Beyond belief                  

                                  or

    Why you should stop just believing in God    

                Belief is a matter of choice.  If some guy told you that God wanted him to herald JESUS CHRIST'S RETURN and to help men, women and children turn their hearts toward God and each other, you would make the choice of whether to believe it or not.  But if you had some kind of inside source that verified that it was all true, so that you could really know, there would be really be no choice to make.

              To be quite forthright, when I just believed in God, it wasn't all that great of life.  In fact, at times it was really hard to believe in him, almost impossible.  I'm not stupid, and when I looked around at all the crap that's going on not only in the world but in a lot of our contacts with other people, it made it hard to believe in him, much less to love and trust him.  But it was kind of funny that when I took the time each day out of my busy life of "more important things", to just be still and quiet and ask him to express himself to me and through me, I found that day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, decade by decade; that I was growing to know and love him.  And the greatest part of all this was that the more I came to know and love him, the more I discovered that he could be trusted.  But what chance does Our Father have to express himself as a God of divine loyalties to personalities who spend little or no time in thoughtful contemplation of such realities or who plainly just  don't care.                 

                The reason I encourage each of you to stop just believing in God or not, is that knowing and loving Our Father is a lot MORE FUN than just believing in him or not. Please remember that a light hearted and joyous life is totally compatable with our devoted and determined efforts to realize our eternal destiny. AS a matter of fact it is the fruit thereof. In other words, you don't have to ACT all holy and somber. This is not a movie. Keep in mind that the Word does not say," Be still and believe that I am God ".

                 Let me forewarn all that the transition between the two levels of living may be frought with overcomable difficulties. Remember that all don't find Our Father the way earthquakes tear chasms into rock, or winds rip across the earth, or seas smash into land. Some find him slowly, the way a stream wears away the streambed beneath. Keep in mind that Our Father is not only tender of our feelings but also patient with our frailties. All one has to do is repent of thier sin, Believe and invite JESUS CHRIST into thier heart and mind in  order to be Born again and confess to others that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD and one will recieve the precious gift of being a child of God. Then just have confidence and faith that THE HOLY SPIRIT will complete the good work that God has begun in you. Woe to any who would knowingly stand in the way of this good news reaching from the scum of the earth, to regular everyday people, to teachers, leaders and kings: THAT MEN AND WOMEN WHO BELIEVE AND INVITE JESUS CHRIST INTO THIER HEARTS AND MINDS, AND CHILDREN ARE THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD, OUR LOVING FATHER, AND BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS, THEY MAY DAILY EXPERIENCE THIS ENNOBLING TRUTH. 

                   It is also necessary for you to be aware of those that profess entrance into the kingdom but ignore that we were commissioned to present the Good News to people,  not to judge them.  Sometimes these people try to lay heavy burdens and guilt trips on you, especially if you are a happy new child of the kingdom. You don't have to buy that baloney unless you want or need to. You can always spot those people because although they claim entrance into the kingdom, they have hardly entered into the forgiveness, love and joy to be found there.  I think that people like that have forgotten or have never experienced the fact,  that the beauty of divine love, once fully admitted to the human heart, will destroy the charm of sin and lures of evil, and that they burden others because they themselves are burdened. The gospel yoke is easy and the burden of truth is light.

                    Don't think that conscious entrance into Our Father's Family will render you immune to the accidents of time or the catastrophies of nature. Coming into Our Father's Family will not prevent you from getting into trouble or coming upon hard times, but it will help you not to be afraid or so down in the dumps when trouble does overtake you. THE HOLY SPIRIT dwells within us and while he does not always deliver us from adversity, He is there to fight with you and for you to strengthen, encourage, cheer,  and inspire you through any adversity that you may encounter. Talk to the HOLY SPIRIT,   ask his protection and care with complete abandon. When you notice his ALL-MIGHTY power at work in your life, Thank God. If you Abide in JESUS CHRIST and he in you, The HOLY SPIRIT will produce the fruits of the Spirit in you because you are a child of OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, and he desires of us to bear much fruit.

                      Gird yourself now for the battle of this day, the struggle with spiritual darkness, and the forces of evil that surround us. Become conscious of the fact that Our Father and all the Faithful Supreme Forces and Divine Personalities of a well nigh limitless universe are on our side. All the forces of evil and hosts of sin WILL NOT prevail over those that have followed the Divine Guide- OUR FATHER'S SPIRIT - to enter into his Kingdom by faith in JESUS CHRIST. Do not be troubled by doubts of failure or confusion. Do not be bothered by the facts of human forgetfulness and mortal inconsistency, do not falter and question your status and standing, for in every dark hour, at every crossroad in the forward struggle, the Spirit of Truth will always speak saying " This is the way ".

                     Don't get bummed out by outward appearances. Remain firm in your faith and you shall experience the reality of which you believe. Settle in your mind now and forever; Our Spiritual Father is approachable, Our Father is attainable. Be unafraid to talk with Our Spiritual Father. If by the Grace of God and the faith that follows, you know and love Our Spiritual Father, Do NOT permit the reality of this experience to be affected by the doubtings of science or the claims of philosophy. Rather should the profound faith and unshakable certainty of the God-knowing individual mightily challenge the uncertainty of the unbeliever.

                      If anyone spurns entrance into this kingdom, they may subsequently seek entrance when it's glory is revealed in the time to come. Then will Jesus say something like this to all such selfish ones- "I know not whence you are. You had your chance to prepare for this heavenly city early, but you rejected my ambassadors' offers to come while the door was still open ". He will not receive you to be amoung those that have fought the good fight of faith and won the reward of unselfish service in the Kingdom. You are not to be saved because you live a righteous life; rather you live a righteous life because you have already been saved, having recognized sonship or daughtership as the gift of God, and service in the Kingdom as the supreme delight of life on earth. But FEAR NOT, Our Father will respond to the faintest flicker of faith. Once in the Kingdom be concerned with what you can give to those who live in dire spiritual poverty.

                       The Kingdom of God Is at the hand of every man and woman who believes and invites Jesus Christ into thier hearts and minds and children for the HOLY SPIRIT dwells within us. If you are a willing learner, the HOLY SPIRIT by his WORD,  will gently and lovingly lead you along the pathway of spiritual progress. I implore you to take each step with willingness, intelligent and cheerful co-operation. During any difficulties in this journey, call upon the HOLY SPIRIT to fight with you and for you to change your feelings of fear and doubt to convictions of love and confidence. And don't forget to thank him.

                      The only way that some people will become willing to try that thing of being quiet and still on occasion and asking God to express himself to them;  thus opening thier hearts and minds to the HOLY SPIRIT'S influence and JESUS CHRIST'S love;  is if they see the fruits of a true relationship with OUR FATHER in the lifes of those who love him , and if these same people that love him have literally risked everything they have and are on the adventure of survival after death and on the teachings of our glorious LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST.                                                   

                      Remember that CHRIST referred one phase of the Kingdom  to the future. He told us that he would return. The WORD tells us how people would be behaving and acting before his return. CHRIST told us what would be happening to the planet before he returned. He told us what would be happening on the planet before his return. The WORD tells us to keep alert. The Word tells us how to discern false prophets and false teachers. By thier fruits and what they confess. Be Prepared

                       When feelings of love and service well up within your heart, Don't stifle them, but instead give intelligent expression to such feelings in wise ministry to the real needs of our brothers and sisters. Have Faith in Our Father, have Faith in one another. May we walk together on the Happiness highways and Service trails which lead from this world of fear, frustration, bewilderment, despair and pain.

                       The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength.

                PREPARE ALL FOR JESUS CHRIST'S RETURN- OR DON'T

                                                                                 John the Baptist the 2nd