BTZ Blog

* Religion conforms people to a system, devised and controlled by man; relational life frees them to trust God and be a part of the Church that Jesus is building.. * Religion divides people by preference and perspective under respective denominations; relational life celebrates the incredible diversity in God's family based only on being a member of Christs' Body. * Religion bores people with routine; relational life is as fresh as a new conversation with an endearing friend. * Religion rewards image and pretense; relational life demands honesty and reality. * Religion provides substitutes for the active presence of Jesus in people's lives; relational life focuses on that presence alone. * Religion sacrifices people for the good of the institution; relational life teaches people how to live together as Father's family. * Religion uses what God says and does for its own agenda; relational life allows God to set the agenda and for us to simply follow him....

From observation, institutional churches when there is lack of a certain type of ministry to meet a certain type of person's need, they decide that there needs to be a new program to "reach out" to that demographic. People, a program, a meeting, another night of the week is not the answer, it never has in the past and it never will in the future. We wear people out with our programs and functions. And it is the same people that end up coming to all the programs? The same group of people that come to every other "ministry" of the church. My question is this: Are we really meeting needs and developing relationships between ourselves and others and God by doing all this? Or are we just creating another service for people to attend? The "church" philosophy has become - "get them inside the four walls of the church and God will minister to them." You know what - that's not how God designed it. In the early church we see Jesus sending the...

The relation Jesus has with His own is as head of a body (His Church). In Ephesians 1:22-23 we find, "And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." We read in Colossians 1:18 , " He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything." Jesus as head is a gift bestowed by God to believers. What does Jesus being “head of the body, the church” imply? Jesus is head of the body only inasmuch as its members individually obey Jesus. "Body” is a metaphor used to represent the believing men and women who gave an appropriate response to a holy calling from God by the gospel. For the Lord to look favorably upon anyone who is a member of His body means the person looks to Jesus as head. He received from the Father “all things” ( Matthew 11:27 , Ephesi...

It is important that a clear distinction be made between the True Church (the Ecclesia) and the Institutional Church, Organized Religion, or religion in general. The easiest way to begin is to discuss one critical thing that Organized Religion cannot do. Organized Religion cannot impart Life. "This is our testimony, that God has given us Eternal Life, and this Life is in His Son: He that has the Son has Life, and He that has not the Son of God has not Life (I John 5:11,12)." Contrary to popular belief, the Lord Jesus Christ does not live within the matrix of Organized Religion. The Ecclesia, like our Lord, is Wholly Other. I can prove it to you beyond the shadow of a doubt. Can you join a "church" ? Yes, if you meet their requirements for membership. Can you join the Ecclesia? No. You have to be born into it. Or, to be more correct, you have to be born-again into it. It is not a question of joining or not joining, but a question of having Life versus not...

Our life in Christ is not about dos and dont's; it is about being in Christ! The Bible makes it clear that Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation and daily life—no added ingredients or rules are needed. In fact, adding anything to God’s Work and Word neuters His Message and Work in our life. The only thing we “put in” to build faith and fruitfulness is our knowledge and growth in Him. The Colossians were like any church or Christian group that tends to take on its surrounding societal characteristics and customs. We have to be careful that our church’s values and wants can mimic its cultural environment as it did for these Colossians. Thus instead of being a light to darkness or salt, we build a wall of legalism that is also separatism. When we adhere to legalism and being bonded to a set of human rules, regulations, man made constitutions and denominational systems thinking we are honoring God’s precepts, when in fact we are disobeying Him. Legalism even affects our worship. God...

For those who don’t think we truly died that day in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve chose the knowledge of good and evil over the Tree of Life, you only have to look at the human drive for personal fulfillment. Isn’t it a search for life itself? I don’t mean physical life that comes with breath and nourishment. I mean the deep, inner sense of peace and fulfillment that comes from a life well lived in the heart of God. That’s what he created us for and everyone is looking for it in one way or another, even when they don’t realize that he is the only source of it. Many think they’ll find life if they could just find the ideal job, mate, or dream home, or circumstances free of pain or anxiety. Very few, ever get all of those to line up at the same time, and those who do, even if only for a brief time, have assured us that these things are no guarantee of true life. In fact, ideal circumstances can expose how empty our inner life really is. Just ask Solomon. All our te...

The sound of laughter has to be one of the greatest sounds there is. As a father, nothing touches me more deeply nor gives me greater pleasure than hearing my offsprings explode in laughter at some new experience or story. It is something that brings joy to any parent Have you ever wondered what brings that kind of delight to God's heart? Well, wonder no more. Jesus already told us. His disciples had just returned from going through the villages of Palestine sharing the good news of the kingdom. They had watched blind people see for the first time; lepers weep in joy at the touch of their new skin; and people oppressed by demons dancing in joy at suddenly being returned to their right mind. To get the impact of this, we have to remember who they were. We think of them now as "The Apostles", men of great wisdom, character and training. We forget that at the time they were simply bad fishermen, tax collectors and who knows what else....