What Has Gone Wrong?

Eden was what most everyone looks for today: a great place to live, intimacy with the perfect mate, good things to occupy our time, value/ worth from a significant person, and a job that fits our makeup. Bliss. Unclouded relationships. Purpose. Affirmation. Satisfaction. Nakedness without a shred of shame (Genesis 2:25). Paradise on earth!

Yet today our world bears little resemblance to Eden as God created the world to be. We feel the universal struggle between light and darkness, good and evil. We wonder who we are. What we do doesn’t appear to make much difference. What we enjoy seems unattainable or fragile. We become frustrated, frantic, despairing. What’s gone wrong?

God gave one simple test of love and obedience (Genesis 2:16-17). Satan, disguised himself as a serpent, attacked Eve and Adam at this point of allegiance in a four-fold attack in Genesis 3. All creation was forever different. And he attempts to trip us up today in the same way.

Step 1: Deception (3:1b): Deception is a rotten lie at the core, coated on the outside with a semblance of truth, like a barbed fishhook covered with alluring bait. It’s Satan’s style. God begins with His generous bounty, adding only one specific, protective prohibition (2:16-17). The serpent reports vast prohibitions while ignoring God’s profuse provision. He subtly undermines the goodness and generosity of God by taking a semblance of Reality and masking it with his crafty deceit. The battle still rages today as Satan subtly twists truth: “Did God really say…?”

Step 2: Debate (3:2-3): Then the enemy coaxed Eve to debate with him in isolation from God, in her aloneness. First, Eve diminished her God-given freedom (focused on the one limit rather than her vast freedom). Then she added to the limit (God did not say “don’t touch”). Finally, Eve minimized the certain, but negative consequences (God said, “you will surely die”). Satan uses the same ploy with us today.

Step 3: Denial (3:4): Now the serpent directly denies the truthfulness of God’s Word with a frontal attack, calling God a liar.

Step 4: Defaming (3:5): The serpent’s words are totally true, yet completely false. As we compare God’s statement in Genesis 3:22, the words are full-on deceit, twisting God’s intent as God only prohibited gathering knowledge separate from Him. Yes, their eyes will be opened to know good and evil. Knowing apart from God though is devastating!

This rebellion resulted in the Fall of all creation since God delegated His authority to humanity to rule with Him. Because of “solidarity,” we are now born in the shattered image of Adam (see 5:3). This results in the devastation we experience today.

 

Jesus is the only way back.

This came from my book, Foundation Stones. I also have a web-site with tools, books and "more than Bible studies" that have helped me to live out of this spiritual DNA, www.JimFredericks.com

God's Original Eden-Intent for Me

What Is God’s Original Eden-Intent for Me?

 I wish I had known...

 

...early in my Christian life what I see now. I began asking myself: “Where can I go to discover God’s original plan for my life before sin came in?” I discovered only two: Genesis 1 and 2 before sin came into the world, and the life of Jesus, who walked out ideal humanity. As I soaked in these Scriptures, I began to see humanity in a fuller, more radiant light. What seed-thoughts of God’s original Eden-intent do you see in Genesis 1:26-28? I see three aspects of my identity.

1. Belonging: Secure Relationship: God said let “us make man in our image,” designing us for relationship, like Him. The Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) enjoy an eternal, perfect, and self-giving relationship with one another, before time, now and forever. God designed us in this image. We will never become lit’l gods, although we are like Him as no other created being, uniquely reflecting important aspects of God. This Community-of-Three fashioned us as His friend for intimate relationship, to be an object of His love, to be free to choose and to love Him back. Reality begins here. Something deep within us longs to return “home” since He made us in the image of perfect relationship.

2. Competence (mission): Significant Purpose: Our Maker also created us for purpose. God created us as image-bearers to partner with Him as His co-regents, reigning with His blessing and authority, wisdom and power (“let them rule over”). The image and likeness is dynamic. God has given us authority to partner with Him now in His God-assignments. Explore and serve as His feet and hands, His voice and touch. God assigned us to reign in life, yet not independently. He is the Giver, designing us in His image to serve. He sends us to cultivate our unique world of people and to radiate His light. As we align with Him in our private/work lives, we partner in His plans and collaborate with Him.

3. Acceptance: Sincere Affirmation: God designed us to be blessed or fully accepted by Him, and to pass the same on to others (Rom 15:7). This honest and authentic blessing expresses unconditional acceptance. Blessing throughout Scripture includes communicating the unimaginable worth of those made in God’s image and likeness. This releases life and power, bringing His Father-heart great pleasure as we fulfil His calling.

With Adam’s first breath, he gazed directly into the face of God (Genesis 2:7). Since the Fall, we now seek to fulfill these legitimate, God-given needs in illegitimate ways. However, “in Christ” God restores these ABC’s of identity for His crown-jewel, restoring spirituality, calling us to belonging and purpose, releasing true beauty, partnering in His battle for justice. Our hearts yearn down deep for this!

This came from my book, Foundation Stones. I also have a web-site with tools, books and "more than Bible studies" that have helped me to live out of this spiritual DNA, www.JimFredericks.com

What Is God Like?

Close your eyes and ask yourself the question in the heading.

No question in life is more essential. Our life flourishes or is impoverished based on our mental picture of God. No person or people have ever risen above their God-concept. Let’s return to the beginning to get in touch with His original revelation of Himself in Genesis 1. In 1:26, Scripture uses the plural words “us” and “our” to describe God. At His core, this one God is a Plurality-in-Unity, which fries my mental circuits. However, what is clear is that God is relational at His core from before time began.

What else do we see in seed form from the creation account in Genesis 1:3-25?

 

Read this section several times with this statement fixed in your mind: “Creation reflects its Creator.” What do you personally see in Genesis 1 that reflects God? Before continuing, first jot down some thoughts because active learning accelerates growth.

God is good: Six different times Genesis states: “And God saw it was good.” Why do you suppose God repeated this refrain each day? God settles something essential about His character from the get-go. We need never doubt again. God is good (this includes His love, mercy, compassion, grace, kindness, goodness, tenderness, just to mention a few characteristics of His goodness). Everything God thinks or could think is good. God can only do good because He is good. Every good thing we have comes from the loving, gracious, caring hand of our Father. This describes our God! He is on our side, constantly looking to do us good.

God is great. God is prior to, and independent of all He creates. The true and living God speaks a free and sovereign command and it happens. “And God said, ‘Let there be’…and it was so.” He has the ability and power to bring anything and everything to pass that is consistent with His character. This suggests that God is great. He is unlimited. The God of the Bible is the Sovereign King of the universe, Maker of all. He can do whatever He chooses, whenever He chooses, however He chooses. All creation is, therefore, dependent on God and will one day answer to our Creator. Begin all our thinking with Him.

God is generous. The variety and vastness of creation suggests that God is outwardly focused, overflowing with generosity. God chose to create. He was not pressured. No one twisted His arm. God freely and generously gives to bless by filling people with His own life. It’s who He is, overflowing abundance. God found great pleasure in creating us.

Our relational God is the good Father, the great King and our generous Husband. What is your connection to this relational God?

This came from my book, Foundation Stones. I also have a web-site with tools, books and "more than Bible studies" that have helped me to live out of this spiritual DNA, www.JimFredericks.com

Jesus Is Incomparable!

I began reading the Bible that first summer, or more accurately, devoured it. I could not get enough! It was all new! And Jesus stood center-stage. The unfulfilled longings in my heart now had answers and a face, Jesus.

I knew very little about Jesus when I committed my life to Him at twenty-five. As I read the New Testament (NT), though, I began to see the most attractive and remarkable man I had ever encountered! And to know this person desires relationship with me increased my longing. The depths of Jesus Christ our Lord are so vast, I’m glad God usually teaches us through “layer learning.” We learn one aspect that is completely true, yet only a portion of the fathomless layers of the fullness of Christ.

Early-on I somehow learned that Christianity is all about relationship, my relationship with God and with His people and the lost world. Over time, this introvert learned to draw life and vitality through life-influencing interaction with people. So as I read through the Gospels, I began to model my life after Jesus. An important aspect of God’s plan for the ages is to make me more like Jesus (Romans 8:29). And as I read the Gospels, I saw the incredible way Jesus related to those in need.

An ancient myth relates that one fleeting glimpse of this mythical figure in the woods, and a person would spend a lifetime for just one more glimpse. Jesus is no myth. Though one glance at Jesus, rightfully seen, and we will invest the rest of our lives getting to know Him better. And Jesus rushes to reveal Himself to us (John 14:21). Allow a picture to form in our mind of the life-giving abundance of the True Vine (John 15). Let the Spirit awaken within us such a deep longing for Jesus that we turn from all else to admire and embrace Him. Jesus won us a perfect right standing before God. We are “in Christ” through faith in His life and death, His resurrection and ascension. Jesus gives us His very own life, life with an eternal quality, life together with His Father, the only life Jesus has. His aim? To make us fruit-bearers who bring joy to others.

Implicit in the figure of the True Vine in John 15 is full and abundant provision for life and fruitfulness for my branch-life, as I draw on it. He initiates and I respond, “Yes, sir!” No poverty exists in the vine, or could exist in the True Vine. A vine provides everything a branch needs to fulfill its life-purpose. The very life of the vine surges through the branches (perhaps a subtle image of the Spirit’s ministry in John 14-16). This eternal life produces delicious, juicy, sweet fruit for the owner of the vineyard. Pick up a luscious cluster of grapes at the store. Eat them leisurely as you read John 15:1-17 and reflect on the True Vine.

This came from my book, Foundation Stones. I also have a web-site with tools, books and "more than Bible studies" that have helped me to live out of this spiritual DNA, www.JimFredericks.com

Launching My Journey

On this blog-site, I want to share a number of basic ideas that helped my launch my now forty-five year journey with Jesus from a healthy platform. My hope and prayer is that these are valuable for you wherever you are on your journey. Then pass them along to others.

Since reflecting back on the first two years of my Christian journey birthed these blogs, let me begin where it all began with me.

My mom insisted I went to church until turning thirteen. Nothing in church intersected my life so at thirteen I became a “CEO” Christian (“Christmas & Easter Only”). By my mid-twenties, I struggled mightily with purpose in my life. I did not like who I was and escaped mostly through alcohol and cards. I had no idea where I came from, where I was going or what purpose I had on the way. At times when I was quiet and reflective, despair hit me with gripping darkness.

I was working in an accounting firm in Colorado Springs in my mid-twenties. An older lady who was like a second mom to me was dying of leukemia. I visited her in the hospital one day at my lunch break. Never having been around a dying person before, the awareness of death shook me to my core. After the visit, I drove my red Fiat-124 rag-top convertible back to work and a violent hail-storm threatened to destroy it. I quickly pulled under a large tree for protection.

Surrounded by nature’s fury as I sat alone, the deep feelings of my imminent loss hit me hard. I prayed…perhaps my first prayer ever. I was an agnostic, unsure if God even existed. Yet I prayed: “If you will heal her and save her life, I will serve you.” In a flash, the thought rushed unbidden into my mind. “Jim, if you think there’s even a possibility of such a God existing, what are you doing bargaining with him?” Then my second prayer. “If you make yourself real to me, I’ll serve you.” Nine months later, in the attic of my in-laws’ farmhouse in Haven, Kansas, God answered this prayer. My response: “Jesus, I don’t know very much about You. I do know I can’t lead my life the way I want. Here is my life just as it is, and I’ll take your life back in return. I’m all Yours.”

That simple prayer of all-in allegiance to Jesus as I knew Him at that specific moment was the pivot point of my life. I later realized that in that instant, I passed out of death into life. The Bible began to make sense to me for the first time. As I learned more about Jesus, I responded with a consistent, “Yes, Lord!” I enjoyed hanging around Christians, not as a have-to like during my childhood, but as a get-to.

Life made more sense. “The way in is the way on!” So I can look back and see how God guided me into at least three healthy, foundational beliefs. (1) God wooed me and I responded. (2) I was certain I could not run my life myself. (3) I was all-in with Jesus, best I knew, from the get-go. I wonder what would happen if we all laid these three simple responses into our daily lives.

 

This came from my book, Foundation Stones. I also have a web-site with tools, books and "more than Bible studies" that have helped me to live out of this spiritual DNA, www.JimFredericks.com

About Me

What do you need to know about me to enjoy my blog and Christian perspective? I am "Poppo" to my fourteen grandchildren, "Freder" to my wife of 40+ years and family of 4 children and their 4 spouses (I consider them all our children!), and Jim Fredericks by birth. I want to make a difference in people's lives.

I'm equally comfortable in the work world, Christian world and academic world. My 40+ year career has weaved in and out between the secular and sacred (although I make no distinction!) as a manager and accountant in the business world, and as a pastor, missionary and adjunct prof as a Christian professional.

 

My heart is particularly stirred for those in the work world. Recently I heard pastor Jay Pathok say: "You have heard the saying, '20% of the people do 80% of the work in the church,' usually just before a passionate request for workers. I got to thinking. It's right that 20% of the people do 80% of the work within the church because the other 80% should be sent to their natural relationships in the work-place, bringing the light and presence of  Jesus." Much of what I have written is with this end in mind, be a catalyst for the 80% to realize the joy and satisfaction in their call "to be sent into the world without being the same as the world."

I want to provide some of what has been helpful for me on this website from my business background. I hope you will be provoked to think and reconsider as you interact with this blog.

 

What is your God-given assignment?  I invite you to explore this website and download any of the free resources you find helpful. I desire is to make a difference. Let me know how I can help. If you are looking for more, perhaps you would like to visit my website at JimFredericks.com

Jim Fredericks

Become What You Behold

Please begin with this short exercise: Take a few moments to tap into your memory bank. Close your eyes and imagine a time when you were completely accepted, not for what you could contribute or give. But simply for whom you are. Dial this memory up to center-stage.

How was it?  Now, I want to shout to you. On your good days and on your bad days, this is a small taste of how the Father, Son and Spirit feel about you. Each One is “for” you…always. God has fashioned and re-created each and every one of His people to abide in this divine interconnectedness. Destroy any other mental pictures. We become what we behold so behold this great and good God of the Bible, who is relational at His core.

Do you know Jesus personally through faith in Him? Then He has drawn you into the presence of this relational Community-of-Three to experience the same captivating co-love and tender care that the Father has for His Son. He chooses to draw us close, whether we can grasp this or not. This is Reality, whether you feel waves of His love or feel nothing, whether you come out of a positive family background or not.

But by [the Father’s] doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption
(1 Corinthians 1:30, NASB).

I don’t have all the answers…for sure. But I know that people get confused in this life about what they have done and what they think they should have done because of it and what they want in life. Everything they think they are or did takes a hold so hard. It doesn’t let them see who they really are and what they can become. God has a big idea about you and about us together in koinonia in community, and in future blogs I want to share a bit of this vision.

 “You are the son of a kind, strong, and engaged Father, a Father wise enough to guide you in the Way, generous enough to provide for your journey, offering to walk with you every step”
(John Eldredge).

 “When you feel far away, I want you to think about Me and about My love,” says the relational God of the Bible to us, His Bride. “Turn again and come a run’n back to Me quickly.” Jesus keeps coming back to this central issue of our connected Father-son relationship in His Forever Family. Especially in the Gospel of John, He paints the picture of His relationship with His Father, who adores and protects, nurtures and trains us up with His matchless care. Then Jesus calls us to experience the same relationship (John 14:20-21).

I’ve read a number of blogs online. At times, some of their threaded discussions seem to divert to argumentation over small points.  I’m more interested in implementation for LifeChange. So, I’m not encouraging posting on this blog, even if this strikes a responsive chord. Instead, find one person in your circle and pass-it-along in a face-to-face way. Jesus met with His followers personally. We are certainly able to pass on information through social media, but LifeChange happens best as we engage personally with other flesh-&-blood people. Pass it along!