The NOW God?

The NOW God The NOW God The NOW God The NOW God The NOW God

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." James 1:2, NLT

We have had some pretty intense stuff going on lately, so my wife Linda and I set aside some one-on-one time with the Lord the other day. I started out simply praising and thanking Him, and then I said "Lord, I know we don't serve a God "up there." I also know there is no God of the past. I thank you because the NOW God is the only God we serve... "

Then right after that, my wife Linda started praying, and as she was looking up towards the ceiling, she said to me, "looking up" is looking for a God who lives separated from us, the God who lives in the future." What came out of my mouth next took me by surprise. Then "looking down" must be looking for a God who lives in the past. And in order for us to SEE this God we have to first turn, either to the right or to the left.

Whether you turn to the right or the left your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This (He) is the way; walk IN it (Him)." Isaiah 30:21

But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God." Luke 9:62 NLT

The whole problem with this; is every act of taking that backward glance begins with either a turning to the right or to the left.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from (the Spirit) above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

If you can grasp what this is about, you will see proof positive that our God does not operate anywhere else... but IN the here and NOW.

He is in this present moment, and has forever been the NOW God! His name is I AM, it's not I was, or I will be. (Exodus 3:14)

He is called our Ever Present Help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1)

He is not the God who lives in the illusionary boundaries of time and space He is the Eternal One, and there are no limitations of IN Him. (II Peter 3:8)

As Linda and I continued praying, God said to Linda, "your looking up is a symbolism of my church still looking for the "God up there!" But how is it that the Head of the church (Christ) is able to somehow live separated from the rest of His Body?

"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into spiritually enlightening movies  ." Acts 1:11

How have we interpreted this passage in modern times? This "same" Jesus will come back again in the same way. This Jesus, who only does what He sees His Father doing, will always manifest Himself in the exact same way. Since He is the same yesterday, Today, and forever, and is the One on whom we have our gaze fixed, He will always show up the same way, which is loving His Body without any attached performance based conditions.

So let's move onto maturity and SEE Him as He is. Which is always the same, with NO variableness or shadow of turning! He will always be blazing Glory that casts no shadow. And because He always sees only the Father IN all things, He will NEVER have a reason to turn to the right or to the left.

So if His gaze is fixed, then where is ours?

People say a lot of things about Peter, but at least Peter got out of the boat! He fixed His gaze on Christ, and for a moment he experienced...

As He is so are we IN this world. I John 4:17

But then Peter began to feel the wind stirring up saw the lapping waves, and he turned to the right, and then he turned to the left, and then He started sinking. And it was then that Jesus looked at him with total disgust and let him drown, right? No, Jesus saved him, just as He always saves those who call on His Name. There is no shadow of turning IN Him. Mathew 14:28-31

The lamb was cut and the blood was poured into a basin at the foot of the doorway. The hyssop was taken from the basin on the threshold (looking down) of the doorway, dipped in the lambs blood and applied to the top of the doorway (looking up) and then both sides (the turning to the right and the left!) of the doorway.

This Passover is not only about the blood that protects from the death angel, as we have been taught, but is also points to of the power which is found IN the blood. The One time sacrifice, the lamb slain from the foundation of the world is the One who NOW makes this "fixed" life possible in our weakness. This is where we finally see... Only God Only NOW.

There is no past or future IN Him! And if there is no past or future IN Him, and He lives and moves and His being IN us, then why would there be any need for us to turn? Christ is our ALL. He is our PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE!

We NOW enter in by a New and Living Way. Hebrews 10:20

The New and Living Way is not the way we once believed, the way of religion, with all of it's accompanying rules, rituals, and traditions of men! The way that had us bound in chains to a past is dead and gone. And our dying to the old way has opened the New and Living Way! And the New and Living Way (Christ IN us) only exists IN the New and Living "Today." Hebrews 4:7

Christ has become our food and drink, the "daily" Manna which we have not known, nor have our (so-called spiritual) fathers before us. Deuteronomy 8:3

That is, the "mystery" which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ IN you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:26-27

The Lamb's blood which at one time only covered, is NOW the blood that thoroughly cleanses. Cleanses from all sin. And by sin, I am not talking about the individual acts we commit by certain so called unacceptable Christian behaviors. Behaviors we focus on to the point of becoming obsessed with trying to change our un-Christian behavior into Christian behavior. Why? So we can try to become more Christ Like?


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