BTZ Blog

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:1-5) If eternity is without beginning or ending and the Word was with God in the beginning, what beginning was it? Whenever that beginning was the Word of God was there but, there was NO BOOK called the BIBLE! Therefore, the "WORD" of God is NOT the BIBLE! Yet the Word existed with God and the Word was God...therefore, the Word of God is without beginning or ending...unlike the bible. Today there is an Anti-Christ spirit that says "the book we call the bible, is the Word of God", this deception is accepted as truth by the vast majority of Christendom. It is biblically clear that the Word of God existed before the bible had ...

Many who claim to be in appointed positions of authority are masters of deceit while believing they are presenters of truth by saying one thing while meaning something else. This is especially prevalent when a bible verse or passage is lifted out of its context to argue a doctrinal point when it is clearly not the context of the verse or passage. It behooves all of us to be mindful and careful of what we say, for we are all prone to say what is useful for the promotion of our belief system, that is not necessarily truthful.  More lies are spoken in religious circles by saying what is useful rather than what is truthful than the spoken truth itself by using the premiss that "the end justifies the means". The words of St. Jerome about such deceivers are: "Sometimes it is true, they are compelled to say not what they think but what is useful." We need to be mindful that a lie is a lie even when shrouded in truth, and is nothing less than a manipulating deceptio...

A problem with self-proclaimed "Biblicists"  is that they also self-proclaim their interpretation of the Bible as the right interpretation. To guard the narrow-mindedness of their theological interpretation, rules and regulations are set up to channel people to their theological viewpoint without realizing they are being controlling and manipulative by snuffing out people's chance at finding and experiencing the freedom that Christ came to provide and proclaim through His living, death and resurrection. The Bible's theological foundation is Jesus, the life He lived and the Gospel He died for that He revealed to Paul...His Gospel of Grace. Self-proclaimed Biblicists MUST keep in mind the difference between Jesus as the theological foundation of the Bible and their interpretation of the Bible. This means that if their self-interpretation of the Bible of Who God is, and what His purpose and plan for the community of the redeemed in the community of humanity is, does no...

Every circumstance we face in life is an opportunity for character building. Character is not something that is built in heaven, it's built on earth and helps bring the atmosphere of heaven to earth. The forming of character is dependent on attitude and response during opposition. Its a matter of choice to be spiritual by trusting God and resting in His grace or carnal by trusting to self and religious performance. To fight the spiritual dissatisfaction that is raging within you by further religious involvement brings deeper spiritual dissatisfaction because it is not spiritual growth food to feed the spiritual man. God makes us aware when we are unsatisfied spiritually. Never be satisfied with the spiritual status quo of religious performance because it hinders true spiritual growth.  God never made us just for religious spiritual survival. He made us to be inhabited by His life that we might rise in the fullness of the reality of that life which can never be found in religiou...

Many people are bound by the limitations of man-made denominational doctrines and imprisoned within the shell of religious concepts and traditions. Believers who are caught in that trap are locked into a pattern of thought in living life believing they are Christ's representatives  bringing the gospel to the community of humanity in the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, when in reality they are full of religious pride and denominational arrogance and unaware of God's plan and purpose for the community of the redeemed in gospelizing the community of humanity.  Instead of living and verbalizing their religious convictions they need to live in the love of God and love people by the unction of the Spirits power that is available only through the grace gospel of Jesus Christ. It is only God's grace anointing that will break the chains of denominational bondage and the religious prison bars of deceptiveness.  There are more imprisoned people outside of jail then t...

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. )1 Tim. 5:17-18) The following quote in regards to the above passage, is example of the evil, manipulative practices that are abounding in many local institutional churches.            “…..In other words Timothy, you are to BIND THE CONSCIENCES                                    of God’s people to care for their pastors…..”     This statement was made by Pastor A. N. Martin during a sermon. The payment for preacher logic then goes something like this.  "Most Believers agree that nobody should be greedy for money, preachers included. The scriptures, however, are clear that preachers are worthy of double h...

It is a shameful tragedy when religious men exert anti-God rule, manipulation and control over God's people and unashamedly assert that establishing untruths to deceive people's minds through deceptive use of scripture to support religious endeavors is in harmony with and even the requirement Jesus Christ.  What is needed is for God's people to realize that what IS in harmony with religion is not necessarily a requirement of our Lord Jesus Christ and to expose and stand in opposition to the outrageous claims of the religious hierarchy who "lord it over" people who are in the community of the redeemed. The institutional church though housing genuine believers in Christ is a cesspool religious rituals and practices that have nothing to do with the written word of God nor with God, His Son or His Spirit.  We indeed are living in perilous times. The devil’s favorite place to trap believers and bring them into bondage is not the local tavern or the whore house. No, t...

                                                                                                Isn't the character of God, the value of God, the purpose of God, the plan of God and the truth of God more important than religious assumptions and religious traditions about God? Isn't loyalty to the character of God more important than loyalty to religious traditions, man-made institutions called "churches", man-made doctrine, man-made constitutions and man-made commandments?  If the Word (Jesus) shatters cherished beliefs, then are we willing to let them stay shattered, no matter how painful it is to our man-made doctrines.  Isn’t God's Truth more important than personal belief, and loyalty to that Truth more important than loyalty to tra...

In the religious system there are many things ABOUT Jesus that are NOT Jesus, or OF Jesus...even.  This displacement of Jesus is the root cause of the sin of religion. The emphasis on doctrine about Jesus, rituals and practices...that is different depending on the denomination, is given more importance than Christ Himself. This should raise a red flag for the believer in Christ. The subversion of Christ in the religious world is paramount to reducing Christ to an iconic symbol that gives false credence to the perversions practiced by religion. The people deceived by religious deception do not see a red flag of concern because it is camouflaged by the white flag of religion.   The drug of religion has deceived us as to our lukewarmness and our blindness to the truth of our own spiritual condition (Revelation 3:1-19). The picture presented to us is one of Christ standing on the outside, knocking at the door, and waiting for someone to open the door to Him (Revelation 3:20). ...

Some of the concepts regarding Christ's Gospel that has been assimilated through the teaching of denominated leaders through through natural ability because of denominational biases are deceptions that has been accepted as truth, rendering the hearers deceived in their deception. This deception that is presented as truth by religious leaders and accepted as truth by religious hearers is partly due to preachers preaching their denominated convictions and teaching denominational biases under a denominated anointing rather than Holy Spirit anointing, has imprisoned and chained people by denominational deceptions that are stronger than the links of steel chains. There are more people imprisoned by religious ideals outside of jail then there are behind prison bars. People are who are imprisoned by religious concepts, religious philosophy, religious ideology and religious tradition, because they believe a lie to be the truth are are locked securely by truth-less-ness.   It is only ...

Most believers, including preachers articulate that the actual "denominated church building" has nothing to do with God's eternal purpose for the community of humanity but, their life living nullifies their articulation because they live as if a "church building" has everything to do with God's plan with getting people in the community of humanity to join the community of the redeemed.   How by their living do they elevate the "church building" to such a status?  A building called "church" is man-established, man-organized, man-led and man-programed. What takes place in the "church building" was created by people for people and God's Plan and Purpose is seldom, if ever taken into account. When spiritual, emotional, or even superstitious significance is attached to how things are done, a building, a day, rituals or tradition, then we will be deceived through "traditions of men", and will not walk in Christ Himse...

The pretense of religion is the wearing of persona that hides its true origin and motive from its adherents, sometimes including its hierarchy.  Religion though man-made, it is devil-inspired and his angel-of-light deception has deceived millions into believing religion is a way to God instead of a way from God that it actually is. Religious pretense is heretical and damnable, at least by Jesus' standard! Rather than seeking the character and the heart of God, religious pretense looks for conformation to its regulations while ignoring Jesus as the Head of His community of the redeemed; it looks for self-justifying laws to adhere to at the expense of loving and forgiving people.  I wonder what would happen if as believers we sought the heart of God and hungered and thirsted for His righteousness rather than settling for some man-made hog-wash of legalistic requirements that make us look good dressed in self-righteous robes. What if we used God's written word to bless and en...

"As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him... beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him..." (Colossians 2:6,8,9a)  The Believer's life is a life that is lived IN and trusting IN CHRIST, if we are living in and trusting in religion we are not living or trusting in Christ thus, we need to question if we really are a Believer in Christ. Jesus did not come to establish a religion called Christianity, but to establish a personal love relationship with people. A Believer is a branch that grows out of the Vine and continually produces abundant fruit of the vine. The community of the redeemed is the gathering together of all individual branches into one Vineyard (see John 15). The community of the redeemed is supposed to be a living phenomenon, an observable...

Many people consider the amassing of things, money, recognition, position, education, man-made religious titles, secular or religious authority, secular or religious control and possessions as success in life, some consider it as living life. Life doesn’t consist of one’s possessions. It is not found in what one owns or controls. It doesn’t even come from finding the "right denominated church." True life, quite simply is the practical, knowable and experiential  presence of God as reality in daily life living. It is an inner sense of assurance and confidence that we are loved by Him and His provision is ours and our whole being is not only in His hands but, we are in Him and He is in us and the evidence of such is that He works through us in the engagement of His purpose as the community of the redeemed in the community of humanity. This life isn’t derived from things or good circumstances, but in fact supersedes them. Living His life will endure the most adverse circumstan...

It is IMPOSSIBLE to know the mind and plan of God for the community of humanity without the teaching of the great teacher given to the community of the redeemed by God Himself...the HOLY SPIRIT. God gave us His Holy Spirit to help us to understand the revelation of Jesus Christ through the written word by the Spirit revealing the contextual and historical understanding of its setting and the application of that understanding so that Jesus can work His works through His people.  To leave the understanding and revelation of God's plan for humanity to the leaders of man-made institutions lends to the followers of that institution being misled because of interpreting the word to protect or boost their belief system. Let's look at one word whose usage and meaning in the way that it is understood and practiced, has impacted the world and subverted the intention that God purposed for what the word supposedly represents. When the word "Church" is used the thing that comes...

The failure of the self-righteous is in not knowing that the pretense of self-righteousness is the pretending that it is Godly righteousness. The attitude of I'm right, you're wrong is prevalent in their speaking, they listen to respond with a rebuttal rather than listening to learn.  Why? Because in their mind they are right and therefore, can't be wrong.  This "superior" religious attitude was around in Jesus day and were the people He spoke His harsh words to.  Jesus told the sell-righteous leaders of His day; "Verily I say unto you, the Publicans and the harlots will go into the Kingdom of God before you!" (Matthew 21:31) And He told His disciples, "For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!" (Matthew 5:20) He un-fearfully told them, "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outs...

Therefore, if you refuse to forgive LOVE is not ACTIVE in your life.  The love that forgives is not a soft and fuzzy sentiment that lets people manipulate, misuse and abuse  people for their own ends. Love forgives because it is the powerful motivating factor of a believers life because Jesus is the believers life. To hold grudges therefore, is to hinder the life of Christ within us from releasing forgiveness because we do not love as Jesus loves. The outflow of "forgiving love" is respect and commitment to God and to people. If we say we love God but refuse to forgive then something is blocking our love for God and for people in our lives. Love respects people as genuine human beings, even after they have treated you like dirt. People who hurt you badly 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 t...

Spread your wings and fly!  Fly away from yesterday’s failures and guilt.  Fly away from today’s fears and tears.  Fly away from tomorrows scurries and worries.  Fly FREELY into God's arms of compassion, comfort, understanding and love and you will find rest!

The bitterness of hate sours the sweetness of love. The bitterness of nit-picking sours the sweetness of relationship. The more understanding, compassion and forgiveness you show people...the more you will accept and love people.

Within this earth suit in which e we live in this earth realm environment God has blessed us with many intrinsic functional abilities to make our stay productive, profitable and en joyable. How we use these abilities determines the quality of our existence in living life. Though the environment people into which people are born is a huge factor in determining the quality of their existence but, it is not the greatest determining factor. The greatest determining factor is not something we are born into...it is something we are born with. Though all the God given functional instruments help with our quality of life to one degree or another, none has a greater potential to be used for the bondage of or the freedom for people, than the "mind". Now the question arises; Is the mind and the brain one and the same thing? If it were there would be an unsurmountable problem with the belief that we continue to live in a different realm after we pass through death's door into t...