ROBIN SMIT / BEHOLD THE LAMB
In this conversation, Robin Smith and Jason explore the themes of identity, the nature of God, and the journey of hybrid publishing. They discuss the significance of understanding one’s true identity in relation to the finished work of the cross and how this understanding can transform lives.
The conversation also touches on the importance of generational awakening and legacy, emphasizing the goodness of God and the expansive nature of faith. In this conversation, They explore themes of personal growth, the power of positive self-talk, and the significance of understanding one’s identity in Christ. They discuss the importance of self-reflection, the finished work of Christ, and the transformative nature of the gospel.
The conversation also touches on the role of imagination in spiritual life, the nurturing of young authors, and the excitement surrounding upcoming writing projects. Additionally, they discuss the importance of mentorship, the transformative journey of grace, and the diverse perspectives within the spiritual community.
They explore the role of love in spiritual growth, the challenges of publishing diverse voices, and the significance of creating safe spaces for dialogue. The discussion highlights the power of authentic encounters with God and the awakening that can occur through these experiences, as well as the future of spiritual media and its impact on the community.
For more on Robin Smit
Website: https://www.robinsmit.com/
The Writers Society:https://www.thewriterssocietypublishing.com/
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Behold The Lamb / by Robin Smit
I was honored to write the forward for Robin Smit’s new book, Behold the Lamb which releases today! I can’t recommend it more!
FORWARD
I was raised in, as Robin writes, Western Evangelical Christianity, where “the false doctrines of ‘original sin’ and a punitive atonement narrative groomed (me) to see a harsh, damning, aloof, and distant god, quick to condemn.”
I’ve never actually met that God. Since I can remember, Jesus has been my best friend, and He has been nothing but kind. But for my first 35 years, because of Evangelical teaching on original sin, and that damning lie of separation, I tip-toed around our Father. Then, many years ago, Eva and I drove to, as she called it, “City Town.” She was two.
Eva is my daughter, whom I love. With her, I have always, and will always be, well pleased.
On the drive, I began to sing a song I’d woken up humming—the lyrics both arrested and haunted me.
I love You, Lord, I lift my voice; to worship You, oh my soul, rejoice!
Take joy, my King, in what You hear. Let it be a sweet, sweet sound to Your ear.
That morning, I felt desperate, lonely, and overwhelmed by my family’s significant needs, my failing business, Adam’s finished work, and Jesus’s never-ending unfinished work. I would have never said it that way, but I lived each day as though it were true. As Robin brilliantly explains, I was “striving and doing religious works to find favor with the distorted god of (my) imagination who was nothing like the God who yearned for (me) to know Him as Daddy!”
“Take joy, my King, in what you hear,” I begged in hopes that my perceived distant Father might see me as more than the sum of Adam’s fall.
“No, Daddy,” Eva corrected, and then she started singing, “B. I. N.E O! and Binno was his name-o.” Her innocent correction interrupted my loneliness. I grinned, matching my melody and words with hers, “B. I. N. E. O.” we sang with abandon. I was all right replacing the G. with an E.
As we arrived at “City Town,” Eva pointed out all the “ocitons” — stop signs.
Her older brother had been learning his shapes. Octagons were his favorite.
But I barely heard her ociton ramblings as I wallowed in the lie of separation. It seemed to me there was some measureless distance between God and myself, and no matter what I did, or maybe, thanks to Adam, because of what I did, I couldn’t bridge it.
If Adam had been sitting next to me, I would have punched him in the mouth.
Eva broke in again, saving me with her childlike trust, “Daddy, I aff a secret.” She continued all bright-eyed. “Let’s go a mdonals.”
I mirrored her smile. She was so beautiful; my heart was full to the brim with her goodness. She wanted to go to McDonald’s with her Daddy and have it be our secret. What made it even sweeter— she couldn’t keep a secret.
Our joyful communion confronted, as Robin notes, my “mindset of dualism that made it challenging for (me) to recognize (my) true identity as God’s image-bearer, intended to reflect His nature of Love on earth.”
Ironically, I had no problem recognizing LOVE’S identity reflected in my daughter…
“Take joy, my King, in what you hear,” I sang, desperate. “Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear… I continued, reveling in every second with my daughter while begging God to come near.
“OK, let’s go eat,” I said to Eva after finishing my errands. We didn’t go to McDonald’s, but we did stop at Phat Burrito, which is one of the best eats in “City Town.” I told Eva the name of the restaurant while we waited in line, again while we got a Coke. We shared a quesadilla and tacos. As we ate, Eva asked, “Daddy, what’s this?” And then, “Fat bummito!”
I smiled. “That’s right, hun, it’s a fat bummito.” I didn’t mind exchanging the “r’s” for some “m’s.”
While we ate, my mind cried out again. Where are you, God? I begged from my insecure faith in the separation of original sin. If Adam had been sitting with us, I’d have spit in his food.
As Eva and I headed home, I prayed out loud: “I am desperate for You!” Then Eva interrupted with the voice of my Father, pointing, “Ociton! Daddy! Ociton!”
Suddenly, I had two thoughts. Both bursting with grace and life!
First, “What if my Father felt about me the way I feel about Eva?”
Then, “When you love someone, you learn to speak their language. I am Eva’s Dad. I know her head-to-toes. I love her fiercely. I am fluent in her language and speak it to her often. But she is also learning a language—mine.
Maybe it’s time to learn my Father’s language?”
Behold The Lamb is a profoundly beautiful invitation to learn our Father’s language. Jesus was the walking revelation of our original design, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” started with Adam from the foundations of the world. This book invites us to step away from the lie of separation and discover the original Truth of a LOVE that never leaves or forsakes us and restores all things.
Robin Smit is a wonder. Her writing is the perfect blend of arithmetic and poetry, wisdom and grace, knowledge and impartation. Her words are full of the innocent conviction of my two-year-old daughter and the profound understanding of our early church Fathers and Mothers. She breaks down the Church’s “ociton” understandings with a grace that empowers us to know our Father the way Jesus knew Him. And to learn His language.
On every page is an invitation to ask what if?
What if “loss and separation were mere constructs of Adam’s mind” and there has never been “separation between heaven and earth, God and man?”
What if “religion keeps us in bondage to a pagan idea of separation from God?”
What if we could trade “the faulty lens of Adam’s fall for the crystal-clear image of Christ’s restoration?”
What if Jesus “is the Lamb who took away the sin of the world, and that old life no longer exists?”
What if “God sent His Son as Savior because He loves us, because we are His good pleasure!?”
Then maybe we could live each day confidently singing, “Take joy, my King, in what you hear, I am a sweet, sweet sound to Your ear!”
Behold The Lamb is the book you take with you on your journey to “City Town.” In its pages is the incarnational Christ who sings B.I.N.E.O! with abandon— who knows us intimately and is all right replacing the G. with an E. while at the same time introducing us to our native tongue. In its pages is the language of our original design and our restored innocence. In its pages is an opportunity to rethink the restorative nature of Dad’s love and our place in the family. In its pages is the Truth that sets us free.
Behold The Lamb is an invitation to discover we are His children, that He loves, and that He has always and only been well pleased.
To purchase the book CLICK HERE
ETERNAL LIFE WITH JASON CLARK
This podcast features Chapter Three of Jason Clark’s recent book, Leaving and Finding Jesus.
“We have been invited to trade a finite perspective with an infinite eternal life revelation—Christ in us, the hope of glory—and nothing separates us from His love! In John 17, Jesus prayed that we would know this union, this oneness, just as He and the Father were one. Further, He revealed there is no darkness light won’t penetrate, no brokenness that won’t be made whole, no road He won’t join us on, no soil the Seed won’t transform, no consequence of sin that His justice won’t restore—past, present, or future…”
For more on Leaving and Finding Jesus
Amazon
A Family Story Store
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MIKE ZENKER / UNDERSTANDING FORGIVENESS
Understanding Forgivness
“Forgiveness is an event and a process… Forgiveness came to me…” Christ, within you the hope of glory, the journey of union, discovering our identity, speaking to light within people, no us and them, no hierarchy in love, embracing mystery and asking questions, hope, forgiveness, authentic restoration, and the eternal nature of reconciliation, in this podcast the guys talk about their rethinking journey in the context of pastoring, and Mike shares his powerful story of healing and the journey of forgiveness and a hope that won’t disappoint.
For more on Mike Zenker
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/MichaelZenker
Link to Forgiveness Series referred to in the recording: Healing Life’s Hurts
Link to the hotdog meatloaf taco Mike really wants to make: Taco Link
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mikez.zenker
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The Wages of Sin… in Context
Romans 6:23 begins, “the wages of sin is death…” and then counters it with, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”
Often, I’ve heard that first part of the verse thrown at people as a threat; completely void of its context. And context is everything. And the context for this verse is incredibly liberating, empowering, and truly good news.
If you read Romans 5 and 6, fully, you’ll find there’s zero mention of humanity making some sort of choice or decision. Why? Because the context is the complete works of Christ.
“…the wages of sin is death, but God’s free gift is eternal life in Jesus…”
This scripture is often taught as though Paul was giving us a choice; as though we can invite Jesus into our hearts and make Him the Lord of our lives, or we can go to hell, where we will experience eternal conscious torment, and there will be torture, and there will be flames.
But that’s not what Paul wrote. There is no such context.
What if “the wages of sin is death” is announcing the inherent consequences of sinful actions and what they will produce in this life, as opposed to saying if we sin, we deserve torment?
Remember, it says “death;” not “everlasting life while being tortured in fire,” it says “death.”
I challenge you to read Romans 5 and 6. Read what Paul was actually writing. See how he contrasts universal humanity “in Adam” with universal humanity “in Christ” as a result of the complete work of Jesus on behalf of all of humanity
What if there isn’t a judicial system in family?
Let me ask that again.
What if…there isn’t a judicial system…in FAMILY?
What if His name really is Abba, and He is a Father and Physician? What if He is not a judge and we are not in some courtroom accused of crimes and misdemeanors? What if He is not a Master, and we are not His subjects and servants? What if we – humanity – are his children, sons and daughters of the living God; sons and daughters of heaven and eternity and glory?
What if the atonement – what happened at the cross – was totally void of violence from the Father altogether? What if it really was a victory over the Satan, sin and death, and an unveiling of His heart; as well as Him healing us of the delusions we’ve created and been deceived by… all of which, manifested death in our lives and in the earth.
What if Jesus came to reverse the trajectory in order to bring on earth as it is in heaven.
What if we’ve been looking at this completely through the wrong lens.
The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God (for all of humanity) is eternal life in Christ.
That is a conclusive statement.
It is finished… behold, I make all things new! (See John 19:30 and Rev 21:5)
He’s better than you’ve been taught.
Michael McElyea is a husband and a father; a guy who left evangelical church leadership to go on a journey with Jesus; just a man trying to follow Jesus. He lives in MD with his family.
For more on Micahel
Facebook
The Uprising
EDEN JERSAK / A LOVE THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE
“My mom exemplified this (The Tree of Life) further every time she invited the “black sheep” of the family to our family Christmas events. That was confusing to me as a child because in my mind, and in our culture, they were most certainly “Out,” yet that never deterred my mom from inviting them to our table.” Eden Jersak.
In this podcast, Pastor Eden shares about our heavenly Father’s grace, love, kindness, and all-inclusive love. The cross, the journey of inclusion, reconciliation, pastoring, and valuing humanity as Jesus does, this conversation is between two relational human beings endeavoring to love well.
Please rate, review, share, and subscribe!
For more on Eden Jersak
Email: edenjersak@gmail.com
Website: www.thebridgeonline.ca
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TOMMY MILLER / DEATHLESS
Union, inclusion, sin, grace, sonship, the covenants, a very high view of Jesus and humanity, and biblical immortality, Tommy Miller shares about his new book, Deathless. Tommy is passionate about seeing the local Church equip sons to look like their Father and create atmospheres that look like heaven, and it’s evident in this revelatory conversation.
“Deathless” is a thought-provoking exploration of the concept of biblical immortality, and the guys have a brilliant conversation unpacking this thought.
For Tommy’s FREE CLASS on the Covenants, CLICK HERE and enter the code – NCCFREE
Please rate, review, share, and subscribe!
For more on Tommy Miller
Tommy’s Facebook
Legacy Church Website: www.legacychurchint.org
New Creation Collective’s Facebook
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BISHOP JAMIE ENGLEHART / MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
Myths & Misconceptions
Lucifer and the devil, God, and control, union vs. separation, awakening to Light, Life, and Love, and approaching scripture through sonship; in this conversation, Bishop Jamie Englehart breaks down myths for truth and sheds light on many of our religious misconceptions that have been built upon separation.
Jamie’s understanding of the Kingdom of God, the New Covenant, and the heart of the Father is evident in every word he speaks.
Please rate, review, share, and subscribe!
For more on Jamie Englehart
Facebook
Website: www.connectinternationalministries.com
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THE PROBLEM WITH RETRIBUTION WITH JASON CLARK
Chapter Seven / Leaving and Finding Jesus
This podcast announces and features Jason’s new book, Leaving and Finding Jesus, in audio format. Retribution is the title of chapter seven and is presented in its entirety.
In this chapter and podcast, Jason juxtaposes retribution with reconciliation and recognizes that a punishment lens on the nature of God is one of the reasons the church is navigating broken trust. It’s also why we currently find ourselves in a Deconstruction Movement.
God is as Jesus revealed Him, and on a cross, Jesus forgave. And on a cross, God, in Christ, reconciled the world to Himself.
Please rate, review, share, and subscribe!
For more on Leaving and Finding Jesus
Amazon
A Family Story Store
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SHAWN HARNISH / UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Pastoring a community, faith and living in mystery, putting unconditional love before understanding, kindness that leads to repentance, the nature of trust, punishment, hell, Bible College, the Age of Certainty, and timeless reconciling love – in this conversation, Shawn Harnish shares about his 25-plus years of pastoring in one area and the transforming discovery of the finished work of the cross. Add to that, 25-plus years of friendship with Jason and a mutual love of the Buffalo Bills, and you got a profound and fun conversation – Go Bills!
For more on Shawn Harnish
Facebook
Website: www.dansvillefoursquare.org
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