy! Holy! Holy! Our Father, Our LORD God Almighty. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest."
So What Is A Disciple?
Discipleship is a relationship not a program. Discipleship is life as a journey with our Lord Jesus, teaching, mentoring and preparing us for eternity. He molds and changes us, transforms and restores us. We are Christ Bearers in the world. We not only represent Him, we reflect and bring the fragrance of Jesus into the world. A disciple reproduces his master's life. We touch the sick, the diseased and the broken with Jesus. And we reveal the way out to the world. We proclaim and reveal the love and mercy of Jesus our Lord. We disciple the nations.
