i was just thinking this week about the lack of understanding there is in today's 'christianity' about the connectedness … the union … that the Body of Christ has with the FATHER.   it is like there is a Body of Christ, but He is not a part of it with us.  he is just a symbol or some kind of detachable attachment that comes on and off of the body depending upon x,y,z or step 1, 2, 3, etc.  

i hear the lack of understanding in MOST of the christian music.  (except for a lot praise songs.) so sad!  there is no confidence or assurance in their hearts and minds in their daily lives concerning their Reality … their Identity.  that is why there are so many verses about how they are not sure He is there and how they need Him to be there and will He come to them and will He be there and all that sort of thing.  everything concerning their thoughts about them and GOD is relative and dependent solely upon how this unspoken, unnamed 'separation' of sorts exists between them still. 

it makes me sad because i remember all too well the insecurity and lack of confidence, peace and hope that consumed me while being in bondage to that mentality.  the gospel … the wonderful amazing GOOD news of Christ for the Believer has been sooooo watered down - absolutely diluted - to the point that it is practically unrecognizable as the gospel at all … because in reality it isn't really the gospel at all, is it, but yet another gospel.  a 'gospel' of law and works and BONDAGE!  and that is NOT good news, but the same old mind of the old adamic nature that has been there from the fall to this very day and beyond.  it is all still dependent upon the the workings and mentalities of that mind that has nothing to do with GOD or the true Christian at all. 

the mentality of the world loves that bondage in its own twisted and perverted way, and without even realizing it because it is trapped and bound and intertwined with it as its very nature. 

but we are not bound by that nature any longer.  we are all too easily deceived into believing that we are, but it is not from or to that nature that we want to speak to or from with one another any longer.  we are a NEW Creature in Christ with the very Nature of our FATHER Who is not of this world.  nor are we any longer.  HE created it, yes and it is a miracle creation and amazing and wonderous and beautiful!  i love HIS Creation because it came from Him and His wonderous creative heart, mind and nature.  it demands and witnesses and testifies to its Creator to the point that man is withOUT excuse to claim that there is no GOD/Creator! 

as so many who have gone before us, we know we are but aliens here … we don't belong to this place.  we are  sojourners who are Lights in the midst of a very dark place that is passing away.  we are those who know the very Creator of this beautiful planet and all its varied life within and upon it, as well as knowing and sharing in the same sufferings and moanings and groanings, as we look forward to what lies ahead, as well as enjoying in all free and clear conscience in what is supplied to us, for us and with us while in this 'temporal' that we experience for a time. 

what disturbs me greatly is all the plethora of fear guilt and shame that is perpetuated by all the taking OUT OF CONTEXT of the words and phrases from the testimonies, declarations, experiences, encouragements, etc.  of these men of GOD who wrote concerning GOD and Christ to real people in history who lived real lives in history and had real experiences in history … meetings and dealings with one another and conversations with one another that dealt with them personally and their relationships together in their time and culture in history.  words and phrases that are now misused and twisted and perverted to cause trouble in the hearts and minds of those who belong to GOD and are living and experiencing and relating together now in their own time in history.

oops … i have gone off on some kind of tangent and don't even remember what my original thought was working toward.  lol 

i will just suffice it all to say that i have every confidence that your hearts and minds are being stirred up, challenged  and built up in all the love, hope and confidence of Christ in what is being shared by jim and amongst yourselves together, so i will just send hugs along and thank you all for taking care of my hubby while he is so far away from our temporary home together.  i know he is loving his visit with you all there!  :)  i know the time is passing quickly for him.  vacations do that!   lol   i also know that with all those wonderful senses that our generous GOD, FATHER, and CREATOR has built into his creation, jim is enjoying all the new flavors, sights, smells, textures and colors of life he is experiencing there with you.   :)

i send much love and hugs from another very warm land far away and across the oceans!  your sister in christ ~ sherri

Having our eyes opened to Christ as our LIFE, our union with Him, our Rest in Him is an amazing miracle!!

God has used Jim's wonderful ability to express this Life as a new creation and freedom in Christ as a great encouragement in this journey, as we hope he will for all you in Uganda also! ~ Debi