God's Love is conditional This site has one purpose, to spread the true gospel of Christ without all the gobbledygook and hype which so many Christian churches are obsessed with. Jesus Christ brought a NEW TESTAMENT to mankind. I will not concern myself with the OLD for I am a follower of Christ, not the old 'jewish' testament. The Old Testament is an interesting often highly entertaining document and its place is in the preparation of the way for Christ to come into the world. Far more important, however, is how when Christ came he subverted all that many but the wisest of the jews expected. He did not come as KING to lead a victorious army against the Romans and establish heaven on earth for the jewish people. He did not use his miracles to overthrow the enemies of his people. He came to save the world with a message, and to be a living embodiment of that message. If only our world leaders lived by that message! His testament is clearly stated time and again thoughout the gospels. It is no wonder the jews hated him for it. It is no wonder the Romans feared him. I shall not concern myself here with his life nor how he fulfilled the prophecies, nor the miracles that confirmed his divinity. What is of most importance is the new testament that he preached. You will find it most clearly expressed in the gospel of St. Matthew, which is presumably why it is the first gospel in the books of the New Testament (see the references at the end.) Even today the Churches fear his message. Governments' are desperate to keep it hidden. Far better to have people believe that Christ died to save us all unconditionally. All we have to do is believe and be saved! But that is not what the gospels tell us. To believe in Christ is to live AS Christ. To love as He LOVED US. Unconditional love is indeed the Gospel of Christ but it is not God's unconditional love that he speaks of - but our unconditional love FOR EACH OTHER. Yes our neighbours and even worse - OUR ENEMIES. Unconditional Love Christian Love is not His love for us without conditions as many churches preach. It is somethins very different. What is conditional? God's love is conditional. Everyone knows that but they deny it. Most churches will tell you that it is conditional only on you joining them! I prefer to join Christ. The gospel is Love. We must not JUDGE others. This a condition. We must FORGIVE others their sins. This is is a condition. We must LOVE our neighbours and our enemies. This is a condition. Jesus said REPENT. This is a condition. What is it we are repenting? We are repenting that we have lived a life judging others, hating them, wanting revenge against them. He taught us a prayer with the very clear condition laid down: "Forgive us our tresspasses AS WE for give those WHO TRESSPASS AGAINST US." No matter how modern translations dress this up - it is saying that our forgiveness IS CONDITIONAL on forgiving others. How many churches give us that simple honest truth! Repent and be saved. "Love one another as I have loved you" said Jesus. I have heard it preached that he meant only Christians for other Christians. Is this the Jesus Christ I read of in the Gospels? God gave His son to save the world, not just the Christians - not of one domination or another - not just believers. All mankind. In fact, read it - THE WORLD. That is EVERYTHING. The WORLD. We are commanded - Jesus said "a new commandment" - LOVE one another AS I HAVE LOVED YOU. To whom did Jesus show love? Just his little circle of friends? Or to tax collectors and prostitutes, the down and outs, the poor, the beggars, the lame and sick, the ROMANS themselves! In fact to every living soul he came into contact with. I cannot believe he even spoke in anything but love to the Jews who hated him. His whole life was as a teaching of his ministry of love. And then came the brutal and tortured end. He hung there on the cross in an agony way beyond our understanding, ridiculed and hated by his own people for failing to live up to the 'saviour on a horse' defeating their enemies but instead riding in on a donkey, the epitome of peace and love; ridiculed and hated by the Romans who knew the real danger his message held, and betrayed by friends - as he knew he must be. For who could believe now in a message of unconditional love when their leader is broken and beaten and dying on a cross like a common criminal? As he hung there even Christ was reminded of a prayer - 'Oh Lord why hast thou forsaken me?' The cup had not be taken away. But - at the point when all expectation was at its height, as they stripped and beat and tore his clothes from his back and nailed Him to the cross- would he finally perform the miracle? Would he leap down and defeat the Romans? At that point he did the greatest miracle of all. He spoke. "Forgive them father for they know not what they do." (Luke Chapter 23, Verse 34) His own forgiveness is implicit. He is asking forgiveness for ALL; the jewish elders who condemned Him; and the Romans who tortured and bullied and crucufied Him; and those spitting, laughing and hating him; Judas; Christ at that moment asks that THEY BE FORGIVEN. That is - be allowed to join Him in Heaven! This is the GREAT miracle! Greater than the resurrection or the raising of the dead. These are party tricks in contrast. Here in acute pain and desperation Jesus Christ has the compassion to recognise that these people - "know not what they do". These people do not have the conciousness to recognise what they are doing. He does not judge them nor ask that they be judged. He does not condemn them. He does not call for revenge. He forgives and loves. And commands that we MUST do the same. For this is the WAY. Through Christ. It is the only way and it is narrow. But no matter what you have done before - the camel - your sins will be forgiven if you REPENT and FORGIVE and LOVE. Can we do that? Countries that claim to be Christian? Who was Jesus? When Jesus was born all expectation was upon Him. The prophecies and the wise men. He grew up a boy genius. He lived from youth knowing that all expected He would be the saviour of the Jewish people. And yet for thirty years he did nothing but prepare. All we know is he was a carpenter. But also a scholar. He was learning what was expected of a boy born to be King. And he didn't like what he learned. He should save his people, be the new David. But no. He knew this was not right. And he waited. He was thirty years old or so when the crunch came. He could put it off no longer. He was, he must have been, aware of his talent - his unique abilities. And he he had a terrible and difficult choice to make. He could do it their way - or he could do it God's way. His Father's way. OUR Father's way. But still a terrible hard choice. It would take a man as great as our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ FORTY DAYS and FORTY NIGHTS to resolve himself. The temptations were enormous. He could be King of the WORLD. He could lead His people and defeat the Romans, drive them out, and more. He could invade Rome. Take over their Empire. Establish His kingdom on earth. He could amaze every nation and peoples with His miracles. Fly over the heads of His enemies. But is that what he chose? No. Because that would have been man's way and not God's. You cannot bring a message of unconditional LOVE to mankind by warfare or violence or magic shows. He realised the only way to teach the Truth to man was to LIVE it. Then perhaps they would understand! He would live and DIE the truth to show mankind that LOVE is God's way. Love is the KINGDOM of Heaven. It is always on hand, but so out of reach without UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. For our sakes - all of us - every sinner-he lived and died. Especially in those last three years in which finally resolved to what he had to do. In those three short years he compressed the wisdom of eternity. Why the truth is hidden. Jesus taught us we do not need burnt offerings and sacrifices, rituals and regalia or churches and temples that will collapse with time. It is not what goes in our mouths but what comes out, he said. He overturned the money tables not because he despised money but because it has nothing to do with love of God, and the Church was being used to make money rather than to LOVE. The poor widow with only a penny to give gives more than a millionaire - because she gives from LOVE. The Samaritan is a better man than the Priest - because he acts out of pure love. It is not what we say but what we do. If we love and forgive and judge not then we love God more than all the kneeling and singing and clapping could ever show. If we do as Jesus did and live in peace with the world - despite how it treats us - then we live through Christ. Then Christ saves us and gives us the keys to Heaven. There will be those in the world who have never heard of Christ but who live in love as Christ demands, who are closer to the Kingdom of Heaven than many so called Christian Churches. Those people - and their religion or lack of it is irrelevant - who love in compassion without judgement, and who forgive those who tresspass against them are following Christ. They are following the Father's way. For if you do not love your fellow man with all his sins and vices as your self - then you are not obeying the conditions Christ lays down. It is that simple. I have listened to men and women in all denominations of Christianity, Jews, Buddhists (of all denominations also), Taoists, Hare Krishnas, Hindus, Muslims speak Christ's truth. (Could you believe God is incapable of getting his message to all peoples? If so you are judging God which I fear is worse even than judging other people!) We must love as He loved. And every time we break bread or drink wine we must be reminded to do so. And that does not mean once a week at church - but every single time we eat or drink anything we should be reminded of his life and death and its meaning - which is LOVE INCARNATE. Every time we eat and drink we must remind ourselves that we must LOVE our enemies and forgive those who hate and harm us. The pity is the truth is hushed up, hidden behind promises that 'we are the chosen who will inherit the earth' and lies that we only need believe that Jesus is God in order to be saved. And why is the truth kept from us? Because it is HARD. Too hard. People will run away. People will turn on us. They might CRUCIFY US for telling them these things. Let's tell them that if they give us money and follow the rituals they will be saved. Yes let's tell them precisely the things the jewish church was telling people before Christ came and upset the apple cart. Let's not talk too much about the conditions laid down. And besides what would the government think of a church advising people to LOVE. Face it most governments policies are not about loving! They are about encouraging greed and avarice and envy and jealousy and protecting our wealth and keeping foreigners in their place, because they are heathens who do not love Christ! We can exploit those who are not saved like us! And kill enemies who get in our way. And demand revenge on our transgressors. And make lots of money without any guilt. After all we are saved aren't we? Unconditionally? Get the message here and NOW. NO. Repent and be saved! Yes we need to believe that Jesus is God - but to believe demands that we follow. Belief demands we act upon Jesus's commandments to love and forgive and judge not. Do that and we are saved. Implications The implications are enormous. What a world it would be if all mankind loved without reservation. An end to all hate and a beginning of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. And if it never happens? Even if this world passes away Christ's truth will still be true! He says so himself. But you can experience that Kingdom now by joining Christ and living a life of total love. Not locked away in a monastery or walking like a beggar through the streets, but by loving all men and women as your equals, judging no one despite their sins, and forgiving those who hurt you. 9/11 could have been the greatest day in Christian history since the Resurrection. How? By a so-called Christian nation living up to His name. Saying to the evil terrorists - we are Christ's followers and so we forgive you and we ask God to forgive you. By putting away swords and offering compassion and understanding to those who killed so many for so little. How could any terrorist react to true forgiveness in the name of God. Would it have been easy? No. Would the American government have dared? Not without true faith in the power of God to overcome all evil through LOVE. We are yet to see Christ's way shown on that scale but I pray one day we shall. Those poor mistaken Muslims who believe they kill in God's name could have been taught Christ's truth. And even more sadly - soldiers from many nations would also have learned that message. And a lot of innocent civilians across the world would be alive and in one piece and safe instead of caught up in terror. God's way is not easy or convenient or acceptable to most. It is not all happy clappy sing-song. If it had been Christ would not have died in agony. He was crucified by those like ourselves who simply reject the idea that we should love those we hate and forgive those who wish to kill and that we should seek reconciliation instead of revenge. Martin Luther KIng knew. Ghandhi knew. Christ's way is the only way in the end. What we have now is a new Roman Empire in the Middle East trying to enforce its ways in the very same manner as Pilate 2000 years previously. And with as little success. Our troops are not in Iraq in the name of Christ but in the name of Mammon and we should not be suprised that the Islamic people see that and hate us for it. Our soldiers are there serving the same God as the Romans served. But it could be different. The way is through Christ. He died to bring us the gospel of Love. For all the world. The implications are obvious. But who dares take up the cross? The sad state of the world. The world is sadly no better now than 2000 years ago. Nothing changes or improves. There is nothing new under the sun and all is just hot air and wind. For every improvement there is a decline. It is swings and roundabouts. One war ends a new one begins. One tragedy is solved a new one starts. One evil is eradicated a new one rises to replace it. And so it goes on and so it will go on. God is not going to come down in a cloud and solve it for us. If he had wanted to do that he would have done it thousands of years ago. He is not going to come and take you away in great cloud because you are one of the chosen ones unless you truly follow what His Son commanded.. Do we despair? Do we cry? Jesus told us a message of great joy. The Kingdom of God is at hand. That means not far away. Not in time but in distance. It is there waiting for you now if you dare to take up your cross. Jesus never said it was easy. The disciples died in agony virtually every one. They did not live in big houses with swimming pools. But they knew it was worth it. They knew God's word was true. The disciples would not have lived and died as they did if they had not faith in what they had seen and heard. And that was LOVE. Not just miracles, but LOVE, the greatest miracle of all. They did not act out of fear or desperation but out of the joy of knowing the kingdom of heaven by living the life Jesus asked of them, and of us. St. Francis and many others have done the same. Now I am not saying we must all be saints. It does not need us to die in agony crucified or beaten, but simply to love, forgive and never judge others. Live by example and hope others will follow, And if no on does, fear not for your Lord in heaven sees. And in any case the truth is THEY WILL even if you never know it! You can change the world - by changing yourself. How? Repent and love the lord. Love, forgive and judge not. Not believe? There are those who do not even believe Jesus existed? For you I say, believe the evidence. It is there if you seek it out. Why then did no one other that the Christians write about Him? How naive. Who wanted His story told? Not the Jews. They wanted him forgotten as quickly as possible. Certailnly not the Romans. The most powerful empire on earth - more powerful than the modern USA - more in control of men's minds than even the British Empire could manage - do you honestly think a story like this could get out if they opposed it. Not a chance. Censorship. But they could not censor the imperial historian, a jew called Josephus from giving Jesus a passing mention. And they could not stop the disciples. Once the Romans realised Christianity was too powerful even for them, like any good corporate business they did the obvious thing and took over the company. Rome would dictate what Christianity was. Rome would dictate what language it would be taught in - Latin - that will keep the riff-raff out! Rome will impose a ruler whose authority cannot be questioned. After all he has Papal infallibilty granted by god; that is god the emperor. And if any oppose then they are heretics. And so must die. No talk here of love, forgiveness and judge not that thou shalt not be judged! Reformations come and go and each time the new church becomes more concerned with itself and its rules and structures and buildings and authority figures, until hopefully someone reforms it and the game begins again. And all along the way there are anti-Christs perverting his message. It is more important to get people through the church doors than concern ourselves with Christ's true gospel. Tell them they are saved and they will come and bring their money and we can have a lovely building and our priest can live in a nice house, drive a nice car and administer to our needs by reminding us how happy we are and how saved! I may be cynical but is there anything new under the sun? Isn't this the way it has been for over 2000 years. No wonder people turn away from Christianity; no wonder people feel it is shallow and false; now wonder they seek the truth in other religions and new age nonsense, or lose belief in everything! Darkness is where there is no light. It does not exist as such, it is simply where there is no light. So many live in darkness because they do not have the light. Jesus said he was the light. The light of truth. Love. Sin means to miss the target. To sin is to fail to do what is right. We miss and fail because we are not directed to truth. Jesus points us to the way. It is as narrow as the eye of a needle. Like the sights of a weapon. If we are looking through that sight, as narrow as the eye of a needle we cannot miss. We cannot sin. Many do because they are in darkness and have no 'sights' to see the target; they may not even know there is a target there!. Do we judge them? Of course man loves to do just that - but Jesus says that makes you as BAD as those you judge. You will suffer the same fate as them. How can this be? Because all sin can be forgiven. Any sin can be forgiven - if you repent and love God and follow the gospel of Christ. That is the condition. You need no vicar between you and God, no Priest to tell you what to think, no Pastor to lead you. Forget the old testament. Forget the Bible once you have grasped the message. It is a book. That's all. Its purpose is to teach us the message of Christ. The rest is irrelevant. I think even Jesus got very bored and frustrated at people trying to ask clever questions on trivia to catch him out. Just listen to the gospel - LOVE. You do not need to know anymore? What is heaven like after death? Too complicated for us to understand that's for sure! "There are many mansions in my Father's house". Stick that in your pipe and smoke it! In other words do not bother me with questions so far beyond your understanding as to make it ridiculous to even ask! Faith. Have faith in the gospel. Not blind unquestioning faith - faith through experience; the experience of loving, forgiving and not judging. Try it. Millions have despite their politicians, preachers and world leaders! Come with the faith of a child - innocent and not looking for all the answers, happy to believe in the truth as they experience it. You need no special equipment; no church, no prayer mat or beads or books. But if you want to use them go ahead. An idol is a graven image you pray too - not an image you use to remind you of the gospel. Your car, your TV and you fancy clothes are more likely to be graven images in the Biblical sense than the statue of a saint or a stained glass window. I do not need glasses but you might. I do not wear a hearing aid, but you might. I often need reminding of God's love, but you might not. We are all different. I do not believe Christ minds what we use to aid us in the fulfillment of his gospel so lets not get lost in that! So to those who do not believe I say - try it. It's easy. If you don't like it you can stop.To those of other religions I say - fine - try Christ's message of love as part of 'your' Holy way - I bet Christ's truth is nestled away in your Holy scriptures somewhere anyway - LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. Compassion is the very root of Buddhism and Islam. Jesus won't mind if you don't want to use his name, so long as you follow His way, the way of Christ. Prophet or Son of God? it doesn't matter so long as you follow. To believe he is the son of God and not follow his true teaching is worse than the worst pagan. Remember the parable - it is better to say you will not and to do, than say you will and then do not. Even if you don't believe in God at all, that's fine - call it Humanism. Call it New Age, the point is Jesus won't mind for once you are on His path you are with Him anyway! Go in Love and serve the Lord - whatever you concieve him to be! Check out these references! Saint Matthew's Gospel Chapter 5, Verses 22-26; 5, v. 38-48; Chapter 6, Verses 14-15; Chapter 7, Verses 1 - 5; Chapter 18, Verses 21 -35; Chapter 23, Verses 37 - 40 Chapter 25, Verses 34 -46 St. Mark's Gospel Chapter 12, Verses 29 - 34 St. Luke's Gospel Chapter 6 Verses 27 - 46 Chapter 10, Verses 25 -37 St. John's Gospel Chapter 3 Verse 20 Chapter 14, Verse 23 Chapter 15, Verse 12 "If we do anything outside of LOVE we are NOTHING." St. Paul 1 Cor. 13: 1-3 I am willing to discuss and debate. I will read your views and offer you mine. I will get back to you with a reply even if you completely disagree with me. My views are not my personal opinion but simply what the gospels say loud and clear. There are many things I have not touched on which you may want answers to and I will try and supply them - from the Gospels, so please do not hesitate if you feel strongly enough about anything I have written. You can leave a note in my guestbook and I will answer it here on the site! God bless you all.