Will Literal Heaven and Earth pass away?

Will literal Heaven and Earth cease to exist? Many of us were raised believing this because it literally says this in the bible and Jesus was the one who said it. First in Matthew 24:35,"Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away", and also Matthew 5:18,"Till Heaven and Earth pass, not one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law; till all be fulfilled". The problem is that we are reading a 1st century book with 21st century lenses most of the time, and we do not understand apocalyptic language which is full of hyperbole and metaphors and rarely literal. We also must put ourselves into the minds of 1st century 2nd temple Jews who were the audience that Jesus was talking to.

The question should be why would Heaven ever need to pass away since that is a perfect place of God's manifest presence? Plus we are told several times in the old testament like Psalm 104:5 & Ecclesiastes 1:4 that the Earth remains forever. We should also ask if Heaven and Earth didn't pass away then are we still under the law and should we throw out most of the epistles which tell us we are not? Lastly what is," till all fulfilled", talking about? The end of the World? The fulfillment of all bible prophecy? The law fulfilled? We know that Christ in His finished work fulfilled the law and the prophets, right?

To understand what Jesus meant we must realize that to a first century Jew Heaven and Earth was the temple and the whole Judaic system of temple sacrifices in Jerusalem. There are many old testament verses that call the people of Israel and the Temple and its system Heaven and Earth, Isa 51:15-16, Hag 2:21-22, Deut 32:1 to name a few. Josephus a Jewish historian hired by the Romans to take meticulous records of the war from 67-70 A.D. says in his writings in " Antiquities of the Jews", book 3, chapter 7," when Moses distinguished the tabernacle into 3 parts, and allowed 2 of them for the priests, as a place accessible and common, he denoted the land and seas, these being of general access to all; but he set apart the third division for God, because Heaven is inaccessible to men".

2nd temple Jews called the outer court the sea, then the inner court the Earth, and the holy of holies the Heavens where God dwells. So to a 1st century Jew, who was Jesus' audience by the way and not 21st century Americans lol, when their temple and holy city was destroyed in 70 A.D. THEIR Heaven and THEIR Earth did pass away. This fulfilled the law and the prophets for there was now no place to offer sacrifices, and the law which the cross had made obsolete had now passed away (Heb 8:13).

We are then told in Revelation 21:1,"The first Heaven and first Earth were passed away, and there was no more sea". To understand that we must ask what was the "first" Heaven and "first" Earth to 1st century Jews? Their temple (Heaven and Earth) had been completely destroyed and now there is a new Heaven and new Earth which is the Temple not made with hands of bricks and straw and mortar but made by God. No wonder Paul has to say it twice when he says,"know ye not, know ye not, YOU are THE TEMPLE". Also, there is no more sea or outer court with the brazen altar and laver of washing where the priests would have to continuously offer sacrifices and wash themselves, because now we are cleansed "Once for all" by the blood of Jesus.

We are now in a new covenant, with a new Adam (Jesus), a new Eve (the bride, the lambs wife), living in a a new Jerusalem and city (church of the firstborn), a new temple (body of Christ), enjoying the fruit of the 2nd tree (life), with the first tree (law of sin & death) now cut down and defeated, and the Lambs resurrection life infusing us to enjoy the life of the age to come (eternal life, aionos zoe), Heaven invading Earth.

So just know that literal Heaven and Earth are NOT going anywhere and the law has been completely fulfilled and the only temple God desires to live in is the tabernacle=naos, inner sanctuary, holy of holies - among men, which is our bodies. So my friends do not be afraid of the World coming to an end, but instead realize that you and I are now the tabernacle and anyone in Christ is a new Heaven and a new Earth/new creation and He desires to be at rest in us.

"What I believe and who I am in my theology as of right now"

I am very grateful for the journey God has had me on over the last 32 years of mainly traveling ministry because I have spoken in about every kind of church and ministry you can imagine. I have learned something from all of them and have found error in every one, because we are ALL wrong about something. I have had people for years ask me what I am and what I believe, so I am going to try to list that for you in the next paragraphs. Just know these are subject to change and not all inclusive lol.

I am a partial Catholic, because I believe in the church universal and love to read the early church fathers who canonized what we call the bible and how they struggled and came to their conclusions. I am partial Orthodox because I love the apostles creed as well as their atonement views and emphasis on the Resurrection and Jesus conquering death and giving us life. Especially Eastern Orthodox thought which is very different then the West. I am a partial Lutheran because I believe that the just live by faith, also a partial Presbyterian because I embrace a local eldership and a post millennial mindset. I am also a partial Methodist because I embrace the holiness of God and the taking of the Gospel out of the four walls of a building. A partial baptist because I believe in water baptism and the security of a believer as a son.

I am also a partial Calvinist because I believe that God is sovereign and the Earth is His and all who are in it, but do not believe He is in control nor predestined some of His kids for glory and some to burn. This would also make me a partial Armenian who believes that we have the power to choosel and activate what Christ has done at the cross by grace through faith and are co-laborers with the Holy Spirit who is NOT the "doer" but the helper. I believe that the World was reconciled = brought into favor, at the cross, but yet still needs to be saved = sozo, made whole, healed, delivered, prosperous, complete, by faith and that salvation is not a Heaven issue but an Earthly one. I am also a partial Pentecostal because I believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is for today as well as tongues as a prayer language that builds us up and prophesying is for all that have the Spirit.

I am also a partial Charismatic because I believe that all of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit are for today and I love the mystics and spiritual revelation and I have seen my angel a few times and have encountered demons.

I am also a partial dominionist because I believe that God placed Mankind here to rule but not through violence and power but love and serving others. I am partial word of faith because I believe in the power of the tongue to release life or death and that healing is for today. I am a partial preterist because I believe what history has already recorded as done is not opinion or theory but documented historical fact, and yet a partial futurist because I believe there may be some things yet to come. I embrace that the bible was NOT written "to" anyone in 2022, but was written "for" us, so we interpret it through the lens of history, covenant, and especially Jesus. I also believe that the bible contains The Word of God and that it points to Christ who is THE Word.

I am also a apostolic, prophetic, sonship, finished work, radical grace, amazing agape, new covenant, gospel of the Kingdom preacher, who believes that our message is Jesus' message which is the Kingdom of Heaven invading the Earth and not trying to get the Kingdom of Earth to Heaven. I also believe as well that the gospel is about peace, non violence, and the loving of enemies. The afterlife is His business and so our message like all 18 or so in the book of Acts is about Jesus, forgiveness, salvation, reconciliation, resurrection, and living in a new Kingdom with a new King and under a new government for Jew and Gentile alike. I believe there is a biblical place called Heaven and a place called hell (grave & Gehenna) and who is in and who is out is up to the only one that has the power to judge, and who has the keys, and that is Jesus period.

I rejected eternal conscious torment along time ago, because it looks NOTHING like the Abba/God revealed in Christ, nor the heart of a good Father, and most of those scriptures are eschatological and referring to the Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem that was coming on that generation. My job is to get people to Him and to bring sons to glory (Greek=honor, value, worth, and approval) so that they have boldness on judgement day to not fear punishment 1 John 4:18&19. I also believe that every human carries the image of God (imago dei) and are ALL God's offspring=Genos, family, kind, child, (Acts 17). Also that He is The Father of every family named in Heaven and Earth and every human is His child, but until they believe it they do not enjoy it, so they live in the pigpen like an orphan as an enemy of God in their minds (Col 1). Our message is what Paul called a mystery hidden from the ages, which is Christ IN you the hope of glory. So we preach to the Son in them and not the sin in them.

As you can see I am a theological mish-mash and mutt lol, but it is because I have received from all of these streams truths that I believe God has given to His church and have chosen to not stay stuck at any of them but have the mindset of the reformation which was reformed and always reforming.

So keep on learning and keep on growing and don't stay camped in one stream for there are many streams and yet one river and the problem is each stream thinks they are THE river. Also please holster that finger because what you fight in one season like Paul on the Damascus road you just may embrace in another, and above all, love for there is no higher calling or law. Love you all! #keeplearning #stuckisneveragoodplace #Iamamuttandproudofit

"Judgement, Love, Self-Righteousness"

Adam and Eve in the garden were not just satisfied to be God-like in their capacity to love but wanted to become like God in their capacity to judge between good and evil or who is "in" and who is "out" and what is right and what is wrong. When we as man- kind focus on desiring to judge then we begin to lose the capacity to love, for unlike God we cannot judge and love at the same time, and you cannot judge (which one of its meanings is to "separate") and then truly unconditionally love someone because you have just judged them not worthy of your love.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer the famous author and theologian said this about the two trees in the garden, "the tree of life was God's provision to meet our needs and share His life with us endlessly. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was God's prohibition against humans overstepping their proper domain". Gods desire was that He alone would know good and evil, and only He could properly judge and define what that was through the lens of His love.
The moment we judge or condemn someone whether it is a major lifestyle issue or a minor matter of appearance it gives us a feeling of superiority or deity over that person just like the Pharisee who would say," and I am not like him", rather than have a heart that says," have mercy on me", for he and I are the same both in need of the tree of life and the love of the Father.

Much of what is called Christianity around the World but especially in America seems to be known more for what we are against and our declarations of good and evil than for our outrageous scandalous love for others especially the outcasts which Jesus our example seemed to be drawn to the most. I mean could you imagine a drunk or an addict or a prostitute saying," I am hungry to be in a shame free, non-judgmental group of people that will just love me for me right now, so I am going to that church down the road"? No instead they stay in their dysfunction with others who will love and accept them where they are with no judgement. It is sad but that is not the reputation of the Church and christians in most places even though it should be the norm and not the exception. Instead we are called judgmental, bigoted, mean, even unkind, especially with those that believe it is their job to be the sheriffs of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and trumpet their opinions of who is right and who is wrong and who is in and who isn't.

An indictment against many Christians as a whole is that we are not always known as safe houses of refuge for sinners, and the hurting, and the wounded, where people can come and find a love that does not question, an understanding that does not judge and an acceptance without conditions. Instead many are houses of refuge for certain kinds of sinners, the self-righteous, the loveless, the greedy, the envious, the gossips, the gluttonous and the such, and normally those guilty of these sins usually feel little discomfort in most church settings because we have judged these somewhat acceptable.

Self-righteous judgement is the same as the setting ourselves up as the righteous judge over all mankind, which is a God complex on steroids. Everything we do should be about a radical love for ALL of God's creation and seeing their worth and not focused on their sins, issues, or shortcomings because we would all have to look in the mirror first. Now remember when someone judges you for something it is normally their issue that they deal with so just smile and love them no matter what because there is no greater command or obedience than love.

Diversity is the Kingdom

I have many friends in many different denominations, networks, and streams of the body of Christ. I also travel in many different circles that believe some things differently than I do. I have friends that emphasize faith, some that emphasize grace, others emphasize keeping the law, some who emphasize covenants, and some who emphasize the Kingdom as well as those who focus on Jesus. Some others who focus on fathering and sonship, while others focus on disciples and mentors as well as coaching and students and some who emphasize prayer and spiritual warfare. Also some who embrace a rapture and some that do not, some who believe that the tribulation is in the past and some who believe it is still in the future. Some of my friends have different views on heaven and hell, and some have different ways of viewing the atonement, while some interpret scripture from different systems and paradigms.

I also have some friends who believe strongly that salvation is by grace through faith and some that believe that after the cross all are now born in Christ whether they believe or not, and that believing does not make it true, but that you believe because it is already true. I also have friends who believe in the infallibility and innerrancy of the scriptures and some who believe that the scriptures are inspired, but not perfect or without error with many contradictions. I have others who call the gospel of grace the gospel, while others call the gospel of the Kingdom the gospel, while others main focus is on the gospel of peace. I have some that view the gifts of the Spirit as passed with the apostles and some who embrace that they are all still functioning, and some who believe that the 5-fold ministry is for today and some who do not. I have others who are peace loving pacifists and some who want peace but love their guns and nationalism. I have friends who are Democrats and some who are Republicans and some who are a mish-mash of political beliefs lol.

Many of my friends have different ways of doing church (ecclesiology) and different views of the last days (eschatology), as well as their views of the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology). Some others have a different view of the purpose of salvation (Soteriology).Yet they are still my friends.
I say all that to let all of you know that none of those things are going to disqualify them from fellowship with me, because none of those things are dis-qualifiers according to 1,500-2,000 years of Orthodox Christianity. Your view of the "last days" or of "hell" or of the "infallibility of the bible" are not a qualifier in scripture for salvation or for fellowship, yet we will fight over and over again about these things, rather then just give each other grace in our journeys to grow and to learn.

However, for some reason many people are afraid to have a discussion with someone who believes differently than they do especially many leaders who tend to fight over the idea that their journey and indoctrination is superior to someone else. The body of Christ at least in the Charismatic wing has almost made fun of critical thinking and scholasticism and it shows in a lot of our churches that seem to produce more minions than mature son's of God. I have been demonized and ostracized by a few different groups for not just what I believe that is different from them, but also my associations with people they view as being in error in some area's, but who still embrace the basis of the gospel and what Christianity is.

I wish we could all be mature enough to stop throwing spears at each other and actually dialogue and discuss rather than call names and start labeling, which is so childish. I see way to many books, articles, and posts just saying nananabooboo to others and treating each other like they are not brothers and followers of Jesus and then ultimately become accusers of the brethren themselves. So I want to go on record and let all of my friends and anyone else reading this know that this year I will not be participating in the judging and attacking of someone else's journey and instead will pray that we all will walk in the truth who is Jesus, and manifest His love regardless of our differences.

We are all on a journey and our beliefs should be constantly being challenged if we are growing, and if not then we are stuck and stagnant. Whenever an American Indian would want to speak a curse on someone they would say," May you always stay in the same place". Their idea of the worst thing they could curse you with was a life of stagnancy and lethargy. The reformers had a saying that they lived by," reformed and always reforming", may that be our desire, so that we never stop progressing on our journey. God loves diversity and He embraces our unique flavors and differences even though we fight over them and yet He is still patient with us on our journeys. So remember that a friend loves at ALL times and not just when they agree with you. Have an awesome week everyone, love you all!

Orphan vs Son thinking

Identity theft is a multi- billion dollar industry that continues to grow every year, and I believe it is a natural phenomena that is revealing a spiritual reality in our culture. We live in a day where orphan thinking and lack of identity as son's is prevalent in the church, which then multiplies in our society in the form of lack of honor, respect, and the running from correction and authority. Many of our churches are big day cares who have to continually entertain the adult toddlers with the newest and most exciting to keep them coming for they refuse to grow up and put away childish things. Jesus marveled at only one persons faith when He walked the Earth and that was a Roman centurion who recognized that Jesus was a man of authority because He was under authority. Hebrews tells us that Jesus' prayers were heard because of His loud cries and His reverent submission, and not because of His great faith or the "anointing" on His life.

Jesus was above everything else a son who learned obedience through the things that He suffered, and it is those that learn to be led by the Spirit that become the (Huios) or mature sons of God that He can entrust cities and nations with. We are told in Psalm 2:7 & 8," I will proclaim the Lord's decree: He said to me,"You are my Son; today I have become your Father". Ask of Me and I will give you the nations as an inheritance, the ends of the Earth your possession". Notice that this promise is to a son; prophetically speaking of Jesus, but also applicable to us because only son's get an inheritance and we are His offspring (Acts 17). The Fathers desire is to entrust us with nations but we have to embrace growing up as son's for that promise to manifest in our lives. Paul tells us that all of creation is groaning for a manifestation of the son's of God, notice not believers, Christians, or church attenders, but sons (Huios).

Our identity is found in Him alone, it is not found in natural or spiritual fathers even though they can help move us in the right direction as a resource pointing to THE Source. It is also not found in what we do, but who He has made us, and real maturity is when we learn to submit one to another out of reverence for Christ and stop comparing and being full of competitive jealousy. Let me also make this ONE thing very clear; we are "NOT ORPHANS" because God is the Father of EVERY family named in Heaven and Earth ( Eph 3:15), but we can still "THINK" like an orphan. So our identity is as a son, who at times still deals with orphan thinking, so when I compare orphans and son's it is simply in our ways of thinking but NOT our true identity and how God sees us. Here are a few examples of orphan thinking compared to son's thinking.

1: View of God.
-orphans: see God as slave master, and one who you are to be terrified and afraid of.
-son's: see God as a loving Father who is to be loved and adored.

2: Theology.
-orphans: view is a love of law.
-son's: view is the law of love.

3: Need for approval.
-orphans: strive for the praise of men, and acceptance, and love to name drop, and have a need to be acknowledged, and rarely are because they strive for it.
-son's: see themselves totally accepted in the Fathers love, and do not need the approval of men.

4: Self Image.
-orphans: are full of self rejection and jealousy from comparing themselves to others.
-son's: are positive and affirmed, they find their value in their identity from the Father.

5: Motive to serve.
-orphans: have a need to impress others, and a desire to impress and be seen as mature, as well as want the credit for their service.
-son's: serve out of love, and to be sent as a representative of His love and family and realize that they are son's who choose to serve, but out of a want too and not a have too.

6: Sense of God's presence.
-orphans: see it as conditional and distant and something to chase and be desperate for.
-son's: see it as close and intimate and something that never leaves them for they are in perfect union with their Father.

7: View of authority.
- orphans: see it in their lives as pain, distrust, and a lack of submission, with an attitude that says I need no one.
-son's: are respectful, honoring, and submissive towards authority knowing that they need healthy relationships in their lives.

8: Money and stewardship.
-orphans: owners; don't touch MY money or MY stuff, and God don't need MY money.
-son's: stewards; who own nothing, possess nothing, and control nothing, for it is all their Fathers and they know He loves to share with them and meet their needs and give them the desires of their hearts.

I truly believe that no one can truly know who they really are outside of knowing the one who created them, and it is in Christ that we find our true identity, and it is as son's that He is well pleased with. So I want to encourage all of my friends to get to know the Author of life, who is a truly good, good Father, for it is in knowing Him that you will then begin to truly know yourself and be able to love yourself, so you can then love your neighbor.

"Fear vs Love"

I always thought that the opposite of love was hate and the opposite of fear was faith.

I have come to realize that the opposite of fear is actually love, because the reason people hate, and demonize, and are prejudice is from a lack of receiving and walking in love. The apostle John tells us in 1John 4,"that perfect love removes fear", and if that is true then the opposite is also true and fear removes love. Love and fear have been at war for 1000's of years and humanity seems to lash out and attack what we fear rather then allow love to transform our fear to faith.

Faith works by love according to the apostle Paul in Gal 5:6, and so wherever there is love faith follows, which is trust, belief, and confidence. So when our faith is struggling it is not as much a faith issue as it is a love issue. I travel a lot and minister in all kinds of churches and movements and so I get asked by leaders to give insight on situations they may be going through. I can normally tell very quickly if they are responding to situations out of fear or love, because when fear is present it will not be a redemptive solution but a response out of the fear of the unknown rather than out of love that will lead to faith.

Love never fails, and if we believe that then we know that love is always the proper response regardless of the situations we find ourselves in. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but power (ability), love (Agape), and soundness of mind (the saving of the mind). In other words God gives us the ability to love that saves our minds, because fear manifests in our thoughts and keeps us from love which is able to transform our thoughts and actions.

“Love never fails, and if we believe that, then we know that love is always the proper response regardless of the situations we find ourselves in.”

— Jamie Englehart

This last month during my sabbatical I had a powerful healing encounter that removed a fear that had been in me since I was 6 years old. It had affected my breathing and at times given me panic attacks on airplanes and whenever I was in closed in places. However, after the love of God came into that memory and healed it, I was instantly set free of a few allergies that had affected me for years to where I no longer needed Zyrtec or nasal spray to breath. God really does give us the ability to receive His love that transforms our minds and removes fear by His love.

I want to encourage all of my friends to not let fear reign in your hearts and minds, but decide that love is the only way and that we are to love as He loves. There is a reason that Jesus would show up in storms, prisons, behind closed doors and other places and the first thing He would say is,"fear not", or "be not afraid", then follow that at times with,"where is your faith". He was and is perfect Love personified and He always walked in that love which is why His faith was so strong. Fear removes love, but love can also remove fear, so those of us who have been raised under a message of fear struggle at times receiving and giving love, until that love drives that fear far away. So let Jesus into those places of fear and watch His love change everything.

I love and believe in you. Thanks and blessings.