BTZ Blog

"The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us and we have seen His glory, the one and only who came from the Father full of grace and truth. From the fullness". From the fullness of His g race we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ". (John 1:14-17) Notice that Jesus is not the one who brought the law...Moses did. Jesus came with grace and truth. Notice He brought Grace AND truth ...not only truth! History records and I have found out in my experience within religion that truth by itself hurts people and on times be crude, dangerous and destructive. History reveals that religion religion standing on truth alone has probably caused more damage to the community of humanity than anything else. The law of Moses was not based on Grace even though it was based on truth, thus the reason for its severity and harshness. It is important to see something here, ...

Life is a journey that is best traveled by being who you are instead of living up to other people's expectations. Along life's journey: Some people will love you just for you and you alone, without any expectation of do's on your part...Mother....Father....Siblings...Extended Family...True Friends...Godly People. Most people will show love to you because of what you can do for them, with the expectation of do's attached to their loving...Religious People...Friend Pretenders...Manipulators...Deceivers...Swindlers...False Teachers...Liars...Self-Righteous People...Denominated People. Also accept the fact that a there may be a few people who do not even like you...let alone love you. BUT NEVER FORGET...GOD WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU FOR YOU WITHOUT EXPECTATIONS!

I understand it a natural response to of the religious to feel attacked when the religious systems that people have invested their energy and lives in is rejected by the "unchurched infidels" and the "dech urched hypocrites." It seems that the natural reaction of the self-claimed godly people is to fight back in an arrogant, judgmental and a condemning way.But is this the Jesus way? This ungodly response is the reason that the vast majority of the unchurched and the dechurched view religious people as arrogant, judgmental and condescending. I wonder, how many unchurched or dechurched people do they know (I mean know intimately)? How much time have they spent listening to and conversing with unchurched and dechurched? How many unchurched or dechurched people are their friends? Do they love the unchurched and the dechurched, do they even like them? Is the self-righteousness of the religious condemners effective in winning people whom they condemn, t...

Many of the UNCHURCHED that became members of the cultured CHURCHED are now the DECHURCHED by disassociating themselves from the CHURCH! In some religious churches the number of DECHURCHED outnumbers the CHURCHED that stay ed. The DECHURCHED are not becoming UNCHURCHRED in that they are forsaking and turning their back on God. They are forsaking the religiously organized church in search of a community of believers that demonstrates unity instead of segregation and whose head is Jesus...not denominational hierarchy. The majority of DECHURCHED people do not find value in participating in church as is. They are detoxing and looking for the Church that Jesus said, "He would build" that is unified in Christ where people are known as His disciples by the love they have one for the other. The CHURCHED are leaving the BUILDING in search of CHRUCH!

Their use of scripture is misuse that is abuse of its scriptural contextual and historical setting that leads to the abuse of the community of the redeemed. They claim that God speaks to them directly, frequently and correctly thus, people are fearful to question them meaningfully and objectively for fear they are questioning God. They fleece the flock to frock themselves while claiming that the flock is sowing seed into the kingdom of God. To fleece the deceived flock, they promise that God will give a great return on their investment into their ministry because God cannot be out-given. Their love for money overrides their love for God and for people. They talk very little about Jesus and listen to Him even less. Yet, they talk about and listen to themselves a lot. Their accountability is not to God, but to themselves. They highlight their accomplishments...the arenas they fill and the miracles that is supposedly performed, to validate that God is blessing the...

I wonder....If our witness for Christ was rooted in these four things, would our presentation of the gospel render the objector's objections to the Gospel defenseless, because of the good news message?

Maturity does not come by a relationship with the Bible...It comes through a relationship with Christ. Jesus said, in John 5:38-40... But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the  Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. To many believers have placed the written word above the living Word. I have heard some say regarding the Bible, "This is Jesus". BUT and it is a BIG BUT, the living Word is GREATER than the written word. No matter how much know and move in the written word it is NOT JESUS! Denominational people search the scriptures looking for doctrines, commands to obey, direction, do's and don'ts to follow, etc. They are looking for something, when they should be looking for Somebody...Jesus. First century followers of Christ did not always have Old Testament scriptures. They certainly...

I am keenly aware that a phrase in post 2 on this topic, "I say with assurance, I believe that God’s will and purpose has nothing to do with religion in all its variances, and His purpose can never be accomplished through involvement in religion nor religious rituals or practices", sounds heretical to the religious denominated mind. I believed as most people still do that religious denominated buildings is where one goes to find, participate with and work for God. After all isn't in the religious services where God is talked about? Aren't they the ones who claim to represent God. Isn't it their buildings that have God’s name on them? Aren't they the ones who mention God’s name in every other sentence they speak (at least in their Sunday-go- services?) I am not convinced I was living in deception and under-minding the plan of God for both His community of the redeemed and the community of humanity. I believe God’s desire is to have a personal,...

Reason for My Aversion to Religion. Part 2 How did Jesus respond to the religious leaders of His day?  When you reflect on what He says in the sermon on the mount, just about everything illustrates the sharp contrast that exists between man-made religion and the heart desire of God. Read it carefully and see if you don’t hear Jesus refuting religion.  See if you don’t recognize a tendency in Jesus towards directness even to confronting on times.  But don’t stop there, as you make your way through the Book of Matthew, pay attention to the context. Time after time you’ll see Jesus clashing with religion. In chapter 23 Jesus accuses the Pharisees of being manipulative, overbearing, self-absorbed, deceived, corrupt and rebellious. He calls them hypocrites, blind guides, fools, liars and murderers.  And He does it to their face.  This is part of a confrontation with the Sadducees and Pharisees that started in Chapter 22. The fact is, Jesus was exposing the frui...

My consistent decry regarding religion has been a source of contention regarding people relationships both inside and outside of my family, in that the people in the trap of religion feel that in my disparage against religion I am also disparaging against people involved. They say I have a chip on my shoulder and that I am a cancer in the body of Christ that needs to be cut out. My nastiness against religion, of which I admit to whole heartedly, in no way is directed to people involved in its delusion and fantasy. I am firmly persuaded that Scripture and Historical evidence supports my understand regarding religion's evilness in that is accepted by the religious as goodness. That does not negate that some moral, ethical and good things are done by religion nor does it dispute that God has true believers within their ranks. But, the apparent good that religion accomplishes is evil because of what religion is rooted in. I do not write what I write to be contentious o...

Are you spiritually, practically, wholly and experientially satisfied with traditional religion with its rules, regulations and rituals, its event-driven-meetings, man-made doctrines, man-led structure and authority, its form of public worship, the prophesying of false prophecy, the deception of performed miracles and lying wonders, the manipulation and control of the pe w-warmers, denominational segregated name-tagging, self-help endeavours, agenda-driven programs for men...women and children groups....etc.? Are you sure that this is TRUE SPIRITUALITY? Are you questioning and wondering if there is something more? Are you wondering if there’s any difference between relating to God through religion and relating to Him through an intimate relationship that is defined by your experiences with God instead of religion? Are you wondering if God only exists to serve man and his religious programs, or is it possible that He has a plan for His community of the redeemed th...

You will never see this day again...make the most of it by being the best person you can be.

If you are going to be a Dealer: Be a Dealer of HOPE to the hopeless. Be a Dealer of SMILES to the smile-less. Be a Dealer of LAUGHTER to the laugh-less. Be a Dealer of FORGIVENESS to the forgiven-less. Be a Dealer of COMPASSION to the compassionless. Be a Dealer of Wisdom to the wisdom-less. Be a Dealer of Godlieness to the Godless. Be a Dealer of UNDERSTANDING to the understanding-less. Be a Dealer of KINDNESS to people who are kind-less. Be a Dealer of Truth to the truth-less. Be a Dealer of Happiness to the happy-less. Be a Dealer of COMFORT to the comfortless. Be a Dealer of Joy to the joyless. Be a Dealer of Help to the helpless. Be a Dealer of HUGS to the hug-less. Be a Dealer of Mercy to the merciless. Be a Dealer of LOVE to the loveless. Be a Dealer of Grace to the graceless. Be a Dealer of Peace to the peace-less. Be a Dealer of Christ to the Christ-less. Be the REAL DEAL by making people better FEEL!

Be a BLESSING to people and:

Being a believer is more than knowing and being able to quote what's in a book, even when the book is the Bible. Like · · Unfollow Post · Share

There are no extraordinary denominations, they are all man-made and man-led and man-bled However, being a BELIEVER is an extraordinary thing because they are God-made, Holy Spirit led and Jesus bled! Denominations have inflated their benefit to the community of humanity under-minding its people and over-minding its doctrine by setting them-self up as more correct in its Bible interpretation..

As we sail the rough seas through the journey of life we need to set our course and compass for the Port of Hope, where we will find Peaceful Waters. There are many coves and inlets along our route that we sometimes dock in that agitates the water and prevents us from enjoying Peaceful Waters along the trip. Avoid docking in the cove of frustration, the cove of disappointment, the cove of pride, the cove of jealousy, the cove of pity, the cove of judgment, the cove of condemnation and the cove of anger because it only agitates the Peaceful Waters that could be ours as we sail to the Port of Hope and the peaceful waters that await us there. Make sure you dock in the cove of appreciation, the cove of forgiveness, the cove of kindness, the cove of understanding, the cove of helping, the cove of loving and the cove of thanksgiving. These cove stops stills the rough seas and we get a foretaste of the peaceful waters that awaits us in the Port of Hope. Enjoy your Journ...

In many of the Pentecostal, Word of Faith, and other Charismatic religious movements the worldview regarding the universe is that it operates on spiritual laws. According to the charlatanic, deceived mis-leaders, tricksters, defrauders and fraudsters, if a person understands these spiritual laws and principles and works w ithin them, one can live a life of health, wealth and victory. One of these mis-leaders, regarding these spiritual laws states; "if you play the game right you win". Yet in his congregation people are sick with measles, heart trouble, back pain, sugar diabetes, have money restraints and face trouble that they go through rather than have victory over. It is obvious, yet the deceived cannot see that they are not "winning" the battle over disease, poverty, and adverse circumstances. The popular religious slogan; "You do not have any problems...all you need is Jesus", is not the Gospel Message. They view faith as a creative fo...

The religious system is inundated with spiritually fatigue believers. This is a sure sign that people are working for Christ and trying to do His work in their own strength which constitutes a work of the flesh. They haven’t learned the stream of His unction or to flow in His anointing by working with God rather than working for God. Working with God by allowin g Him to do His work through us is rewarding, motivating and strengthening, invigorating, and captive freeing. That produces spiritual refreshing not spiritual fatigue. Spiritual fatigue is a sign of flowing in carnal self-anointing rather than flowing in Holy Spirit anointing. Many preachers, when they do not have the Holy Spirit anointing, press into carnal self-anointing to motivate people. What is self-anointing? You get caught up in something to motivate yourself and others to get emotions reacting. Self-anointed animation is void of God anointing, rather the anointing is of the human spirit. Holy Spirit ...

In some Sunday-Go-Meetings the Bible is read, and if that causes people to seek its TRUTH then some good is accomplished. On the other hand, if it means that people are coerced into following denominated interpretations, a denominated doctrines, or man-made traditions through skill of propaganda, or the emotional appeal of the denominated seminarian, and thus induced to support man-made theories based upon the use of out of context Scripture, then it is to the pew-warmers great disadvantage. It maters not the name tag that is over the church door, any denomination that practices spiritual manipulation in abusing Scripture to further their own traditional beliefs, uphold denominational doctrines and man-made constitutions, does not honour God nor the Scripture. One of the fastest ways to loose denominated friends, to be looked upon as odd, and to be rejected is to side with God instead of a denomination. Once you become serious about spiritual matters...forsaking all ...

The trust of the spiritual ignorant in the pew is the preacher's greatest tool for deception in the pulpit!

We are so quickly captured by a work-driven religious culture that it devours the very love it seeks to sustain. That’s the problem with institutions. The institution provides something more important than simply loving each other in the same way we’ve been loved. Once you build an institution together you have to protect it and its assets to b e good stewards. It confuses everything. Even love gets redefined as that which protects the institution and unloving that which does not. It will turn some of the nicest people in the world into raging maniacs and they never stop to think that all the name-calling and accusations are the opposite of love. If you do what we want, we reward you. If not we punish you. It doesn’t turn out to be about love at all. We give our affection only to those who serve our interests and withhold it from those who do not. The problem with church as you know it, is that it has become nothing more than mutual accommodation of self-need. Some ...

The Apostle Peter warned the the community of the redeemed: But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, eve n denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And MANY WILL follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness THEY WILL EXPLOIT YOU with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 2 Peter 1:1-3 Notice that the destructive heresies were secretly introduced as doctrine. Today these same secret heresies are overtly and openly claimed as Gospel truth and accepted as such by millions of deceived believers! The false teachers go to and fro in the earth spewing forth a myriad of deceptive teachings regarding the Gospel, Jesus' work on the cross, God, segregation of God's children, physical healing, financial pr...

Beware of any preacher or congregant who speaks ill of the Grace Gospel of Jesus Christ, for speaking against Grace is a disgrace in that they are demeaning the work of Jesus on the cross thus, speaking ill of Jesus Himself.

Religious event-driven-meetings are important to a lot of believers. But being a believer is much more than visiting a denominated building to receive denominated teaching from a denominated preacher a couple of times a week. We honor God by being His community of the redeemed through which He works His works, giving the community of humanity the reality of life living believers rather than just Sunday-go-meeting believers.

Religion does not promote spirituality instead it hinders it. It coerces obedience exterior wise without any real change of our nature from the inside...Grace changes a person on the inside and because of that change the works of Christ are worked through him. Religion is man-made man-ordained and man-led...Grace is God-made, God given, God-ordained and God-led.. Religion man DO ING for God...Grace is what God has DONE for man. Religion is man's attempt at finding God...Grace is Gods attempt to find man. Religion is man trying to rise to a spiritual plateau by his own self-righteousness, with the hope of meeting God at the top...Grace is God coming to earth in the incarnation of Jesus Christ and meeting people on their level. Religion says, “Do good, keep on doing good, and eventually you will become good...Grace says, stop your trying, it is about what God has done, not what you can do. Your doing will follow my work in and through you. Religion says, “Tell...

The more you judge and condemn people the less you will love and forgive people.

We read from the Word of God in John 3:16 “ For God so loved the people of the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. WOW! What an AMAZING FACT...That God should love a sinner such as I, how wonderful is love like this. Notice what it doesn't say; It dosen't say tha God only loves name-taged denominators. The verse doesn't say that God only loves KJV-ers, or Sunday-go-meeting-goers. The verse doesn't say that God only loves Bible-thumping believers. The verse is clear that God loves “ ALL the people of the world” (and that includes YOU). No matter who you are or what you have done, God truly loves you. “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the people of the world.” (1 John 2:2) Jesus died on the cross for the community of humanity because He loves all of humanity. From the community of humanity including the thief,...

Some people, including believers are such WORRY freaks, they WORRY about the fact that they have nothing to WORRY about. Grace living is WORRY FREE living.

When it comes to the end of life's journey: When we get to where we think we are going, will we be where we thought we would be? "There is a way that seems right unto man, but the end thereof is death". Are you traveling the right path along life's journey, or in your deception are you deceived that you are? There are millions that think they are on the right road and traveling Salvation's Highway of Grace, when the truth of the matter is they are on the wrong road and traveling Religion's Highway of Works!

When we are motivated by fear, we allow people to control us by that fear and we are open to manipulation and deception of the fear-mongers. We live in judgment and condemnation of ot her people because we are jugged and condemned due to the fear factor when failing to live up to the expectations of the controllers and we judge and condemn others who do not live up to the same expectations. We strive to live by rules and regulations of those who motivate and control us by that fear and in failing we are blamed, shamed and guilt laden. As ironic as it is, fear-factoring is the primary motivator used in religion. The two predominate fear-factors used in religion is the fear of missing heaven and the fear of being cast into hell-fire. This fear-mongering is an effort to keep the faithful corralled in the denominated coral in order to keep the religious horse alive and well. However, when we are motivated by love we expose ourselves to all that Grace living has to off...

I would rather be understood for who I am than be accepted for who I am not. I am nobody great and I have lived a very simple life. I have made mistakes. I have experienced heartaches. I have caused heartaches. But, I trust I have also brought joy and happiness to some people's lives. My name will never be in neon lights. No monuments will ever be erected in my honor. No shrine will be dedicated to me. When I am gone my name and the memory of me will soon be forgotten. But, if people can read on my tombstone the words: In living he loved, thus, he lived well. In loving he died, thus, he died well. In death he is in the presence of love thus, he is living well! Then my life would have been worth the living.