\u2026for you are not under the law, but under grace. (Rom 6:14)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nWheat and tares or sheep and goats. Which is it going to be people? Let me state right up front that I\u2019m sick and tired \u2013 yes \u2013 sick and tired of believers losing their minds of Christ in order to soothe the angst of a retributive nature they still think possesses them. Yes, that\u2019s right, this is a matter of good, faithful believers being possessed! Don\u2019t tell me by some outdated doctrinal position that possession is not possible when I can see it in your red bulging eyes seeking to escape the sockets of your skull like some Looney-Tune character.<\/p>\n
As sure as my deodorant will make my pits smell manly after a stressful workout, your religious convictions will soothe your inner turmoil after reading what I\u2019ve just typed feeling superior in the knowledge that come judgment day, those\u2026those\u2026 well, they\u2019ll get their just rewards. You\u2019ll use the wheat and tares or sheep and goat motif to back up the proof to your holy excursion into the Valley of Armageddon. You feel safe in a future justification, right?<\/p>\n
Let me ask you something. Why is it that the parable of the wheat and tares and the sheep and the goats only appears in the book of Matthew? Two end-time blockbusters with the power to level the playing field are only recorded in the one \u201cgospel\u201d account that is blatantly pro-Law. What? You\u2019ve never heard of such a thing as a gospel being bent to the point of embracing the Law?<\/p>\n
How is it possible that you\u2019ve never considered that Matthew, a Jewish Christian (what, you never heard of that term either!), writing his narrative some fifteen years after the death of Paul, the apostle of grace, from the home church of Paul in Antioch, is attempting to remove the influence grace has created within the Gentile church (what, even this too!) by tying the message of Jesus back to the Law? Oh, forgive me, I just made that up! These are the things nightmares are made of, disunity in the church, grace versus the law, Paul versus Peter, and such.<\/p>\n
You have taken the blue pill of \u201cchurchanity\u201d becoming another of the minions to mindless sycophants committed to the message of the empire they extolled from their lectern four years ago, and four years before that, and so on and so on. Sure you read your bible, but you don\u2019t know what it says, let alone know what it means, outside of the book of Matthew and the rest of the Old testament canon. Oh sure, you occasionally read James so that your works mentality can be slathered with condemnation, but really, is that all there is?<\/p>\n
If you still live under the specter that someone, some group, some corporation or nation owes you something, you need to man up and die like a real Christian. Show me one retributive act that Jesus accomplished, just one. He is owed a whole lot more than your or my sorry flame-scorched backside could every claim. So where is his pay back? Where is his day of justice?<\/p>\n
But your denomination probably supports the big, mean, red-headed beast of a dragon who will take all of the world down to the depths of some pit of eternal barbeque for the uninvited simply because it\u2019s described in the last book of the bible. If that is your only reason, how could you not then know that John is truly the last book of the New Testament canon and 3:16, poster child of every sporting event in the world, is grace not law?<\/p>\n
If you truly knew your bible\u2019s origin at the terrorizing, state-sponsored execution of an innocent man \u2013 one who confronted the religious order of the day because they backed wholesale exclusion of the entire world who did not live up to their standard of perfection before their self-defined deity \u2013 you might pause for a moment to reflect on whether your actions are truly your own, or are they the same as those who cheered upon the erection of that naked, beaten and bloody body of a God who forgave them for their ignorance. Wheat and tares, sheep and goats all witnessed it.<\/p>\n
Have you ever considered that you, me and everyone else on this planet are his just reward, his pay out, his justified compensation for pain and suffering? You don\u2019t see him separating anyone, making them feel any better or less than another like isolating the quarters from the dime and nickels while chucking the pennies.<\/p>\n
None understood grace then, but surely, I pray, that somehow you do today. It is not now, nor has ever been about us versus them. It has always been about Him versus us \u2013 those who need forgiveness again and again. But it\u2019s not a war \u2013 it\u2019s a relationship with thick-headed, stiff-necked, stuck-up nosed mankind more enamored with themselves than with the author, creator \u2013 shoot \u2013 the very definition of love.<\/p>\n
Is it possible for a moment that rational minds from a loving Creator could stop the tape of our past and maybe look into the mirror which reflects the face of our neighbor and consider that their desires and the struggles they create are no different than ours? If you want to say that their god wants them to kill you, well I\u2019d say from your thoughts and actions your god does too! So why not take a lesson from my God and realize He doesn\u2019t want either of you killing anyone, period. Learn to live with that because that is what He expects from His kids. He does not see either of you as a tare or a goat. So quit kicking at the tender parts expecting to get there faster. You can\u2019t arrive at someplace you always been.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2026for you are not under the law, but under grace. (Rom 6:14) Wheat and tares or sheep and goats. Which is it going to be people? Let me state right up front that I\u2019m sick and tired \u2013 yes \u2013 … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amazonpipp_noncename":"","amazon-product-isactive":"","amazon-product-single-asin":"","amazon-product-content-location":"","amazon-product-content-hook-override":"","amazon-product-excerpt-hook-override":"","amazon-product-singular-only":"","amazon-product-amazon-desc":"","amazon-product-show-gallery":"","amazon-product-show-features":"","amazon-product-newwindow":"","amazon-product-show-list-price":"","amazon-product-show-used-price":"","amazon-product-show-saved-amt":"","amazon-product-timestamp":"","amazon-product-new-title":"","amazon-product-use-cartURL":"","amazon_featured_post_meta_key":"","_amazon_featured_alt":"","amazon-product-template":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[4,6,5],"class_list":["post-136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7","tag-grace","tag-mike-hillebrecht","tag-teaching"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2ITDy-2c","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":166,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2014\/07\/07\/schizo-believers\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":0},"title":"Schizo-believers","author":"mike","date":"July 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"You're nuts; crazy I tell you! How many times have you exclaimed that to someone, or worst yet, thought it about yourself? It speaks to the security that many have which is being attacked by a different, often diametrically opposed thought which they cannot possibly believe themselves embracing and adopting.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2014 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2014 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2014\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":116,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2014\/07\/02\/the-equalizer\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":1},"title":"The equalizer","author":"mike","date":"July 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"You vs me. Us vs them. Competition is all the rage across the globe. It is fashionable to support your team, your company, your school, your community, your church, your country, your way of dressing and a whole host of other choices that are designed to separate you from someone\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2014 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2014 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2014\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1056,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2017\/10\/18\/a-level-of-grace\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":2},"title":"A Level of Grace","author":"mike","date":"October 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"There is a day, no, a moment in a day, when out of the blue, it hits you right in the gut: you're saved by grace. You\u2019ve heard it more times than you can count, even claimed it \u2018til you're blue in the face; yet now, it means something tangible,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2017 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2017 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2017\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2535,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2022\/09\/05\/the-story-of-your-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":3},"title":"The story of your life","author":"mike","date":"September 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"These writing of mine have been a grace-oriented message for the most part. This posting is possibly the most grace-oriented message I can offer to date. It has everything to do with your life, how you live it and what your expectations are for it. Allow me to preface this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2022 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2022 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2022\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hand in hand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2890,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/25\/grace-for-shame-revisited-part-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":4},"title":"Grace for Shame Revisited – Part 1","author":"mike","date":"April 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In 2012 I published my first book entitled Grace for Shame. I have often looked upon this book as a manifestation of a move of the Spirit during that time simply because a week before the book went to the printers, I was introduced to the works of Brene Brown\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2024 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2024 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2024\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hand in hand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":472,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/08\/grace-for-at-least-a-little\/","url_meta":{"origin":136,"position":5},"title":"Grace for at least a little","author":"mike","date":"July 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"For a moment, I would like you to consider the population of your local church community. How many of these fine people are dealing with life-threatening illnesses? How much are you involved in their suffering? How many of these illnesses are affecting children? How often do you pass them by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2017 Postings"","block_context":{"text":"2017 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2017\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions\/137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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