Do you know God well enough to know Jesus when He returns?

Basically, who were the religious leaders when Jesus walked the face of the earth? The Gospel refers to the Sadducees and the Pharisees. They comprised the ruling class of Israel. There are many similarities between the Sadducees and the Pharisees but important differences between them as well.

The Sadducees were of the “wealthy” ruling class. Many of them compromised the priesthood that controlled the temple in Jerusalem in addition to the Jewish legal council. In some ways they were more conservative than the Pharisees. They only recognized the Torah as the inspired word of God while the Pharisees gave oral tradition equal authority as the written word of God. The Sadducees preserved the authority of the written Word of God, especially the books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy).  While the Sadducees could be commended for this, they definitely were not perfect in their doctrinal views.

The Pharisees were mostly middle-class businessmen. As middle-class businessmen they were more in contact with the ‘common’ man. The Pharisees were held in much higher esteem than the Sadducees by the common man.  The Pharisees had great zeal for God. The average Pharisee fasted two days per week as well as them paying their ‘tithes’ to the penny. They examined the law down to the smallest detail but they entirely missed what the law was saying. In accordance to God’s word, Jesus was God’s word made manifest. Simply put, Jesus was Torah in flesh. Yet, the Pharisees stood in the physical presence of the perfect revelation of Torah AND they did not know Him.

Jesus, on numerous times, rebuked both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Definitely the best lesson we can learn from the Pharisees and the Sadducees is to NOT BE LIKE THEM. (I will personally add for those that today are unknowingly acting and believing as the Pharisees and/or the Sadducees to Stop being like them. Open your eyes and ears to God!) Unlike the Sadducees, we must believe EVERYTHING the Bible says, including the miracles and the afterlife. Unlike the Pharisees, we are not to treat traditions as having equal authority as Scripture and we are NOT to allow our relationship with God to be reduced to a legalistic list of rules and rituals (the LAW).

Ironically, the religious leaders, both the Sadducees and the Pharisees who claimed to have known God to the fullest, who were suppose to be leading the people in accordance to God’s way, who were suppose to be teaching the people in accordance to God’s way, who were suppose to be leading the people closer to God, were so blinded by their observances and the minute details that they completely missed their own Messiah when He had appeared in Israel. Those that who were suppose to be closest to God, those that who were suppose to know God fully, missed God completely.

How well do you know God? How well do you know and understand Jesus? Who are you following? Are you following the “well known” religious leaders? Are you following the religious leaders that are teaching and pushing religion (the law) instead of the grace of God? 

Do you completely know, understand and follow the grace of God….. Jesus Christ? Again, in capital leaders…. DO YOU KNOW GOD WELL ENOUGH TO TRULY KNOW JESUS WHEN HE RETURNS???  The Pharisees and Sadducees thought they did but missed Him. Do you think you do or do you know that you know that you will know Him when He returns?

Resolutions vs. Grace of God

Year after year after year I have made, and I have seen others make resolutions only to break them within weeks, days, and even within hours. Resolutions are "laws" made by ourself to follow to make things and/or life better. Just as the LAW of the Old Testament was given to give the people as a resolution to their position, we give ourselves resolutions year after year to better ourself and our life. Just as the LAW could not be kept by "Man", why do we feel we are so much better at keeping the "personal laws" we make by stating resolutions each new year? Even-though, as Christians, so many say without God they are nothing and can do nothing, they still try to do it themselves because they do not fully understand the full grace of God through the new covenant He made with us! 

Romans 11:27
27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

Ephesians 2:8
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Instead of making resolutions year after year after year, all we have to do is to turn to God and live in accordance to the grace He has given us. Instead of resolutions fir us to do it ourselves, make a commitment to God to allow Him to change us in accordance to His covenant with us. Nothing is impossible for God. Without Him, we are nothing.

Luke 1:37
For with God nothing will be impossible.”

John 9:33
33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

We can not do it by making resolutions or laws to try and uphold or stand by. We, through our own actions, can not keep the resolutions we make, no matter how many we make. Yet, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

If, instead of making resolution (I pledge to go to church at least twice per month) after resolution (I pledge to go to church at least once every month), we start to live with a full understanding of the grace of God, we would no longer need to make resolutions! We would live through the new covenant that God has made with us! God"s covenant to us is a formal, solemn, and binding agreement under a seal (Christ) between God and us. It can not and will not be broken as resolutions and laws are broken. Throw the resolutions out the window and start living in accordance to the grace of God as given to us through Jesus Christ!!!

Happy New Years - let this be a new beginning of livening through God's grace!

Just Get In

John 5:2-4

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

When the water was still all the people could do was lay or sit around and wait. Since  they had to wait for the Angel to stir the water, they became content to wait accepting the sickness within them! The verses lead you to believe that when the Angel stirred the water, those that were able to move made a mad dash to be the first to step into the swirling water so that they would be healed. It does not say that the second, third, fourth, etc, were healed... Only the FIRST to enter the water was healed. Once the first had stepped into the water, the swirling water stopped moving thus no movement to heal was present those that stepped in next.

This brings the following thoughts and questions to my mind:

1.    The water had to be stirred for the healing power to be effective.

2.    Everyone there waited for another (the Angel) to stir the water.

3.    Was the Angel the only one that could stir the water to make the healing power effective?

4.    Where did the Angel come from to stir the water? Was the Angel continuously standing next to the pool waiting for the "certain time" to stir the water?

5.    Was the Angel the only one that could stir the water for the healing power to be effective?

6.    If the Angel had a certain time scheduled to stir the water, could it have been stirred by another at other times?

7.    Did anyone else try stirring the water or did they become content to believe that only a certain one could stir the water?

Before I continue with thoughts and questions, let's try to picture the scene at the pool. Let's also place some time constraints that one might have waiting to have a chance to enter the water after it was swirled by the Angel. It says there was "a GREAT multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, were laying waiting fir the water to be swirled. (Note... Paralyzed people were waiting. They could not move by themselves, so one must have had to be with them to carry them or they would have NEVER been able to get to the front of the line to be the first in the water). Leaving the paralyzed out, let's say that a great multitude equaled to 1000 people. Now lets say that the Angel had an appointed time of swirling the water once every 12 hours. That would mean that only 2 people per 24 hours would have the opportunity to receive healing by being the first to enter the water after it was stirred. Two people per day, provided no one cut in line ahead of another and provided no others came, would mean it would take 500 days for the 1000 to have the chance I be the first into the water. That is a little over 1-1/3 YEARS for those around the pool to have a chance to be healed. One and one-third years fir the last person in line to sit and wait for their turn!! People had to become content with their sickness to sit and wait and wait and wait and wait.....

Now that time period was for 1000 people with no one dashing to cut ahead of another. The verses tell us, from the man's reply, that there were people cutting ahead of others and jumping in before their turn.

Is the turmoil at the pool much different than what is happening in the majority of the "organized" churches today? Are there not multitudes of people attending service each week (with some only attending on special days like Christmas or Easter) seeking healing yet they do not receive it because.....

1.    There is no altar call for prayer of healing (the swirling of the water)

2.    There are so many that rush to the front, if there is a call for prayer of healing, that many sit in the pews not wanting to fight the crowd that rushed forward

3.    Those that need a healing have come to blindly accept their sickness as permanent and do not reach out for healing

4.    Many are attending the service for the wrong reasons and really do not have faith that healing could or can come to them

Whatever the reasons, there are multitudes sitting in the pews of the "organized" church waiting for the "Angel", the leader behind the pulpit, to stir the water before they can have a chance to be the first in the water for healing.

ALL PRAISE be given to God for by His grace, we do not have to do as the multitude at the pool had to do or even as the multitude of those in the church today do, to receive healing or to have to wait for another to stir the water for healing to take place.

If we believe, if we have been baptized, if we have faith in Christ, if we are to be obedient to the directive from Jesus, then we are to STIR the water ourselves. We can even stir the waters for our own personal healing. We have been given that authority, as believers, by Christ!

And He (JESUS) said to them, “ Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” - Mark 16:15-18

Christ said "THESE SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW THOSE WHO BELIEVE". For the signs to follow, we must FIRST TAKE ACTION AND DO!!! We can not sit in the pews day after day and wait for the one up front to stir the water!!! We must take the authority ourselves to command the demons to go, to lay hands on the sick so they will recover and be healed. We are even to lay hands on ourselves so that we can recover and be healed!

Rivers of Eden is a ministry in which the water is continually moving (continually stirred).   For one to know Rivers of Eden Ministry, one must get into the river as it is flowing. One can not receive the creative fullness that God is providing through Rivers of Eden by standing in the shallow water near the bank, by sitting in the pew week after week, or by waiting for another to give a revelation to stir the water! Debra and I teach the creative flow of Christ through individuals. Not only have we been saved by the grace of God but by the grace of God we have been given the authority to move in power!

Are you ready to move with the power of God? Are you ready to move with the authority God's grace has given you? Are you ready to jump into the swirling waters? Are you ready to get out of the pews? Are you ready to get out of your comfortable zone to move for Jesus? Because you believe, are you ready to go to the nations with the signs following? If you are ready, then it takes action on your part. You must get up and move!

God is sending Debra and I to the Los Angeles/San Diego area to live and to start swirling the waters of Rivers of Eden. We will not stand still when we arrive in the area but the waters of Rivers of Eden will be flowing mightily with power of God working through us. If you are ready to jump into the swirling water, we will be there to live and start the waters flowing around December 8, 2012. We are on Facebook, Twitter, and our web page is http://www.riversofeden.com. Let us know if you are ready to jump into the water. By God's grace, you do not have to be the first to receive. All you have to do is take action and jump or call for us to come to you and others.

As children not Like children

Yesterday was not just another day from God. Yesterday was a blessed day from God. As Debra and I spoke to the teenagers in Janika’s class, God opened my mind to understand even more what Jesus truly meant when he said:

      “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

My eyes were opened to see and understand that Jesus said “AS” little children not “Like” little children. If we were to become "LIKE" little children then we would revert back to doing childlike things. But if we become "AS" little children, then we are open to hear and learn. We do not close out the creativity of God due to our “Manly maturity”. What I mean by “Manly Maturity” is the level of maturity we have reached under the teachings from MAN as to exactly what one should be saying, what one should be doing and how one should be seen. “You are an adult now, you can not been seen DANCING IN THE AISLES OF IKEA!!!” You must walk in a prim and proper way worthy of Jesus. BULL (and I will not write the second word)! We are now scheduling a day to go and dance the aisles of Ikea....

I watched the eyes of those listening to Debra preach and I saw joy in many to learn that they can be joyful and creative while loving Jesus. To learn that it is okay to be whom God has made them to be. To learn that it is okay to look like God wants them to look. They were being “AS” little children, ready to learn and put into action. They were not “LIKE” little children talking and jumping around wanting to be outside playing. I saw more maturity in the eyes of those teenagers willing to listen, hear and weigh the truth that was spoken than I have seen in many that are classified as “Adults” because they do and act as they have been taught by “Man and Society”. I pray that I never change back to being "LIKE" an “Adult” so classified by “Man/Society” and that I remain, as I have become “AS” a little child. I also pray that God will allow Debra, Tarja, and myself to begin to speak throughout Finland as we spoke yesterday. God wants to bring a newness of Himself to Finland and He can bring it through us via Rivers of Eden Ministry.

What about you? Are you willing to come and dance with us down the aisles of Ikea? Are you willing to hear the truth and allow God’s creativity that He has placed in you to come out of you? Are you ready to become “AS” little children, desiring to learn and know more of who Jesus is and not be satisfied with just knowing about Jesus? ARE YOU?

God's creative Children

As I am sitting at the table in the apartment in Finland, I am looking out over the snow-covered area outside the window and balcony. I can see an ice skating area developed by man for the children in the school across from the apartment. I can see multiple paths, cut in the snow by man, with many people walking on them. I also see various mounds of snow, some of over two meters in height that were piled up by man from cutting the paths for the people to walk and placed in areas as refuge.

The mounds are rough and not uniform to walk upon. If I just look at the mounds of snow, I see no purpose in them other than to wait to be scooped up and moved to an area that man has established as snow dumping areas.  Yet I cannot just look at the mounds because on the mounds I see many of the school children playing. The children are not playing in the smoothed out areas nor or they ice skating on the ice rink, they are playing creatively on the mounds placed to be thrown away by man. They are jumping, rolling down the mounds, making snowballs for snowball fights, digging holes as a place f to hide from other children, etc. etc.  They are actually taking something man has set aside to throw away and making it a joyful place to be. How and why do the children see what can be done with the mounds but man can only see something to scoop up and haul away to a dump site?

I remember, as a child, being able to think of and make up so many different ways to play and have fun. I remember spending hours walking the pastures jumping over small ditches and, yes, even jumping over some “Cow Patties”. For those who do not know what “Cow Patties” are, all I will say is if you do not have any cows around then you will not have any “Cow Patties” around. I remember taking an old cardboard box that my mom placed in the garbage and going to the levee for the Mississippi River and sliding down it to the waters edge. Then we would walk backup the levee and slide down again and again and again. We did not need anything that was expensive and made by Man to slide down and have fun. We were using the creativity that God had placed in us to enjoy life. We did not need man to tell us we had to use a specific type of sled invented and developed for sliding on grassy areas. We used a simple cardboard box and enjoyed being with each other. Without knowing it, we were allowing the creativity that God has placed in us to flow through us.

What happens to us when we reach a certain age that we stopple up that creativity? Is it because “Man” teaches us we are not to do certain things since we are older and now to be responsible for our actions? Is it because we have fear of not being accepted if we do not act as “Man” says we should act as adults? Could it be because “Man” has taught us 1 Corinthians 13:11 (“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”) out of context and has used it to take away the child like creativity God placed within us? Why do we bottle up the creativity in us when we get older? Jesus spoke of receiving the kingdom of God as a little child in the book of Mark:

      “Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “ Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16

If we cannot enter the kingdom of God unless we receive the kingdom of God as a little child, why do we hide the creativity God wants to flow through us? We must remove all of the restrictions that man has placed upon us through religion, denomination, man’s belief of how we should praise God, man’s belief of how we should hear God, man’s belief of how we should see God, man’s belief of how we are to act and do for God, etc., etc. We MUST remove the shackles and the balls and chain that we have allowed Man/Religion/Denomination to place on us and again allow the creativity of God to flow FREELY through us for Him.

We, Rivers of Eden Ministry, are teaching about the creativity in you at the meetings every Friday night in Helsinki, Finland at Laivapojankatu 3 B (Community Room). Please check out the web page at http://www.riversofeden.com for more information and to hear the audios of past teachings.

God gave us the right to be His children!!! John 1:10-13

      “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Return back to God and do not be shackled by Man/Denomination/Religion. Let His creativity begin to flow through you and learn that it is all about Jesus. Nothing Else but the grace of Jesus!! Are you ready? Are you willing to be whom God wants you to be or will you continue to be satisfied with how “Man” wants you to be? Will You???? 

Joyful Sound Unto the Lord

 God created us to commune directly with Himself. He did not create us to have someone else be a “MIDDLE” man to talk to us or for us to talk to Him. Yet, religion/denomination”, teaches (or directs one in the direction) that the “Pastor/Leaders” of the “Church/Denomination” will hear God for us and then inform us what we are to be doing AND how we should be doing it.

Jesus did not tell the Apostles nor did He intend for us to sit and allow "Man/Religion/Pharisees/Denomination" to strap us to a pew and adhere to their laws and/or codes to worship and praise God. We were created by God to commune directly with Him and we do not need a ”MIDDLE" man to speak to God for us or to speak to us for God!!! God CREATED us as special unique individuals in His image with His creativity in us.

In John 14:26, Jesus said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach YOU all things...” In John 14:16

"And I (Jesus) will pray the Father (God), and He will send you another Helper (Holy Spirit), the He may abide with you forever.” Jesus did not say that the Father would speak to you through another person as He did to the Israelites in the Old Testament. We are under “GRACE”, not the law. We can enter into God’s heavenly presence because Jesus (GRACE) rent the veil for us. We can commune directly with God! All we have to do is hear Him as he directs us to be creative for Him.

We were created to be whom God has created us to be! We were not created to be whom "Man/Religion/Denomination" binds or shackle us to be. Open your ears, open your eyes, hear God and obey to be the creative individual He wants you to be for Him.

I once had someone take a tambourine away from me when we were worshipping God because my “Beat” was not their “Beat”! Many present looked without care or concern, many laughed about what happened. Looking at it now, I believe God shed a tear because I was worshipping in in the creative way He wanted me to worship and I allowed the rules of “MAN” to dictate to me how the sound must be to worship God. He was enjoying the joyful sound I was making in worshipping Him. In Psalm 89:15 It is written “Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance”.

I will allow the creativity of God to flow through me as He wants it to flow. I will not allow “Man/Religion/Denomination” to shackle me into doing things their way. I will make a joyful sound unto the Lord!!!

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

By the Grace of Jesus, all of this is what we will be teaching in Finland and wherever else God directs to go by His voice or buy invitation. We need only to hear the Holy Spirit in us and obey to allow God's creativity to flow out of us.