Repentance - Have you done it?

Acts 5:31
God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.

Repentance is often taught that it is something we must do.

The command is 'repent and be baptized'.

So, its something I must do...Right or Wrong?

No, its a gift. That HE might give (gift) repentance. Its a gift (like everything else GOD gives us). All we do is choose it, or accept it!

Here is the Greek word for repentance "metanoeó"
meta is the first part and it means "with or after"
noeó is the second part and it means "consider, or understand"

Or, after understand.
We get the idea of re-thinking our position and turning around.

Problem, its a gift - nothing we do!

Malcolm Smith uses a great word picture of the act of repentance and I will try to capture what he says to you.

Picture the great story of the lost sheep. Matthew 18:12-14 and Luke 15:3-7

Ok, you are that sheep (so am I) as the scripture says 'all we like sheep have gone astray' Isaiah 53:6

So, we are sheep but not only that we are, you are, a lost and missing sheep. Now, sheep dont run away (like a dog or cat) they aren't like that, but they meander. They see what seems like better grass just a little bit 'over there' and slowly make there way to it.

They don't know, but they are leaving the best grass (because the Shepherd, knows the best watering areas and grassy fields) but the sheep are not willfully leaving the Shepherd but slowly by small wrong choices drifting further away.

But this loving Shepherd knows HIS sheep and realizes that one is missing (thats you) and risks everything to go look for you. Leaving the others behind safely in the pen looking for the one that is in danger, although not perhaps realizing the extent of the danger. Here is the sheep, alone, afraid, confused, in the dark and crying for help, crying for love.

Are you like that sheep - not knowing what went wrong, or what is wrong, but you know its dark, and its not supposed to be like it is.

JESUS the Great Shepherd is looking for you.

Here is what happens next (its repentance in action). The Shepherd with great joy finds HIS missing one and doesn't scold it, but picks it up and as Shepherds do, wraps it around HIS neck (so that their legs are hung over the shoulders of the Shepherd). The Shepherd doesn't say 'Sheep, go home, now that I've found you!'

NO!

He so identifies with the fearful, lonely sheep HE carries him around his neck.

Speaks to the sheep ever so softly - they are closely connected, in fact the Shepherd is bound to the sheep as HE carries him.

Is the sheep with the Shepherd - Yes!
Is the Shepherd with the sheep - Yes!

The sheep doesn't know what happened, nor is it smart enough to turn and go home when it was lost. It doesn't have to - the Shepherd knows!

When the Shepherd picks up and carries the little lost lamb, HE Repents!
Remember its a gift right!
He turns around and carries the lost lamb home!

Does the lamb turn around and head for home - Yes!
How?
By letting the Shepherd, who knows the way, who knows whats best, who loves and is willing to risk HIS life for this one, repents and turns around and goes home!

Are you trying to repent?

Or are you letting go, and letting HIM direct you and carry you into HIS arms,
into the FATHER and into HIS kingdom itself.

The Kingdom of LOVE, The Kingdom of Power.

Stop running little lamb and let the Good Shepherd carry you home! John 10:11

Simple Words

Just a refresher on a few biblical words and what they mean.

Faith in the greek πίστις translated pistis means 'Assurance' but it comes from the word peithó which means 'to put your confidence' or 'put your trust' in.

A child excersizes faith in Mother, knowing what she is like and what Mother already has said and done in the past. A child knowing Mother loves them, has confidence (Faith) (Trust In) what Mother said she is going to do.

Obey in the greek ὑπακούω translated hupakouó means 'Listen or Hear'

Sometimes when our kids do the wrong thing, we may say "You aren't listening!" In short, you are not being obedient. Paul makes a very unique statement in Romans 6:13-18 that its your choice (you are free not to) use your various body parts (members) to listen to the voice of what they call you to do (sin) which results in failure.

Everything has a voice and is calling you. JESUS is calling you, but so is temptation and its our choice not to listen (obey) the wrong voice but listen (obey) what GOD is saying to us at this very moment.

Sin in the greek ἁμαρτία translated hamartia means 'Failure'

The word Save or Saved is שַׁע
in hebrew and translated as yasha means to 'deliver or avenge'

In the greek Save or Saved is σώζω in greek and translated as sozo means 'to heal, restore, make well, deliver'.

Here is the word 'Saved' in OT and NT.

Psalm 44

⁵Through You we will push back our adversaries;
Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.
⁶For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor will my sword save me.
⁷But You have saved us from our adversaries,
And You have put to shame those who hate us.

Who are our enemies now? Other nations? Is this our fight? Ephesians, 6:12

I think our enemies are GOD's enemies. Our enemies (GOD's and mine) are:

The World not the people in the world. 1 John 2:15-17

Religious Institutions not the people trapped in these institutions. Matthew 23:1-4

Sickness, Disease, Demonized not those who are victims of them. Luke 13:16 & Acts 10:38

Death not those that die. 1 Corinthians 15:26

Also Luke 9:56 ...for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to
save them.

Here is why the more I give up - I gain.

If you add anything to JESUS it becomes sin.

When we don't see JESUS alone as our 'all in all' then we are adding to HIM. There is nothing that can be added to complete perfection. HE is complete and everything is made for HIM and is IN HIM.

see John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16

Ok, now some of you know we have 2 boys.

Here is my question, are they our boys because of what they do?
Or, do they lose their standing as our sons because they've done something wrong?

No! They are simply our sons and we love them.
In fact we already loved them the moment they were born, and prayed over them when they were inside Mom (before they were born).

We loved them first! Sound familiar?

Let me explain...

(don't make your own judgements, read on and ask the HOLY SPIRIT
to reveal JESUS to you)

We are not trying to make enemies here but trying to show you the freedom you already have in JESUS! Galatians 5

Ok, here it is:

If its...
JESUS plus my bible reading - sin (which means failure)
JESUS plus church attendance - sin
JESUS plus my tithe or giving - sin
JESUS plus my own good works - sin (I am not like other people out there) see Luke 18:14
JESUS plus my prayer time - sin
JESUS plus my bible degree - sin

Here is the Divine Formula:
JESUS plus anything = failure
JESUS alone = success

Because if its not LOVE its sin!
If its not done for the good of (others and JESUS) its sin.

Here's the deal...
When you receive HIS love and realize its nothing to do with you
and only HIS love that keeps coming to you then...

You will have fellowship and not have to.
You will give and bless others not have to.
You will pray not have to.
You will witness effectively not have to.
You will do good not have to.

What made the difference?

You stopped everything you were doing and put your attention to JESUS alone.

We stopped tithing and GOD has blessed us to give as HE directs.
We stopped going and doing church and GOD has given us sweet fellowship with other believers and seeing the power of GOD.
We stopped trying to read the bible everyday and now can't put the book down.
We stopped praying (because its what we are supposed to do, doesn't the bible say to pray without ceasing ...pray without stopping?) 1 Thessalonians 5:17
What a joy to be continually talking with and about the ONE you love who is in LOVE with me.

Here is the key:

The bible talks about, over and over again about Law and GRACE.

Moses gave you the law but GRACE and TRUTH came through JESUS! John 1:17

The law means something fixed - it cannot be changed or broken. Everything that GOD says is law, since it is unchangeable and cannot be broken.

There are laws of the SPIRIT of LIFE and the law of FAITH but more on those later. There are also physical lessor laws GOD has created in nature but we are not discussing that here either.

But the law the bible talks about (over and over again) is the levitical law, meaning you must keep it or die!
We sort of sum them up into 10 commandments. But the purpose of the law is simply show you GOD's requirement and mans in-ability to keep it.

JESUS said that "Don't think I came to destroy the law but to fulfill it" Matthew 5:17
(HE is the only one who can)

Why?

Because HE is the only real 'Christian' (if I can put it that way). You can't, by your own efforts, keep or get to HIS standard - impossible! Every religion, cult, self help, church denomination tries to keep there own interpretation of the law (rules and requirements) and if you keep these you are in 'good standing' or upright. But its a lie! You are not good - but evil and have cut yourself off of GRACE trying to live that frustrated, angry, sin heaped, cursed life.

Because JESUS isn't good enough for you, you need HIM plus something more...

I beg you, challenge you, dare you to ask GOD to prove it and try HIS way.
Which is JESUS only.

When you read 'law' in the bible change the word to 'self effort' and you will see the meaning more clearly because that is what the bible warns you not to do! Live your life by your own effort.

What was JESUS big fight all the time because it wasn't with the freaks, bikers, outlaws, gangsters, thieves, prostitutes or outcasts - but it was to the good people, the church going, the sabbath keepers, the law abiding.

Why?

Only the sick need a physician - if you are good, then you obviously aren't looking for help.
Mark 2:17

But for us, that know we are nothing (in me dwells no good thing Romans 7:18) and know that our good deeds are filthy rags (don't even get me started on our bad deeds, if our good deeds are already filthy). Isaiah 64:4-9

Then we are poor, wretched, dumb, blind and naked on our own. Revelation 3:17


Galatians 2:21

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

Trying to do it on your own - puts you in a place where you set aside GRACE and CHRIST's death has no effect for you.

As we say around here "hurry up and die already".