BTZ Blog

If you change the way you think about something or someone, the something or someone you think about  will change. Changing the way we think offers a different perspective on the picture! Rejecting something or someone because it/they do not agree with our way of thinking without investigating to be in the know, is the highest form of ignorance.

Religion and religionists accuse people who expose the deception in religion as being "anti God". That is like saying that people who expose the justice within the injustice system are against justice!

True love gives us strength to tough out the bad times in the hope of better times that will translate into the best of times. Commitment to true love love does not throw down the towel in the midst of a difficult circumstance, in fact true love does not throw down the towel at all. It holds on. And while it holds, it energizes, it gives strength to keep the door open for the day when a new beginning may begin.

The oldest you have ever been is now, the youngest you will ever be is now...so lighten up and live life now by making somebody happy and begin to scatter what you did gather, especially if the things you scatter to you does matter, because to the ones you scatter the things that matter, to them it will also matter! Therefore, make sure you scatter lots of forgiveness, compassion, kindness and love along with the material things you scatter for that is what really makes one’s life matter!

Many in the Body of Christ are now fragmented among the many sects which make up religion. Amid the mass confusion of man-made doctrines and ceremonies which is encompassed in religion, God's people are trying to find their place of rest in Him but, it has proven to be out of their reach. They are products of religion because they have been deceived (without realizing it) by Satan's most successful deception in human history, a deceit which has confused all of us at one time or another...where belonging to Christ means that we belong to religion. People, belonging to Christ Jesus has absolutely nothing to do with belonging to religion. We need to tear the veil which has for so long blurred our vision, and allow God to set us free from Satan's definition that life in Christ without religion is not a reality. Jesus did not come to start a "religion"! He came to set men free from religious bondage. The vibrant acts faith depicted in the book of Acts is not a recor...

People are a peculiar....we believe what we ought not to believe instead of believing what we ought to believe in order to satisfy our conscience because we believe what we want to believe.

If people listen to a lie long enough, people accept that lie as truth. When a lie is accepted as truth it becomes the norm and when a lie that is accepted as truth becomes the norm, normal people become liars without realizing it!  The sad part about it is, when innocent people who have never heard the truth hear the lie that is promoted as truth by people who are deceived and believe the lie is truth, the innocent accept the lie as truth without realizing they are deceived!

One way to get insight as to a person’s character is to observe if they have compassion, kindness and love for people!  You can also get a fair sample as to their character by the way they treat animals!

As Believers we are subjected to many religious complexities including the know-how of theological and doctrinal complexities and the rule and regulatory control we may experience. When we feel that we don’t know the know-how remember, we don’t have to know the know-how because we are walking with the ONE who knows how! Consult with the ONE who knows how, He will show you the know-how path to take better than the knowers who know the know-how of religiosity!

The religious world basically classes believers into two groups, clergy, and laity, leaders and followers. The followers follow the leaders as they lead down divergent paths due different beliefs. Truth wars stem from adherents to denominations believing they are more right then another denominational group. Truth wars are still active today, as  different groups try people to become followers to convert and join their particular group, this causes much hindrance to the unifying of the Body of Jesus Christ! The motto, “I am right, you are wrong” or “My group is more right than your group” philosophy is written all over denominations, even though many may not verbalize it. Others are as bold to claim that if you do not believe and accept what our brand of religion teaches, then you are “hell bound” on a roller coaster ride, destination, the “hot spot”. Some religions keep people captive by keeping followers fearful of eternal damnation for disobedience to the church, or by the pro...

If you are always in contention with people contentment will evade you.

Once we are in relationship with the Jesus of the Bible, the Word is living in us Believers have basically been taught that they are incapable of receiving directly from God in that we have to go to Sunday-programed-event-driven-meetings to listen to the more spiritual professional preachers tell us about God so we can get to know Him. When people receive God's Spirit into their heart, they not o nly receive the WORD, but they get His words as well and He is quite capable of communicating with them. Preachers may be an avenue that God uses to communicate to people but we have been led to believe it the primary way if not the only way! Sadly people subscribe to a religion that pretty much encourages them to have a relationship with their religious persuasion, through the Bible, over a relationship with God Himself. This is why so many people have a problem with trading dead religion for relationship; relationship with God and with people requires real intimacy and...

Obligated meeting attendance may be necessary because your "church experience" is ineffective or lifeless because it is really not "Church experience". When people are living in the life of Jesus as the Church seven days a week, they will treasure every opportunity to connect with other brothers and sisters who are also on this relational journey. It will not be something they are obligated to do, but something they would want to happen in living life.  Church assembling together in fellowship is far more than the religious obligation to meeting attendance.

Sometimes my tongue outruns my brain especially when I think of the right words to say after I have spoken the words I did.   When you speak you paint a picture of yourself for your listeners to see! What kind of picture do people see of you by listening to the words you speak?

How would you rather people respond to you...out of fear or out of love? How do you think God would rather have people respond to Him?

I do not need reminders on the mirror reminding me not to make away with my wife and kids or not to hate, judge or condemn people. Why? Because I love them and because of that love the law does not apply to me in that it is so far below love. The law is for people who don't love. When you know Christ, you know love and when you know love you are no longer just a spreader of the message; you are the message! If you are not the message and you still need the law to keep you going in the right direction, you do not know

God created a perfect community in the time of Adam and Eve where He was in relationship with man and man was in relationship with Him. What was conspicuously absent from that perfect world? Temples, denominations...RELIGION!  When God renews the earth and prepares it for His initial plan of relating with man what will be conspicuously absent? Temples, denominations...RELIGION! Jesus came to end religion by God coming to man through Jesus. The veil was rent from top to bottom signifying that God now desired to live in man in His fullness and not be veiled by religion.

Jesus came to provide salvation from sin, to take us from legalism to life, from relationship with organizations to relationship with God and people and He demonstrated this by His first miracle where He intentionally desecrates a religious icon, the religious holy water jars by filing them with party wine. The new wine that He gives cannot be contained by the old wine skins of religion, it requires new wine skins of relationship.

A great truth that believers must understand is that the truth we may have been told or thought was truth, that we now believe is truth may not be truth.  And we have to unlearn what we thought was truth and believe to be truth in order to learn and understand what is real truth.

It is possible to live a long life yet have lived little. It is possible to live a short life yet, have lived much! Living while you live is the fulfillment of life

A love relationship and fellowship with God will help you know God more than a life time of bible discussions ever will.

Religion puts much emphasis on things that can be counted; the number of conversions, the number of churches that fly the denominational flag, the number of members that are on the role, the number of attenders to their meetings, the amount of money they take in, the amount of money spent on missions, etc. They put less emphasis on things that count; people, relational fellowship, forgiving, encouraging rather than condemning, and living in love and compassion, etc. The reality is, that some things that are counted does not necessarily count or mean diddly-squat therefore, it follows that some things that count cannot necessarily be counted and mean a lot!

The greatest misery of people is self inflicted misery because we place a higher priority on, and more respect for things, than we do people! Search for The greatest misery of people is self inflicted misery becau ... Search for a map Translate Source: Attribution goes here About Bing Highlights Bing Highlights Version 1.0.0 (12) Copyright © 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Support Source: Attribution goes here About Bing Highlights

The Scripture declares that God is LOVE therefore, LOVE is God Himself therefore, LOVE has no beginning nor does LOVE have an ending! LOVE is the qualifier of your doctrine and the interpreter of the mystery of the gospel of Jesus that He revealed to Paul the apostle. If LOVE is not the interpreter of the doctrine you believe, your defense of your doctrinal beliefs is nothing but a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol that accomplishes  nothing. Therefore the assurance that the message you have is from God is if it is based in LOVE, lived in LOVE, shared in LOVE! If the message you share is based on shame and blame, judgment and condemnation your source is someone other than God!

Some of the most helpful people on earth are those who have known suffering, known struggle, known loss, known disappointment, known rejection,  and have found their way out of the depths of despair. These people have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that surpasses the norm and fills them with compassion, kindness, gentleness, forgiveness, and a deep love for people. Compassionate, caring people ...do not just happen they are a product of God’s Grace. True compassion and true love commits itself to respect people, and therein lies both its vulnerability and its power.

To often the phrase “I, we, our church, will pray for you” is used as covering so we won’t have to get involved with being a part of the answer to the need. That is not to say that there are times when we can do nothing but pray, but many times we are the answer to the prayer we pray. Masking unwillingness to get involved, or as a covering for inactivity in a shroud of prayer may fool people into believing we are spiritual, but a pray covering to cover laziness is not a spiritual discipline! We may fool people into thinking we are spiritual but we are not fooling God!

If in Christ you are secure, then no matter the storm that may assail you tossing you to and fro, fear not,  your anchor will hold, for there is no greater power than the holding power of God’s love.

Love respects people as genuine human beings, even after they have treated us like dirt. People who hurt us are not just lumps of degenerate corruption; they are complex people who may be used by the enemy, but there is more to them than meanness and craziness. They have the potential to become better people, truer people than they were when they hurt us. Respect for them will help you see the real enemy, the rat behind the person, and to show love to them. This respect can stimulate you to move in the direction of forgiveness. Our fight is not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual wickedness in high places.

Our time on earth is limited, so don't waste it trying living someone else's philosophy of life. Don't be snared by man-made doctrine or the...which is nothing less than living with the results of other people's beliefs. Don't let the noise of other people’s opinion drown out the still small voice of God within. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition it usually gets its desire from the still small voice within.  Everything else is secondary.

When we die to our right to determine good and evil for ourselves we obtain the freedom to feast on the tree of Life. No longer going on the defensive when our man-made doctrines are questioned, we are free to see His purpose unfold in our lives and not be bogged down by our religious agenda. We are free to live in His love by Him living His life through us. We will be set free: From our past: Instead of succumbing to the blame and shame game, or remaining paralyzed as a victim of religious bondage, we will allow Him draw a line of purpose through our past. There is nothing so heinous that He cannot work it into His plan for our lives. There is no failure that His grace cannot atone. In Father’s hands, even the most painful events in our past become places where He transforms us and builds His compassion for other wounded people into our hearts. From the imagination of our future: Jesus warned us to, “Take no thought for tomorrow” and “Be anxious for nothing.” How much of our ene...

The sure way to failure is; Could've, Should've, Would've, but Didn't because you Wouldn't!

I am convinced that a wasted life is because of the kindness we have not given, the compassion we have not shown, the forgiveness we have not offered and the love we have not shared.  Be kind, compassionate, forgiving and loving and you will live a fulfilled life!

The problem with church as  usual, is that for the most part, it is nothing more than mutual accommodation of self-need. Some people need to lead. Some need to be led. Some want to teach, others are happy to be pew warmers. Rather than become an authentic demonstration of God’s life and love in life living, it ends up being a group of people who have to protect their particular religious view . The result is less of God’s life and more of people’s insecurities that cling to those things they think will best serve their needs… Religion survives by telling us we need to fall in line or the judgement of God will befall us. Institutionalism breeds same belief-based friendships. As long as you’re participating and agreeing with the constitution of the institution, you can be friends. When you question their system you are treated like the black sheep who needs to be watched. History reveals that most human systems will eventually dehumanize the very people it seeks to serve. But not...

True beauty is what you are in your inner being, it is not what you see when you look in the mirror. True beauty is not seen in your face. It is reflected in your eyes.

The next time you are in the pew listening to the preacher, understand, you only truly hear what you understand. Thus, if you hear something you don't understand you really haven't heard!

A judgmental and condemning attitude is like being up the creek in a boat without an oar, you can go nowhere except where the current drives you. Against your will, a judgmental and condemning attitude reveals the inner you!

What is ironic about religious denominations that claim the Bible is their ultimate guide is that different denominations have their own way of doing things and each do things their own way. Preachers proclaim, "we do everything according to the Bible in this Church", indicating that there are other churches that do not. Yet very little is practiced that coincides with the Bible. The statement is also a contradiction to the Bible where it states, there is but one body of Christ thus, one Church!

Where in the Bible do it say that going to the “Sunday-go-programmed-meetings in named tag buildings is going to Church, Church is a life to be lived and life is not lived in Sunday-go-meetings. Where in the bible is Church a one-man show? Assembling in the New Testament was about participation, interaction and fellowship where each member was caring and sharing the richness of relationship with God in encouragement and hymns. Today, fellowship is a few minutes you might get to say ...

Regarding the “Great Commission” much emphases is put on the going but little on the making of disciples while they are gone. Making disciples does not mean to make converts. The “Great Commission” is more than the going it is about making disciples of Christ. It is not about evangelizing to make converts of religious institutions! Religion has done a lot of going in an effort to evangelize, but has done little to make disciples of Christ who in turn make disciples of Christ, who in turn make disciples of Christ...etc. Many of us have a fuddled understanding of what the “Great Commission” of Jesus Christ is because of the intoxication of religious persuasion. We are coerced to believe by just proclaiming the gospel to the masses, using tools like radio, television, internet, witnessing, publications and going to the mission field, and support that endeavor with finances, because we are not able to go, we will have obeyed the “Great Commission”. The “Great Commission” is not fulfill...

Because people’s entire faith is in the Bible instead of Christ they base the status of their relationship with Christ by how much time they spend reading their Bible and doing other religious disciplines. They always feel guilty for not studying it every day of their life or they feel justified because they spent a lot of time doing the disciplines.. They think that God is upset with them for not reading the Bible more or praying more and id pleased if they spend a lot of time doing it. The cycle goes on and on until it becomes a permanent snare in their relationship. The looming shadow of performance based Christianity is always there to put them in their place the moment they feel a shred of confidence, contentment or joy because of grace living. What's bad about this religious mentality is that every one involved is set up for failure. We are constantly pressured to "be in the word" but we are never told how much is enough. No matter how much time we spend studying it...

Is the concept of an angry God that is ready to pounce on people when they get it wrong extended to us humans by giving us the right to pounce on and criticize others we think are wrong or evil? Do people hang onto the angry mean God philosophy and say He loves us by being rough, tough and threatening because those same people want to hang onto being rough, tough and threatening to those they disagree with or do not understand theology the way they do. Jesus creates some big problems for those that want to continue to hold to the angry God theology. Is it possible that people hang on to such thinking because the loving God, revealed through Jesus, would be far more costly to them than the angry God is?

Is it biblical to call the Bible "The Word of God"? Because the Bible contains some of God’s words does that make it the Word of God? The Bible doesn't make that assertion about itself. The Bible does say in John 1:1; "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God", then it goes on to say in verse 14, "The Word became flesh". The Bible outright tells us that JESUS is the Word, not the Bible. There wasn't even a Bible compiled when this passage was written. If we believe that the Bible is "The Word" of God are we wrongly exchanging Christ for the Bible?  

Jesus said "I will build MY Church" yet today we have many different buildings known as churches called by various descriptive names, that in no way resembles the Church that Jesus said He would build, claiming to be a “Bible Church”. The name tags over the doors alone make known our intentions and biases. We are no different in this generation ...

There is a yearning in the spirit of man that causes a cry to come from deep within the human heart, that cry is due to the yearning for spiritual fulfillment and satisfaction. People are hurting and looking for an answer. People are struggling to find something to satisfy the yearning of the void in their spirit. Spiritually starved believers are looking to experience and see the reality of the Church that Jesus established. Religious systems doesn't satisfy, man-made denominational systems doesn't satisfy. Doctrinal correctness doesn't satisfy. Bible knowledge doesn't satisfy, even knowing about Jesus doesn't satisfy.You can be born again, but never come into the realization of who you are in Christ. You can live on the sidelines and live in deception. You can live thinking your sins are forgiven, but fail to live in the reality of His indwelling presence. To KNOW Him is the key to your spiritual life and the fulfillment of the "Great Commission". Th...

Leaders or non-leaders who act as if they are the “center-of-the-universe”, around whom the world revolves are in delusion. Such thinking may be a self-ego builder, for an egoistic egotist trying to win the accolades and support of the masses. But if ever the center-of-the-universe is found such egotists would be in for a shocker to realize that they are not even in the center-of-the-universe let alone being the “center-of-the-universe”!

Don’t hurry, scurry and worry it will cause you stress. Do your best then rest, you then will past the test and your stress will be less.

Satan, the prince of the world system is also known as the god of this age. This world system works against God and His Church. The god of this age attempts to hinder God’s will from being done on earth through a demonic hierarchy system that is not only existent in the spiritual realm, he has also been successful in establishing it in the earthly realm! I am of the opinion that one of the greatest hindrances to the work of God on earth is a hierarchy regulated structure that promotes establishing a relationship with religion that leads to or overshadows a relationship with God even though it may not be apparent or understood by the hierarchy that they are doing so.

Why has Christianity become such a bastardized and a highly commercialized industry...could it be that the religious system is responsible for the fabrication? By bastardization I am referring the way certain changes in a language and their prescriptive evaluation. A way that a word can be said to be bastardized is the change of its spelling or errors introduced in the transcription or the hearing of it when translated from another language.

Is not a changed life, it is more about an exchanged life! Is not about living for God, it is more about God living in and working through you. Is not about not sinning, it is more about God's forgiveness. Is not so much about what you do, it is all about what He has done. Is not about achieving, it is more about receiving. Is not about religion, it’s about the relationship. Is not about rules and regulations, it is more about grace living. Is not about living forever, it is more about forever living.

Jesus foresaw those who would refuse to trade their religion for relationship with Him and said; “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works”? (Matthew 7:22) The Lord's response to these people who by religion’s standard would be looked up to as spiritual giants is sobering, for they had been involved in the work of the Lord and they came bringing results, yet they did not know Him. They had never known that relationship Christ is about nothing else but knowing Him by being conformed to his image. It is not about our doing all the right things. “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity”. (Matthew 7:23) I never knew you? You mean these men who came saying, "Lord, Lord," men who, prophesied, cast out devils, and had done many wonderful works in Christ's name, did not know Him? Friend, this is why w...

Repentance simply means a turning from a way to another way. Repentance from dead religious works is turning from the obligations of dead religion...the powerless form of godliness, to the freedom of relational living in Christ. It is to cease from worship by our sheer will that is grounded purely in the rudimentary disciplines of the flesh, to embrace the Person who is Himself salvation. It is to know Christ as the all sufficient One. But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glories let Him glory in the Lord (1Corinthians 1:30-31) Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption are ours in the person of Jesus. Religion promotes you living for God...relationship is Christ living in and through you as you live with God. Religion is man working for God in the doing...relationship is God working in us to will and to do. "I am crucified with Christ: ...

The word religion is sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system, but religion differs from private belief in that it has a public element. Religions have organized behaviors, including clerical hierarchies, a definition of what constitutes adherence or membership, congregations of laity, regular meetings or services for the purposes of veneration of a deity or for prayer, holy plac es and scriptures. The practice of a religion may also include sermons, commemoration of the activities of God or gods, sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trance, initiations, funeral services, matrimonial services, meditation, music, art, dance, public service, or other aspects of human culture. The development of religion has taken different forms in different cultures. Some religions place an emphasis on belief, while others emphasize practice. Some religions focus on the subjective experience of the religious individual, while others consider the activities of the religious co...

The Scriptures confirm the truth that good and evil are operating in the world. But good has little to do with the forms of religion that Christianity is absorbed in and evil has little to do with the behaviors that are condemned by the religion of do’s and dont’s. Both good and evil compete for the passion of the heart of people. Love is God’s gift to mankind and evil contests this same love with vengeance, the devil wants people to love him and his evil doings instead of God and His doings. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross of torture was not for religion, religious orthodoxy, nor even for Christianity, but for the HEART of people committed to Him in a voluntary love relationship whereby our Heart is His! Who has our HEART? If something has it other than Christ...evil has it, no matter how good or religious we may be!

The MAIN THING is to keep the MAIN THING the MAIN THING. The MAIN THING from God’s perspective are people therefore, people should be the MAIN THING for us as the Church. The MAIN THING in life are people, the MAIN THING in death are people, the MAIN THING after death are people therefore, treat people as the MAIN THING by showing them friendship, love and respect. We are to use THINGS and love people, not love THINGS and use people.

If in this world you are consumed with SELF-SATISFACTION you will always be in a state of DISSATISFACTION. However, if you work toward the SATISFACTION of others you will fine yourself in a state of SATISFACTION. Being in a state of SATISFACTION comes by PARTICIPATION in the SATISFACTION of others!

Living the BEATITUDES will give you an ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE, giving you the FORTITUDE and APTITUDE to love people unconditionally.

A person whose wealth is a loving wife and family, good friends and health is richer by far than any person whose wealth is money!

Money cannot buy it, yet it is of great value. It enriches those who receive it, without impoverishing those who give it. It happens in a flash, but the memory of it can last lifetime. Nobody is so rich that they do not need it, and the poor are much richer for it. It is the source of happiness in the home, fosters good will in social circles, is the countersign of friends and ought to be expressed by assembled believers. It is rest to the weary, encouragement to the discouraged, it makes the sad glad, and is the antidote for the troubled soul. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no earthly value to anybody until it is given away! What is it? It is a SMILE!

Is getting along with people by going along with people in the flow, really getting along with people or, is it COMPROMISE?

People it is gratifying to be away from your spouse long enough for him/her to miss you but, it could be terrifying if you are away long enough for them to discover how well they can get along without you.

Respect for people ought not to be dependent on whether they are right or wrong, they should be respected because they are people! Respecting a person also does not mean idolizing them! Respect for people because they are people is the mark of a respectful person.

Whether a relationship is spiritual or physical, as long as it is based on and lived out in LOVE, controlling tactics and regulatory rule is abolished. If your relationship with your spouse is held together because of a marriage contract or with God because of “church” constitutions and bylaws you probably have some kind of connect-ship but you do not have genuine RELATIONSHIP!

To give hope and pleasure to people by acts of love and kindness is better than a million head-bowing prayers without action. Kindness will win more converts than sermonizing or a condemning attitude ever will! Put feet to your prayers and sermons by performing acts of love and kindness!

What value is  knowing truth and knowledge if what you know is not translated into living the truth of the knowledge you know?

I realize that my honesty with regard to the subject of this post may cause me to be called a heretic, open to ridicule and condemnation because I do not believe the translation you hold in your hand is inspired, but, be that as it may. I would welcome your comments as to why you believe that the translation you hold in your hand is inspired. The Bible is a subject of great curiosity and controversy for most people, especially amongst people who say they their belief is based on the Bible! Though some religions have different holy books they  maintain that they all say basically the same thing but, are these books truly the word of God? The translation of the original scriptures, including the KJV, were penned by men. Men chosen not by God but, by kings and the hierarchy structure of religion, these men were not inspired as was were the writers of the original manuscripts.  Here is a quote by Richard Wurmbrand the author of "The Voice of the Martyrs". "The Bible...