I was raised as an evangelical Christian and was “saved” at a young age. I was actually a child of “The Jesus Movement” in Southern California in the early 1970’s, so I always understood the gift that Jesus gave me and thanked Him for the sacrifice but in many ways I missed the whole point of His Gospel. He came in order to give us access to The Father. Our Father.
This revelation began in me on the Easter Sunday following my own son’s death. I was just 23 years old and had experienced a lifetime of sorrow already. My son had been 1lb 12oz at birth and suffered a brain injury when he was 2 weeks old. He lived 2 1/2 years but they felt like 20 years at the time.
I was at a Sunrise Service on the beach, when the whole magnitude of my Heavenly Father’s gift came into focus. Here I was mourning the death of MY son when it dawned on me that my Father had sacrificed and turn His eyes away from His son, so that I could be with mine for eternity. Then it was as if God Himself spoke to my heart and said “You’ve missed the whole point of my gift! It was because of Love, not sin.”
Yes, Jesus came and lived a sinless life in order to be “The Lamb” that was slain. To pay our debts of sin, which we ALL have, but He did SO MUCH MORE than that. It was NOT a message of “Hell Fire and Brimstone”. It wasn’t one to be used to scare us out of hell by commanding us to be “good enough”.
It was actually the opposite of that. None of us could ever “be good enough”, so He paid our penalty in order to give us LIFE more abundantly in the Family of God.
He showed us and told us how to live a life that is pleasing to Our Father. It was very simple but very difficult. Love God and Love Others. It wasn’t about legalism or “sins”, it was ALL about unconditional love! His love for us and our love for Him. We show our love for Him by loving others. All others.
It wasn’t until I understood the revelation of my Father in Heaven, and could relate to Him with the heart of a parent, was I able to begin to understand the real Gospel that Jesus was trying to teach God’s people. The Good News!
As generations have come and gone, doctrines have also developed that have caused religious people to stray from those essential doctrines and commands of Jesus. The Church has divided and gotten into doctrinal ditches that have been used to wound people and divide the Body of Christ. Many have been deceived. The Bible says that “even the very elect will be deceived!”
Judgement is rampant, disguised as “love”. Praying for someone is used to gossip. So many doctrines have developed to conveniently condemn others and make a religious person feel superior to someone else.
I could go on and on but I have spent decades now ministering to wounded people that wouldn’t set foot in a church, or be welcomed by many even if they did. My Father has brought them to me, I never sought them out. I have just loved the “unlovable” and have been privileged to be able to show them His love.
God has shown me many revelations over the years, by understanding Him through my own actions as a parent. There is NOTHING that my children could do to separate them from my love!
I’ve studied the Bible my whole life but knowledge is not wisdom. This is why Jesus said to go to Him “as a little child”. I know great Biblical scholars that I have respected my whole life but that doesn’t necessarily make them wise. I pray for wisdom every day because I have seen deception creep into the hearts of many that I’ve respected. I know that it can happen to me just as easily.
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