​We cannot deny that despite all good intentions, so many of the world’s churches are still uncertain of the Faith that demands complete Righteousness as available by God’s Grace. Those who know better and are not ignorant but operate more in fear and did not take the responsibility for making the Gospel and the message of Salvation uncomplicated have themselves contributed to why most of the Body lacks empowerment. For did not Jesus state. “greater works will the (post) church do than He did” – Jn. 14:12. There is only one reason for this and it’s the stronghold of confusion. Think of this. The Christian church after the Resurrection of Jesus is the only Faith that has had so many internal squabbles among themselves and in order to sustain their interpretation of God’s will and church has implemented doctrines that reiterates an Old Testament’s mindset of religion that has little or no Grace in it. For God did not have to implement the epitome of Grace through the Son of man but wanted to demonstrate His desire as stated, “all men should come to know the Truth” – 1 Tim. 2:4. That Truth is Jesus!

Now, some reformation is God’s will to clear the air but these point to His higher thinking of  Salvation, Faith, and will. For it is simple as the act of a kiss and its acronym.  Take for instance; the meat, pork. The Old Testament forbade it, yet it seems the New Testament contradicts this clear direction. But the New Testament is about a higher and more direct understanding of God as stated, “for the will of God is more than meat and drink” – Lk. 12:23. Everything in the Old Testament is clarified or completed in the New Testament just as Jesus infers with the two main commandments which is an umbrella over any other act of goodness or sin. Even though having been freed from meaningless doctrines; if eating of certain things may become a hindrance to another's Salvation; then by Love, we deny it as stated, " if meat makes my brother offended, I will eat no flesh" - 1 Cor. 8:13.  It is called Grace. God does not want mindless followers of Jesus but active and attentive ones. Just like a wedding would. No wedding is perfect not because things are not in place but because man isn’t and just like when things don’t go exactly as planned; everyone smiles under the umbrella of Grace. There is still a wedding with the marriage of the groom and his bride. What matters here is effort. Righteous effort to do as required for the wedding day. Righteous effort has nothing to do with complication but simplicity. What are we? Partakers of God’s Glory!

As times we fail at achieving His Glory in our lives as well as others because as the saying goes; “are you planning to fail or just failing to plan” or “success comes from being prepared and recognizing opportunity”. I think it needs to be said. God isn’t interested in our plans but is waiting for us to not only be open but willing accept His. Now, I am willing to follow any man who can take me through all the minefields of the enemy. But where is such a man? Even David; a man after God’s own Heart failed to keep to the straight and narrow path. God knows we will falter and yet use us for His Glory. If that’s not humbling and being Gracious, then we have yet to know the Father’s Heart. He is most wonderful at this Father and sovereign stuff. For one thing is sure and can be expected; man will fail if not today, certainly tomorrow. So let us stop complicating the Word and God’s will, Throne and Kingdom with unmeaning doctrines, rituals and vocabulary for if His goal is Salvation and empowerment for all within His church and the wedding party under the Blood of Jesus; then wouldn’t He keep it as simple as possible and not make it clear as mud.

Flush it Out! – Unity of attitudes, actions and Faith brings God’s Glory. 

Then; “Jesus said to him, Judas, you betray the Son of man with a kiss?” - Lk. 22:48. That all it took to set the final act, just like a play in a theater to bring the work of Salvation to a climax and within twenty-four hours Jesus was crucified and gave His final words to the world. Words that ended in love. Love for us and love for the Father and His plan of redemption. It is not coincidental that all this took under the cloak of darkness when the innocent slept and the cause of darkness was revealed upon a somewhat unsuspecting world. Jesus would in a moment become the most influential and notorious man depending on one’s perspective of Spiritual divinity or carnal political biases.

God desires nothing to be hidden but He knows without effort, His sovereignty will not be appreciated fully but taken for granted. For no workman can truly be respectful of the task or commission without an understanding of the master’s intent in the first place. The story of redemption is simple. God had a treasonous act on His Throne. He created man to subjugate all those who committed this high crime. The man failed at it and so He sent His one true defender of His Kingdom, Jesus; to re-commission His original decree. Now, the Body of Christ has been given back responsibility for carrying and completing His decree until the appointed hour of Jesus’ return to take His bride. It is why Judas’ kiss is so apt to the Gospel and that like some of the Old Testament and the traditional church’s current testament; have confused and have kept not only the wise (knowledgeable) but especially the foolish (ignorant) bridesmaids in the wilderness of confusion because of complicating God’s simple but omnipotent and immutable ways and plans. God stated, “My ways (thinking) are higher than your ways” – Is. 55:8. This shows just how sovereign He is to ensure man's and his lower thinking, actions do not derail God’s goal from the start of creation. The Body must do it's part.

Spiritual Awakening

 
A Kiss like no other !

To know the Truth is not the same as acknowledging the Truth. If someone builds a weak foundation then will it not collapse when tested by nature? So then; weak or unstable Faith will result in calamity because of not being grounded in the complete Righteousness that not only Jesus gave and now; the Holy Spirit gives of God. For regardless of adhering to the guidelines of sacrifice; did not those of the Old Testament miss the goal of God’s will? Can God be any clearer of keeping His will simple and straightforward; having established the believer; as His personal temple with Jesus as the gatekeeper and His Holy Spirit; our counselor for His sovereignty. For knowing the Father’s will is as simple as imitating Christ in all His attitudes, actions and Faith but especially in His Spirit that governed these attributes. Not in the Bible? No clear direction from those behind the pulpit? Do as instructed. Go directly to God for as stated, “He rewards those who earnestly seek him” – Heb. 11:6.

​Keep it Simple Silly! For who can be as our Heavenly Father and when is the child more experienced than their parent. Now, I am not saying the Faithful should be simpletons for as the Word tells us, “be wise as serpents but innocent as doves” – Matt. 10:16. God did not create or design junk! And to think another man or woman has been given more Spiritual wisdom, knowledge and understanding of God’s Kingdom is to deny the Power sent to us for our counsel, peace, and prosperity. This is part of God’s integrity which is Shalom; nothing missing, defective or earned. For by Grace are all things of God available to him who seeks and rightly divide the Word and His Kingdom which is really His person. God is attentive to all who deny self of the flesh and yearns for His Anointing to reveal His Glory through them for His Kingdom’s purposes.

God has removed every hindrance between an individual and His Throne both self-imposed and established by man’s carnality of hierarchic. Just how simple can it be? One who acknowledges His creative force and His Spirit and goes directly to God; by-passing those behind the pulpit. What? Get rid of the church and all those at the head of it. This is not what I am implying. God wants intimacy and His integrity stands above His order. Consider; that Jesus is not above God but He established that Jesus would be the ultimate gateway into His Kingdom because Jesus brings the experience of walking as a man to God's judgement and is our divine intercessor. So whenever as an individual we come to God's Throne we can expect Jesus to be our advocate for Grace and any Righteous desires.

Where does this leave us after Jesus completed Salvation’s cause? Responsible! There are two wedding parties as it were that has been invited to Jesus’ wedding. This first is the bride; the church who having accepted the groom’s hand in marriage and the second is the bride’s bridesmaids. And as in any traditional wedding where the groom prepares the place for the wedding because of his love for the bride; it is the bride that coordinates the wedding party including the adornments, music, and festivities for the enjoyment of all but mainly for her self-worth and the groom’s pleasure and admiration. The bride takes and accepts the responsibility of preparing for the wedding. Just like the Parable of the ten bridesmaids as stated, “five foolish ones did not take oil with them, but the five wise ones did and then at mid-night the bridegroom suddenly appeared ” – Matt. 25:3-6. There are similarities between this and the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus, the bridegroom is present but the apostles are weary and fail to be attentive to Jesus having found them asleep as stated, “you could not stay awake with Me for one hour” – Matt. 26:40. Jesus finds them asleep three times and on the third time, He tells them the betrayer comes. This is the same with the bridesmaids, where all fell asleep unable to sustain their attention until the groom appears.

Both stories main pre-text is the unpreparedness of those who claim to be in the wedding party but are really in a slumber to the appointed time (hour) of Jesus' climatic purpose; first to die for His church and secondly to return for her. The church's Salvation is connected to the place and use of oil. Gethsemane means the “place of oil” or “oil press” as in the Anointing of oil indicates that one is impressed or pressed by the Word into Righteousness of self and others for Salvation. Spiritually this is the Holy Spirit. Without this oil; the Spirit as it were; no one can be sustained through the tedious trial and tribulations from the world to be ready and called into the wedding when the groom’s time; hour of celebration occurs. For by carnal thinking, many will be in slumber but by the Spirit will we know this time or rather season including the signs and Glory of His soon to come appearing. Just as Judas used a simple method of a kiss to point to Jesus; God is using simple but effective signs for Jesus’ return. Yet, despite this; some who having heard the Salvation message will still be surprised and be dumbfounded with the signs of the season and still unprepared for His sudden return because they remain in a slumber to the darkness that engulfs they world. The closer His return; is the darker things will be to the point many will be in stuper and dumb to the darkness and essentially be asleep.

​Just like in a wedding; all partakers are given clear directions as to their part by the bride to achieve a successful and pleasurable wedding day rather than one filled with misery and disappointments. Who is really planning this wedding? You or God? In every wedding, no one thinks of usurping the bride and the wedding regardless of innate talent or experience. So why would the Body of Christ think to act any different? And just as in a wedding; no one in the wedding party is to outshine each other much less the actual groom and bride. When it comes to a wedding, the goal is clear guidelines and communication. Its goal is Keep it Successful Steward! Now, with all said and done, just like a wedding the one ingredient everyone needs and exercises is patience or rather Grace. Grace for ourselves and Grace for others. We need this as we prepare for His appearance. No one likes when a bride is unreasonable and demanding but appreciative of all who participates giving of their time but especially, free will to meet the expectations of the wedding.

So it is with the Word of God and His Throne. There are expectations that cannot be altered, compromised or changed because of one’s biases, culture, and history. The New Testament makes it clear as stated, “I am the way, the Truth, and the life.” – Jn. 14:6. Jesus is that New completed Testament of God’s expectation for us to be ready for the wedding. If it’s not in the Word, it does not matter to God. Some say, but the Bible is not necessarily current with the times of the world. God is precise and so is the Bible. It will be our only reference at the judgment seat and just to be clear; there isn’t much wriggle room for us for not adhering to it. If it’s not clearly understood from the Word is probably one is not approaching it with the right Spirit. This is why those reading the Bible with a carnal mind fail to see the Truth of it. For by Grace are we saved and it is by Grace we receive Revelation of anything we are ignorant of. For what happens when someone in a wedding party has the wrong mindset to the bride and groom’s need. They become not only a thorn to the bride and groom but they themselves and may find themselves no longer welcome to the wedding. These are the foolish bridesmaids. For we really control only three things; our attitudes, actions and Faith. This is why as stated, “many in the church will fall away” – Matt. 24:10. Not necessarily because they don't believe in the Gospel but because they build their foundation on imperfect relationships; mainly with each other; when the prime relation is to be with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Just like current affairs; His life and works would be hot topics for the world to find personal, political and Godly justification for all that Jesus did in the cause of freedom. Freedom for the body, mind but especially the spirit. Many debate the purpose of this kiss from Judas but it cannot be denied by its simplicity and the fore-knowledge by the guards that it would point to and distinguish Jesus from all others who were obscured by the shadows of the moonlight and distorted by the torches that lit the Garden of Gethesame. The kiss can be seen just for what this is all about. Good fighting evil for justice. As simple as satan betrayed God, it is as simple that God sent the Word to once and for all defeat his stronghold over an ignorant world. For without Salvation; the light of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in its exemplary form as in Jesus the man; the world would still be held in contempt by God’s Throne and judgment. No longer can any man or woman and a child of just age claim that most deceptive of reasons; blamelessness, just as the first man and woman did to avoid responsibility. God is not a simpleton but clear and concise in what He has ordained for His will and Throne. Disobedience is enmity against His Righteousness!

God made us a New Covenant through Jesus or rather He completed that He started with Adam. God never starts something and then just because things don’t go His way; discards it and restarts another program. God doesn’t try! He accomplishes and establishes! He always takes the shortest route from point A to point B despite man’s inability at times to follow through on their role. If the latter was true then God’s timetable as given in the Bible would constantly have to be adjusted like a building project because of failure to meet the schedule. So, if God is precise; why would His revealing of His expectations be complicated? Why add more complication to the goal than necessary.