Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Change

For the past year and a half I've been exploring teachings on the Third Day. I've come to believe that God is going to do exactly what He said but not the way I had previously thought. I have always questioned a before trib rapture as I don't see God ever taking people out of situations, just through them.

Now I've come to a place of believing He is not coming back to fix this mess. He has given that assignment to us. Read Psalm 10 very carefully. Are His enemies a footstool for His feet?

What happened in the first century when His disciples turned the world upside down was just a tiny taste of what He plans to do now through those who believe Him and obey His commandment. And that commandment is "to love one another as I have loved you." He has put His life inside us to do greater things because we believe.

Perfect love casts out cowardice. (not fear, according to The Source New Testament by Dr. Ann Nyland--which is an awesome work) In His love I can change and hold radical new thoughts trusting Him to keep me from going in a direction that is not of Him.

This blog is to share those thoughts and ask you to join in exploring that we may know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.

10 comments:

karen said...

How do you justify the church teachings from the Bible that He will come again?

You know I'm asking just cuz....

Pat said...

I thought He said that--now I can see I need to think on exactly what He meant. Get back to you.

karen said...

:-D I'm messin' with ya.

There is much debate on this. Was Jesus here for just Israel and for just that time period? He said that.

Post-millenialism, pre-millenialism, it all makes my head spin. . .

Ed G. said...

I always come back to a verse in Isaiah that says "his understanding no one can fathom." But I think if we all stay alert, and focus on that love-your-neighbor thing, we'll end up with Christ in the end no matter how it turns out.

Michael Ogden said...

Pat, I found your blog through Karen. Isn't it amazing how the scripture can be read in a way that suddenly changes your whole outlook?

I've traveled through and camped on just about every prophetic combination there is, but I'm with you. Christ is in the process of making his enemies his footstool and it doesn't end until he vanquishes the last enemy, death.

Pat said...

God has me in such a place that I have to think through all the things I thought I knew. Seems I know very little but there is this wonderful teacher leading my steps and the adventure is awesome.

karen said...

Mike...that is so true...I read scripture now as if I had never read it before. It just amazes me.

Missy said...

Pat, I'd like to study some of that stuff one day, but I don't know. When the Messiah was prophesied in OT times, it never crossed anyone's mind that a low born child of a girl laboring in a barn would be the one to bring salvation simply by dying. God makes small miracles add up to big things - His ways are not our ways.

It's fun to speculate. Do you think we can really get it?

Gary Means said...

Pat, when I was a new Christian as a young man, my best friend and I would spend hours, sometimes literally all night, studying this very topic. We finally gave up. Our slogan between ourselves was, "Pray for pre, prepare for post."

Now there is so much theology that I have set out on the driveway while I clean out my spiritual attic. I am not quite sure what I will put back in the house. The absence of clutter is kind of nice. Refreshing. It makes it easier to get to God. Of course, I'm still afraid of Him, despite all I know about grace. But that's another matter entirely.

Pam Hogeweide said...

Hi Pat,
My name is Pam Hogeweide. I remember emailing someone a couple of years ago at God's Word for Women. Was that you?

Perfect love casts out cowardice

I love that translation. I've never heard it before. I'm going to start thinking on it right away. It gives an entirely different light on this well-known verse (which is one of my all-time favorites.)

I love what you are writing here.I'm going to link you up at my humble blog site. I like what you are about. You and I are on the same page.

Though I'm curious: why did you resign from GWTW? You can email me about that if you're ok with telling me about it...