Hi all,
I saw an interview with a well known actress who was known to be a Christian, and a few days later another interview with a famous singer who claimed to be Christian - yet both women interspersed their interviews with cussing and the worldly circles they lived as part of their lifestyle.
 
I thought right then all they've done is add Jesus to their lives but they don't want Him to change them - just make the quality of their lives better please, as long as it isn't too challenging or require changing anything about themselves.
 
By contrast, when my wife and I got saved we weren't just asking Jesus into our lives to enhance the quality of our lives - we were coming to Him that He would change us and use us in any way He desired.
 
We wanted Him and His changes in us so much we lost friends and felt sad for them, gave up education and business opportunities because compared to knowing the Father and Lord pale by comparison, and over the years continually turned down opportunities in business that would have made us earthly rich but heavenly poor.
 
Today we see this struggle in the body of Christ - those who want Jesus in their lives only to the extent He doesn't challenge them or require changes, versus those who bring the whole of themselves to Jesus and ask Him to change, grow, knock down and rebuild their lives with free reign, no matter what it takes.
 
These same things can be seen by comparing Emperor Constantine with Patrick of Ireland.
In the year 313 AD, a little over 200 years after the apostle John died, Emperor Constantine signed the Edict of Milan, which legalized Christianity. It is important to note he Edict of Milan granted tolerance for Christians, but also granted freedom of worship for all people no matter what deity they worshipped.
 
Constantine did not convert the Roman Empire to Jesus; He brought Jesus into the Roman Empire. Worship of Rome's gods and goddesses continued without interruption alongside Jesus. Rome wanted Jesus, but only to the extent He didn't require them to give up their other idols. 
 
That's how many Christians live; they say they love Jesus, but in fact they love Him only to the extent He asks them to grow, change, humble themselves, and/or obey Him. If He presents opportunity for growth when they are offended, their opinion is challenged, or someone does something they don't agree with, they back away choosing to justify their actions by blaming the other person.
 
They want Jesus to answer prayer, grant favor, heal, provide for their needs, but when He asks them to forgive, deal with bitterness, walk in love and patience, they turn away, cutting off friendships, leaving churches, refuse to talk, email, call, or text whoever they are angry with that there might be reconciliation.
 
As long as Jesus doesn't mess with their carnality and immaturity (gods & idols) Jesus is welcome.
 
Let me introduce you to Patrick of Ireland
Patrick's ministry to Ireland was a mere 30 years, roughly 431 to about 461 AD. He is generally regarded as the first missionary since the original apostles! Here is something else remarkable: When he died in 461 AD the Roman Empire was crumbling into chaos, while Ireland was rising out of chaos into peace and security all thanks to him. What did Patrick do that Constantine didn't?
 
Constantine brought Jesus into Roman culture; Patrick brought Ireland into Jesus's culture
Everything he taught could be traced back to God as the Creator of man, nature, and all good things, holding man accountable to Himself, and as such every decision involving people should be made with that in mind.
He showed them a Christian was brave, honest, and a person of peace even at the risk of being murdered, knowing God and having faith meant He would make all things right in the end.
 
When the clan leaders wanted to attack and enslave a neighboring clan, Patrick stood up to them showing them scripture, telling them from the letter to Philemon that slaves are people created by God, therefore slavery is wrong. His foundation and all his teaching was built around God as Creator, and that all suffering was temporary and He was the Great Judge of all and would make all things right in the end.
 
He taught them that as they were created by God they naturally had some of His traits in themselves and in their culture they admired so much, like loyalty and living generous lives. This meant they could have a lifestyle of those qualities if they walked with God, and He would bring out even more traits they admired - as a way of life that was whole heartedly devoted to Him.
 
He took the good in their culture and linked those characteristics to the goodness of God, and within 30 years Ireland rejected their old gods and goddesses and became a single nation serving living God.
 
The question for each person facing opportunity for growth:  Are we Constantine, or Patrick?
If we are offended by a friend and we know Jesus wants us to forgive and do all we can to repair the relationship, what do we do when He deals with us? Do we bring that hurt to Him and work through it, laying our anger and unforgiveness at the foot of the cross as Patrick would, or do we retain that bitterness as part of the other gods in our lives and just go on living, allowing idols and Jesus to coexist as Constantine would?
 
Are we harboring sin in our hearts, only letting Jesus in to the extent He doesn't challenge us, or do we have the integrity to be brutally honest with ourselves and Him and bring ourselves to Him to change us?
 
Grow up or fall behind
We love Jesus when we can take Him along for the wonderful ride that is our life - our great job, our great home and neighborhood, our community and church - isn't Jesus great everyone? But do we let Him touch our hearts, our motives, our thoughts to change them to His heart, His motives, His thoughts?
 
Let the church committee choose a color of carpet for the sanctuary I don't agree with - well, we have a right to be offended because that burgundy color is just too dark! I'm going to get with others who agree with me and we're going to ask Elder Jim to be our pastor and we'll go lease from the 7th Day Adventists who don't use their church Sunday morning anyway. Or do we take our heart to Jesus like Ireland did?
 
Let your friend tell you it isn't convenient to talk right now because their life is too full of stress to listen to your trivial problems, and you have a right to be offended, right Jesus? Think of that, her life is so stressful she can't listen to my problems...and she calls herself a friend! Allow the hurt and anger with the other idols in your heart like Constantine's Rome, or bring your whole self to Jesus like Ireland did under Patrick?
 
Do you take it personally when someone challenges what you believe, and if they won't agree with you, you end the relationship rather than choosing to focus on all the other things about Jesus and the Father God you do agree on? Do you walk away from a relationship with a person you'll know 10,000 years from now just because in a couple areas of doctrine they don't agree with you, revealing your idolatry of self and self's beliefs, or do you give up your idol to retain a friend? Constantine or Patrick?
 
Let this distinction stay with you, look for it in others - you can see the decision process working in them - the idolaters who choose Constantine's way stand out as do those who choose Patrick's way.
 
Many would rather let the idols in their soul exist side by side with Jesus than to be whole and pure and mature in Christ - that's just too hard. They love Jesus, yes they do! They will go to heaven but as Paul said to the Corinthians* who were in envy, strife, and divisions living as he said, as unborn again people...they will make it, but as if by fire, for their lives are nothing but wood, hay, and stubble. *I Corinthians 3:1-15
 
Rome was crumbling as it allowed Jesus to coexist with the other idols, which is a type of the crumbling condition of a person's soul when they allow their idols to exist side by side with Jesus. By contrast Ireland was rising to wholeness, showing us when we bring our lives to Jesus, the result is wholeness. Constantine or Patrick? Another thought next week...until then, blessings!
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com

Hi all,
Have you ever wondered why the short letter of 25 verses Paul wrote to Philemon about a run away slave, was included in the New Testament? Maybe you have, maybe you haven't - but we owe nearly everything to the subject of Paul's letter, Onesimus.
 
Without him we wouldn't have our New Testament. That's correct. The New Testament you have in your hands or as an app on your phone wouldn't exist without him - surprised? Let me tell you a story...
 
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away...
There lived a teenager named Onesimus. He was raised a slave in the household of Philemon, a man who lived in ancient Colossae, a city in modern Turkey situated about 120 miles (193km) east of Ephesus.
 
When Paul spent over 2 years in Ephesus, Acts 19:10 tells us everyone in that region known as Asia heard the word. The (house) churches at Colossae no doubt were born in this time, as Epaphras* took the Word to Colossae. *Colossians 1:7 & 4:12 
 
Colossae was an important city along the supply road running from Ephesus towards the middle east, as was Laodecia its closest neighbor, and was so known for its (dyed) wool that the Roman Empire declared it to be free from taxes.
 
But all that meant nothing to young Onesimus, a non-Christian slave in a Christian home where adherents of this new religion gathered to worship a man named Jesus and hear stories of His life. Onesimus had bigger dreams, dreams of seeing the world, of being a man of the world - he would worry about the afterlife later.
 
The runaway...
And so it was at some point in his late teens or early twenties, Onesimus, whose name means 'useful', ran away to the big city; Rome. We don't know how he got all the way from Turkey to Italy, what risks he took, how he presented himself to those who questioned the credentials of this young man making his way, but we know he made it to Rome.
 
Paul is already a prisoner of Rome at this time, somewhere in the years 60-62, which is where Luke closes Acts. He states Paul was under house arrest for 2 years but allowed to receive guests, and it was during this time Paul meets a certain run away slave from Colossae, the young man, Onesimus.
 
In his letter to Philemon Paul says this about Onesimus: "...Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus - I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is useful to both me and you..." v9-11
 
And he continues in v13 saying, "I would have liked to have kept him here with me because he is a great help in your place, but I don't want to do that without your consent, so I'm sending him back to you with my heart as well..."
 
So we learn Onesimus in his effort to run away from that house full of Christians back home in Colossae, runs right into Paul in Rome, and becomes a Christian. The fact Paul met him while he was a prisoner might suggest teenager Onesimus had run out of money and no prospects of a job in the big city and turned as a last resort to his master's friend, Paul. We don't know. But we do know that in his effort to run away from home, he ran right into Paul and a new life in Christ.
 
Do the right thing
Now that Onesimus has become a believer, Paul tells him that he must return to Philemon and take his punishment, which could have been death. But Paul's letter to Philemon in our New Testament is his letter of recommendation and request for leniency, in fact suggesting in verses 12-16 the larger plan of God was that in leaving as a runaway slave, God has now returned him better than a slave in a play on words, now as a (useful/onesimus) brother in Christ.
 
Paul even tells Philemon in v19 that he would pay whatever damage Onesimus did or whatever he owes his master, and he reminds him that he owes his own spiritual life to Paul, to seal the deal. Yet as if to add even more weight to his request, Paul closes by adding "And prepare a room for me because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers." He will come personally to see how Onesimus is being treated!
 
And so it was that Onesimus, the one time runaway slave, now returns home with money in his pocket to repay his debt, and carrying the letter to his master from the great apostle Paul in his hand. What joy and what nervousness he must have felt. How would he humble himself and ask forgiveness? Would Philemon be so angry he wouldn't even read Paul's letter and instead sentence Onesimus to immediate death?
 
With no overnight or 2 day mail, no phones nor texting, no way of sending word in advance of his coming, one day Onesimus just shows up at the door, letter in hand. What would be his fate?
 
History records...
Philemon did indeed forgive Onesimus, and better than that - he gave him his freedom and sent him back to work with Paul for as far as we know, what turned out to be the last 4 years of Paul's life. The next time history sees Onesimus he is working in Ephesus, just west of Colossae you'll recall, to work with Timothy who oversees all the (house) churches there.
 
Many scholars estimate there were about 25,000 believers in Ephesus, or 10% of the population of 250,000, and at that time they all met in homes rotating who hosted and led the meetings, having meals together, giving to one another as needs arose, and there were many full time workers coordinating all those resources and communication.
 
Fast forward 30 years: Foxe's Book of Martyrs tells us...
In the year 97, just over 30 years after the deaths of Peter and Paul, Timothy was now an old man and still overseeing the saints in Ephesus, where he was 30 years earlier when Paul sent him to Ephesus and wrote his 1st and 2nd letters to him there. Imagine that, he stayed faithful to his last assignment Paul gave him for over 30 years. No searching God for his next assignment, he stayed faithful right where Paul put him.
 
But in the year 97 the people of the city were celebrating a pagan festival called Catagogion which was noted by carrying idols in their hands as they celebrated up and down the streets of the city. Aged Timothy went to preach to the crowd about their idolatry, and the mob beat him nearly to death, and 2 days later he did finally succumb to his injuries.
 
Enter a former slave
With the death of Timothy, a former runaway slave named Onesimus became the overseer of Ephesus, and remained there until his own death in the year 108 AD. (Though some sources put his death in the year 68 that date doesn't match known history, which says he succeeded Timothy in the year 97 and died a prisoner or Rome by stoning and/or beheading, in the year 108.
 
What he did that changed our lives
But this one thing we know he did after he succeeded Timothy in the year 97 that no one else had done to that point: He began compiling the letters of Paul that had survived over those 50 years.
 
We can only imagine his thoughts, holding Paul's letter to Philemon in his hands, now a cherished personal treasure that had changed the course of his life.  Yellowed and torn around the edges these 50 years later - a brief letter of a only little over 400 words, but what if he could add Paul's other letters to this 1 cherished personal treasure. What if others could read Paul's letters as he did as his Assistant? What if others could be set free by Paul's letters as he had been by his brief appeal to Philemon?
 
And so it is that we have Paul's letters in our New Testament. Thank you Onesimus, for including your own letter, that little hint for us, your own signature as it were to your task of assembling Paul's letters, to let us know the hand of God set in motion by 1 act of kindness. And now you know why that little 25 verse appeal on behalf of a runaway slave is in our New Testament.
 
As with many good deeds, the consequences often deliver unexpected results - trickling down through the centuries to our lives changed because 1 man had mercy on, and shared Jesus with a runaway slave, and that former slave did not let the grace of God bestowed upon him be in vain.
 
We touch the lives of others but it remains to be seen how our investment in each life will bear fruit. The biggest miracles aren't always when someone gets out of a wheelchair, but rather when their heart is changed. For the ripple effect of that change may be seen generations from now, as it was when Paul met a certain runaway teenager down on his luck in the big city of Rome...
 
Another random thought next week, until then, blessings!
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com

Hi all,
Last week I shared how Jesus lives perpetually in the glory and power of His resurrection, and by the new birth our spirit also lives within the ever-present and eternal condition of 'is risen'.
 
My thought today is how Jesus paying for our sins on the cross also spans time and space, but in a different way. Let me explain.
 
Our spirit is born again and empowered with the life of God provided by Jesus living in 'is risen. Our soul is being renewed to 'is risen' truths in the process called discipleship. But our spirit and soul are trapped in a fallen, earth-made body which continually wants to go the way of the world. One day we'll have a glorified body made of heavenly material which will by nature always want to please God like our spirit does, but for now we are in earth bodies.
 
This sets us up for a life-long tug of war between our 'is risen' empowered spirit and our 'do your own thing' body, with our soul being the battle ground between the warring sides*. (*Galatians 5:17, James 4:5) 
 
One day we are emotionally and mentally on top of the world, ready to slay the dragon, and the next we succumb to the sin(s) we hate in our spirit but which our flesh loves.
 
The cross that spanned time
When Paul wrote "while we were yet (still) sinners Christ died for us" in Romans 5:8, it was only about 20 years after the cross, meaning he was writing to people who were in fact alive and living in Rome at the time Jesus was on the cross in Israel. The original readers of his letter to the Romans could nod their heads in agreement as they read that line, and tell each other what they were doing in the spring of that year when Jesus died.
 
We live 2,000 years later, and though that verse has been used in countless sermons, it isn't accurate for us to say "while we were yet (still) sinners Christ died for us", because we weren't even born until more than 1900 years later!
 
A much more accurate understanding for us is found in II Timothy 1:9, written just before Paul's death in the middle 60's AD, to Timothy in Ephesus. This was read by people, the largest majority of whom by that time, were born after the cross:
 
"Who (God the Father) has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works, but according to His (Father's) purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ *before the world began."
(*literally 'before times eternal').
 
The time-tornado
We talk about how our sins were on that cross, looking back 2,000 years. And we read about Old Testament saints like *Abraham and **David who looked forward in time and saw by the Spirit the cross that would one day pay the price for their sins. (*Hebrews 11:17-19, **Acts 2:25-28, 31)
 
That means the Father did something beyond the laws of nature at the cross; While observing His Son on the cross at a specific point in time, He transcended time by pulling all sins from the first sin of Adam up to the point of the cross and put them on Jesus, while also from that point of the cross looked forward in time to all our future sins we would ever sin, and put past, present, and future sins all on the cross at the same time.
 
Like some celestial giant standing above the cross, it was like He took one arm and reached back through time to the start of man's history and swept all man's sins up in His mighty reach, while simultaneously with His other arm stretched forward in time to the end of man's history, sweeping up all future sins in His span, then bringing His arms together He funneled them all onto Jesus on the cross.
 
Paul states in II Timothy 1:9 that in the mind of the Father God, He first did this before He ever created the physical universe, and followed through with it at the cross, which was when time caught up with the Plan.
 
He brought all sins past, present, and future together to one time and one geographical location onto His Son on that cross. Is it no wonder Jesus, who had always called the Father, Father, now cried out in agony as He felt the weight of the sin of the world upon Him; "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 
 
The test of something of man or something divine in origin
Man describes things by that which is known by man, meaning for instance, if we could take a modern airplane back in time 500 years, the people seeing it would describe it as a giant bird. This shows human origin in the description as they simply relate it to what they already know. An outside - that is to say divine - source of information in this example would be to describe exactly what it was, a flying machine built by man for carrying people and goods.
 
Similarly, creation stories that relate the creation of the world by things known by man, reveal a human source - not divine. So when several ancient religions say the earth is carried on the back of a turtle or tortoise, we know that is natural knowledge. Yet for just one example, Job 26:7 states plainly that God "hangs the earth on nothing", showing an ancient understanding of the earth and space that reveal that knowledge was given from outside of mankind. 
 
The cross and the resurrection - both reveal divine knowledge
And so it is we see the claims of both the cross and the resurrection did not originate with man, for in their claims is knowledge beyond people merely sharing information related to natural things around them.
 
The New Testament authors did not claim the story of 1 man hanging on a cross for the sins of the world were limited to that time and space and things they could relate to in their life experience, but instead wrote how God spanned time to gather all sins past, present, and future and put them on that one Man, His Son, to buy back man from death.
 
That ancient man, who didn't even have the ability to travel faster than a horse could carry them, wrote of the cross spanning time past and future to gather all sins to that 1 event, is beyond their ability to think or even imagine.
 
Similarly, the men and women who claimed Jesus was resurrected from the dead did not tell their experiences in a way limited to man's natural knowledge - as if Jesus merely revived or even that someone stole the body. No one claimed a giant turtle carried Him to heaven, for instance. The context of the resurrection story was set by angels who used the gnomic aorist, "He is risen", indicating His resurrection is a condition of existence that spans time and is simply beyond the ability of those (ancient) men and women to even imagine.
 
Add to that the eyewitness accounts including over 500* at the same time seeing Him alive after His resurrection, which reveals no plot nor lie nor tale spun of their own, and the only conclusion is that the resurrection has a divine origin, outside the knowledge of man. (*I Corinthians 15:6) 
 
Thus our sins had a finite and definable end at the cross, while us being joined to 'is risen' life and power is an eternal state of existence. Wow.
 
I have concluded what Peter did in Acts 2:24: "But God raised Him up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He could be held by it", which led to His perpetual condition, the state of existence that "is risen" reflects - forever free and alive - and so are we...by His amazing grace.
 
With Paul let us acknowledge we have not yet arrived, but this one thing we do, we forget those things which are behind, and reach forth to those things before...we press toward the mark of the high call in Christ Jesus.
 
Another random through next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com

Hi all,
In April of this year at our Dutch conference many of us were 'in the Spirit' during a time of worship. The phrase 'in the Spirit' was used by the apostle John in Revelation 1:10 and 4:2 to describe the condition in which his eyes were opened to the realm of the Spirit and He saw the Lord.
 
In our time of worship several were in the Spirit and saw and heard angels and the Lord, who was walking around talking to people. The way that works is that if they didn't hear directly, His words became a deposit in their spirit, something He can pull up later, or affecting them from the inside out. But then He turned to me and said: "Have you noticed it says 'is risen'? Why not check into that." The suggestion seemed odd and my immediate reaction was to be more curious about why He suggested it than His observation about 'is risen'.
 
But quite honestly
There was a lot going on during that worship time at the conference and my days and evenings were non-stop and I never pursued it, in fact I forgot it. I don't like admitting that, but it is true.
 
Our lives are like a line where we start at 'A' at birth and end at 'Z' with our death, and once we pass point 'C' there is no way to carry C into our season of D, E, or M except in our memories. We can't carry a favorite moment with us through life to enter that moment whenever we want...if only that were possible...
 
But there is 1 event in human history where the Father has made a single moment in time stay in that moment. That moment is stated as 'is risen', not 'has risen'.
 
2 months later - on a day in June I was repenting for things I saw in my heart
I was talking to the Lord, not the Father, for the simple reason Jesus can relate to human shortcomings since He is human. The Father has always been 'in the Spirit' and as James 1:13 says, isn't tempted, tested, nor tried by evil nor does He tempt, test, nor try anyone with evil. James goes on to say don't be deceived, for only every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights, and there is never any change nor variableness to the goodness of His character and nature.
 
The Father doesn't know what it is like to be tempted, to be tired, to be hungry, nor to have experienced sin.
But Jesus was tempted, tested and tried by the devil. So I was talking to Jesus upon seeing things in my heart I knew needed to get cleaned up. I wasn't liking myself very much that morning and was rather 'down'.
 
It was in that context He interrupted my groveling (I didn't see Him, He just spoke to me) saying, "Have you noticed it says 'is risen'? Why not check into that." When He said that the memory of April's identical statement 2 months earlier came flooding back to me and I repented for not following up on that.
 
This time it was a healthy repentance for forgetting and ignoring His request from April. I found it amazing that in the midst of seeing things in myself I absolutely hated and telling Him I would deal with it, that He inserted this instruction. I knew it had to be related to me being so negatively focused on myself that day.
 
Is risen, not 'has risen'
I immediately got up and began studying why Matthew 28:6-7, Mark 16:6, and Luke 24:6, 34 each record the angels at the now empty tomb that resurrection morning tell the women "He is risen" in the King James and some other versions.
 
Paul used that same phrase in Romans 8:34: "It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God , who also makes intercession for us."
 
And also in I Corinthians 15:20 "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept."
 
 
Why not, 'He has risen', using past tense because obviously they were at the tomb precisely because He had risen and was no longer there. But it is more than the poetic sound of the King James English. But there is a clue - in English 'is risen' is present tense. Not past, but present tense. Jesus is risen...present tense, but it is more than that.
 
The angels' words established the initial understanding that is equally valid to this day; He is risen.
The phrase 'is risen' was written in the 'gnomic aorist', which communicates the fact of the event without assigning time to it. It isn't only present tense, but perpetually present, perpetually unchanged over time.
 
In other words, 'is risen' is a state of being that exists forever. 'Is risen' is an eternal state of being Jesus lives in - that power, that glory, that life makes Him exist perpetually in that moment of resurrection power and glory.
 
It isn't something that happened in the past except on a calendar in the context of history. Spiritually speaking, Jesus 'is risen'. Heaven doesn't see it as a past event, but continual and perpetual. The Lord of glory exists in a perpetual state of resurrection power and glory that began that Resurrection morning.
  
The reason Paul linked our new life in Christ to Jesus' resurrection is more than symbolism, he recognizes the fact Jesus exists in a perpetual state of resurrection. Paul used 'is risen' when speaking of Christ's place with the Father and as a guarantee of our own resurrection - because He 'is risen' that same 'is risen' is the condition of our born again spirit. We are in Him and He in us, in our spirits living forever in 'is risen', in our perpetual state of being.
 
Death has no hold on us because Jesus lives perpetually in 'is risen'. Sin has no hold in our spirit because our born again experience brought us into a perpetual state of 'is risen' in our spirit - that same power, that same glory, resides in us and is what our spirit is now made of - perpetually, eternally, forever in 'is risen'.  
 
Restrained for now to merely empower our lives but one day to be released to change our mortal bodies into immortal, for now 'is risen' resides in us to help us live free of sin and condemnation. We exist in the same resurrection power that caused the angels to correctly state, He is risen!
 
'Is risen' resides in our spirit to flow outward to our minds which are to start thinking like that and seeing life through those eyes, and then outward to our bodies which we retrain to flow in the things of God rather than the lower nature and things of lower man...flowing spirit to soul to body, from the reality that we are timeless, having entered eternity already, living perpetually in the power of 'is risen'!
 
And that is why...
Back in April when the Lord told me, "Have you noticed it says 'is risen'? Why not check into that." He was looking forward 2 months into June and my morning of repentance and self-disgust and made provision to teach me something. He snapped me out of it with His kindness and grace and brought me back to resurrection power that overcame sin and the limits of human nature. By telling me to study 'is risen' He saw that day 2 months later as the key to getting my eyes off self, off sin, and onto His resurrection life.
 
I've not forgotten that lesson, and now share it with you. I am still exploring the depths of 'is risen', and now understand more clearly the phrase. I'm studying how and why the authors of the New Testament would use 'has risen' and 'is risen' depending on what they were trying to communicate.
 
I'm endeavoring to live in the power of that resurrection, and when I sin or see something in me I don't like and know I have to deal with it, be it thought or action, I don't slide into condemnation and self-disgust, but bring up to myself the fact He is risen, and I live in that Life as well.
 
I hope sharing this sliver of my life and heart has been a blessing to you - may the Father open the eyes of our understanding by giving us the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge in Him, that we may live in the reality of 'is risen'. Another random thought, related to this, next week. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com