A New Creation and Generation

Posted on August 20, 2024 by LovingLikeGod.com

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2nd Corinthians 5:17

We are speaking here about a new generation populated by new creatures. Before we get too carried away with our new selves, however, it is important to note that this new creation is in, and of the Spirit. It is home to the DNA of God, from the Spirit of Christ, but it is not finished yet, any more than any of us are in the Spirit all the time. Our old man, that is our old creation person, is still in the flesh and bound up in old creation time. Old creation time can only touch Eternity in the moment. Jesus is “I Am,” not I was. His way with us today is not necessarily His way with us yesterday.

It is right here where we come to grips with Romans 8:23: “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.”

The order of our entry into the new creation is first adoption, a legal matter, and then the ‘new birth,’ the birth made possible by the very DNA of God. This just to say, this passage from Romans 8 seems to deny our new birth in the present. How can this be when Peter tells us, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23. Clearly there is no seed involved in adoption, but there is in birth. Since the Bible doesn’t contradict itself, there must then be a sense in which the new birth is already ours. It is ours in the Spirit. Would that we would live in this more often, and stay in it longer. Not to worry, He is faithful that promised. :)

All of this is foundational to what I would really like to do here, and that is to unwrap this new generation a little bit further. For now let’s just look at it in light of Isaiah 9:6, 7: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.”

Isaiah introduces this “Great light” to a people who had been living in darkness, which would be us. This “great light” comes to us in a number of ways: “a child,” “a son,” “a governor,” “a Wonderful Counselor,” “a Mighty God,” “an Everlasting Father,” and “a Prince of Peace.” All of this comes to us packaged in the first born of a new creation. It takes some time to open so many Christmas presents, to say nothing of coming into some intimacy with, and understanding of them all. In any given moment of eternity brought to us by The Spirit of God, we may find ourselves with any one of those qualities or personalities wrapped in the flesh of another person. In short, and in the now, Christ may give Himself to us in another person, as what ever we need at that moment.  We can learn more from having a child, for instance, than we can from going to college. I think you can figure out the rest. It takes spiritual discernment to receive Christ, and the things of Christ, in another person. It is a spiritual matter, and Jesus Christ is Lord of it all.

And so with great gratitude in our hearts, we can say with Paul to those whom the Lord gives us: “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 20

Love!

Posted in J.Ferris: Relationships | Leave a comment

THE CUP

Posted on August 13, 2024 by LovingLikeGod.com

The CupIn following Jesus, we eventually come to a cup. It’s not a nice cup, not a cup that anyone would volunteer to drink. In a sense, it is a cup full of hazardous waste. It is a cup full of abomination,¹ a cup of wrath,² and a cup of heartbreak.³

Jesus came to a place in His ministry when he had to drink this cup.³  But He was not the only one who would drink from it. There would be others.⁴

And what shall we say? It was on the matter of this cup, that we first see a difference in wills between Jesus and His father.  For the first time from eternity past, there is a difference between them. It was the Father’s will that Jesus should drink of this cup.  It was the Son’s will that it might pass from Him. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was locked into a conflict of wills, a conflict which would not pass until His Father’s will prevailed.  The conflict was so great, that Jesus asked his closest friends to come and pray with him; but they fell asleep in the midst of it, and didn’t wake up until it was over.

In a sense, this matter had already been settled from before the foundation of the world, but none of us should be too quick to think that we can drink from this cup. When the moment of truth finally comes, we too may sweat blood over the matter. We may not be called to drink the cup for everyone, but we may be called to drink the cup for those we love, if we are going to love them to the end.

There were those in Babylon that the Father loved. He wanted them out of there. But the only way to get them out was to dispose of the cup from which they had been drinking. It was a cup in the hands of a mystery.⁵ Once again, Jesus asked, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”⁶  Jesus knew that this cup had to be disposed of. He wanted another way to get rid of it, but there was no other way. Perhaps someone else to stand in the gap, but there was none.⁷

In order to make intimacy with God possible for us–the ones who were captive in Babylon–Jesus had to drink the cup of our abomination, and, with it, the desolation. In order to love me, he had to take the worst of me into Himself.

Would that were the end of it. In loving one another, there is a cup which we also must drink. Otherwise, we will break faith with one another.⁸

Are we prepared to do whatever is necessary to get the objects of God’s affection out of Babylon, and Babylon out of the objects of God’s affection?

“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.”⁹

  • By Jay Ferris, originally published April, 2012.

(1) Revelation 17:4, 18:6, Ezekiel 23:31, 32, 33, Habakkuk 2:15, 16 (2) Revelation 14:10, 16:19, Psalms 75:8, Jeremiah 25:15, 17, 28, Jeremiah 49:12, Jeremiah 51, Lamentations 4:21,  Zechariah 12:2 (3) Matthew 20:22, Matthew 26:39, 42, Mark 10:38, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42, John 18:11 (4) Matthew 20:23, Mark 10:39 (5) Revelation 17:4 (6) Matthew 26:42 (7) Ezekiel 22:30 (8) Malachi 2:10-16 (9) Lamentations 1:12.

Love!

For continued reading, see: ‘OFFENSES‘.

Posted in J.Ferris: The Passion of the Cross | 3 Comments

Heresy In A Nut Shell (or ‘Cell,’ as the case may be)

Posted on August 6, 2024 by LovingLikeGod.com

In this post I hope to summarize what I have learned on the cutting edge of heresy hunting so far. Here goes:

What’s been calling itself “church” are mutated cells. They typically go through a series of mutations before becoming full blow heresy. Like CSI, the solution turns out to be in the DNA. In part or in whole, we are what our DNA makes us. The “finger prints” of heresy cells turn out to be as unique as those of its victims.

As I understand it, these are the key genetic changes or mutations that make heresy what it is. Heresy, like any other cell, has a genetic make up, chromosomes with many genes. There is also a hereditary influence. Our heredity may include cells that are already in a mutated state, but not yet heresy, you know, like “ministries” passed down from fathers to sons.

There are four crucially important gene changes from what God calls Church, to what calls itself “church.”

Cells differ from one another, but each healthy cell has a genetic set of instructions as to what it is to do in the body of Christ. In what calls itself “church,” that gene is confused so that the cell no longer knows what it’s doing and it ceases to perform its proper function.

Healthy cells have a gene that tells them how often to multiply. In what’s been calling itself “church,” this gene is mutated to reproduce or divide at a much more rapid rate, differing from “church” to “church.”

Healthy Church(es) have a gene that tells them when to die. In what calls itself “church,” this gene is mutated to tell the cell to never die.

What’s been calling itself “church” is able to reach out and redirect blood vessels from supplying healthy life in the Spirit and healthy body parts to supplying the agendas of men in their deceitful scheming.

What’s been calling itself “church” is also a moving target, because the mutations continue to make it difficult to hit the target, and that brings us to the subject of alternative “targeted heresy treatment.”

This treatment is designed to identify self-serving error, and only go after and kill that. There are a great many genetic fingerprints in what’s been calling itself church,” so this treatment is still in the works. Yet it is further ahead in treating some apparitions, while playing catch up in treating others.

There are a few in this field, “…known, but regarded as unknown,”

For many years now they have been under attack by “what’s been calling itself “church.” Savage wolves have done everything possible to shut them down.

The lingering problem is cost. Because the “what’s been calling itself church” lobby is against them. “…and many are there who go that way.” Sadly, this makes it very difficult for the world to see what God calls Church.

Hint: What God calls Church has the mind of Christ: “Who made Himself of no reputation.” When we call ourselves stuff, we do so in order to have a reputation. That makes it easier to divide, and maintain the division of the body of Christ. This is not rocket science folks!

Love!

  • By Jay Ferris, originally posted March, 2012.
Posted in J.Ferris: Cancer & Medicine | Leave a comment