We believe that the most important belief of all is to know the truth about God. Not in an abstract or impersonal way, but to know the truth about God and to like it. We believe that Jesus came primarily to reveal the truth about God. Jesus spoke much of this truth. After demonstrating that the God of the universe would even kneel down and wash the feet of his betrayer he said, “Now that you know this truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice” (John 13:17). He later said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus’ entire mission was to reveal the truth about the character of God. “I was born and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the truth” (John 18:27).

A revelation of this truth about God is so important that Jesus even describes it as the primary function of the Holy Spirit. “He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God” (John 14:17). “The Helper will come – the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God” (John 15:26). “When the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth” (John 16:13). A knowledge that God is precisely the same in character as Jesus – just as loving, gentle, kind, and forgiving as the Man of Nazareth – is the key to set us free from the bondage of sin. “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). How does the truth about God set us free? Since the day Adam and Eve fled from the presence of God in the garden, even though he was not angry, our own fear of God has separated us from his love. Yet God has designed us to be in constant union with his him. Apart from his love, we are in bondage to another master – sin and its self-destructive power. Jesus intervened to restore peace and a loving relationship between us and God and to banish all fear of God, for some had believed that God looks with anger upon his sinful children – that he is loving only upon the condition of perfect obedience, or if his wrath can be propitiated through blood and sacrifice. But the life of God on earth reveals that he never was at war with us, even in our disobedience. God, in the Man Jesus, is supreme evidence that God is all for us and completely on our side in this conflict and “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Just before leaving the upper room for the garden of Gethsemane where he would be deserted by his disciples, Jesus expressed God’s attitude even towards his distrusting children. “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you” (John 14:27).

We believe that a true understanding and appreciation for the life and death of Jesus, who “reflects the brightness of God’s glory and is the exact likeness of God’s own being” reveals such a compelling and gracious picture of God that one must actively resist this to avoid being won to him in love, trust and admiration (Hebrews 1:3). Our mission is to present a picture of God which is, in every respect, consistent with the life and teachings of Jesus. And as we come to know the truth about God, we are led to worship him as he really is. “Even now the true worshipers are being led by the Spirit to worship the Father according to the truth. These are the ones the Father is seeking to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth” (John 4:23, 24, CEV).

Can we really know God as a Friend?

In one of the most remarkable statements in the Bible, Jesus declared to his disciples, “I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father” (John 15:15, The Message). That we are actually meant to enter into a friendship with our Creator seems unthinkable, but the claim is repeated:

“We were God’s enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Now that we are God's friends, how much more will we be saved by Christ's life! But that is not all; we rejoice because of what God has done through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has now made us God’s friends” (Romans 5:10,11).

“For when they were rejected, all other people were changed from God’s enemies into his friends. What will it be, then, when they are accepted? It will be life for the dead!” (Romans 11:15).

“All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also. Our message is that God was making all human beings his friends through Christ. God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends. Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends!” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

These verses remind that we are changed from God’s enemy to his friend. “We were God’s enemies….let God change you…into his friends.” Jesus did not change God – he has always been our Friend, it’s just that our fear and misconceptions of God has rarely allowed him to express his love for us.

Is becoming God’s friend even a requirement for salvation? That is certainly the ideal that is held out to us as the greatest examples of people with faith were described as God’s friends. “Abraham was called God’s friend” (James 2:23); “The Lord would speak with Moses face-to-face, just as someone speaks with a friend” (Exodus 33:11); and God rebuked the three friends of Job by saying, “You haven't been honest either with me or about me - not the way my friend Job has” (Job 42:7, The Message). But do we strive to know God as a Friend or do we too often settle for forgiveness as the end all?

It appears that we must have at least the beginnings of this knowing and intimate relationship with God. The phrase “to know” in the Bible means to know in an intimate sense, as a friend. Speaking of Adam, the Bible says, “And Adam knew Eve his wife”, and they didn’t become acquainted. When Adam “knew” Eve “she conceived” (Genesis 4:1, KJV). When Jesus returns, the criteria for entry into heaven appears to be very simple: do we know God as a friend?

“Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’ Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’” (Matthew 7:21).

“…the bridegroom arrived. The five who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was closed. Later the others arrived. ‘Sir, sir! Let us in!’ they cried out. ‘Certainly not! I don't know you,’ the bridegroom answered” (Matthew 25:10-12).

“The door to heaven is narrow. Work hard to get in, because many will try to enter, but when the head of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. Then you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know you.’ You will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don't know you. Go away, all you who do evil’” (Luke 13:24-27).

And finally, at the very end of his ministry on earth, Jesus spoke clearly as to what God desires the most. “And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent” (John 17:3). We may know and understand many things, but if we are deprived of this intimate and experiential knowledge of God, the results are disastrous. “My people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). God has always desired to have this knowing relationship with him more than any other gift or sacrifice we could bring. “I want your constant love, not your animal sacrifices. I would rather have my people know me than burn offerings to me” (Hosea 6:6).

What would it mean to know God as a friend? How do real friends talk to each other? Are they not completely honest, and isn’t there a degree of understanding as to what the other is doing? We see David talk to God with complete sincerity, holding back nothing in his prayers. “Lord, you have examined me and you know me. You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts. You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions. Even before I speak, you already know what I will say. You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power. Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding” (Psalms 130:1-6).

David goes on for several more verses acknowledging to God that all of his thoughts are to God as an open book. Since this is the case, why be dishonest in prayer and talk about things that God knows are not true? Why should David not tell God what is really on his mind. And so David continues to tell God of his hateful thoughts. “O God, how I wish you would kill the wicked! How I wish violent people would leave me alone! They say wicked things about you; they speak evil things against your name. O Lord, how I hate those who hate you! How I despise those who rebel against you! I hate them with a total hatred; I regard them as my enemies” (Psalms 139:19-22)

David admits to God the rebellious thoughts he has had because he knows that God is already well aware that these were the feelings that had consumed him since they last talked. But now that this is all out in the open, God has before him a man who has all pretension stripped away, and God can now work with David to heal his broken heart. “Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my thoughts. Find out if there is any evil in me and guide me in the everlasting way” (Psalms 139:23,24).

Would God prefer to have David conceal his true feelings and instead ask for a blessing on his enemies even though he really hated them? Was God shuddering with anger as David spoke such angry and hateful words? Rather, God was David’s Friend, and this is the way friends talk – openly and honestly. And when we come to know God as a Friend, and therefore feel comfortable to express what is on our minds, we see our own character in contrast to God’s, and healing can begin. We believe that the healing power of God is freely available to all. God’s attitude towards us exceeds the compassion and love shown by the Father in the story of the prodigal son.  “He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms around his son, and kissed him” (Luke 15:15).

What is God really like?

So we are to know the truth about God, and to enter into an intimate and personal relationship with him, but are we completely sure we really want to? Can we really trust God? How can we be sure as to his true character and what do we really know about God? Can we be very specific?

Every act of Jesus’ life was the clearest evidence we will ever have about God, because Jesus was none other than God in the flesh. We believe that the best Good News of all is that Jesus is God and therefore perfectly revealed the true character of God. The internalization of this very basic truth is so mind altering that the Good News immediately shifts away from us and even our own personal salvation and instead to God. Is God severe and vengeful? Jesus’ words “Blessed are the meek” (Matthew 5:5, KJV), and “…learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit” (Matthew 11:29), revealed the true nature of God and his Kingdom. But more important than the words, by demonstration Jesus showed the true character of God. “He will not shout or raise his voice or make loud speeches in the streets. He will not break off a bent reed nor put out a flickering lamp” (Isaiah 42:2,3). “He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly; he never said a word” (Isaiah 53:7). Even when riding into Jerusalem as king, “He comes triumphant and victorious, but humble and riding on a donkey…” (Zechariah 9:9). God’s words to Moses were fulfilled in Jesus, “I will send them a prophet like you from among their own people” (Deuteronomy 18:18), for what is the character trait Moses was known for? “Moses was a humble man, more humble than anyone else on earth” (Numbers 12:3).

Could the Almighty Powerful God really be humble and gentle? Certainly Jesus possessed all power as he could even with a command quiet a raging sea or raise the dead, but yet the way he treated people revealed the grace and tender love of God. To the woman caught in adultery, he merely said, “I do not condemn you either” (John 8:11); to the paralytic lowered through the roof, Jesus first gave what was not asked for, “Your sins are forgiven, my friend” (Luke 5:20); to the rich young ruler, “Jesus looked straight at him with love” (Mark 10:22); to the leper who asked, “If you want to…you can make me clean.’ Jesus was filled with pity, and reached out and touched him. ‘I do want to,’ he answered. ‘Be clean!’” (Mark 1:40,41); to the Samaritan woman at the well whom his disciples looked down on, he offered living water, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh living water” (John 4:10, The Message); and to the man crippled by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years, Jesus simply asked, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). When Jesus saw the people weeping over Lazarus, “his heart was touched, and he was deeply moved…Jesus wept” (John 11:33,35). And we must remember that this kind and gentle Man was none other than God himself! A God who, out of love for his dying children, would condescend to enter the womb of one of his sinful creatures and to come from a town knows as Nazareth, from where it was said, “Can any good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46).

Jesus showed pitying love to those who were looked down on by the religious leaders because of their defilements – the lepers, the blind, and the mute. “When he saw the large crowd, his heart was filled with pity for them, and he healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14). He was not impressed with pomp, riches, or power, but looked on all with the same love. He publicly defended the poor widow. “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford – she gave her all” (Mark 12:43,44, The Message). He affectionately “took the children in his arms, placed his hands on each of them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:16).

During his final moments of life, he lovingly thought of his mother and provided for her needs. “Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there; so he said to his mother, ‘He is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘She is your mother.’ From that time the disciple took her to live in his home” (John 19:26,27). And, even after his resurrection, when perhaps some might expect that he would finally reveal some bright and dazzling light in his glorified state, he was instead confused with a humble gardener. Through Mary’s tears at the tomb, she looked at Jesus and “thought he was the gardener” (John 20:15). Do these small details in the life of Jesus not say something wonderful about the true character of our God?

Yet even more remarkable is the way he treated those who despised him. He never embarrassed or humiliated them. Several times, when they tried to seize him, he quietly slipped away – without flashes of anger or show of force. When the guards were sent to seize him, they were unable to take a man who spoke the truth so graciously and with such authority. “When the guards went back, the chief priests and Pharisees asked them, ‘Why did you not bring him?’ The guards answered, ‘Nobody has ever talked the way this man does!’” (John 7:45,46).

There was no wounded pride when he was falsely accused, “Were we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon in you?” (John 8:48). And, although he was a descendant of David, and although he was born in Bethlehem, he did not argue with his enemies who ignorantly ridiculed his birth. “But others said, ‘The Messiah will not come from Galilee! The scripture says that the Messiah will be a descendant of King David and will be born in Bethlehem, the town where David lived’” (John 7:41,42).

When the woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus, even more remarkable than his forgiveness and love shown to the woman, is the way he treated those self-righteous men who brought her. They were the ones with the greater sin, as they plotted to trap the Son of God. But did Jesus, who read their thoughts and knew their life history, embarrass them by publicly announcing their own sins? Instead, he gently bent over and the men watched in amazement as Jesus wrote in the dirt with his finger and privately detailed their own life of sin and hypocrisy. A few steps in the dirt and all the evidence was gone for no curious eye to see. They all slipped away, their reputations intact and without the public scorn which we might feel they richly deserved. This act should have directed them to see the love of Jesus in that, although knowing all about them and reading through their treacherous plan, he still preserved their dignity. Why? Although behaving badly, these evil men were still God’s children whom he loved, and he was no mo re pleased to embarrass them than earthly parents would be to publicly humiliate their own disobedient children. 

Towards Judas, after washing his feet the night before he died, he even allowed him to escape the upper room with the disciples under the assumption that perhaps he left for a worthy motive. “Some of the disciples thought that Jesus had told him to go and buy what they needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor” (John 13:29). Did Jesus wash the feet of Judas with anger, or with special care and love, as any of us would for our children if we knew that we were about to lose them? And, to those who placed him on the cross, he offered what they did not desire: “Forgive them, Father! They don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). We could make a much longer list and, as John says, “Now, there are many other things that Jesus did. If they were all written down one by one, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books that would be written” (John 21:25), but the true character of God shines through in each story. This is what God is like!

Having seen the truth about Jesus, the natural question then becomes, “Is the Father like the Son?” When Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who crucified him, did the Father respond, “Well you might, but I’m not that sympathetic?” Would the Father also have washed the feet of Judas? Jesus said, “If you knew me, you would know my Father also” (John 8:19). Philip, after living with Jesus for over 3 years, asked Jesus very directly, “Lord, show us the Father; that is all we need” (John 14:8) – the question implies, “We know and love you Jesus, but what about the Father? Could he possibly be like you?” Jesus replied, “For a long time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Why, then do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe, Philip, that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” (John 14:9,10). Jesus’ mission was to reveal the truth about God that, “the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son” (John 14:13). What “glory” does Jesus refer to that was revealed about the Father? Jesus did not overwhelm the people with brightness and power. Would this not be the glory of God’s character? The true character of God is the greatest glory of all. Do we love and trust God because he has all the power, or do we love and trust God because despite having all power, he still treats us with such gentle and tender love, while respecting our freedom to choose for or against him.

We believe that this Good News about God is the message that must go throughout the world, for some have believed Satan’s lies that God is a tyrannical monster, rather than the plain truth about a God who is precisely as Jesus revealed him to be. Like Paul, we would like to be known primarily for what we have to say about God. A God who is, in a word, gracious: “But I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me; I only want to complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do, which is to declare the Good News about the grace of God…And now I commend you to the care of God and the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you the blessings God has for all his people” (Acts 20:24,32).

You guys keep talking about some Cosmic Battle? What's up?

If Jesus revealed such a clear and convincing revelation as to the truth about God, why do so many in the world today have a harsh and severe picture of God? We believe that there is a great war taking place, not fought with lightening bolts or thunder, but a war waged over the true character of God. Satan has accused God of being arbitrary, vengeful, unforgiving, and severe, and he has been all too successful through the ages in persuading God’s most devoted followers to promote his lies about the character of God. “The priests did not ask, ‘where is the LORD?’ My own priests did not know me” (Jeremiah 2:8). “The LORD says, ‘Let no one accuse the people or reprimand them – my complaint is against you priests. Night and day you blunder on, and the prophets do no better than you… My people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests” (Hosea 4:4-6, NIV). “My people are deceived by prophets who promise peace to those who pay them, but threatened war for those who don’t. To these prophets the LORD says, ‘Prophets, your day is almost over; the sun is going down on you. Because you mislead my people, you will have no more prophetic visions, and you will not be able to predict anything’…The city’s rulers govern for bribes, the priests interpret the Law for pay, the prophets give their revelations for money – and they all claim that the LORD is with them. ‘No harm will come to us,’ they say. ‘The LORD is with us’” (Micah 3:6,11) “It is the duty of the priests to teach the true knowledge of God. People should go to them to learn my will, because they are the messengers of the LORD Almighty. But now you priests have turned away from the right path. Your teaching has led many to do wrong” (Malachi 2:7,8).

The Old Testament description of Satan’s methods and of his success has not changed with time. When Jesus came, his worst enemies were the pious Bible teachers of the day, and those who burned the martyrs at the stake did so in the name of Jesus. Satan will always concentrate his greatest efforts at the church, because this is where people come to know God. How many have been forever turned against God because of the cruel actions and false teachings of his professed followers?

So why doesn’t God “step in” and silence this ongoing rebellion. Why allow Satan to spread his lies in the first place? But if God had crushed Satan out of existence to silencing his voice wouldn’t that be the worst option in proving that all the lies about his character were false? Wouldn’t the angels assume, “I’d better not think a bad thought or God will kill me too?”, so that in the act of killing Satan, God would have immediately instilled intense fear of God, the exact opposite of what he is trying to accomplish in us.  So God allowed Satan the freedom to spread his lies. Can God’s truth defeat Satan’s lies, is the central question for all. God foresaw that the only way to convincingly answer Satan’s accusations and to prove his own righteousness – that he can be trusted – was to allow Satan the freedom to fully manifest his own character and to allow him to spread his lies. And, it appears that God, above all else, respects the freedom and free choice of his children to choose which side they take in this great conflict.

God calls us to join his side in the ultimate battle – the cosmic conflict over his true character. “Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil's evil tricks. For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age” (Ephesians 6:11,12). This is a war over ideas and the truth – the truth about God. “The weapons we use in our fight are not the world’s weapons but God’s powerful weapons, which we use to destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments; we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4,5). Is God as Satan has made him out to be? We must join other mighty warriors like Job in defeating these lies about God (read more). Our sword in this battle is the truth about God, as revealed by the life of Jesus, the Bible, and through the Holy Spirit: “The word of God…the sword which the Spirit gives you” (Ephesians 6:17). The truth about God is the greatest weapon to wake from sleep those who have been seduced by Satan’s lies. “The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12).

Does God have a "dark side?"

As one reads through the Bible and asks of every story the question, “what does this contribute to my picture of God” a number of difficult stories and theology may superficially seem to paint God in a somewhat less gracious light than as Jesus revealed him to be.

For example, one could by taking here a little and there a little, easily build a picture of an untrustworthy, severe, arbitrary, and vengeful deity. A God who would put a beautiful tree right in the middle of the garden and then tell his children, in essence, “If you eat the fruit of that tree, I’ll have to kill you”. Would any of us, as parents, put a cookie jar on the table and threaten such a severe penalty for disobedience? God then throws them out of the garden on their first offense. Later God drowns the whole world but the eight who got on the boat. Then God rains fire down on a rebellious city and turns Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt for longingly casting a glance back to the home where she had raised her children. Later God thunders on Mount Sinai and tells the people not to come too close, or they will be killed. He then gives them a long list of rules, such as ordering that gluttonous children and Sabbath breakers should be stoned to death. This God then gives rules for the tabernacle and the sacrificial system, and we are told several times that in the death of these animals “the aroma was pleasing to the LORD”. Then, God’s friend Moses, at the end of 40 years of selfless toil, breaks down in frustration and strikes the rock. For that one mistake, he is punished by God and not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Upon entering Canaan, Achan and his whole family - even the children and their pets - are ordered to be stoned to death for breaking a rule. Uzzah is struck down for reaching up to steady the ark. Elisha curses some children, and God sends 2 bears who tear them apart.

Why does God sometimes appear to be so severe in the Old Testament? The list of difficult stories and teachings do not end in the Old Testament however. In the New Testament we are forced to answer the question of why Jesus had to die. Did he die to satisfy the righteous wrath of the Father? Did the Father require the death of a sinless being (who happens to also be a member of the Godhead), so that he can legally forgive us? Did Jesus come primarily to correct our legal standing before the Father? Does the Bible suggest that the Father is more holy or that he has a greater sense of justice than the Son?

These are the implied conclusions that some have arrived at.

After the resurrection story we watch as Ananias and Sapphira are struck down for their unwillingness to pay enough in their offering. And finally in Revelation we learn of the punishment dealt out to the wicked, “The smoke of the fire that torments them goes up forever and ever. There is no relief day or night…”  (Revelation 14:11).

Now, do you love and trust the God just described, or would you instead serve him from fear and hope to be shielded from his wrath? Is God really just like Jesus? Is it not critical that we have a satisfactory explanation for each of the stories raised above? Can we really love God if we are afraid of him? “There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment” (1 John 4:18).
 
We believe that God is precisely as Jesus revealed him, and that when the Bible is taken as a whole, the character of God is shown to be the same as Jesus. This conclusion can only be made, however, by looking at the Bible as a whole while at the same time keeping our eyes on the life of Jesus. Of each story we ask the question, “What does this tell me about God?” In this process, a host of additional questions naturally arise. This web site was designed to unite a community of people who, like us, are searching for the answers to these questions. For example, of those who turn down God’s gracious offer of eternal life, does he torture, or allow them to be tortured for all of eternity? What is the wrath of God?

We believe that there is great Good News about God even in subjects such as the death of those who reject the kindness of God (read more). We believe that the conclusion always points to a God who is just as gracious as Jesus revealed him to be. Join us as we seek a closer knowledge of the true God. We don’t have all the answers, but we do believe that the closer we come to the truth, God will always look better.

What is your position on Hell?

This is one of the most important questions anyone can ask. How we understand the final judgment inevitably leads us to worship God out of love or out of fear. The majority of the Christian world believes that God has stated “You either love Me, or I’ll torture you in sulfurous flames for all eternity!”

There is no doubt that The Bible plainly states that the wicked are destroyed by fire. Before we jump to conclusions, let’s first identify what this fire is:

"The sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel." (Exodus 24:17)

"I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened." (Daniel 7:9,10)

Our God is hot stuff! His glory is portrayed as fire, and throughout The Bible, the prophets who see visions of God almost always describe Him with the appearance of fire. Is it possible that when God comes back, the fire that consumes the wicked is actually God Himself? Where did Lucifer live before he rebelled against God?

"You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones." (Ezekiel 28:14-16)

Lucifer lived in the very presence of God. Ezekiel describes him as walking in the midst of the fiery stones. When we meet God face-to-face, we will be in the very presence of fire. His love and kindness is such goodness, it’s an actual energy source! Look at what happened to Moses when he had the opportunity to witness God’s glory. Read Exodus 33:18-23, and notice how God states that no man can see His glory and live. God puts Moses behind a rock, and passes by with all His goodness. What was the result? Read Exodus 34:29-35 and notice how Moses’ face reflected the glory of God. The real question is why were the people afraid? Does this give us insight into how the wicked are destroyed in the end? Is it possible that being afraid of God, and not trusting Him does something to us that inhibits us from living in the very presence of God?

"The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil:" (Isaiah 33:14,15)

Look closely at this last passage. Sinners are afraid. They are afraid of God. They don’t know Him, and because they don’t know Him, they don’t trust Him. The question is asked, “Who is going to live in the eternal fire?” According to traditional Christianity, the place reserved for sinners is Hell, but Isaiah makes it quite clear who lives in the eternal flames! It’s the righteous! Those that trust God, and love His character will dwell in the everlasting burnings. Is it possible that hell and heaven are the same place depending on who you are? If you are afraid of God, and don’t know Him, His very presence will consume you. But this same fire, which is destruction to the wicked, is life giving to God’s friends. We should hope the fire never goes out since we are going to live in it!

How can I be saved?

A certain rich man asked Jesus “What good things must I do to inherit eternal life?”  In essence, he asked him “what must I do to be saved?” (Matt 19:16).  Jesus answered “Keep the commandments if you want to enter eternal life”, but “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.” And yet when the thief on the cross saw how Jesus treated even his enemies, he was moved to exclaim “Remember me Jesus, when you come as King!”(Luke 23:42) and Jesus answered him “I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me.”

These two examples scream out at us the question “What is the standard here?”  How can Jesus be so “demanding” of an apparently good person and so “lax” with a criminal?  What is my role in my own salvation?  Do I have to do anything? Do I have to accept anything? Many will say that the rich man relied on his own merits and the thief didn’t, but when we’re honest with ourselves, we have to admit that the thief was unlikely aware of the whole current Christian notion which says that we have to accept Christ’s death as a sacrifice for our sins in order to be saved.  That stuff was way beyond him! All he saw was that Jesus was some sort of King and that he treated those who were torturing him on the cross with kindness and … of all things… forgave them. “Forgive them Father? They don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34). This incredibly kind attitude of someone who claims to be a King, evoked the desire in the thief to be a subject in a kingdom that was run in that manner.  He simply liked this kind of a king – nothing more…and nothing less!

And there you have it! He liked Jesus! He liked the way Jesus treated even his cruel enemies.  He liked Jesus humility and kindness.  He liked that kind of a person and he liked that kind of a King.  And that was enough!  What?  Aren’t you simplifying things a little too much?  Not really!  This is the simple and pure truth about God! And that was the main reason why Jesus came to this earth – to reveal the character of God to us (John 17:4,6). The Almighty Creator of the universe, the one who speaks a whole universe into existence, who has no end or beginning, who pronounces judgment (link) on the world of humans and angels… is precisely as Jesus showed him to be in character!  Wow!  Now that is Good News.  In fact, that is the Good News – The Gospel!  Nothing more and nothing less. 

Now what does all this have to do with salvation?  Everything!  We believe…let me rephrase… we are convinced that all that is required for salvation is to love and admire this kind of a God!  A God who is mighty, yet humbler than any servant on earth, who is strong, yet gentler than any mother on earth, who never pronounces condemnation (see judgment), but continuously is looking to heal anyone who desires to come to him. 

The Greek word for salvation is healing, as is seen in the word “salve” – an ointment used for healing.  Salvation is not a ticket to Heaven given to us when we “accept the death of Christ as a payment for our sins” (see atonement). Salvation is the opening step in the healing of our minds that we experience when we start to trust God for the first time and are willing to listen to him and long to be with him.  When we are shown to be healeable, ie. willing to trust God and willing to listen to him, then we are saveable!  And doesn’t it seem easy to trust a God who is just like Jesus?  There you have it.  That’s why God said “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt 11:30).

If this explanation seems unacceptably easy or even offensive to you, feel free to post a question on the message boards and we’d be glad to discuss it some more.

What’s up with the Judgment?

“For there is no sacrifice that will take away sins if we purposely go on sinning after the truth has been made known to us.  Instead, all that is left is to wait in fear for the coming Judgment and the fierce fire which will destroy those who oppose God!” (Heb 10:26,27).

Another fear-provoking verse in the Bible that doesn’t seem to fit with the teachings about love and forgiveness toward our enemies that we have heard from Jesus!  But wait.  Before we come to any conclusions about the way the judgment works, let’s see what Jesus himself said about it.  

First of all, who judges us?  I guess Jesus does! “And he [God] has given the Son the right to judge everyone, because he is the Son of Man.” (John 5:27).  But then he says “For God did not send his son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.”  Now which is it?  Does he or does he not judge us?

Perhaps the answer lies in a third statement that Jesus made about the judgment: “If people hear my message and do not obey it, I will not judge them. I came, not to judge the world but to save it.  Those who reject me and do not accept my message have one who will judge them. The words I have spoken will be their judge on the last day!” (John 12:47,48). What is he saying?  How can we be judged by his words and by his message?

An example might help.  If I am told not to cross the street when the light is red and I heed that command, I will most likely be safe.  However, if I cross the busy street minding my own business during a red light, I will most certainly get hit by a car and suffer the consequences of my choice.  Thus, the message “don’t cross the road when the light is red” becomes my salvation when heeded and my judgment when defied.  How does this example help us?

Jesus came to earth to show us what God is like! (John 17:4,6).  His message which is also called The Good News, is that God is just as kind, gentle, forgiving as Jesus was.  He also tried to teach us that only people with these kinds of qualities will truly be able to live in peace and happiness forever. Therefore, if we like this Jesus-like God, will naturally trust him and he will be able to heal us from all our brokenness.  However, if we refuse to accept this Jesus-like God and prefer to believe that God is a ruler who demands worship and who burns his enemies in sulfurous flames forever, we will not be able to trust God.

Without trust, God cannot heal us from our hatred and we will die in our rebelliousness unable to ever enter eternal life.  We see now that the judgment is really our response to the message of Christ, the message about the Father’s kindness and the principles of human living that he taught. The Judgment is not an arbitrary decision by God about our future life, but a natural consequence of our own decisions.

Herein is visible the immense freedom that God gave to all of us – the freedom to decide our own destiny according to our preferences.  Only those who can love and trust God will live with him.  No one else will be forced to.  But the Good News is that it’s easy to trust a God who is JUST LIKE Jesus!

What is the Sin Against the Holy Spirit?

“For this reason I tell you: people can be forgiven any sin and any evil thing they say; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who says something against the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says something against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven---now or ever” (Matt 12:31,32).

Scary words!  How do we know if we have committed the sin against the Holy Spirit?  This statement, when misinterpreted, will cause many to be afraid, because they don’t understand the meaning of the above words.  To understand what the sin of the Holy Spirit is, we first have to understand what sin is and then what the function of the Holy Spirit is.

Sin has been wrongly defined by many as a mere outward breaking of the Law, because John says that “sin is a breaking of the law” (1.John 3:4).  John wrote in Greek and the actual word he used is “anomia” which really means lawlessness or rebelliousness.  More than a simple breaking of rules, it describes an attitude of rebelliousness that is the motive for breaking the rules. The Bible also says that “anything that is not based on faith is sin” (Rom 14:23).  Faith means trust.  So what is sin?  It is a rebellious attitude in us, because we mistrust and hate God and his principles of love. This makes us unwillingness to listen to God and learn from him. 

Now what about the Holy Spirit?  What does the Bible say about the main function of the Holy Spirit? “The helper will come – the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God…” (John 15:26). “When however the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth.” (John 16:13). “He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God.” (John 14:17).  The Holy Spirit is simply God’s presence on earth trying to convince us that God is just as kind as Jesus was when he was on the earth.  His function is the same that Jesus had – to show us humans what God is really like. 

So how do we put all of this together?  What exactly is the sin against the Holy Spirit?  It is a rebellious attitude of mistrust, even hatred, of a kind and gentle Jesus-like God. The sin against the Holy Spirit is a conscious and willful rejection of the principle of self-less love. When people hate the character of Jesus, there is nothing God can do to offer healing, because his presence is not wanted.

Haven't you guys just repackaged Moral Influence Theory?

Moral Influence Theory is a purely subjective model. The idea that a cosmic war over what God is like and the necessity of Christ answering those charges laid by Satan is so far from Moral Influence Theory and suggesting that they are related reveals a lack of scholarship and intellectual honesty.

Ironically, all atonement theories - whether penal and forensic substitution or punitive/redemptive - all have an element of "moral influence", because whatever Christ did on The Cross does affect our response to Him. For those that insist that there must be an objective component infused into all respectable atonement models then we ask - what could be more objective (outside of ourselves) then Christ vindicating The God-Head by refuting Satan's allegations?

All theological scholars in every Christian school of thought would never risk their scholastic credibility by insinuating that Moral Influence Theory has an objective component, and we would say that anyone who would suggest that we are teaching Moral Influence Theory is at risk of doing JUST that - the very attempt discredits the oppositional argument.

You guys keep talking about God like you actually know He exists?

Before you continue, please realize that we take the position that the majority of people everywhere who have rejected the notion of a God - Christian or otherwise - has done so because the majority of religious thought has propagated a God who is a tyrant and angry - a God who in some form or another will one day destroy His creatures - possibly for eternity. That being said, we continue.

It is true, all of us have subjectively experienced something that can’t be transferred to another person’s mind but we do believe that there is plenty of objective evidence to support the idea that we haven’t lost our minds! Although we aren’t a ministry that focuses on trying to prove God’s existence (after all, if God just proved He existed by showing everyone that He existed He would be taking the freedom away from those who chose not to believe that He exists) but we see much evidence in support of understanding via the following philosophical argument.

The Christian world view is that God is behind everything -  God is the creator and sustainer of all that is. God is the reason we can balance our checkbooks, why we can do scientific experiments, even the reason we can argue for moral and immoral acts in our society. Furthermore, He is the only reason we can argue at all. How can Christians make such grandiose claims? The way this argument works requires us to take a journey into an unbeliever's supposed world - a world where we will see in the end that such a world could not and does not exist,  thus leaving us with the only option left. That God has to exist, for without God’s existence there is no credible and intelligible account for anything.

We will not be looking at every school of thought known to man, but we will be looking to the underlying presuppositions of unbelievers in general. The reason this can be done is because underneath every unbelieving school of thought are a few things that are basic to being an unbeliever. Such things are wrapped up in what is commonly known as the unbeliever’s worldview, which is how he sees the nature of reality, truth, and man. The worldview of an unbeliever at its most basic fundamental core is that reality is random and indeterminate (based on chance), that truth is subjective, and that man is autonomous in his reasoning.

Let’s start with the world outside of us which is commonly referred to as nature. In the Christian worldview God orders nature. The opposite of order is disorder, which is what the unbeliever asserts when he makes the claim that reality is based on randomness and chance. Interestingly enough, unbelievers also say that the world through scientific enquiry is based on a universal order of some kind. This leaves the unbeliever in a dialectical tension which renders the unbeliever’s worldview incoherent. Stated in an alternative way, the non-Christian tries to formulate his worldview with a contradictory commitment to the open universe of indeterminism and that of the natural world of determinism. That anything can happen, and that everything happens according to scientific laws. This tension reveals a flaw in the unbeliever's methodology.

There are things in this world that can only be comprehended, things such as math and logic. These things have been called self-evident - a priori truth. When it comes to such things a non-believer is hard pressed to explain how he can argue that the world is based on randomness when these very truths he is using to argue are anything but random. A Christian on the other hand knows that such things are not random - that these things have existed in the mind of God before he was born. The Christian understands that if he was to make logic into a subjective convention of society and mans ingenuity it would cease to be as powerful a tool as it is. Once again the unbeliever without God couldn’t reason and argue against the one who gave him the tools to argue. The unbeliever couldn’t balance his checkbook, or figure out his next paycheck without God. In no way are we saying that the unbeliever doesn’t do these things - obviously he or she does - but to us it only shows the graciousness of the God they are arguing against.

Finally, let's take a quick look at the world of morality. If the claim that morals are just a convention of society - a subjective choice made by each individual, then we have no basis to argue with each other about moral choices. For example, if it is a convention of society to be moral then what happens when a society chooses to be immoral, such as Hitler and his Third Reich? It was that societies decision to exterminate those they saw as unfit for life - it was a convention of that society. What happens if morality is just a subjective choice each of us makes? The next time something happens to you that could be interpreted as being unjust you can't complain because your subjective moral understanding didn’t match with the other persons, you have no way of saying anything for it's all subjective, right? Imagine a world like that? In fact, the worst accounts of human history are recorded because someone chose to start living their life based on this school of thought. Once again the un-believing worldview is left with nothing but the shifting sand - it is left wanting for the firm foundation of something solid and secure. We hold to the position that God does exist and without Him we would have no foundation for anything. Nothing would matter. What we feel so strongly about isn't so much whether God exists or not - but how horrible He has been portrayed by those who supposedly follow Him.

What makes your message different from any other Christian website?

We feel that we have a message of freedom that comes from a balanced reading of The Bible - that instead of God's word drowning under a sea of rigidity and staunch literalism - we feel happiness as we realize that The Bible is about God and we can read it exactly the way God read it 2,000 years ago as a 12 year old - and reading it like He does allows us to come to the same conclusions that He did when He blew the minds of those Temple Scholars on Passover weekend.

Most importantly, we have a message that waves in the face of modern Evangelical conservatism that makes God a distant enemy - a God who may be interested in politics and finances, but really cares nothing about those who have no clue what any of those things mean - and why should He? - God only loves the wealthy and financially elite Bible Believing Christians and despises everything else that falls short of that. In fact, we believe The Good News is that God would wash Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein’s feet - and this in itself has not been preached from many pulpits except the ones that some of God's friends have had an opportunity to stand in from time to time.

We also want to herald the Kingdom of God RIGHT NOW - that while most of the Christian world is waiting for God to come back one day - WE WILL LET OUT A LOUD CRY THAT HE IS HERE NOW - That The Holy Spirit of Truth speaks to us with evidence and proof that the principles of God's Kingdom are alive in those who really love Him for being a God who forgives for no other reason then that's the way He is.

Most importantly, what makes us different from so many other ministries is the fact that we are UNIFIED on the most important thing there is to be unified on (and the proof that this point is true IS the fact that we are unified) - and that is we believe God is EXACTLY 100% VERBATIM NO-COMPROMISE the way that Jesus testified Him to be - because Jesus REALLY was God.  God didn’t need to be appeased by a bloody, half-god-half-human sacrifice in order to forgive us.  It was necessary though that God Himself come to reveal the truth about His character and Calvary exemplifies this very point.

In theological language, for those who need it, we can summarize the above by saying that we are different on two very distinctive points. The Nature of The Atonement and The Nature of Inspiration. We feel that by careful and openminded study - the conclusion that we have come to about our loving God will also be the same conclusion that others will arrive at - that God is not a fearful Diety, but a gentle and compassionate Person who manifested Himself in The One who came 2,000 years ago - Jesus Christ.